Sei Owner's Club (Part 3)

[sei24bass]

Looks like I'm back in the Sei way
Paddy

Best news I've heard in a LONG time. Welcome back and hopefully this might result in you lurking around here a little more...

 

[Nickthebass]

Good to hear Paddy.

Your old OC2 is doing sterling service when called upon.

 

[Paddy]

Cheers guys - feels good to be back in the fold!! I've missed my Sei's and glad to be able to play a 5 string

She needs a little TLC so maybe back to Martin for a small bit of work. Maybe even get it fretted and a new pre-amp!!! Does it ever end

Glad the OC2 has worked out Nick, funny enough I've been sorting out my kit and realised I got a bunch of stuff I need to sell on (pedals, gig bags and a few other odds and sods!)

 

[7string]

Bit late to the party I know, but so, so pleased to hear that you're back in the saddle Paddy

 

[Nickthebass]

Hey guys and gals ... it's all gone a bit quiet on here so I thought I'd do a quick update on my build.

Confirmed final spec on the woodworking bit on 10 Feb. According to Alex woodworking was due to start a couple of weeks from then as Martin was away for a bit.

Specs are:

5 string mk 3 Jazz
Alder body, cocobolo facing
7 piece through neck w/ carbon fibre rods, flame maple & purple heart, indian rosewood fret board
Cocobolo wave facing on headstock
Big mother of pearl block inlays (a la Darryl Jones Lakland 5)
Chrome hardware with Schaller strap locks

TBH they haven't changed a huge amount from where we started ... only things I think are changing to flame from regular maple, adding the carbon rods and moving the battery into the main control compartment so that there isn't a big black plastic block on the back of the bass.

Electronics are yet to be fully sorted but it's looking like Nordstrand custom SE wind with 17.5mm string spacing attached to dual volume, passive tone and then an active circuit (maybe the Alleva Coppollo circuit?)

I'm probably going to give it a little while before I check in with Martin again and potentially head down south if there's some oggling to be done.

 

[matthewfoote]

Hey guys and gals ... it's all gone a bit quiet on here so I thought I'd do a quick update on my build.

Confirmed final spec on the woodworking bit on 10 Feb. According to Alex woodworking was due to start a couple of weeks from then as Martin was away for a bit.

Specs are:

5 string mk 3 Jazz
Alder body, cocobolo facing
7 piece through neck w/ carbon fibre rods, flame maple & purple heart, indian rosewood fret board
Cocobolo wave facing on headstock
Big mother of pearl block inlays (a la Darryl Jones Lakland 5)
Chrome hardware with Schaller strap locks

TBH they haven't changed a huge amount from where we started ... only things I think are changing to flame from regular maple, adding the carbon rods and moving the battery into the main control compartment so that there isn't a big black plastic block on the back of the bass.

Electronics are yet to be fully sorted but it's looking like Nordstrand custom SE wind with 17.5mm string spacing attached to dual volume, passive tone and then an active circuit (maybe the Alleva Coppollo circuit?)

I'm probably going to give it a little while before I check in with Martin again and potentially head down south if there's some oggling to be done.

this sounds very nice, I will be keeping an eye on any updates you post especially when pictures are available

 

[Nickthebass]

Cheers ... I'm hoping it'll come out nice as well.

After I originally did the order I started to look over some of the pictures on the Sei site and couldn't resist the tarty flame maple in the neck.

I'd always told myself that if I had a custom instrument made that I wouldn't waste money on pretty wood that did nothing for the tone.

Oh well there's that idea out the door.

Starting to lean towards one of the Nordstrand circuits. I've been reading good things about them and it's not clear that Mr Coppollo actually sells his onboard pre-amp other than in his own instruments.

***EDIT*** Had a reply from Jimmy Coppolo saying that he does sell the on-board circuits but for warranty reasons has to install them at his workshop. That's a new one on me I have to say but I can kinda understand. Anyway, looks like that's an option scrubbed off the list.

