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Project Retro: '51 P-5
- Thread starter Chef
- Start date
- Status
Aiiiight, here we go!
Spent maybe 3-4 hours with the P5 during the week before taking it to work last night.
4 band show, one band I knew, two I didn't, one local, one from St Lou, one road band, and us-The Goldbugs. You can find us on myspace if you look
The Goldbugs are a "jangly alterna-country-ish mix of genre's that draw from Wilco, Uncle Tupelo, Beatles, and some other fun stuff,'' all original, and in the studio currently working on CD two...Traditional 3 piece, guit, bass, drums...I get lots of room, which I dig!
I played thru a TFB420 and a Schroeder 410.
The results: This thing is a killing machine y'all. The 51 P5 fits right into this sonic mix. And in fact knocks it on it's arse. The Nord SCPB5 on it's own is huuuuge, fat and clear. It doesn't sound at all like a trad split P which I would call a little midrangy to get it's mix presence. The single coils seem to have a broader frequency response in general, and this one fershure; it's wide and clean, big lows, clear highs.
The Nord Fat Stack Single is a great mix for the SCPB5. Much bigger than a trad J pup, all the preceding single coil notes apply. Many P/J basses seem to have a J pup added that merely "functions as a tone knob." This is absolutely not the case with the Nord Fat Stack Single, which is big phat and hot enough to stand on it's on very happily. It'll give you very nice "Jaco" tones when solo'd treble up and attacking your strings waaay down by the bridge. But roll the tone back a tad and move your right hand, and it starts sound more like a trad P pup in the normal P position. Roll the tone off some more, and play up by the neck, and you'd swear that the pup was now where near the bridge. Very kewl pup, and I'd like to hear what this would do in a neck position Rodent
The bass is relatively light, and very resonant, great sustain...I mean this thing will ring out for weeks. I'm done thinking about the neck...it disappears when you play it. I'm *very* happy with the itsy-bisty vintage fretwire, and I think the typical Fender medium jumbo wire on this neck profile would turn the neck into a clunky feeling beast that I would not be happy with. As it is now, it just disappears in your hands after a minute, just like a Reverend BH5.
Visually, this thing is stunning in person. The other bass players all wanted to know "what the hell is that, where did it come from, and how do I get one."
More after tracking with it this weekend, but I think that if there were a law saying "Chef, you can only have one bass" that this would be it. It feels great, looks great, and covers all the sonic ground you need covered.
RODENT RULES!
Spent maybe 3-4 hours with the P5 during the week before taking it to work last night.
4 band show, one band I knew, two I didn't, one local, one from St Lou, one road band, and us-The Goldbugs. You can find us on myspace if you look
The Goldbugs are a "jangly alterna-country-ish mix of genre's that draw from Wilco, Uncle Tupelo, Beatles, and some other fun stuff,'' all original, and in the studio currently working on CD two...Traditional 3 piece, guit, bass, drums...I get lots of room, which I dig!
I played thru a TFB420 and a Schroeder 410.
The results: This thing is a killing machine y'all. The 51 P5 fits right into this sonic mix. And in fact knocks it on it's arse. The Nord SCPB5 on it's own is huuuuge, fat and clear. It doesn't sound at all like a trad split P which I would call a little midrangy to get it's mix presence. The single coils seem to have a broader frequency response in general, and this one fershure; it's wide and clean, big lows, clear highs.
The Nord Fat Stack Single is a great mix for the SCPB5. Much bigger than a trad J pup, all the preceding single coil notes apply. Many P/J basses seem to have a J pup added that merely "functions as a tone knob." This is absolutely not the case with the Nord Fat Stack Single, which is big phat and hot enough to stand on it's on very happily. It'll give you very nice "Jaco" tones when solo'd treble up and attacking your strings waaay down by the bridge. But roll the tone back a tad and move your right hand, and it starts sound more like a trad P pup in the normal P position. Roll the tone off some more, and play up by the neck, and you'd swear that the pup was now where near the bridge. Very kewl pup, and I'd like to hear what this would do in a neck position Rodent
The bass is relatively light, and very resonant, great sustain...I mean this thing will ring out for weeks. I'm done thinking about the neck...it disappears when you play it. I'm *very* happy with the itsy-bisty vintage fretwire, and I think the typical Fender medium jumbo wire on this neck profile would turn the neck into a clunky feeling beast that I would not be happy with. As it is now, it just disappears in your hands after a minute, just like a Reverend BH5.
