Wishbass Club pt. 2

[Dark Horse]

I'm typically a Fender guy, but this Hyper with fanned frets makes ordering a Wishbass really tempting. Beautiful bass.

 

[Jeff Roller]

I'm typically a Fender guy, but this Hyper with fanned frets makes ordering a Wishbass really tempting. Beautiful bass.

You'd love this one then. Those are Fender custom shop samarium cobalt noiseless jazz pickups in there. I've got it wired to switch from series/parallel. I play it mostly in series, I was a P man for many years, but the J sound is awesome when I need it.

Next project on this bass is to reroute and move the pickups slanted with the frets, I wish I had thought of this before the build.

It's a sentimental guitar as well, the middle section of the body is made from the top of a 1961 Baldwin Accrosonic piano I used to own.

 

[jbybj]

hey i was wondering if you people could help me
im looking for a fretted 4 string (2nd bass)
i see these basses and i am amazed
could you help me out and tell me what i need to get and how much its gonna cost me?

Start by going to Wishbass.com. Steve Wishnevsky has lots of info about models, and pricing. He plans on retiring soon, so i wouldn't wait too long. If you search through this thread you will see there are many considerations when considering a Wishbass. The best way is to order from Wish unifinished, and apply the finish yourself. There is not as much anecdotal evidence on his fretted basses as mosts of what he makes are fretless. Have fun.

JBY

 

[49sfine]

RB2000; Where do I sign up to be in your will to inherit the fan-fretted Hyper? What an axe! If this one doesn't get you excited and motivated, well, I give up ....

By the way, I am dying to see how you handle the repositioning of the pups - that is a very kool idea. Good for you!

 

[Jeff Roller]

RB2000; Where do I sign up to be in your will to inherit the fan-fretted Hyper? What an axe! If this one doesn't get you excited and motivated, well, I give up ....

By the way, I am dying to see how you handle the repositioning of the pups - that is a very kool idea. Good for you!

Ha! Don't have a will, but there could be an interesting sweepstakes one day. I could only afford one bass for 20+ years, and now my herd is over fifteen, all really nice collectible basses. None of my kids are musical, so I told my wife if she finds herself a widow one day, all she has to do is post pics of my equipment on Talkbass and she'll be swarmed with suitors!

 

[49sfine]

hey i was wondering if you people could help me
im looking for a fretted 4 string (2nd bass)
i see these basses and i am amazed
could you help me out and tell me what i need to get and how much its gonna cost me?

I think the first thing you need to ask yourself is whether or not you are "cult material"! You know, are you obsessive enough, slavish enough, off-center enough to enter the wild, wacky world of wonderfully wonky Wishbass and Wishnevsky instruments? If you ever wondered if you had G.A.S. before, passing thru this murky portal will infect you to a degree many find frightening. (Think Titanic sinking suckage ...) I know I went down for the count HARD & FAST - I now own 5 of the things. Three of them are affectionately named "Swamp Thing", "Spawn", and "Igor" - does that tell you anything?

Having said that, JBY's advice is rock solid. You might also dig deeper into this thread and also check out Harmony/Central. Wish's strong suit is fretless, but he seems to have a good craftman doing his fret work, from what I hear. Good luck, but hurry, #1000 looms and then the "dread" sets in ...

 

[BassDudeSA]

Forgive me if you have already considered this, but it sounds like you need to adjust your pups. From what you describe, you need to get the pickups closer to the strings. I know Wish is not very exacting in how he places the pups. He routes it out and screws the pickup flush against the bottom. If you have never experimented with pickup height you will be surprised at how much the output changes with just very small adjustments. You will need to find some foam, and cut it to match the route of the pup, vary the thickness of the foam unitl you find the right gap between the strings and the pickup. You could also use springs, but finding the right springs and getting them installed under the pickup is a b#*@h.

With passive, high impedence pickups, that have stronger magnets than low impedance, (Alembic or EMG actives), you have to be careful not to get too close, or the magnet will have too strong a pull on the string, impeding it's freedom to vibrate. But if you get it closer than you currently are, your output will increase.

Good luck, James

Yeah, I'm very aware of how pickup height affects volume and have adjusted pup height on many of my others basses. Granted the Wishbass pups are not adjustable that way, but the height really has not been too bad on my Wishes and is not bad on the bass that I recently spoke of with volume problems. Not really a "problem", just lower output than the average passive bass. I'm wondering what kind of experiences you all have had with this. NOT just a side by side comparison with playing on your own at home, but in a band situation, how does your Wish cut through? Not just in front of your amp, but on the other side of the room as well.

