Official Elrick Club Thread!

[Brad Johnson]

Heavy Ash most certainly IME is a deciding factor in that 70's Jazz sound. I'm guessing most people who don't think it is likely don't slap, where the difference is almost painfully obvious.

While it's your money, personally I wouldn't bother to chase my tail trying to make an NJS sound like a Jazz. They don't and I've yet to hear a modified one that did. If you leave them alone they sound like NJS's... which IMO is a good thing.

My tips for happiness with an NJS are simple and better yet, cheap . Mine has a light Swamp Ash body, Maple neck and board. Because the bass is inherently bright (and yes, I will attribute that to the light body and Maple bits ), I string my bass with Nickel roundwounds, usually DR Sunbeams. I do the same with my Ash/Wenge MTD 635. Because Rob does excellent fretwork, I keep my action pretty low. I also raise the pickups up and balance them sonically by height.

Does my NJS sound like Marcus? Nope... but even my hardcore Fender Jazz buddies agree it sounds amazing, especially for slap. In it's own way.

If you play it appreciating what it is vs. what you hoped it would mimic, IME happiness is much easier to find. I'm happy with so many basses because I let them do what they do.

Of course you can thow money at electronics upgrades, etc. but I've yet to hear an upgrade that seemed to be an actual improvement on an Elrick. Different, yes. Better? Nope... not if you really appreciate what Rob's vision was.

 

[g4string]

......I've yet to hear an upgrade that seemed to be an actual improvement on an Elrick. Different, yes. Better? Nope... not if you really appreciate what Rob's vision was.

Brad,

I would have to disagree. I swapped out the stock Bart s/c pups in my Elrick for a set of Big Singles...........hands down, that was the best thing electronically that happened to that bass. The stock Barts had the same thing going on as the OP's problem, low output. The Barts sounded OK to me. Again, it was an output issue for me. If they had a higher output I probably would have left them in. However, I like the sound of the Big Singles better than the Barts........waaaay better. I am glad I sprung for the Big Singles!!!!

 

[Brad Johnson]

Brad,

I would have to disagree. I swapped out the stock Bart s/c pups in my Elrick for a set of Big Singles...........hands down, that was the best thing electronically that happened to that bass. The stock Barts had the same thing going on as the OP's problem, low output. The Barts sounded OK to me. Again, it was an output issue for me. If they had a higher output I probably would have left them in. However, I like the sound of the Big Singles better than the Barts........waaaay better. I am glad I sprung for the Big Singles!!!!

Since I've said "I've yet to hear..." and I personally have not experienced low output with any of the seven or eight Elricks I've owned or any of the myriad other stock Elricks I've played...

well, you can't exactly disagree with what I've heard. After all, it's what I heard

BTW I yanked the Big Singles and Aggie OBP-1 out of this recently purchased bass and installed Bart soaps/NTMB and couldn't be happier...

BTW pt. 2. did you try adjusting the gain on the Bart preamp? Just curious. And did the swap make your bass sound like a Fender?

 

[lowfreaknzy]

Thanks guys, this has been so helpful in this decision making process, everything everybody's said makes perfect sense to me, that instead of making it confusing, It opens up a wider variety of options for me to consider.
Like I said before, I know Rob never intended to do a "clone" of a jazz, I was ok with that the moment I bought it, I know that I can only change Its qualities just a bit to make it fit "my needs", like girls when they start dating us: "I like you, but let me change you". An Elrick is always gonna be an Elrick, thats true... but even Rob offers options like the Aeros, 34" scale, alder body, maple fingerboards, soapbars, EMGs... They are legitimate alternatives to shape the instrument according to our needs. Just because It's the same model, It doesn't mean that you and I have to play the same fretboard, with the same set of electronics and woodtops, etc... The very reason why I'm going through all this is because I can't let go of this neck and overall feel of this instrument, Its amazing, but here's my "thing" with this "boutique instruments", and I know some of you are gonna disagree with me: These complicated masterpieces of instruments are very focused on many details, craftsmanship, look, balance, shape, tone etc... they sound amazing in your room when you practice by yourself, the tone seems to be very well balanced and everything, but that doesn't always translate in the battlefield; unfortunately, not many of them really manage to project all those harmonics and tone complexity out there to make it just "cut through the mix" in both live or studio situations. What I'm saying is, I don't dislike the sound of NJS, I dislike Its delivery, (and this is a very delicate subject), to me, warm and smooth, is not the same as compressed and 'softy', which is what I feel with this bass, does that make sense?. For example, unplugged; although Its got a great natural 'snap' when you pluck the strings hard, It seems that that 'snap' gets lost somewhere in the process when plugged in and the band starts... I have to assume I'ts not a wood issue, the 35" affects the high range like I said before, the bass control in the preamp I feel affects a freq too low, the lack of aggressiveness in the high mids i think has to do with the pickups, (and that wenge neck doesn't help either), and last but not least, the output level is low.
So I'm realizing that maybe the combination of ingredients are not the right ones for me, (If somebody wants to trade a maple neck for this wenge, im game ;-)).
So, because my love for Elricks is so strong, i'm gonna keep it for a while to see what happens with basic mods, PUPs, then pre, then if I hear i'm getting somewhere, a new body. One thing I'm sure is... Im not gonna keep modifing past the $500 only to find out that there was never a beast inside that bass waiting to be unleashed.

