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Wishbass Club (part IV)
- Thread starter Thunderitter
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Some of you might remember #1068, a walnut claw. I thought it looked interesting but the ice-pick on the lower horn was shaped in a way that made it look like playing on your thigh nigh would be near impossible unless you had very slender thing. Then there was the claw - not my thing at all.
The blanket shot!
The blanket shot!
Anyway, I thought it looked interesting so I bought it!
First off, I was right about the ‘ice-pick’ for knee/thigh playing and the claw has a few unfortunately placed burrs.
First off, I was right about the ‘ice-pick’ for knee/thigh playing and the claw has a few unfortunately placed burrs.
Some modifications were in order. After I stripped the bass down I did a rough mock up on Photoshop.
There were quite a few open burrs required to be filled and I experimented with black enamel, which worked really well and in most places it is very hard to see as it blend in well with the natural figuring.
I leveled and flattened the fingerboard and added a 9.5" radius. I'm delighted at how this has come out and while I've got a medium low action right now, I've got a little more adjustment to do with the nut and bridge and then I should be able to achieve a very low action, although I'll leave it at low, which suits my playing more.
Again, I stuck with the EMG Select p-up, but went with a new wiring harness and a 6 setting variable-tone set in a shielded cavities with copper. As you will have seen I've been experimenting with wooden bridges and nuts so #1068 got a set of these, which have worked out really well. I then went 'black' with new tuners, a black jack input, black screws and black Schaller Strap-locks to go with the ebony nut, bridge and knobs. A black walnut control cavity cover completed the look.
I haven't fitted LEDs on this one at this time. The money for that was spent on the black hardware, but I might 'retro-fit'(!) in the future.
Now all I need is a name. I've thought about it and I've come up with the following: "De Claw", Wish-Bone or the "Thunderbone", "TB" for short.
I leveled and flattened the fingerboard and added a 9.5" radius. I'm delighted at how this has come out and while I've got a medium low action right now, I've got a little more adjustment to do with the nut and bridge and then I should be able to achieve a very low action, although I'll leave it at low, which suits my playing more.
Again, I stuck with the EMG Select p-up, but went with a new wiring harness and a 6 setting variable-tone set in a shielded cavities with copper. As you will have seen I've been experimenting with wooden bridges and nuts so #1068 got a set of these, which have worked out really well. I then went 'black' with new tuners, a black jack input, black screws and black Schaller Strap-locks to go with the ebony nut, bridge and knobs. A black walnut control cavity cover completed the look.
I haven't fitted LEDs on this one at this time. The money for that was spent on the black hardware, but I might 'retro-fit'(!) in the future.
Now all I need is a name. I've thought about it and I've come up with the following: "De Claw", Wish-Bone or the "Thunderbone", "TB" for short.
I really liked that one when I first saw it, very nice walnut. The rosewood board is very attractive too. Your reshaping looks good too! Kind of a "Clipper," a claw/hipper combo.
I thought that one would be special... Thanks for the photos!
=wr=
P.S. Maybe the "Virginia Clipper"...?
I thought that one would be special... Thanks for the photos!
=wr=
P.S. Maybe the "Virginia Clipper"...?
Anyway, without further ado I give you #1068:
I've achieved quite a high gloss finish on this one, which I think goes well with the walnut.
I've achieved quite a high gloss finish on this one, which I think goes well with the walnut.
....and some more shots:
"Hand-crafted' Ebony bridge and a cavity cover with a nice grain match.
Another view of the bridge and cavity cover
I'd be lying if I didn't admit to a little inspiration here from one of my namesake basses (and it wasn't the Thunderbird!)
Walnut and Rosewood is a great combo!
For whatever reason the angle here makes the action look a lot higher than it is.
"Hand-crafted' Ebony bridge and a cavity cover with a nice grain match.
Another view of the bridge and cavity cover
I'd be lying if I didn't admit to a little inspiration here from one of my namesake basses (and it wasn't the Thunderbird!)
Walnut and Rosewood is a great combo!
For whatever reason the angle here makes the action look a lot higher than it is.
Thunderitter: All I can say is, "Stunning"! Man, that's a kool looking bass. I know it plays well, how does it sound now?
Way to go ...
Way to go ...
Sounds great (of course I would say that), but it is very mellow indeed. Of course the variable tone gives you a lot of flexibility, but I'll get a clip on YouTube soon as this one is probably destined for eBay!
On this one I tried to get as high a gloss as possible, which IMHO looks good with the darkness of the wood. I was surprised at the gloss you can achieve with a little time and care.
Can you guys believe we are up to a Part IV? I can't think of a better way to start it either than with TR's cavalcade of super fine photographs of his "T-Bone". Thanks for doing that!
This would be a perfect time for some other submissions as well - what do you think?
This would be a perfect time for some other submissions as well - what do you think?
Nice work man. Are you married? If so, what drugs do you and 49isfine give your wives to allow these constant Wishbass purchases???? Hehe. Very nice collection. That refin is very nice.
Married and I used this simple forumula:
1 x Ritter = 30 x Wishbasses
(I've got a few to go!)
first off, very nice job modding that bass. anyways my wishlist consists of all of the basses in the world. the pretty and ugly ones. the fretted, and the fretless, the strung and the stringless, the ridiculously high action basses and the ridiculously low action basses, and all the ones that are in the middle and just right. all the uprights, and the sitdowns. all the jazz basses and the p-basses. and all the ones that are in mince condition, and all the broken ones. then i would love every one of the broken ones back to health. and string all the strung ones. and change the pickups on the jazz basses to P-Bass style pickups, because f*** jazz basses! (not really, i just don't really like jazz basses because the pickups are too small =P)
and oh yeah, nice job modding that bass
and oh yeah, nice job modding that bass
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