Visually, this thing is stunning in person. The other bass players all wanted to know "what the hell is that, where did it come from, and how do I get one."
More after tracking with it this weekend, but I think that if there were a law saying "Chef, you can only have one bass" that this would be it. It feels great, looks great, and covers all the sonic ground you need covered.
RODENT RULES!
Gig report two...
5 piece jazz/r&b band. piano, guit, bass drums, sax.
TFB420, Schroeder 410. I play mostly DB for this band, but took the 51 P5 anyhoo. The guitar player was a music major in college, on piano, and is one of those guys who can pick up anything and shame you with his latent ability to kick yer ass. He also runs the "nice" studio here in town.(there's another nice studio here, but really it's 45 minutes out of town, m'kay?)
Some of you may or may not have seen my darkStar'd 72 Tele bass, or my Fender 51 re-issue hotrodded with the '62 J pup at the bridge. These guys have...so, when at the end of the night I asked the Pete if he noticed anything different about my bass, he started looking at it. His first response was "uhhh, you took the Fender logo off?"
Nope.
"uhhh, did you change the pickup? Man, that thing sounds great, but don't you have like, two of those things?"
So, I asked him how many strings did this one have.
Then he got it
That really is a trick question...the B string on this bass is *so well balanced* that when you use it, it's not obvious. Many 5 strings I've played really let you know when you "play a pedal tone," as it sounds dis-similar to the rest of the guitar. Not so here. Tight, crisp, clear, articluate and responsive...what strings are on there Rodent? They work well, and the B string doesn't have red wrap at the tuner post like the other 4...wassup?
I left my amp setup, and he and the rest of the band goofed for a bit before we tore down. His opinion as a hella-stout musician and studio owner/producer was that the 51 P5 was the best sounding, best feeling bass he'd ever laid hands on.
"it looks really damn good too" he said.
Again: RODENT RULES!
Off to the studio-alan
5 piece jazz/r&b band. piano, guit, bass drums, sax.
TFB420, Schroeder 410. I play mostly DB for this band, but took the 51 P5 anyhoo. The guitar player was a music major in college, on piano, and is one of those guys who can pick up anything and shame you with his latent ability to kick yer ass. He also runs the "nice" studio here in town.(there's another nice studio here, but really it's 45 minutes out of town, m'kay?)
Some of you may or may not have seen my darkStar'd 72 Tele bass, or my Fender 51 re-issue hotrodded with the '62 J pup at the bridge. These guys have...so, when at the end of the night I asked the Pete if he noticed anything different about my bass, he started looking at it. His first response was "uhhh, you took the Fender logo off?"
Nope.
"uhhh, did you change the pickup? Man, that thing sounds great, but don't you have like, two of those things?"
So, I asked him how many strings did this one have.
Then he got it
That really is a trick question...the B string on this bass is *so well balanced* that when you use it, it's not obvious. Many 5 strings I've played really let you know when you "play a pedal tone," as it sounds dis-similar to the rest of the guitar. Not so here. Tight, crisp, clear, articluate and responsive...what strings are on there Rodent? They work well, and the B string doesn't have red wrap at the tuner post like the other 4...wassup?
I left my amp setup, and he and the rest of the band goofed for a bit before we tore down. His opinion as a hella-stout musician and studio owner/producer was that the 51 P5 was the best sounding, best feeling bass he'd ever laid hands on.
"it looks really damn good too" he said.