 

[g4string]

........BTW pt. 2. did you try adjusting the gain on the Bart preamp? Just curious. And did the swap make your bass sound like a Fender?

Brad,

I wasn't trying to make my Elrick sound like a Fender......I was just trying to make the output some what even with my other basses. Again, my gripe with the Barts was gain, not sound/tone. FWIW, my Elrick came with the OBP3. IIRC, there is no internal adjustment for the OBP3. My only option was a new set of pups. So, I chose to go with the BS's. Hey, what works for me might not work for you. All I know I know is the BS's sound better than the OEM Barts, IMHO.

 

[nalapit13]

is six months old to young?

 

[excane]

Adorable

 

[nalapit13]

thanks excane!!! she was actually strumming it like crazy, everytime i pulled out my phone to video her, she stopped and smiled. so i just got some great pics!!

 

[excane]

I was always curious how baby drool compares to GHS Fast Fret..... find out for me

 

[nalapit13]

funny you mention that........ baby drool is great fret dressing!

 

[excane]

ahhh! Great photo!

 

[Mr. Majestic]

That's awesome

 

[Ephminus]

Does Rob ever visit this thread?

My guitar player Rick says the he knows Rob and that he'll have him make me a bass for free...

Ok, so he never said that....

But he says that he does know Rob lol

Hmmm, a free Elrick bass would be nice though....

 

[Belka]

Since I've said "I've yet to hear..." and I personally have not experienced low output with any of the seven or eight Elricks I've owned or any of the myriad other stock Elricks I've played...

well, you can't exactly disagree with what I've heard. After all, it's what I heard

BTW I yanked the Big Singles and Aggie OBP-1 out of this recently purchased bass and installed Bart soaps/NTMB and couldn't be happier...

BTW pt. 2. did you try adjusting the gain on the Bart preamp? Just curious. And did the swap make your bass sound like a Fender?
[/QUOTE

I have played various Nordstrand and Bart equipped basses and I have to agree with Brad; Bartolini just do it for me. I would add, however, that I love the Nordstrand slap tone - a lovely slap tone, but I play mostly fingerstyle these days, and for that, in my opinion, Barts just do better all round.

 

[thndrstk6]

What kind of bass is that Fenderesque six string? It looks amazing!

 

[Brad Johnson]

Brad,

I wasn't trying to make my Elrick sound like a Fender......I was just trying to make the output some what even with my other basses. Again, my gripe with the Barts was gain, not sound/tone. FWIW, my Elrick came with the OBP3. IIRC, there is no internal adjustment for the OBP3. My only option was a new set of pups. So, I chose to go with the BS's. Hey, what works for me might not work for you. All I know I know is the BS's sound better than the OEM Barts, IMHO.

Cool. Hopefully you aren't taking what I'm saying as some sort of challenge to your experience. In your scenario I'd consider the OBP-3 the likely culprit for low output. I have one in one of the modules on an older Brubaker Xtreme 5 and it's surprisingly hot considering my past experience with OBP-3's. I had one in a Roscoe and the output was way below what I usually get with a Bart preamp. I had another one in another Brubaker and the output was somewhere in the middle.

I had a friend who ordered an Elrick after playing one of mine except he decided to change pickups and preamp... don't ask me why, he loved mine as it was. I think he had Aeros with coil taps and an OBP-3... and hated it.

