• 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 prettiest bass I've ever seen - NBD

#101
Low84 said:
Just curious...what's the advantage to being able to switch between 3-band and 2-band preamps?
Click to expand...

In my experience, it is truly like having 2 different preamps in one bass which gives me the flexibility to create different tones. I play a wide variety of music from CCM to Soul Jazz to Blues. For the Soul Jazz stuff, I usually engage the 3-band eq and cut the mids a bit which gives me a more subtle tone. When we play something a bit more funky that has slap, I am able to boost the mids and slap away. Once the 2-band eq is set, the mid frequency shifts as the bass and treble is adjusted (I think I am saying that right). The funny and cool part is if you put the mid pot to center (neither boost or cut), the 2-band and 3-band still had a different tone. Not too drastic but definitely different. The two settings sounding different even is why it is like having two eqs in one bass, I feel.

Here is a video of him a few years ago explaining the differences and such:

LowEnd Pickup and Preamps (he gives his reason for using the 2-3 band eq around 5:42 )
 
  • Like
Reactions: musicman556
#104
just_chill said:
Haha, no problem. People have asked me the same question a time or two so I am a little prepared to answer that question. But thankfully Brian's video is out there because he can answer WAAAAAYYYY better than I ever will.
Click to expand...

Ok, I just wanted to jump back in and talk about the 2/3 band eq a little bit, as I played with it some more last night, this time really listening and not just jamming out.

WOOOOWWWWWWW!!!!! What a difference it makes, especially soloing the P pickup! When we were discussing electronics I asked Brian if I could go with a mid sweep control on like a stacked knob configuration, instead of a 2/3 band option. This is where the value of Brian's expertise comes in. He said that for a good P tone (since I WAS getting a P pickup) it was crucial to have that 2 band eq option, because of the way it interacts with the mids. I didn't really understand that until last night. Most of my playing so far had been using it in the 3 band mode.

I solo'd the P and added just a bit of bass eq (amp tone controls completely flat) and played around with the 2/3 switch. WOW! When I went 2 band, it just fattened up SO MUCH more! That thick, greasy, delicious P tone just takes over. I wasn't unhappy with it before, but MAN! It's SO MUCH BETTER as a 2 band setup on the P! When using the humbucker, it didn't seem to be quite as important/obvious. Also, I like being able to add mids to get a little more growly and aggressive with the humbucker, but that's not what a P is about, imho.

I felt like this new discovery (for me... I'm sure lots of smarter/more experienced folks already understand this) has REALLY added value and range to my bass tone and expression. When I decided on this setup, I was thinking I would mainly be playing the MM pickup and the P would just be a nice addition to toy with sometimes. Welp. Not any more! I can't wait to play on Sunday and really toy around with this in a live/band setting. I think I'm going to be using the P a LOT more than I originally estimated!

People, if you get a chance to play one of Brian's basses with the 2/3 band eq option, PLEASE DO! Take your time with it. Really listen, and be creative. This beast is SO different from anything I've had before. I'm learning new ways to approach my tone, and to some extent, even my playing. Last night I was riffing and jamming in ways I NEVER have before, playing in new places... and laughing like a kid sometimes as COMPLETELY different stuff came out of me... almost without my knowledge/approval! haha! So weird and SO awesome.

Carry on, Bass Bros! and Sisters, too!
 
  • Like
Reactions: just_chill
#106
Hot stuff....'grat's.

Hey, are those Hipshot paddles a one-off custom thing (I know they'll do that sort of thing), or an available option for anyone?

20191103_165512-jpg.3585298
 
  • Like
Reactions: just_chill, musicman556 and Monterey Bay-ss
#113
That's so cool and beautiful! Truly amazing and good for you, making that happen!!!

I would do the exact same thing in green, as it's my favorite color.

I didn't win a couple giveaways where one could have a custom bass built (where my entry was pretty much your bass in green), nor was I ready, willing and able for an expensive custom order. I gave up on finding a proper 5 string, active, 19mm P/MM hybrid (that had the MM PU in the proper spot) and just bought these two basses instead.
enhance.jpg
enhance.jpg

The US Dlx P V wasn't inexpensive, but I did score a great deal on it. This exact configuration was on top of my short list of basses for several years. It had to be black and have the double J bridge PU. It doesn't do a convincing MM tone, but one that is close enough for RnR live.

The MIM Dimension was a score. It was aged used inventory at GC and had a hefty price drop. It's much closer to a 3EQ Stingray tone, but still a little different. The plus side is that it feels perfectly congruent to my US Dlx P V and my US Dlx J V. It only does the Stingray thing, though. I guess I could throw a P pickup in it, but eh...

