The official "Show your basses" thread part 19!

[gtirard]

Ok, all of these see action...
*Westone Spectra GT, made fretless before I got it in a trade.
*Epiphone Classic Pro Thunderbird, guy off a wall at Guitar Center for too cheap- Gibson clone. Love this axe.
*Ross Two Face Bass: Either aP or a J. Active/passive, big MIJ neck, super light White Oak body.
The P-Bass setting and the J-bass setting are both convincing, although the placement of the neck pup is a good deal closer to the neck than normal. I'm getting to know it, and having a good time with it.
Dave Ross, a local repair guy and ex-music store owner- a successful guy- had built it for someone. The shape of life changed in some hard ways for the guy he'd built it for, and it was returned to him. He laid it on me recently. Really cool bass, what a cool thing that was... I had to promise to play it and never sell it. Done deal, and it's working out.
Alright...
*The Heckinhecker. Hamer Cruisebass, heavily chopped and fitted with Rickenbacker 4003 p'ups and like-spec'd harness. Very light, set-neck, all Mahogany. Beautiful player. I've gotten pretty well chewed for doing the mods, and sometimes I regret it a little... But it's really worked out to be a killer bass. I get the occasional enthusiastic remarks about it, sound and presentation-wise. Anyway that's the Heckinhecker...
*Peavey Axcelerator. Been around the block, received some abuse, but it's another really good feeling, lightweight bass. Active only, but the sound is a little boxy and punchy, stands up and deliver in a band mix. Almost a little Stingray-like, kind of 'stark' that way, if you get me.
Not shown, a Fender Jazz that I've decided to move.

Show and tell over.
View attachment 7291260

Beautiful basses! All seem to be classic and original at the same time…

The Ross in the middle has an interesting pickup configuration: it seem to be a J type in neck position + a P in the middle + a J in the bridge position? How does it sound? How do you select them?

 

[Count Bassie]

Beautiful basses! All seem to be classic and original at the same time…

The Ross in the middle has an interesting pickup configuration: it seem to be a J type in neck position + a P in the middle + a J in the bridge position? How does it sound? How do you select them?

Thanks. I take credit for nothing of course!
The J pups on the Ross are entirely separate from the P pup. The volume knob, second from the front, pulls up to switch between the P and J functions.
The front knob is the blend for the J pups.
The third knob is a concentric set for the active 2-band EQ, and the forth knob is push/pull- down for passive tone and up to switch on the active 2-band.
And yeah the neck pup J is interestingly close to the neck. I'm still working that out. But it's really smooth and round sounding, and the difference when using the blend knob is notable.
It's definitely a bass with some built-in character. I wouldn't have bought it, but it's fun ending up with it. Just goes to show you, you don't know until it lands in your lap!

 

[Dave Siff]

New family pic! Got the Warwick on Friday. Roscoe fretless 5 above, Nash on the left, Reverend Rumblefish #12 on the right!

 

[Hoyt]

A recent family portrait excluding the cousins (uprights)

 

[M-Mittlesteadt]

Recently modded...

 

[Hoyt]

Recently modded...

Where did you find those cool colored fret decals on the Squier?

 

[M-Mittlesteadt]

Where did you find those cool colored fret decals on the Squier?

Jockomo

 

[Hoyt]

Jockomo

Thanks!

 

[Count Bassie]

A recent family portrait excluding the cousins (uprights)

What's that thing in the middle? That's cool.

 

[Count Bassie]

Recently modded...

Dig the blue Peej.

 

[JIO]

 

[Hoyt]

What's that thing in the middle? That's cool.

It’s a frankenbass I put together a couple years ago.

My uncle gave me a bass that he had done some experiments with when I was around 16 y/o. It was a 5 string chambered body with a single piece wood bridge.

Years later I ordered an actual custom bass and I think I sent the pickups back to him, so the bass was relegated to a husk of its former self. At one point I tried to remove the frets and failed miserably, so I just had the body.

That thing traveled with me until it ended up in my basement all these years later. I think I was going to make a clock out of it?

One day I realized that I had all the parts to make a bass for free. That body, a spare Yamaha BBN4 III neck, pickups, bridge, etc.

So, I built it. It has DiMarzo Model J pickups, an Audere Pro Z preamp, a Badass II bridge, Hipshot Bass XTender, and the color is a Reranch Inverness Metallic Green that I bought for another project.

I just think it’s neato that my first bass ever is still with me.

It also glows in the dark

 

[Count Bassie]

It’s a frankenbass I put together a couple years ago.

My uncle gave me a bass that he had done some experiments with when I was around 16 y/o. It was a 5 string chambered body with a single piece wood bridge.