Again: RODENT RULES!
Off to the studio-alan
Played a live gig with the P5 last night, set neck on full, bridge at about 80, like I always do (thru MM HD150/Schro 410--nice!). Switched to bridge only to get a "Jaco kinda thing" for the jazzy kinda song. Nice big barking J tone!
Then switched to my lakland skyline hollowbody to go with acoustic guitar for a couple songs before i went back to the P5 for a couple big rockers.
Only when I took the P5 back off to switch again did I notice I was still on bridge full on, neck off. Just having my right hand up by the neck was producing this great clear huge sound. Amazing. That Fat Stack Single is grrreat!
Then switched to my lakland skyline hollowbody to go with acoustic guitar for a couple songs before i went back to the P5 for a couple big rockers.
Only when I took the P5 back off to switch again did I notice I was still on bridge full on, neck off. Just having my right hand up by the neck was producing this great clear huge sound. Amazing. That Fat Stack Single is grrreat!
Just bumpin this up to let y'all know you can hear the P5 in the soundclips on the goldbugs page in my sig line.
One of those tracks is Double Bass, you should readily be able to tell which one
One of those tracks is Double Bass, you should readily be able to tell which one
some sorta non-thread content:
Any local to me TB'ers want to schedule a hang sometime?
I know fershure there's at least 4-5 right in my hometown, but we can go regional if'n y'all want to...heck, I don't even care if I'm the one that ends up drivin' a little.
some thread related content:
'51 P5 kickin' it with The Goldbugs via TFB420 and Schro 410...mmmmm, tasty!
gratuitous band shots:
photos courtesy "Gianna" (tm)
Link Removed
Any local to me TB'ers want to schedule a hang sometime?
I know fershure there's at least 4-5 right in my hometown, but we can go regional if'n y'all want to...heck, I don't even care if I'm the one that ends up drivin' a little.
some thread related content:
'51 P5 kickin' it with The Goldbugs via TFB420 and Schro 410...mmmmm, tasty!
gratuitous band shots:
photos courtesy "Gianna" (tm)
Link Removed
knuckle_head
Commercial User
- Jul 30, 2002
- 2,621
- 58
- Disclosures
- Owner; Knuckle Guitar Works & Circle K Strings
There's this;
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
Available through [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
Available through [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
knuckle_head
Commercial User
- Jul 30, 2002
- 2,621
- 58
- Disclosures
- Owner; Knuckle Guitar Works & Circle K Strings
The Goldbugs...I read this whole thread and you have been my myspace friend for a while...LOL> wicked bass and great band.
I love it, and I hate the body shape, but there is something about this bass...
Wonderful work. Don't ever get rid of it. You will regret it.
Wonderful work. Don't ever get rid of it. You will regret it.
I want to build a 4 string telecaster...I love my old Ibanez and hope to get a different tone. I guess I will start buying pieces this summer when my wife isn't looking 
was there ever sound clips?
was there ever sound clips?
old thread up time:
fwiw, this is off at Regenerate (the builder) getting a Sadowsky preamp installed...should be back soon-ish...
fwiw, this is off at Regenerate (the builder) getting a Sadowsky preamp installed...should be back soon-ish...
- Dec 20, 2004
- 4,267
- 2,481
- Disclosures
- Player-Builder-Founder: Honey Badger Pickups & Regenerate Guitar Works
'tis indeed parted out on my workbench ... so many memories on all the decisions made while working this build came to life as I was disassembling your bass. it's been well cared for in the years since it was last here in Seattle 
the Sadowsky pre ought to give this quite a different voice
all the best,
R
the Sadowsky pre ought to give this quite a different voice
all the best,
R
nice dead thread revival...
damn you chef...
when i finally got past the GAS for a tele 5, you go and post this.
she is very pretty, and i bet she sounds killer.
damn you chef...
when i finally got past the GAS for a tele 5, you go and post this.
she is very pretty, and i bet she sounds killer.
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