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TBC club

#181
TBC was the licensee for Lightwave back in the day. Woodwork and overall quality were good, electronics inconsistent. Mounting of monoliths also inconsistent. Necks were excellent, thin, strong and easy to adjust. The inconsistency is one reason Lightwave went elsewhere for manufacuring.

I read this thread and see the same. Inconsistent electronics and bridge mounting/intonation problems. I had to remount my E string monolith on my TBC manufactured Lightwave in order to get it to intonate properly. The electronics worked as advertised but were a little weak. After just doing some personal tweaking it was okay.

Not huge problems, especially given the looks and the price point. They are definitely a million times better then SX and only slightly more expensive.
 
#183
I just stumbled on these basses on Ebay and did some research here.
Incredible story- great looking basses!
Hard to believe the current crop is American assembled at a $499.00 price point. Hard to believe these didnt sell like hotcakes.
Based on the info i garnered by skimming this thread, its the electronics that are at issue.
Wishbasses and SX are considered a mod platform why not these slick looking TBC basses? the finish looks great and the wood looks top notch!
Always blows my mind when people spend between $200.00 and $500.00 and expect an Alembic.
 
#185
well I have one on order right now, all I can say is that Jack seems to be a great guy. I am getting exactly what I want i he is building it himself . will post pic's end of next week when it arrives..I ordered a jt500-jj with the black cherry pickgaurd
 
#186
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Bocote top, cocobolo fingerboard, butternut body, swamp ash back. And man does it sound amazing. I was going for an upright sound and I had an idea of how to go about getting it several years back.

On traditional magnetic p/u basses I never could get the sound I was hearing from the string acoustically. Not that the tone was bad, just not what I wanted to hear. It was always colored in a way that I just could not eq right. Listened to online clips with Lightwave and said, "Now we are getting somewhere." Contacted Jack to see if he would make one for me..... he said he still had some parts and would do it.

Well it took a while to choose the wood and all and this is the second neck on it. The first was a lined pau ferro fingerboard that was ok, but there still was a high end thing that I never could get rid of that was getting in the way of the goal. I use Thomastik Jazz flats. For me, they really get that upright tone down. I talked with Jack to see about making another neck with rosewood. Way back we talked about woods and what effected tone. He said in his experience, the thing that effected tone the greatest was the fingerboard and not the body so much. He said that he had some cocobolo fingerboards in the shop and tonally, it is very similar to rosewood. This go around I went with unlined too. When I got it back the difference I hoped for was all there. I really was amazed at the difference. I am a happy camper now.....

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So to whomever gives the numbers.... I would like one please.:cool:
 
#187
I am surprised that no one has even posted a comment on here, that is just a beautiful bass my friend, did you just get it . I was talking to jake this week and he mentioned something about a build with the woods you have listed.I guess if you don't post about bass's in the multi thousand dollar range around here nobody pays attention.
 
#188
Johnny, thanks. Actually I have had the bass for almost two years, but until it was "right" I did not want to post it here. I will say it again that for a fretless, nothing like getting the fingerboard wood the way you want it. And isn't it the truth that if it ain't a $3 or $4 thousand bass, well it just ain't worth it..... But I will tell you now that nothing I have played or heard sounds like this bass. After all was said and done it cost me about a grand. Can't touch a new Lightwave for that..... and a custom made??? Not even close. Jack is cool.

BTW that bocote is really cool wood. Has a unique feel to it and I am very happy that Jack doesn't use a polywhatever finish. The thing FEELS acoustic. At some point soon I will have to post some sound clips.....
 
#195
Thought I would throw a new bass at a old thread...I just picked up a TBC JT500JJ. Beautiful bass, great neck, very lightweight and sounds fantastic....
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#196
Pretty sweet! I took my AP400MM to rehearsal last weekend and everyone loved it. I may have to put my 11 lb Warwick Thumb aside and go to the TBC. My shoulder certainly felt better than usual afterwards.
 

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