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Practice build: 5-string multi-scale, HD woods
- Thread starter pilotjones
- Start date
Taylor Livingston
Commercial User
Hey PJ, sorry to bump this thread but it's just great seeing this project finished. There was no doubt that it would come out well based on the unbelievable attention you gave to the details, but the finished product is totally jaw-dropping!
Thanks, mister-two-last-names. 
It's great to "see" you around these parts. Yes, I'm approaching one year playing on it, and I still love it. It has more than earned its build cost back on gigs. #2 is in the works, and as usual, it's becoming more complicated than the original intention. And hopefully worth the effort.
I didn't know you started an effects company - congratulations! And great trade name. If I could have one wish, it's for an octave pedal that offers an octave up, octave down, and ability to switch between them by foot, with separate blend settings for upper and lower. And one that sounds good on the upper octave, not too chipmunk-y. The closest I've found so far is the T-Rex Octavius, but it's not all the way there.
It's great to "see" you around these parts. Yes, I'm approaching one year playing on it, and I still love it. It has more than earned its build cost back on gigs. #2 is in the works, and as usual, it's becoming more complicated than the original intention. And hopefully worth the effort.I didn't know you started an effects company - congratulations! And great trade name. If I could have one wish, it's for an octave pedal that offers an octave up, octave down, and ability to switch between them by foot, with separate blend settings for upper and lower. And one that sounds good on the upper octave, not too chipmunk-y. The closest I've found so far is the T-Rex Octavius, but it's not all the way there.
Now that I think of it this belongs here..
on Father's Day I got a tiny claymation version of the bass.
Thanks, MiniChell!
on Father's Day I got a tiny claymation version of the bass.
Thanks, MiniChell!
Means2nEnd
Supporting Member
I am about to join the ranks of builders and tonight I ran across this thread. I spent two hours reading a lot of it and studying as much as I could. I am truly amazed at what you have created along the way like the bridge design and electronic layout.
I think it's important to make a statement and have your own ideas and touches and man this has blown me away. The thread is better than any movie I ever saw just wow man. Humbling for sure. Fantastic build, ideas, photography, and beer. Amazing just amazing...
I think it's important to make a statement and have your own ideas and touches and man this has blown me away. The thread is better than any movie I ever saw just wow man. Humbling for sure. Fantastic build, ideas, photography, and beer. Amazing just amazing...
Thanks, everyone.
In a post about my new build, I was asked about this bass. Rather than place the answer on that thread, I'll put it here.
I'm still happy with the overall tone. It gets the P-ish and J-ish sounds that were intended. You might say it sounds "woody" which is what I wanted, and which I think is hard to get in a more-than-4-string bass. I recently got out my import Lakland for a gig in a smoky room, but I didn't like it at all, it sounded too electronic for me. Which might be good for some people, but is not what I want.
I still find the treble cut of the preamp lacking, which is why on the new one I'm using a pre that also has a passive-rolloff-style treble cut. On this one when I want a very deep tone, I need to roll up the bass somewhat as well as full-cut the treble.
It has a few dings, and one good scratch. That doesn't bother me. There's a small spot of finish wear-through by the neck pup, which has turned gray, as maple does.
I took a pic of it recently and in the reflections noticed the somewhat uneven surface on the back of the headstock. Next one should be better.
It still has the same set of D'Addario EXL170-5SL nickel wounds on it. They are a little duller, so I have actually dialed up the treble on occasion, which isn't my normal practice. I'm waiting until the Dark Storm is ready to string up before I change the strings on this, so that I can test these strings on the new one, to confirm that the SL lengths will work before I buy a fresh set of strings for that one. The G string is pretty notched by the frets, though.
The B string is a little dull. When I change strings we'll see how that changes.
The frets show weird wear in the places I bend them, but it's not actually strange wear. What it is is a consequence of the fanned frets. On a standard parallel fret bass, you get parallel lines along the frets from the string windings, but they're not too noticeable. With the angled frets, these lines cross the fret, and it looks odd. But I don't think the wear is any deeper.
The balance is good.
I never bought the strap-mounted locking parts for the straplocks, I've been using the lugs as regular lugs.
Playing up by the bridge, with thumb on the bridge pickup to get Jaco-y, is a bit more difficult on the fanned frets. Due to the geometry, you can run out of G string, until you learn to adjust hand position.
After a year and a half, I replaced the battery.
I recently did some adjustment of the action, to see how low I could get it. To do that I had to take out the saddle screws, and grind a mm off the tips so that I could get them all the way down to the wood saddles. They are ending up being raised up a bit from there, but not as high as they were. For the second bass, I'll use shorter screws. The grinding afterwards is a pain.
