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ZERO FRET?

#22
I agree with lowphat...if you use that open string "testosterone boost" in your playing, then no to zero fret.

However, if your playing if very technical, then a zero fret is definitely worth a consideration.

Best advice I have to you, Big Mike, is to take one of his basses for about a month and work with it and see if it grows on you or not.
 
#23
+1. IME, a 0 nut is great for ERB's but if your looking for a tone as described by lowphat, a nut is a must, YMMV...


cheers,
~S~

PS: Personally, I like a nut due to the option of having that "open" string sound in certain situations when needed. I guess "sometimes ya feel like a nut, sometimes ya don't"...
 
#24
Do NOT like the zero fret. You're losing just a little bit of versatility that I prefer to have. If I really want to keep the voicing the same I can usually find a way to do it. I've never found myself going "Shucks, I wish I didn't have to play an open string right now because it just doesn't sound quite proper"

Looking at it mathematically, if you use a nut you've only got 1 note that can't be played fretted (You're lowest open string). This is always true no matter how many string you have. Adding the zero fret means that you lose the open string's voicing on EVERY string (You lose 4,5,6+ tones). The benefit seems small compared to the versatility you lose, especially when considering extended range basses.

My $.02
 
#26
I like the extra bulge of the open strings - that's when I use them, for that extra boost.

I can't believe no one has mentioned this builder doesn't sound like Roger Sadowsky (who Mike told us would be getting all of his business)! Of course we can expect Mike to use the Sadowsky pick-ups and pre-amp, but this seems sacrilege!
 
#27
illidian said:
I like the extra bulge of the open strings - that's when I use them, for that extra boost.

I can't believe no one has mentioned this builder doesn't sound like Roger Sadowsky (who Mike told us would be getting all of his business)! Of course we can expect Mike to use the Sadowsky pick-ups and pre-amp, but this seems sacrilege!
Click to expand...


LOL Roger is still getting my business! However, I can't pass up the opportunity to be a part of developing a new bass line with a manufacturer. Believe me that ALL the things I like about Sadowsky's, Lull's, Lakland's and Warwick's are going to influence how things are made. January NAMM 2006.
 
#29
BigMikeW said:
LOL Roger is still getting my business! However, I can't pass up the opportunity to be a part of developing a new bass line with a manufacturer. Believe me that ALL the things I like about Sadowsky's, Lull's, Lakland's and Warwick's are going to influence how things are made. January NAMM 2006.
Click to expand...

I see.

I thought you were getting a custom one-up job by a luthier.

Good luck with the project and enjoy it!
 
#34
lowphatbass said:
I'm not a big fan of the zero fret. In my bass playing I sometimes like to take advantage of that open string "zing", it's not by design verbally course, but playing off of the NUT gives me some extra "B@LLS" and it really works in some situations. There's something about using the full speaking length of a string coupled with the nut surface that's buried into the end of the neck that really "takes it home". If that sound isn't right for the situation than I'm dropping it on the 5th fret of the string below.
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Please explain to me how using a nut as a witness point as opposed to using a zero fret as a witness point gives
extra "B@LLS"
Click to expand...
to the sound. I am not sure that I understand.

Mike
 
#38
i_got_a_mohawk said:
is the zero fret just a fret at the point where the nut would be on most basses, pushing the but back a bit so instead of being open the strings are always down over the fret or something ?
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The contact point of the string is a fret rather than the nut. It makes the witness point much more accurate, helping your bass to play in better tune. Additionally, open strings have the same timbre as the fretted note. I just dont see why changing the type of witness point dramatically changes the sound and gives more "b@lls" to the sound.

Mike
 
#39
Philbiker said:
isn't the zero fret a maintenance issue? A zero fret's going to wear faster than a nut, right?
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Good point, