Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
The Official MARUSZCZYK CLUB!
- Thread starter ulasengin
- Start date
I like a dark fingerboard most of the time. Rosewood isn't the only option. But of the two that were posted, it's the one I prefer. You might consider doing a configuration with katalox.
FullumMusic
Commercial User
- Oct 13, 2022
- 2,010
- 5,689
- Disclosures
- Audio/Music software developer, contracted with a company you've heard of and deving my own stuff.
Messing with the Config this evening planning my next build.
30" Mr Tee: Caribbean Rosewood top on Alder body, roasted flame Maple neck, Birdseye Maple or Indian Rosewood FB.
I concur with the others. I prefer the Rosewood. Normally a bit of contrast is nice, and having everything the same can be too matchy-matchy. But for some reason, the contrast of the maple fingerboard on the nicely uniform body/headstock & black hardware is too harsh on the eyes. The maple kinda looks like it doesn't go with the rest of the design.
I to am leaning towards a darker FB also...I just like Birdseye a lot. I made 3 more configs.
Katalox
Macassar Ebony
Roasted Birdseye (never know how light or dark it will turn out)
These are the 2 choices I have for a Caribbean Rosewood top from Adrian this morning.
Katalox
Macassar Ebony
Roasted Birdseye (never know how light or dark it will turn out)
These are the 2 choices I have for a Caribbean Rosewood top from Adrian this morning.
Last edited:
FullumMusic
Commercial User
- Oct 13, 2022
- 2,010
- 5,689
- Disclosures
- Audio/Music software developer, contracted with a company you've heard of and deving my own stuff.
Ooh. The roasted birdseye looks great. The figuring contrasts the body/headstock nicely, and the color blends so nicely. Not specifically the darkness of it. I know the darkness is a bit of a variable. But the reddish/yellowish hue it has sits really nicely with the rest of the wood.I to am leaning towards a darker FB also...I just like Birdseye a lot. I made 3 more configs.
Katalox
Macassar Ebony
Roasted Birdseye (never know how light or dark it will turn out)
These are the 2 choices I have for a Caribbean Rosewood top from Adrian this morning.
Last edited:
Man looking at this thread makes me thirsty for a Maru bass.
Threw together a mockup for Adrian about an idea I had; a Paddock headless with a Cazpar headstock. The strings would lock in to single headpieces located in your usual tuner holes so you have the look of a more conventional bass while using headless hardware.
Not the prettiest pic, but you get the idea. Very LeFay-ish look.
That in all trans. black matte, flame maple thru neck with flame maple fingerboard all dyed to match, gold hardware, gold frets and Lace bass bars.
Waiting for a quote now so I'll know how well I need to talk to the wife
Threw together a mockup for Adrian about an idea I had; a Paddock headless with a Cazpar headstock. The strings would lock in to single headpieces located in your usual tuner holes so you have the look of a more conventional bass while using headless hardware.
Not the prettiest pic, but you get the idea. Very LeFay-ish look.
That in all trans. black matte, flame maple thru neck with flame maple fingerboard all dyed to match, gold hardware, gold frets and Lace bass bars.
Waiting for a quote now so I'll know how well I need to talk to the wife
I to am leaning towards a darker FB also...I just like Birdseye a lot. I made 3 more configs.
Katalox
Macassar Ebony
Roasted Birdseye (never know how light or dark it will turn out)
These are the 2 choices I have for a Caribbean Rosewood top from Adrian this morning.
Katalox blends in so well with the rest of the bass
So I have to wonder why? Aside from better tuning and balance, another main benefit of headless is full scale that is 6-8" shorter than another base of similar scale (32", 34", etc.) so you don't bump into mic stands, yada-yada... why add back on a head stock??Man looking at this thread makes me thirsty for a Maru bass.
Threw together a mockup for Adrian about an idea I had; a Paddock headless with a Cazpar headstock. The strings would lock in to single headpieces located in your usual tuner holes so you have the look of a more conventional bass while using headless hardware.
View attachment 4910693
Not the prettiest pic, but you get the idea. Very LeFay-ish look.
That in all trans. black matte, flame maple thru neck with flame maple fingerboard all dyed to match, gold hardware, gold frets and Lace bass bars.
Waiting for a quote now so I'll know how well I need to talk to the wife
For looks. And I rock a very sturdy bottom string that'd have a hard time fitting through one of those just-behind-the-nut headpieces. With some extra length it tapers enough to go into these headpieces.
Hmm, okay.
Just a heads up, since you're considering a Paddock (very cool body) if you have specific pickup placement requirements, please be aware that you'll need to provide the exact measurements from the 12th fret to the middle of the pickup... the only reason I mention this, is that in the configurator (for the Paddock) the pickups appear closer to the bridge, but in actual production this is not accurate as the pickups will be MUCH more forward. I mention this because it can be disappointing after a 3-6mo wait for an instrument for it to show up very different from the configurator, so this extra bit of detail can ensure you receive what you expect to receive is closer to your idea (see the photo, pickups are much closer to the neck).
Hmm, okay.
Just a heads up, since you're considering a Paddock (very cool body) if you have specific pickup placement requirements, please be aware that you'll need to provide the exact measurements from the 12th fret to the middle of the pickup... the only reason I mention this, is that in the configurator (for the Paddock) the pickups appear closer to the bridge, but in actual production this is not accurate as the pickups will be MUCH more forward. I mention this because it can be disappointing after a 3-6mo wait for an instrument for it to show up very different from the configurator, so this extra bit of detail can ensure you receive what you expect to receive is closer to your idea (see the photo, pickups are much closer to the neck).
View attachment 4910716
That does seem a bit more forward than I've seen on other paddocks. Been googling for other paddock 6's and they seem to have them a tad more back than you have, but I wouldn't mind them being in those positions myself.
Yeah, that might be the difference between headless and usual headed configuration. Not totally sure tho. Are you happy with the sound anyways?
No dependency on headless vs. normal, the configurator is just not accurate for this type of detail. So if that's the position you expect then you'll be fine. Good luck with the order, looks like a cool bass.
Just to get a glimpse of how a katalox fb looks outside of the configurator image, here's my Cazpar with katalox board.I to am leaning towards a darker FB also...I just like Birdseye a lot. I made 3 more configs.
Katalox
Macassar Ebony
Roasted Birdseye (never know how light or dark it will turn out)
These are the 2 choices I have for a Caribbean Rosewood top from Adrian this morning.
The light for this pic was sunlight coming through a large, west-facing window to the right side of the bass in the pic. The gradation of brown tones from the nut to the end of the fb is not as pronounced as it might seem from the pic, but there's certainly some lighter brown along the length of the neck. My point really is I think the configurator images make the katalox look closer to rosewood coloration and the neck on my bass is definitely lighter than most RW fretboards in my experience. Not a bad thing or criticism, just what I see. I like mine a lot. Katalox is quite a hard wood, which would be another difference from RW. YMMV of course. Hope this is helpful
I like the rosewood board...
I condur.
Yup.
I'm always torn on this... but yeah. I (far) prefer the look of rosewood or ebony but love how maple can wear. If I'm doing a black J-style, I'm doing a maple board.
And yeah, Katalox or Padouk or Granadillo.
Interesting thing, I was on Adamovic last night and saw a new (for me) fingerboard wood called Greenheart. Looked like a very red rosewood or a consistent, non-streaky pau ferro. Description said "The greenheart is an even harder and denser wood than ebony but with a higher resin content which produces an equally articulate and responsive sound but with compressed high end and a very woody, warm tone."
Would love greenheart on something like a semi-hollow.
That's such a beautiful little bass!
The combo of the blue top and the Katalox is just amazing.
Last edited:
Thanks for your nice sentiment, Bart!
Yeah I'm pushover for blue trans finishes to begin with, but they knocked that one outta the park
I got to choose the top wood for my Frog 6 string build yesterday. It was SO hard to choose between what was available.
This is the one I went with.
This is the one I went with.
Latest posts
-
-
-
How can Fender release a "Vintage" series with an unplayable bridge?- Latest: Iridescentone
-