BTW I know you weren't trying to make your bass sound like a Fender... another poster was. I was kidding around.

 

[Brad Johnson]

What kind of bass is that Fenderesque six string? It looks amazing!

A fellow TBer commssioned it... then sold it to me. It's found a home.

 

[Brad Johnson]

Thanks guys, this has been so helpful in this decision making process, everything everybody's said makes perfect sense to me, that instead of making it confusing, It opens up a wider variety of options for me to consider.
Like I said before, I know Rob never intended to do a "clone" of a jazz, I was ok with that the moment I bought it, I know that I can only change Its qualities just a bit to make it fit "my needs", like girls when they start dating us: "I like you, but let me change you". An Elrick is always gonna be an Elrick, thats true... but even Rob offers options like the Aeros, 34" scale, alder body, maple fingerboards, soapbars, EMGs... They are legitimate alternatives to shape the instrument according to our needs. Just because It's the same model, It doesn't mean that you and I have to play the same fretboard, with the same set of electronics and woodtops, etc... The very reason why I'm going through all this is because I can't let go of this neck and overall feel of this instrument, Its amazing, but here's my "thing" with this "boutique instruments", and I know some of you are gonna disagree with me: These complicated masterpieces of instruments are very focused on many details, craftsmanship, look, balance, shape, tone etc... they sound amazing in your room when you practice by yourself, the tone seems to be very well balanced and everything, but that doesn't always translate in the battlefield; unfortunately, not many of them really manage to project all those harmonics and tone complexity out there to make it just "cut through the mix" in both live or studio situations. What I'm saying is, I don't dislike the sound of NJS, I dislike Its delivery, (and this is a very delicate subject), to me, warm and smooth, is not the same as compressed and 'softy', which is what I feel with this bass, does that make sense?. For example, unplugged; although Its got a great natural 'snap' when you pluck the strings hard, It seems that that 'snap' gets lost somewhere in the process when plugged in and the band starts... I have to assume I'ts not a wood issue, the 35" affects the high range like I said before, the bass control in the preamp I feel affects a freq too low, the lack of aggressiveness in the high mids i think has to do with the pickups, (and that wenge neck doesn't help either), and last but not least, the output level is low.
So I'm realizing that maybe the combination of ingredients are not the right ones for me, (If somebody wants to trade a maple neck for this wenge, im game ;-)).
So, because my love for Elricks is so strong, i'm gonna keep it for a while to see what happens with basic mods, PUPs, then pre, then if I hear i'm getting somewhere, a new body. One thing I'm sure is... Im not gonna keep modifing past the $500 only to find out that there was never a beast inside that bass waiting to be unleashed.

Rob does offer options on his basses... because people ask for them. I remember when he only built sixes. I know a few builders who offer options they normally wouldn't put on basses if someone didn't make the request. Not that I'm saying that's what Rob's doing.

As to your observationof the battlefield, if you're speaking generally I couldn't agree less. I've yet to gig with an Elrick that couldn't tear a hole in the mix live. That's one of my basic requirements... if a bass can't cut it live, why would I waste time playing it at home?

This next observation is a general one, not pointed at you... many bassists don't know what they're doing when it comes to live performance. This very subject came up at a store today. A young bassist asked myself and a friend how to adjust mids on a two band EQed bass. My suggestion... instead of thinking about it as lack a midrange control, why not turn up the volume on your amp while you start from flat across the board. Most people don't seem to realize that if you have the treble cranked, it's percieved as loud... but you typically won't have mids and lows to go along with them and you'll have a sound that doesn't really carry in the mix. If instead you turn your amp up you can usually get a volume that stands out and then, if you need to tweak, it'll likely be small ones and not the big ones that sound so good in the bedroom.

There's more but that's a start. My Elricks have always sounded amazing on gigs... I take my own advice, I keep the amp's volume up, EQ set flat (they really are Fonzi basses IME IMO), action low, pickups close to the strings and use strings that don't exasperate the naturally zinginess of Rob's Swamp Ash bodies (zing = perceived loud).

If you just step back and think about why you and your bass sound like you sound, sometimes the mystery unravels. I get consistently stellar sound except in the worst rooms and I don't think that's a fluke.