Recently found this USA EBMM SUB5 for import SUB pricing. It's a killer bass, it totally has the true MM Stingray 2EQ tone, but getting used to the 17.5mm spacing...
enhance.jpg


The catch is that going this route has 3 nice basses in the music room to do what you get with one killer hybrid bass, that would take up much less space and the wife wouldn't be looking at me with a raised eyebrow.
I can justify to her that these 3 basses cost much less than 1/2 of one LowEnd!
Still didn't lower her eyebrow... :p
 
  • Like
Reactions: musicman556
#114
That's so cool! I would do the exact same thing in emerald green!
I wasn't ready for a relatively expensive custom order and gave up on finding a proper 5 string, active, 19mm P/MM hybrid and just bought these two basses instead.
enhance.jpg
enhance.jpg

The P wasn't inexpensive, but I did score a great deal on it. It was on top of my short list of basses. It had to be black and have the double J bridge PU.
The MIM Dimension was a score. It was aged inventory at GC and had a hefty price drop.

Recently found this USA EBMM SUB5 for import SUB pricing. It gets true MM tone, but getting used to the 17.5mm spacing...
enhance.jpg


The catch is that now I have 3 basses in the music room. One killer bass would take up less space and the wife wouldn't be looking at me with a raised eyebrow.
 
#116
musicman556 said:
Yea, I'm a bit partial, I guess! This is the first bass I've ever had built, rather than just buying something that was already hanging on a wall somewhere. I have been a fan of Brian's basses at The LowEnd Bass Shop for over a decade, and last year finally pulled the trigger on having one made. I present to you, my LEJ5 Exotic MManP!

It's exactly what I wanted, and better than I expected! I met Brian yesterday afternoon to pick it up and I am still floored... I forget what the measurement was, but we went with a narrower nut than normal, because I have some reach issues with my left hand from shattering my elbow as a teenager. The narrower spacing at the nut allows me a much easier reach to the low C, C#/Db, D range, and we left the bridge spacing at the normal 19mm I believe. The pickups are made by Howard Ulyate, and as you can see we went with the Musicman/P setup. The Stingray pup is in the correct Musicman location, unlike in a Lakland. I really like the controls of my Skyline 55-02 so we copied that control configuration, and added a pull pot on the mid tone knob to allow bypassing the mid tone circuit, so you can get a 2 band eq option as well.

The body is ash with that gorgeous flame maple top, and the neck is a 5 piece, maple and purple heart, bound with pearl and sporting block inlays in the flame maple fretboard. My favorite color is blue, and I love bursts... this aquaburst came out even better than what I had pictured in my head! Just stunning.

I played for about 3 hours last night, and just kept loving it more and more. Brian's setups are fantastic, and it was exactly as I'd want it. Nice low action but not to the point of buzzy, and intonation is bang on. That low B is just FANTASTIC! This is a 34" scale it easily shames my 35" Lakland. Also, the evenness in response across strings is so much better than any other bass I've had. I can focus less on WHERE I'm playing, and more on WHAT I'm playing, if that makes sense. Speaking of where I'm playing... on my Lakland I was always kind of hopping between anchoring on the humbucker or jumping up to the single coil, and often I wasn't happy with either location. On my single pup Stingray you are either on the bucker or not, lol! 90% of the time it's just right, except when you want those softer, fat and round notes with less attack. Well, having this MmanP configuration is just perfect! I never really found myself having to think about where I was anchoring... I just naturally landed in the right place all the time, getting the attack I was looking for without pressure or forethought.

and MAN! Those electronics! Hats off to Howard for some killer pups! And Brian's preamp is just great. TONS of headroom... adding attack doesn't ever seem to get into limiting/crushing tone. Some other basses I've had just seem to get farty/boxy with too much aggression, but that doesn't happen here. I'm not talking about amp/cab giving up. I was playing at home at low volumes through a nice rig with a Heritage SVT 410 cab. This bass just gives you what you want, without putting the brakes on your fun when you get a little too rowdy! The 3 band EQ has a LOT of range! "A little dab'll do ya!" as they say!

I'm sure I'll come up with more to rattle on about later, but I should get back to work. (lunch break was over a few mins ago, haha!)