 

[Mike Flynn]

Hello Nick - and everyone else - yes it's been a bit quiet round here for a while - I guess everyone's been away playing their Sei basses - I know I have been.

Firstly congrats Nick on joining the gang and that really sounds like a super-sweet bass you have in the pipeline - I've just been giving my Sei Jazz bass some love today and they really are lovely (see vid link below). Re circuit ideas mine's a Glockenklang so let me know what you think of the sound - it sounds great with both pups on and does a very tasty Marcus impression as well.

I've been pretty busy with work and I've just started working on some new recordings with a singer that I've worked with before but this time I'm doing all the music, so I've been in production/song writer mode and not really gigging much - though I have got one coming up in April... hardly a world tour but it's with my fine jazz funk band at a great venue so I'm happy about that.

So as an antedote to lots of tasteful in the pocket playing with my singer friend I'm still shedding a bunch of soloing ideas and working on creating ideas from scratch - which is what inspired this video below:



Hope you enjoy it and I'll keep you posted on any future music happenings

Hope you're all keeping well and enjoying life

Mike

 

[pierreganseman]

Mike, that's some serious grooving going on...

Dave o'higgins is a SICK sax player!!! used to be my teacher at uni... teaching the band lessons...


you might wanna pop in the gallery around mid april or so... my new frettless sei will be there getting ready and nice

imagining you wanna try it before i come to grab it

take care

 

[anonymous111813]

Very cool video!

 

[Nickthebass]

Re circuit ideas mine's a Glockenklang so let me know what you think of the sound - it sounds great with both pups on and does a very tasty Marcus impression as well.

I think Martin had mentioned the Glockenklag circuit as one that he liked. It sounds great in your J, clean, clear and smooth. If you set your bass flat, does the preamp colour the tone much (eg: you can hear the difference between flat and passive on a Sadowsky)?

We're going for very different things tonally so I'm trying to work out how much of your tone is coming off the instrument and how much off the preamp.

I'm looking for something more old fashioned, more like this YouTube - Jamiroquai -Live at London,Scala,Intel Secret Gig Part1von10. Hence the interest in the Alleva Coppolo circuit. (Though Jimmy Coppolo tells me that Paul Turner actually has an Aguilar circuit in his.)

The more I watch that video and listen to the sound of the 'buckers in my Sadowsky Metro (even in passive mode) the more I lean towards the Nordy SVs for a more single coil sound and given that ... a Nordstrand circuit to match.

The aim is basically for the Sei to sit in between a Fender 4 string wearing flats and a Sadowsky Metro 4, wearing oldish nickel roundwounds and being the workhorse.

 

[Mike Flynn]

I think Martin had mentioned the Glockenklag circuit as one that he liked. It sounds great in your J, clean, clear and smooth. If you set your bass flat, does the preamp colour the tone much (eg: you can hear the difference between flat and passive on a Sadowsky)?

We're going for very different things tonally so I'm trying to work out how much of your tone is coming off the instrument and how much off the preamp.

I'm looking for something more old fashioned, more like this YouTube - Jamiroquai -Live at London,Scala,Intel Secret Gig Part1von10. Hence the interest in the Alleva Coppolo circuit. (Though Jimmy Coppolo tells me that Paul Turner actually has an Aguilar circuit in his.)

The more I watch that video and listen to the sound of the 'buckers in my Sadowsky Metro (even in passive mode) the more I lean towards the Nordy SVs for a more single coil sound and given that ... a Nordstrand circuit to match.

The aim is basically for the Sei to sit in between a Fender 4 string wearing flats and a Sadowsky Metro 4, wearing oldish nickel roundwounds and being the workhorse.

That sounds great Nick - really nice that you know what you are aiming for with your custom build - I think it's the golden rule before you order any custom instrument, know what you want and make sure you use a luthier who can deliver it... I know Martin can big time!

