The Muckelroy Bass Club Part 1 (It's high time!)

Yes

 

I sure do! Really pleased with it and plan on keeping it a long time. Sound and feel are perfect, and this from a guy who loves Dingwalls and 35” scale basses. 32” works really well and the low B is excellent. Somehow...

I found out that my HMC 32” started life as a passive, single-pickup version. Jimbo bought it new, I think, and sent it back to Brady to have a front pup and preamp installed. Jimbo moved a it a bit later and I think he went to either a 33” or 34” scale Muck. Funny part is I almost never use the front pup or the preamp—very modern Jazz Bass voice, with some heft. But it does shake the room with both pups and the preamp engaged.

 

My neck is in production

 

Very nice!

I absolutely love 33" scale.

 

Really looking forward to it
I spoke with Brady today to add the Muck preamp to my build.
He told me they have refined the design of the custom Muck branded Ulyate pickups. They will be dual coil Tic Tacs hard wired in parallel. (coil switching are available on custom orders, which I will do for my next build with him). Brady wasn't perfectly satisfied with the earlier design so he had Howard Ulyate refine them. He is just finishing up the first couple of Pro Players with the new pickups and will do a demo fairly soon. Can't wait to hear them. All the Tic Tac demos I've heard so far were great. This is an example of dual coil Tic Tacs in action:

 

Muck #2 for me on order! Specs:
HMC 4 Custom Lefty
33" scale fretted
neck through
Alder body wings and tone block
Bolivian Rosewood top (pic below)
5 piece maple neck with 2 wenge stringers
Macassar ebony fingerboard
Ulyate dual coil soapbars with coil switching for each pickup (just like in the video above)
Muck 3 band preamp
6 knob controls (passive VVT active 3 band - passive tone works in active)

Should be super versatile. I want the aggressive trebly sound w treble up and deep bass sound w treble down. Brady recommended neck through for the deep bass tone w these pickups. It was really easy specing this out with him. I knew the pickups I wanted but he helped me figure out the rest. Now the wait begins. In the meantime I have this pic of the top to drool over:

 

Demo with the new Muck branded Ulyate pickups

 

Another demo, this time w Muck preamp. Glad I added that to my build after hearing this:

 

I like the development effort Brady has put into his HMC Pro Player model. Those custom wound Ulyate pickups and his own preamp seem to drive the tone and feel in a good direction.

 

Hello Everyone! Check the classifieds if you are looking for a Muckelroy. I just posted a 6/33and my 5/32 will post next. Don't worry I will still have a 6/33!!!

 

Necks being carved tomorrow. Mine is 2nd from left

 

Quick question for those who have a Sharon Cline paint job on their Mucks. Does it make for a "sticky/grippy" back of the neck? This question relates to an existing Muck out in the wild, not a new build.

I've played a few Pedulla & Spector basses that had a similar high-gloss paint and I'd get some serious left thumb drag as I was navigating the neck. Same for a thick lacquer Fender P. Especially if the humidity ticked up a bit.

The gliding feeling of an EBMM oil & wax is what I'd consider ideal, by comparison. Thx.

 

Is the finish glossy or matte?

 

Glossy. Very.

 

Ok, I haven't played one with a gloss finish.

 

I have a new-to-me early Muckelroy (double-digit SN) that seems to have a neck issue (generally, more relief on lower strings than on higher strings) and some uneven frets. To be clear, this bass had multiple owners before me, and anything could have happened to it during its life; I’m not blaming the builder, nor any previous owner.

Now, I *love* the sound of this bass, and it’s a joy to play — except that it buzzes substantially from frets 2-10 on some of the strings. I’d like to have it serviced as expertly as possible. Would anyone here have experience with sending an instrument back to Brady for such service, or would I be better served by sending it somewhere like Roscoe where it could be PLEK’d?

I appreciate any constructive advice. Thanks, folks.

 

Get in touch with Brady.

 

I have a 4 string fretless that he made 5+ years ago. I've had it a little over a month.

It didn't have any issues really, bit it's with Brady now for fresh pickups and some love.

Definitely get in touch with him. I'm sure he'll be willing to give it a once over.

 

My 2 Mucks. First is a 2016 Muck P-J, bolt on neck and 34" scale, Alder with Ebony board. It has passive Honey Badger electronics. It kicks ass in any venue. The second is a recently acquired 2017 Muckelroy active HMC neck through with Cherry wood body and a gorgeous Wenge board and 33" scale. Reed James pickups. She and I gigged out for the first time last night and now I'm wondering why it took 50+ years to discover medium scale basses and Brady Muckelroy!

 

My Muck #2 is underway. This is a pic of the top. It's Bolivian rosewood and it is spectacular