Years later I ordered an actual custom bass and I think I sent the pickups back to him, so the bass was relegated to a husk of its former self. At one point I tried to remove the frets and failed miserably, so I just had the body.

That thing traveled with me until it ended up in my basement all these years later. I think I was going to make a clock out of it?

One day I realized that I had all the parts to make a bass for free. That body, a spare Yamaha BBN4 III neck, pickups, bridge, etc.

So, I built it. It has DiMarzo Model J pickups, an Audere Pro Z preamp, a Badass II bridge, Hipshot Bass XTender, and the color is a Reranch Inverness Metallic Green that I bought for another project.

I just think it’s neato that my first bass ever is still with me.

It also glows in the dark

That's a good story.

 

[BeeBatty]

What's that thing in the middle? That's cool.

Seconded. Also cool AF is the picture hanging above it. Sick.

 

[JIO]

It’s a frankenbass I put together a couple years ago.

My uncle gave me a bass that he had done some experiments with when I was around 16 y/o. It was a 5 string chambered body with a single piece wood bridge.

Years later I ordered an actual custom bass and I think I sent the pickups back to him, so the bass was relegated to a husk of its former self. At one point I tried to remove the frets and failed miserably, so I just had the body.

That thing traveled with me until it ended up in my basement all these years later. I think I was going to make a clock out of it?

One day I realized that I had all the parts to make a bass for free. That body, a spare Yamaha BBN4 III neck, pickups, bridge, etc.

So, I built it. It has DiMarzo Model J pickups, an Audere Pro Z preamp, a Badass II bridge, Hipshot Bass XTender, and the color is a Reranch Inverness Metallic Green that I bought for another project.

I just think it’s neato that my first bass ever is still with me.

It also glows in the dark

How is it that it glows in the dark? It looks like it's solid green in the daylight pic. Is it some sort of glow-in-the-dark paint?

 

[Hoyt]

Seconded. Also cool AF is the picture hanging above it. Sick.

Thank you!
I commissioned that from my artist friend “Tattoo Face Miller” (RIP).

I love bass related art, but most of it is quirky or happy. I wanted something a little darker.

 

[Hoyt]

How is it that it glows in the dark? It looks like it's solid green in the daylight pic. Is it some sort of glow-in-the-dark paint?

My wife had broken her foot and for rehab we were taking long walks, so I decided to make a bunch of walking sticks, which turned into me making wizard staffs and wands for the kids.

I had some leftover glow in the dark epoxy powder that I added to the finish just for fun.

 

[scooterguy]

So I got inspired to share my collection, and once I gathered it all into one place I realized how much I really need to sell. Disclaimer, one of these (the Fullerton) is already up for sale, and the itty bitty Quest is going next.

• Hagstrom Viking II. I bought this completely stripped of parts, so it has some TV Jones pickups, Hipshot ultralights, electronics that actually make sense for how I want to play it, and a bridge I made in the absence of finding an original within reason. Non-original tailpiece, but I've heard sketchy reviews about the Hagstrom tailpiece so I'm not concerned.
• 80s Quest Vantage ultra-short scale. Not sure why I bought it other than it's a cute little thing.
• 60s Lyle (probably) short scale EB style bass, resurrected from horrible condition.
• 60s Heit ultra-short scale with a transplanted short-scale neck. I love the look of it but the original neck and pickup were just no bueno to play. Very happy with the modifications.
• Partscaster creation that started as a p-bass and now rocks dual humbuckers for a MEAN sound.
• Yamaha BB434. Nuff said.
• Squier Bronco with a neck and pickup upgrade.
• Squier Paranormal Rascal. This and the Hagstrom are my main gig basses.
• Kasuga "prototype" (if that's the best word to use). The story behind it is that DiMarzio contracted Matsumoku / Kasuga to build 2 basses and 2 guitars for show demos back in the late 70s. I scored this one with a broken truss rod and did a replacement with a full fretboard reset. Added some newer DiMarzios and a Babicz bridge, and now it's a true beast.

View attachment 7290955View attachment 7290956View attachment 7290957View attachment 7290958

Somehow I forgot 3 whole basses:
- Cheap Amazon bass with upgraded everything and an AE guitars fretless neck. I added partial fret line inlays and finished the fretboard. With some LaBella flats it sounds so good and it's a blast to play.
- Fullerton deluxe. This one is fun and fast with its slim neck
- the red abomination. Not sure what to say about this one, but it's an easy noodler to keep within reach. At least the custom inlays are something I'm proud of...

 

[WG Plum]

Here is the current herd, taken for a local FB bassists group.

 

[Redridge]

View attachment 7291392 View attachment 7291393
View attachment 7291394

pretty cool, how was that headstock/strap done? Amazing work!