I really can't compare the set up I have to a Sadowsky, I have playeda few of them and I've always been impressed with how 'lively' the circuit sounds - so much power and depth to the tone. My Glok is like that and it's noticeably louder than my Demeter - in terms of setting is flat I think it doesn't colour the tone much but certainly boosts the output level - I can switch to passive mode on this bass if I like and so I can compare. In terms of old school tone I just lay off the tone control and create a more vintage tone with less treble - that's about as technical as I get with it! Re the tone I have in the vid - that's just my back pup soloed with the treble up and the tone control rolled off, hence the Jaco-style sound - it's a very punchy bass this and has plenty of bottom end too.

Hope that helps

Keep us posted on your bass too

M

 

[Nickthebass]

Thanks for the input Mike. I think I'm going to need to get a circuit with a trim pot to match up the output with the passive output.

General question for anyone on a slightly different topic.

Normally, how long does the woodworking take? It started towards the mid / end of Feb. I'm trying to work out when I need to make decisions about finish / eletronics. (Also when it might be worth coming down to London to have a look.)

 

[Rusty Chainsaw]

Thanks for the input Mike. I think I'm going to need to get a circuit with a trim pot to match up the output with the passive output.

General question for anyone on a slightly different topic.

Normally, how long does the woodworking take? It started towards the mid / end of Feb. I'm trying to work out when I need to make decisions about finish / eletronics. (Also when it might be worth coming down to London to have a look.)

The woodworking is the most time-consuming bit - he usually does the bodies first, then the necks later, often months apart!

The electronic choices can be finalised towards the end of the build - I only confirmed the pickups and electronics for my fretless J a few weeks back, and it must be nearly ready by now.

 

[Nickthebass]

The woodworking is the most time-consuming bit - he usually does the bodies first, then the necks later, often months apart!

The electronic choices can be finalised towards the end of the build - I only confirmed the pickups and electronics for my fretless J a few weeks back, and it must be nearly ready by now.

Thanks for the thoughts. It's a neck through ... don't know if that makes much difference to the order of things.

How long have you been waiting?

 

[Rusty Chainsaw]

Thanks for the thoughts. It's a neck through ... don't know if that makes much difference to the order of things.

How long have you been waiting?

Just over a year, although I did tell Martin there was no rush, as I'm currently overseas and won't be back in the UK to pick it up for another couple of months.

For the neck-throughs, he usually assembles the body and carves it to shape - again, this bit usually happens quite quickly, then he carves and shapes the neck later. There's probably a reason for it, maybe something to do with letting the wood settle for a more stable neck or something. I know he always adds the truss rod, graphite stiffening bars and usually the fingerboard pretty early on, he just leaves the neck uncarved.

 

[Nickthebass]

Just over a year, although I did tell Martin there was no rush, as I'm currently overseas and won't be back in the UK to pick it up for another couple of months.

For the neck-throughs, he usually assembles the body and carves it to shape - again, this bit usually happens quite quickly, then he carves and shapes the neck later. There's probably a reason for it, maybe something to do with letting the wood settle for a more stable neck or something. I know he always adds the truss rod, graphite stiffening bars and usually the fingerboard pretty early on, he just leaves the neck uncarved.

Ok well given that the woodworking didn't even start until a couple of weeks ago there isn't really much point in me ringing him or heading down south.

3 months down, somewhere between 9 and 15 so to go!!!

 

[pierreganseman]

usually, during first 6 to 8 month... there's pretty much nothing to see... only bits... mine started to look like a bass after something like 10 month... maybe more...

 

[Nickthebass]

usually, during first 6 to 8 month... there's pretty much nothing to see... only bits... mine started to look like a bass after something like 10 month... maybe more...

Hmmm ... I wonder if I could hibernate over the summer and wake up again in the autumn.

 

[pierreganseman]

yes you can time will fly , flies what ever you

as said before... martin is an artist in his way, has to deal with many other stuff than just building basses (repairs etc....), just take your time you'll be happy in every single possible way!!

cheers