Let me stop for now with this thought... if you've ever wanted a bass built, and thought about talking to Brian about it but haven't gone through with it for whatever reason... call him! I spent 4x as much as I ever have on an instrument before and I am completely happy. I can't recommend his work, or HIM, enough. Great guy to deal with, and willing to put up with my indecision and help me to make the best decision for what I was wanting out of a bass. (Not what HE wanted, what I wanted... he just knows how to ask the right questions to help you make the right decisions!)View attachment 3585290 View attachment 3585291 View attachment 3585292 View attachment 3585293 View attachment 3585294
Click to expand...
Absolutely beautiful! Sounds like you're enjoying it! :) Congratulations!
Best wishes,
Brent
 
  • Like
Reactions: musicman556
#119
musicman556 said:
Yea, I'm a bit partial, I guess! This is the first bass I've ever had built, rather than just buying something that was already hanging on a wall somewhere. I have been a fan of Brian's basses at The LowEnd Bass Shop for over a decade, and last year finally pulled the trigger on having one made. I present to you, my LEJ5 Exotic MManP!

It's exactly what I wanted, and better than I expected! I met Brian yesterday afternoon to pick it up and I am still floored... I forget what the measurement was, but we went with a narrower nut than normal, because I have some reach issues with my left hand from shattering my elbow as a teenager. The narrower spacing at the nut allows me a much easier reach to the low C, C#/Db, D range, and we left the bridge spacing at the normal 19mm I believe. The pickups are made by Howard Ulyate, and as you can see we went with the Musicman/P setup. The Stingray pup is in the correct Musicman location, unlike in a Lakland. I really like the controls of my Skyline 55-02 so we copied that control configuration, and added a pull pot on the mid tone knob to allow bypassing the mid tone circuit, so you can get a 2 band eq option as well.

The body is ash with that gorgeous flame maple top, and the neck is a 5 piece, maple and purple heart, bound with pearl and sporting block inlays in the flame maple fretboard. My favorite color is blue, and I love bursts... this aquaburst came out even better than what I had pictured in my head! Just stunning.

I played for about 3 hours last night, and just kept loving it more and more. Brian's setups are fantastic, and it was exactly as I'd want it. Nice low action but not to the point of buzzy, and intonation is bang on. That low B is just FANTASTIC! This is a 34" scale it easily shames my 35" Lakland. Also, the evenness in response across strings is so much better than any other bass I've had. I can focus less on WHERE I'm playing, and more on WHAT I'm playing, if that makes sense. Speaking of where I'm playing... on my Lakland I was always kind of hopping between anchoring on the humbucker or jumping up to the single coil, and often I wasn't happy with either location. On my single pup Stingray you are either on the bucker or not, lol! 90% of the time it's just right, except when you want those softer, fat and round notes with less attack. Well, having this MmanP configuration is just perfect! I never really found myself having to think about where I was anchoring... I just naturally landed in the right place all the time, getting the attack I was looking for without pressure or forethought.

and MAN! Those electronics! Hats off to Howard for some killer pups! And Brian's preamp is just great. TONS of headroom... adding attack doesn't ever seem to get into limiting/crushing tone. Some other basses I've had just seem to get farty/boxy with too much aggression, but that doesn't happen here. I'm not talking about amp/cab giving up. I was playing at home at low volumes through a nice rig with a Heritage SVT 410 cab. This bass just gives you what you want, without putting the brakes on your fun when you get a little too rowdy! The 3 band EQ has a LOT of range! "A little dab'll do ya!" as they say!

I'm sure I'll come up with more to rattle on about later, but I should get back to work. (lunch break was over a few mins ago, haha!)

Let me stop for now with this thought... if you've ever wanted a bass built, and thought about talking to Brian about it but haven't gone through with it for whatever reason... call him! I spent 4x as much as I ever have on an instrument before and I am completely happy. I can't recommend his work, or HIM, enough. Great guy to deal with, and willing to put up with my indecision and help me to make the best decision for what I was wanting out of a bass. (Not what HE wanted, what I wanted... he just knows how to ask the right questions to help you make the right decisions!)View attachment 3585290 View attachment 3585291 View attachment 3585292 View attachment 3585293 View attachment 3585294
Click to expand...
Stunning! Love the MM/P setup and the electronics. So nice to have a bass that just lets you play like that. Enjoy!

Auspuff said:
View attachment 3586368

I own the prettiest I have seen.
Click to expand...
Gorgeous! Is that stock?
 
#120
Heavy Blue said:
Stunning! Love the MM/P setup and the electronics. So nice to have a bass that just lets you play like that. Enjoy!


Gorgeous! Is that stock?
Click to expand...

Thank you for asking.

It is a 2002ish, MIJ Custom Jazz. It is apparently all-stock, save for white pickup covers. I put round-wounds on it, and she plays, and sounds like a dream. It has a very John Entwistle tone, to it.

Backstory: It was late. I was a bit buzzed, on good wine. I was trolling Fleabay. There it was. I popped for it.

It is my favorite bass in the stable.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Heavy Blue

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back