I do the same with all of my basses. I determine which string type and brand best fits the bass at hand, I adjust the action and pickups to the optimum for me and the rest is almost too easy. And I don't use basses that force me to tweak my amp's EQ. With my Elricks I just turn my amp up and it's a done deal.

hth

 

[Brad Johnson]

Since I've said "I've yet to hear..." and I personally have not experienced low output with any of the seven or eight Elricks I've owned or any of the myriad other stock Elricks I've played...

well, you can't exactly disagree with what I've heard. After all, it's what I heard

BTW I yanked the Big Singles and Aggie OBP-1 out of this recently purchased bass and installed Bart soaps/NTMB and couldn't be happier...

BTW pt. 2. did you try adjusting the gain on the Bart preamp? Just curious. And did the swap make your bass sound like a Fender?

I have played various Nordstrand and Bart equipped basses and I have to agree with Brad; Bartolini just do it for me. I would add, however, that I love the Nordstrand slap tone - a lovely slap tone, but I play mostly fingerstyle these days, and for that, in my opinion, Barts just do better all round.

Carey makes nice pickups. I'm just way too happy with the 3D punch, clear but authoritative low end, mids and studio quality highs I get with Bart. I had one of my other basses in a store today, a guy was asking for advice on a pickup swap on his bass, I gave the same advice I gave here... first figure out why you're getting the results you're getting. I'd just come from a rehearsal and I showed him how "muddy", etc. a Bart pickup/preamp combo can actually be. With everything set flat.


I think sometimes many of us just make things complicated.

 

[lowfreaknzy]

Well, I'm a living proof of what you're saying Brad. The classic Elrick that I've played for 11 years is still my main axe because is the one I just plug in, and don't need to eq at all to hear what I want to hear. I hate, hate having to use preamps, but I do a lot of gigs that require me to use in-ears monitors (hate too), so without a bass rig, I'm in the engineers hands basically, which is not a very desirable situation, so i'm pushed to use preamps, and when I do, I rather cut than boost, If I'ts lacking some meat or punch, I bring the whole signal up and then cut a little bit of any undesired frequency at such level... this way i'm letting the wood do the talking instead of the preamp. That's never been a problem for me, not with Elricks anyways, I totally agree with you on letting the "natural" sound of the instrument come out before we start fixing what is not broken in the first place.
As far as builders putting stuff on their instruments just because players want em.... well, I believe that is precisely the essence of an improving and ever evolving artist at his work. They want to be appealing to some of us, and If it wasn't for us players, builders wouldn't have a real way of putting their product to test. I believe Rob is one of the most gifted luthiers out there, but I don't think that any of this guys came up with the right bass from the beginning, heck no, and still... I see you guys writing all the time about how his basses are just getting better and better, It shows in his product, I feel very proud to see him grow that way. First thing BP magazine '97 said "the horn digs in your leg when sitting down", and years later... "E-volution". I don't think It would be smart for a builder not to pay attention to the requests and suggestions from customers that really appreciate and make good use of his product, and even inspire others to try 'em for the first time. It's a fine line, It's hard to keep the right balance between keeping your integrity as an artist (luthier), and turning into a chameleon for commercial purposes. What is wrong about trying to get his version of a Jazz bass sound more like the original fender in one of its many qualities?(the Marcus sound), I think It would be disrespectful trying to do that with his platinum series. In the end, everybody is doing their version of the Jazz or P fender, he named it New "Jazz" standard, they are copying the fundamentals of this instruments that started it all, and I believe again, that It's us that made him do it, we make them go back to their drawing boards and go back to basics, or try new things... I'd be dissapointed if they didn't, Anthony Jackson is still talking to Vinnie about tone !!!, He just switched to Aeros BTW!! Doesn't he have the most succesful career as a bassist already? most producers and musical directors would be disappointed if we didn't try and expand our approach as performers without having to change the way we feel music.

Well, yes, art is complicated, WE are complicated, Elrick makes an instrument with 8 different pieces of wood when he doesn't have to if he wanted to make a living, Jaco didn't like his instrument so much, so he took a pair of pliers and turned the world upside down.. (to make it sound more like an "upright"....wonder what Leo had to say about that) ... music is very complicated and that's what makes it so risky and so beautiful.
Not trying to school anybody, just my point of view.. (I'm fascinated by yours)

We bassists are more complicated than ever before... And that's why here I feel among brothers...