When I had the saddles out, and the strings running directly from the string anchors, the G and A strings were just at the exact way-too-low action to get the most awesome sitar sound from the buzzing against the frets. Too bad it don't play in tune due to the change in scale length, otherwise I'd use it as an effect.
In a post about my new build, I was asked about this bass. Rather than place the answer on that thread, I'll put it here.
A little under two years and a couple of hundred gigs later, it's doing fine. Here are some observations and experiences.
I'm still happy with the overall tone. It gets the P-ish and J-ish sounds that were intended. You might say it sounds "woody" which is what I wanted, and which I think is hard to get in a more-than-4-string bass. I recently got out my import Lakland for a gig in a smoky room, but I didn't like it at all, it sounded too electronic for me. Which might be good for some people, but is not what I want.
I still find the treble cut of the preamp lacking, which is why on the new one I'm using a pre that also has a passive-rolloff-style treble cut. On this one when I want a very deep tone, I need to roll up the bass somewhat as well as full-cut the treble.
It has a few dings, and one good scratch. That doesn't bother me. There's a small spot of finish wear-through by the neck pup, which has turned gray, as maple does.
I took a pic of it recently and in the reflections noticed the somewhat uneven surface on the back of the headstock. Next one should be better.
It still has the same set of D'Addario EXL170-5SL nickel wounds on it. They are a little duller, so I have actually dialed up the treble on occasion, which isn't my normal practice. I'm waiting until the Dark Storm is ready to string up before I change the strings on this, so that I can test these strings on the new one, to confirm that the SL lengths will work before I buy a fresh set of strings for that one. The G string is pretty notched by the frets, though.
The B string is a little dull. When I change strings we'll see how that changes.
The frets show weird wear in the places I bend them, but it's not actually strange wear. What it is is a consequence of the fanned frets. On a standard parallel fret bass, you get parallel lines along the frets from the string windings, but they're not too noticeable. With the angled frets, these lines cross the fret, and it looks odd. But I don't think the wear is any deeper.
The balance is good.
I never bought the strap-mounted locking parts for the straplocks, I've been using the lugs as regular lugs.
Playing up by the bridge, with thumb on the bridge pickup to get Jaco-y, is a bit more difficult on the fanned frets. Due to the geometry, you can run out of G string, until you learn to adjust hand position.
After a year and a half, I replaced the battery.
I recently did some adjustment of the action, to see how low I could get it. To do that I had to take out the saddle screws, and grind a mm off the tips so that I could get them all the way down to the wood saddles. They are ending up being raised up a bit from there, but not as high as they were. For the second bass, I'll use shorter screws. The grinding afterwards is a pain.
When I had the saddles out, and the strings running directly from the string anchors, the G and A strings were just at the exact way-too-low action to get the most awesome sitar sound from the buzzing against the frets. Too bad it don't play in tune due to the change in scale length, otherwise I'd use it as an effect.
Oh, and one more observation. I spent extra money to get a Bourns black box sealed pot for the volume. And it is the only pot that has been scratchy a couple of times, actually popping when first touched, and requiring me to run it through its full range about a fifty times to clean it up. Does anyone have experience with these? and do they know the difference between the black and the blue box pots?
20 bucks for a pot? For 20 bucks you can get actual pot.
I mean, I've heard that... from, um... these guys I know...
I mean, I've heard that... from, um... these guys I know...
Yeah, they're high. I mean the prices...and probably the people too.
Invalid Link Removed
That sucks that you had bad experience with it too. I expected to be paying more to get better. I just looked it up and when I bought it about three years ago it $8.57. And mouser's price for the blue pot at the time was $16.92.
I was asked a few times what this bass weighs, and I just got what I think is an accurate scale. It's made for people-sized loads, so it doesn't even turn on with the weight of the bass, but I did some tests stepping on it with and without holding free weights, and subtracting my own weight. It seems accurate and repeatable.
So, I measured the bass the same way. With strings and 9V battery, and without strap: 8.8 pounds.
So, I measured the bass the same way. With strings and 9V battery, and without strap: 8.8 pounds.
Maybe the thick hard maple front is heavy, but the poplar behind it is light.
Just for information, to see the fading of padauk: mounted on another bass in progress, these are the are the five knobs that have been on this bass for ¿9? years, with it mostly out of a case in indoor light, along with two spare knobs the were not used and have been in a fairly dark basement room.