We all talk about customizing these basses and so on, just wondering about your experiences with these in a band situation. Believe me, I love these things, I even had nine or ten of them at one time, but being one that just likes to play a bass "stock" (not really into customizing) I just could not see these as being practical to play with any of the bands that I am involved with. I tried it, it just didn't work without drastically altering my amp setup whenever I pulled one out. I can do that, but it is more convenient to be able to switch out while leaving your amp set relatively the same. Yeah, I use a Line 6 Bass XT Live as well and I realize that you can have it set at different levels for different basses and etc. so there is a way around it, I just like keeping it simple though.

 

[newfuture]

Hey BassDudeSA-

I've found my hyper to be really nice in a band context. Much 'cuttier' than my non-wish fretless (an old aria with an EMG Hz passive), much fuller. Same goes for the 3-stringer I got off Pete. Still haven't made peace with the lack of a G string, but it does sound good in a band context.

My only fundamental complaint with Wish's work is his preference for fingerboard range over PU placement: he more often than not jams the PU right at the bridge, which results in reduced volume output. I just don't play up that high, and I prefer the sound of a neck PU anyhow.

As for PU height adjustment, I went to the hardware store, bought a couple small springs, cut them to size, and use those for elevation. works just fine. I also swapped out the EMG select on the hyper for a Delano noise cancelling PU. This lets me get the bass signal up and over the buzz and helps compensate for the lower output.

 

[3stringpete]

Hey BassDudeSA-

I've found my hyper to be really nice in a band context. Much 'cuttier' than my non-wish fretless (an old aria with an EMG Hz passive), much fuller. Same goes for the 3-stringer I got off Pete. Still haven't made peace with the lack of a G string, but it does sound good in a band context.

My only fundamental complaint with Wish's work is his preference for fingerboard range over PU placement: he more often than not jams the PU right at the bridge, which results in reduced volume output. I just don't play up that high, and I prefer the sound of a neck PU anyhow.

As for PU height adjustment, I went to the hardware store, bought a couple small springs, cut them to size, and use those for elevation. works just fine. I also swapped out the EMG select on the hyper for a Delano noise cancelling PU. This lets me get the bass signal up and over the buzz and helps compensate for the lower output.

Ah...who needs a G string? I'm thinking about designing a 2-string bass (E and A or B and E). It's good for the brain.

I also agree with the PU placement issue. Most Wishbasses with the PU placed at least 4 inches in front of the bridge ALWAYS provide more output. The extra long fingerboard is a pet peeve of mine...always got in the way with fingerstyle play. My favorite Wishbass design for comfort and excellent playability is the "Claw." I never owned one, but I've played a few a Wish's shop. I'm not crazy about the "claw" upper horn, but it is well-balanced with great pickup placement. On the other hand, one of the worst designs, IMO, is the "Super Long Horn." It looks cool but the upper horn will poke you in the ribs or collar bone and the PU placement is right next to the bridge (low output).

 

[49sfine]

Gents: I had a rehearsal tonight and when I got home (after dark) there was a large box on my front porch. Guess what? The Fantasy arrived a day early. Anyway, I have gotten it out of the box and cleaned it off - I must say that I am going to be very happy with this one when the finish work is done. I asked Wish for a narrower, thinner neck on this one because it is short scale and that would fit my hands better, and by jove, he pulled it off! I don't know how the FB is going to sound, but it looks killer (color and grain pattern). Anyway, I'm excited - now I am going to go tune it up and plug it in. Nite! ...

 

[jbybj]

Yeah, I'm very aware of how pickup height affects volume and have adjusted pup height on many of my others basses. Granted the Wishbass pups are not adjustable that way, but the height really has not been too bad on my Wishes and is not bad on the bass that I recently spoke of with volume problems. Not really a "problem", just lower output than the average passive bass. I'm wondering what kind of experiences you all have had with this. NOT just a side by side comparison with playing on your own at home, but in a band situation, how does your Wish cut through? Not just in front of your amp, but on the other side of the room as well.

We all talk about customizing these basses and so on, just wondering about your experiences with these in a band situation. Believe me, I love these things, I even had nine or ten of them at one time, but being one that just likes to play a bass "stock" (not really into customizing) I just could not see these as being practical to play with any of the bands that I am involved with. I tried it, it just didn't work without drastically altering my amp setup whenever I pulled one out. I can do that, but it is more convenient to be able to switch out while leaving your amp set relatively the same. Yeah, I use a Line 6 Bass XT Live as well and I realize that you can have it set at different levels for different basses and etc. so there is a way around it, I just like keeping it simple though.

