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Nordy Bigman4?

#41
Joshua said:
Many thanks! I love spalted maple, but mostly prefer more standardized finishes. This is my only specialty topped bass. And Karl makes an amazing instrument, for sure.

Full disclosure, however; I am a J guy through and through! I've got a phenomenal Jaco tribute made from USA Custom parts with Lollar pickups, a 90s Hamer Cruise with SD Antiquity IIs, and a Suhr Classic J Pro (the Suhr is on order). The goal of the Hoyt bass with the BigMan was as a bit of a homage to Les Claypool. I don't play like him at all, but he is one of my faves and I wanted to add a real unique fretless to my humble collection.

And on that note, I played the bass at length last night and can only reiterate how happy I am with it, and specifically how great it sounds (not how great I sound!). Single coil is serious J bridge pickup tone, parallel is full bodied clarity, and series is just nasty. I found myself mostly in series because it's brute force is kind of intoxicating, but all the tones are great.

Word of warning to @dukeorock on series though, it can be a bit of a shock the first time you hear it. Lotta stuff going on in that tone!
Click to expand...

I can't wait to try it! Will most likely do that very soon.

Your fretless looks incredible to me, brother, and I'm not normally a 'fancy top' kinda dude, but great art is great art!

I sincerely hope i don't come off as someone who dismisses J basses. I love them and have invested in 3 very serious J's trying to find 'my J.' I just haven't yet. The closest I came was a Bluesman Vintage...dang, that bass played like a dream! I had the pickups wired in series, which sounded fantastic, but I was still always tweaking it during shows. I remember a buddy coming to a gig a remarking, "You're spending too much time trying to make a J sound like a P." I think he nailed it :)

That brings us back to the Bigman. It reminds me of what I like about J's, but with something else going on. You can coax it into an MM kinda feel, but it's still different...to me it is just 'more.' I don't know how else to put it. My new ad campaign slogan...

"Nordstrand Bigman- Because More is MORE"

:)
 
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#42
dukeorock said:
"Nordstrand Bigman- Because More is MORE"
Click to expand...

tenor.gif
 
#43
Tony Levin said the same thing about the Stingray, after coming off a 50's Pbass.

He had never heard those sounds before.
Having so much means you can play anywhere, and shape what you need in that moment.

Now you guys need to try 4 big singles working, that's a lot of string to catch.
 
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#44
somebrains said:
Tony Levin said the same thing about the Stingray, after coming off a 50's Pbass.

He had never heard those sounds before.
Having so much means you can play anywhere, and shape what you need in that moment.

Now you guys need to try 4 big singles working, that's a lot of string to catch.
Click to expand...

Pretty certain I'll be installing a second Bigman in my bass soon :)
 
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#48
dukeorock said:
Pretty certain I'll be installing a second Bigman in my bass soon :)
Click to expand...

Perhaps a 3 way switch for each for series/parallel/single with the singles positioned in J bass land? In any event, please keep the tectonic plates upon which you currently reside in mind when exercising this great power you would now wield.

:D
 
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#50
Joshua said:
Many thanks! I love spalted maple, but mostly prefer more standardized finishes. This is my only specialty topped bass. And Karl makes an amazing instrument, for sure.

Full disclosure, however; I am a J guy through and through! I've got a phenomenal Jaco tribute made from USA Custom parts with Lollar pickups, a 90s Hamer Cruise with SD Antiquity IIs, and a Suhr Classic J Pro (the Suhr is on order). The goal of the Hoyt bass with the BigMan was as a bit of a homage to Les Claypool. I don't play like him at all, but he is one of my faves and I wanted to add a real unique fretless to my humble collection.

And on that note, I played the bass at length last night and can only reiterate how happy I am with it, and specifically how great it sounds (not how great I sound!). Single coil is serious J bridge pickup tone, parallel is full bodied clarity, and series is just nasty. I found myself mostly in series because it's brute force is kind of intoxicating, but all the tones are great.

Word of warning to @dukeorock on series though, it can be a bit of a shock the first time you hear it. Lotta stuff going on in that tone!
Click to expand...

I'll try to be brave!
 
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