Polaris: P-Bass with a twist

[SpaceJockey]

Time for my next build! This will likely take me a while (first build took me 3 years to finish )

The plan is to keep things simple this time. I need a bass that I'm not afraid to leave the house with, and thus, Polaris was conceived.

(designed in Fusion 360 for those who are curious)

I'm still choosing woods but I'd like to work with what I have on hand already. So I'm thinking:

Body: Ash
Neck: Padauk, 34" scale, Fender P-bass dimensions
Fretboard: Bocote

Hardware: Babicz Full Contact string-thru bridge, Hipshot USA Ultralite Tuners - 3+1 arrangement à la EBMM Stingray
Pickups: MM + P bass combo w/ passive electronics - undecided on brand

I'm also undecided on the paint color but i'll have plenty of time to decide that

 

[Mickey666]

Interesting shape, subbed

 

[Gervais Cote]

Perfect contender for some Nordstrand pickups…………………..just saying…………………..

 

[SpaceJockey]

Interesting shape, subbed

I gotta give credit where it is due for the shape: I drew some inspiration from a few different models, namely the Adamovic Supernova and Marleaux Consat

 

[HolmeBass]

Cool looking bass! Gotta say, the yellow looks good to me.

 

[Videojunkie]

I like the shape! Really nice.

My only observation is that it seems to be missing a string, and 3+2 is the correct tuner orientation...

I love the passive Nordstrand Power Blades in my P-Bass. On the other side, I also like the Seymour Duncan MM pickups in the Rick-man and the preamp with the 3 band eq is awesome.

Choices.... Choices...

 

[Mastiff_5]

It's a Warwickbacker… a Rickenwick…

 

[SactoBass]

Time for my next build! This will likely take me a while (first build took me 3 years to finish )

The plan is to keep things simple this time. I need a bass that I'm not afraid to leave the house with, and thus, Polaris was conceived.

View attachment 7286880

View attachment 7286877 View attachment 7286881

(designed in Fusion 360 for those who are curious)

I'm still choosing woods but I'd like to work with what I have on hand already. So I'm thinking:

Body: Ash
Neck: Padauk, 34" scale, Fender P-bass dimensions
Fretboard: Bocote

Hardware: Babicz Full Contact string-thru bridge, Hipshot USA Ultralite Tuners - 3+1 arrangement à la EBMM Stingray
Pickups: MM + P bass combo w/ passive electronics - undecided on brand

I'm also undecided on the paint color but i'll have plenty of time to decide that

Very nice! I really like the body shape!

Btw, I own a Polaris, but it looks a bit different than yours...

 

[SpaceJockey]

Very nice! I really like the body shape!

Btw, I own a Polaris, but it looks a bit different than yours...

View attachment 7287135

Thank you!

BTW that's one hell of a machine! I work at a powersports dealer, we sell motorcycles, ATVs, Jetskis and side-by-sides. Customers for the latter tend to be the wild ones

 

[SpaceJockey]

I like the shape! Really nice.

My only observation is that it seems to be missing a string, and 3+2 is the correct tuner orientation...

I love the passive Nordstrand Power Blades in my P-Bass. On the other side, I also like the Seymour Duncan MM pickups in the Rick-man and the preamp with the 3 band eq is awesome.

Choices.... Choices...

the 5th string is tempting for sure. Who knows, it may evolve before I actually start cutting wood


Choosing pickups is my favorite and least favorite activity. I love reading technical mumbo jumbo as it relates to sound, but maybe a little too much. Time always gets away from me

The pickup dimensions in this model are based on Seymour Duncan specs. Never had a set in a bass but I know they are a safe bet

 

[superheavyfunk]

Time for my next build! This will likely take me a while (first build took me 3 years to finish )

The plan is to keep things simple this time. I need a bass that I'm not afraid to leave the house with, and thus, Polaris was conceived.

View attachment 7286880

View attachment 7286877 View attachment 7286881

(designed in Fusion 360 for those who are curious)

I'm still choosing woods but I'd like to work with what I have on hand already. So I'm thinking:

Body: Ash
Neck: Padauk, 34" scale, Fender P-bass dimensions
Fretboard: Bocote

Hardware: Babicz Full Contact string-thru bridge, Hipshot USA Ultralite Tuners - 3+1 arrangement à la EBMM Stingray
Pickups: MM + P bass combo w/ passive electronics - undecided on brand

I'm also undecided on the paint color but i'll have plenty of time to decide that

Reminds me of the old Stuart Zender sig from Warwick:

…mixed with their old "Fortress Flashback" series:

But with a more refined pick guard shape. Very cool design!!

 

[SpaceJockey]

Reminds me of the old Stuart Zender sig from Warwick:

View attachment 7287422

…mixed with their old "Fortress Flashback" series:


View attachment 7287424

But with a more refined pick guard shape. Very cool design!!

now those are some cool designs! Especially that Fortress Flashback model, never seen that before

 

[ravlin]

Great shape and addresses a market gap that caused me to commission the bass in my avatar. Nice bass, passive electrics, P neck. It is so hard to find a P neck dimension on any "nice" production bass...

 

[SpaceJockey]

got bored so decided to see how a 5 string version ands some other colors may look

I may end up just doing both a 4 and a 5...the 4 in canary yellow, 5 in royal purple

 

[Videojunkie]

What controls are you thinking? 3 position switch? Coil tap for the MM?

I know you mentioned passive, but you've got options, especially with the pickguard.

 

[Gervais Cote]

got bored so decided to see how a 5 string version ands some other colors may look

View attachment 7287718

View attachment 7287717

I may end up just doing both a 4 and a 5...the 4 in canary yellow, 5 in royal purple

Faded red and cream looks nice to me, retro and contemporary.

 

[SpaceJockey]

What controls are you thinking? 3 position switch? Coil tap for the MM?

I know you mentioned passive, but you've got options, especially with the pickguard.

2 volume, 1 tone with a coil tap for the MM, if I go with a standard MM pickup. Thought about going quad coil for the noise canceling but this will be my gigging axe, not a studio queen so it's not a major concern.

At the top of my list currently are The Nordstrand Bigman 5 and MM5.2. The latter is more appealing at essentially half the price, and it will give me a more classic MM tone whereas the Bigman seems to be a different beast entirely

 

[SactoBass]

Thank you!

BTW that's one hell of a machine! I work at a powersports dealer, we sell motorcycles, ATVs, Jetskis and side-by-sides. Customers for the latter tend to be the wild ones

Thank you! I'm very happy with the Pro R.

 

[SpaceJockey]

Another sleepness night so I've been experimenting with colors again. Messed around with rendering the neck too but that just gave me a headache… I also made some small changes to the pickguard design - it is now wider and I tweaked the shape a bit.

I realize the neck pocket appears short but my plan is to actually have the neck extend under the pickguard, like this:

This will provide room for some brass threaded inserts aka BruceBars as the locals say

Here's a purple one too cause why not!

Lastly, an update on my wood choices. unfortunately the usable portion of the bocote board I have is too short. I'll have to pick out something else. I did come across some pistachio wood that looked interesting. Anyone here ever use it for a fretboard?

 

[SteveFromBerlin]

Personally, I'd stay with four strings. 5-string P-basses are tricky. I only like my Pedulla MVP - all the other Low B-strings were way to muddy and I did not care for them. On the other hand you still have that MM pickup. That should give you a great low B.