My Wishbasses all play really well in group situations, but then I have replaced most of my pups. 3 of them have active EMG's which have preamps and massive output, one has the original Kent Armstrong which also puts out plenty, and is not too close to the bridge. My latest, the purpleheart Hyper, had the EMG jazz select swapped out for a Bartolini passive hum canceling jazz pup. Not as hot as the others, and I have yet to play that one in a group setting, but it feels like it will have an awesome tone.

The bottom line is, between pickup height, proximity to the bridge, and inherent output, you will find your answer. I know it's a very subjective thing, but the EMG selects just don't float my boat.

Peace, James

 

[jbybj]

Hey BassDudeSA-

My only fundamental complaint with Wish's work is his preference for fingerboard range over PU placement: he more often than not jams the PU right at the bridge, which results in reduced volume output. I just don't play up that high, and I prefer the sound of a neck PU anyhow.

I have wondered about placing a pickup 2-3 inches into the fingerboard, leaving the FB on the bridge side of the pup, but just lowering it a bit. I try to visualize this and I can't tell whether it would look spectacular, or stupid. Maybe someone wants to try this??

James

 

[3stringpete]

This was definitely one of the nicest sounding Wishbasses I had the pleasure to own. I wish I hadn't sold it. The pear wood, jatoba fretboard, and P-Bass pickups were a great combination...not to mention the matching Wishbox.

 

[3stringpete]

This is a cheese board I had Wish make from Wishbass scraps.

 

[49sfine]

3-String; What are we seeing in your new avatar? I can't quite figure it out. Thx.

 

[3stringpete]

3-String; What are we seeing in your new avatar? I can't quite figure it out. Thx.

It was a small-body, 3-string, concept bass I designed. It was really cool, but the routing of the volume control fell just under the bridge where the D string is, causing significant volume loss (lack of vibration from the bridge and, therefore, the string). I may redesign it with the volume control on the top edge, closer to the neck. The headstock was slightly different...looked like an arrow instead of the traditional Wishbass design.

 

[wave rider]

3stringpete, have you tried the Stude body style? Opinions? Body style you liked the most?

Thanks,
=wr=

 

[49sfine]

Well, after tuning up my new Fantasy and playing it a lot since Thursday night I have to say the wenge issue is happily moot. This one sounds just killer! It almost has as much mwahhh as the purplehearted FB JB. I am sure the Kent Armstrong pup helps too. My worries were unfounded! This bass sounds and feels better than any of the rest of mine and it is unfinished even. Part of it is the fact I asked Wish to make the neck not only short scale, but extra narrow as well. (It's almost as narrow as my old Hofner Beatle bass, in fact.) Also, both the body and the back are zebrawood and it gives this bass a certain heft and weight that I really like and given the shorter neck, that is appealing to me. It sounds so good and is such fun to play I am not even going to change strings on it until I disassemble it - and that is delayed now due to how much fun I am having with it and the fact the Stude and Hyper are just a few moments away from being completed.
- Pix to come soon ...

 

[49sfine]

3stringpete, have you tried the Stude body style? Opinions? Body style you liked the most?

Thanks,
=wr=

WR: One thing I have noticed about the various body styles is where they end up positioning themselves on your leg when you are playing in a sitting position. The Stude tends to push itself back towards your elbow due to the lower body curvature, more so than let's say the Hyper or Lobe, which is just about perfect (for me). This effects where your fretting hand falls naturally on the FB. The Fantasy does that too, but not as much as the Stude. Of course standing up and playing is different, but I suppose these are all things to consider.

The JB tends to neck dive a bit due to the tiny body mass, so it lends itself to stand up playing more so than my Lobe, for example (which is a heavy unit, but is very, very comfortable on the thigh). The JB also has issues with the pointed ends of the body and how that feels under your plucking arm - mine actually hurt so I had to soften that point to be able to play with some degree of comfort - I'm still figuring out a solution and keep the aethetics intact. Since I am not a gigging player yet, everything happens mostly in a seated position for now, so I am noticing this stuff. Anyway, probably not an issue for people actually playing their guitars out of the house, but I am not there yet ...

 

[wave rider]

49sfine, I'm very please to hear the good news about your fantasy! Excellent!

Thanks for the feedback on body shapes. I'm trying to figure out which one I'd like as a five string; this Carmassi video inspires with the low b...


=wr=