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Show us your Martin Keith Basses

#601
emjazz said:
I'll be here all week...try the veal....tip your waitress! LOL

It is mostly the tension on the low B. I did use it on my next record, and it sounds beautiful, but I've gotten used to the low B with a 33" scale. I feel like the low be on the 32" needs a bit more finessing, while with the 33" I can pull on it and it'll react a certain way. Plus, yeah...I'd love to keep my main instruments with the same scale length. I do have a P bass that I hold on to for more traditional gigs or recording, and I have an old 34" scale Yamaha 5 string that I converted to a fretless (sounds great!), but those mostly sit in the closet.
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:laugh:

Makes complete sense to me. Thanks for the explanation. I'm still pondering a future 6-string with a 32" scale but dropping the B-string and adding a high F. If I was doing the B-C thing, I would definitely want to go with the longer scale for that. I would also love a 36" scale tuned an octave below a cello, but that is another story altogether!
 
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#605
smperry said:
I just checked and it's not perfectly even, as it's one of those adjustable bridges so there's a hair more space at the bottom to compensate for thicker strings. I think 18mm.
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Close enough! Thanks. 18mm is exactly what I want to have on a 32" E-F bridge also. It seems like it would be "just right" for me...not too narrow; not too wide. I've tested this tuning out on a cheap 34" test bass tuned Eb-Fb to compensate for 32" tuning/string tension. This test bass has 16.5mm (approximate) bridge spacing. 18mm would give me just a little extra preferred space for my "plucking" hand without getting too wide with 19mm bridge spacing.
 
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#606
emjazz said:
...I have an old 34" scale Yamaha 5 string that I converted to a fretless (sounds great!)...
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Which model Yamaha? In 1987 I bought my first 5-string bass, a Yamaha BX-5. After about a year I had John Carruthers convert it to a fretless; he did a wonderful job with it and even included a freebie bonus of a curved plexi leg rest that he made for it.
 
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#607
Jeff Scott said:
Which model Yamaha? In 1987 I bought my first 5-string bass, a Yamaha BX-5. After about a year I had John Carruthers convert it to a fretless; he did a wonderful job with it and even included a freebie bonus of a curved plexi leg rest that he made for it.
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Jeff, I believe it's a BB405, and someone previously put in some old Sadowsky pickups. It's active, which I don't prefer, but it sounds great so I'm hesitant to change it. I love Yamaha basses, but almost never pick up a 5 string when I can play 6.
 
#608
Sounds like someone here may have a headless bass super close to being finished.....

I sent in my specs to Martin...sounds like he already has a couple more headless orders in line...super cool! I'm going with basically a headless version of my main "electric" 6 string bass that I've had for many years. Sticking with the BigRigs (I use a custom narrow aperture version of the bridge pickup). Chambered mahogany, a top of some sort, maple neck, more than likely an ebony board, passive, 33" scale.
 
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#609
emjazz said:
Sounds like someone here may have a headless bass super close to being finished.....

I sent in my specs to Martin...sounds like he already has a couple more headless orders in line...super cool! I'm going with basically a headless version of my main "electric" 6 string bass that I've had for many years. Sticking with the BigRigs (I use a custom narrow aperture version of the bridge pickup). Chambered mahogany, a top of some sort, maple neck, more than likely an ebony board, passive, 33" scale.
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Yes! As soon as I receive photos, I will be posting them here.

I briefly spoke with Martin a couple of days ago (by way of email), and he mentioned that more headless orders had been placed...all very different than mine. I think that's great! Your specs sound really nice. What type of clambering are you having Martin do? Are you talking a fully chambered body, or partial clambering? Is this a tonal goal, weight reduction goal, or both?
 
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#610
TapyTap said:
Yes! As soon as I receive photos, I will be posting them here.

I briefly spoke with Martin a couple of days ago (by way of email), and he mentioned that more headless orders had been placed...all very different than mine. I think that's great! Your specs sound really nice. What type of clambering are you having Martin do? Are you talking a fully chambered body, or partial clambering? Is this a tonal goal, weight reduction goal, or both?
Click to expand...

I'll let Martin decide on chambering. I told him for weight and for some air added to the sound. My main bass is the same, but with a top and back.

He's going to report on how yours turns out, being that it's the first. I think he's trying a certain headpiece to see how it works (ABM). He said now that he has most of the process dialed in that these won't take long to make (he has a CNC for a lot of the carving...it's a huge win for a small shop like his).

REALLY excited to see yours!!
 
#611
emjazz said:
I'll let Martin decide on chambering. I told him for weight and for some air added to the sound. My main bass is the same, but with a top and back.
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Sounds good.

emjazz said:
He's going to report on how yours turns out, being that it's the first. I think he's trying a certain headpiece to see how it works (ABM). He said now that he has most of the process dialed in that these won't take long to make (he has a CNC for a lot of the carving...it's a huge win for a small shop like his).

REALLY excited to see yours!!
Click to expand...

Yes, I'm the lab guinea pig! :D I requested the individual ABM headpieces that Martin will be using:

7011b_2.jpg


The CNC move was a good one for him. That combined with his years of experience and sense of aesthetics will be a powerful combination!

I appreciate all the support! I'm looking forward to your headless build also!
 
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#612
TapyTap said:
Sounds good.



Yes, I'm the lab guinea pig! :D I requested the individual ABM headpieces that Martin will be using:

View attachment 4562987

The CNC move was a good one for him. That combined with his years of experience and sense of aesthetics will be a powerful combination!

I appreciate all the support! I'm looking forward to your headless build also!
Click to expand...

Good call on the ABM pieces. It turns out the Hipshot headpiece doesn't work with flatwounds. Martin isn't sure this will either, but it's good to see how it works.
 
#613
emjazz said:
Good call on the ABM pieces. It turns out the Hipshot headpiece doesn't work with flatwounds. Martin isn't sure this will either, but it's good to see how it works.
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Interesting about the flatwounds. I'm hoping that the screws stay put over time on the individual ABM string retainers. The Hipshot headless tuners will be a brand new experience for me also.
 
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#614
I was having some fun with photoshop today, trying to figure out a top for the headless....

Maple:
MK maple.png


Redwood:
MK redwood.png


Figured Redwood:
MK redwood streak.png


Port Orford Cedar:
MK cedar.png



I bought the Cedar top for a future project, but haven't found a top for the new headless yet. Martin has some old Redwood that he's going to send me a pic of. I have a feeling that'll be the way to go. I'd love something that harkens back to that original hollow body.
 
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#618
Aram said:
I’m voting redwood, I absolutely love the darker center.
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Aram!!
That was originally my first choice! But Martin told me that redwood varies a great deal, so he's going to dig out an old piece that he has for me to see. These pieces are from a wood shop that sells online, so no way to tell what'll be a great piece of wood or not.
 
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