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Renaissance/Turner Basses Club

#81
@Templar, I like that tobacco sunburst.:thumbup: My EL-535-PMM is 'burst too, but more the 3 color of Fab's Model 1.

Is yours 34" or 35" scale? I've seen both on 4-string EL's and wondered if the difference was just personal preference or if that extra bit shorter string changed the tone more to your liking.
 
#82
Jeff Scott said:
I have never seen one (only read about it in VG Price Guide) but that is what I figured you meant. Can you post a photo of it?
Click to expand...

Yeah, sure. (Sorry about the highjack Turner folks, but I believe this was the original Renaissance bass) :D

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#85
Just got my RB-5 Custom back from Renaissance Guitars where Rick did a super-slick lined fretless conversion. After a week of getting used to in the practice room, it's getting a trial run tonight at a coffee-house gig. I love the buzzzzz!
 
#87
I have owned at least 5 Turner Ren basses. Modded all of them. Added mag pickups to two of them. Added RMB piezo pickups to one. All gone. Wish I could go back in time.......

Have one left. This has been modded also. I cut one inch off the bottom of the neck so it is now a 5 string with 34" scale. Added the ramp. Love it! Love it! Love it !!

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#89
EdwardofHuncote said:
@Templar, I like that tobacco sunburst.:thumbup: My EL-535-PMM is 'burst too, but more the 3 color of Fab's Model 1.

Is yours 34" or 35" scale? I've seen both on 4-string EL's and wondered if the difference was just personal preference or if that extra bit shorter string changed the tone more to your liking.
Click to expand...

This one is 34" scale. My fiver was ash body finished in trans burgundy, 35" scale. I couldn't keep it from sounding a bit too thuddy for my tastes, regardless of string types. No clue why.

I didn't have good luck with it, I guess. First time I took it out, the recessed upper strap lock fitting failed, the bass hit the floor, mangled the tort veneer on the headstock. Embarrassing. It was also a bit too heavy for me. I tried to like it, but alas, had to let it go.
 
#90
Jeff Scott said:
Did you also realign the side dots?

Why is the D string so far off at the bridge?
Click to expand...

I actually had a new Brazilian Rosewood fingerboard installed with new side dots.

The D string is actually in an incorrect notch in this picture. I had also converted this bass to a 6 string model but found the string spacing was to narrow and the converted back to 5 string. The string spacing is all uniform currently.
 
#91
I'm pretty happy with both my Ren basses as-is, but that said, if I found a busted-up one, I'd like to do a restoration and add some magnetics, like on Rick's "deuce" guitars. I freely admit that idea has a lot to do with a recent infatuation with Darkstar Bi-sonics.

@jibreel - curious... what kind of magnetic pu's did you use? Any routing? Mounting issues?
 
#92
EdwardofHuncote said:
I'm pretty happy with both my Ren basses as-is, but that said, if I found a busted-up one, I'd like to do a restoration and add some magnetics, like on Rick's "deuce" guitars. I freely admit that idea has a lot to do with a recent infatuation with Darkstar Bi-sonics.

@jibreel - curious... what kind of magnetic pu's did you use? Any routing? Mounting issues?
Click to expand...

I tried Barts and Delano. Mounting is easy as there is a solid wood block running north and south. Slight routing downward is needed. Blocking needs to be added to the sides for full pickup support. My mistake was choosing the wrong pickup [ delano ] and more importantly , the wrong location :crying:

Then there is the issue of electronics and blending piezo and mag pups. Tried the Dtar solstice but could not make it work right.

And in the end, I really think the Ren sounds best with acousticores big time and mag pups won't work for those strings anyway. However, TI jazz rounds are a fairly good choice along with black nylon flats but that is going in the RA direction.
 
#93
Truly, I prefer my Ren with acousticores.

To round out my fretless tonal needs, I have a Rob Allen and an amazing high quality STR fretless bass built in Japan.

The Ren and RA basses have the "acoustic" ranges covered. The STR covers the modern magnetic range.

I [ of course ] modded the STR. It came with a bridge pickup only,a custom wound STR. Aguilar pre. I installed bridge and neck Bart pups and pre.

The ramp on the RA is temporary. I will make a tighter fitting one that color matches better soon.

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#96
@mimaz - that fretless is a beauty. :thumbup:

I just got my 2013 quilted maple RB-5 back from Rick last week... it's now a lined fretless. I'll have to catch some new pictures.
 
#97
For the record, all Turner and Renaissance basses have had 18 volt preamps. The earlier ones used +/- 9 volt custom Highlander preamps...works in a drawer, side plate. Then in about late 2001 or early 2002 I went with the D-TAR Timberline since I'd started up that company with Seymour and some of the other main folks at Duncan. I stayed with the side plate for a while, and the earlier Timberlines ran on + 18 volts with two 9 volt batteries in series. Then we switched to using two AA cells with a voltage multiplier so the preamp still saw 18 volts.

The pickup has been the same MSI piezo cable all along.

While there are some trim pot differences between the Highlander and D-TAR preamps, there is no discernable qualitative difference...audio quality is equivalent.
 
#99
Cool of you to drop in, RT. :cool:

@mimaz- I'm going to guess they're 1/4" longer. Last time I took my Dingus off (yeah... that don't sound right:rolleyes:) I remember wondering the same thing.

As we approach 100 posts on our little thread, just wanted to say again - I've really enjoyed the chatter, and especially the pictures. Keep them coming.

Maybe someone will post some sound or video too?
 

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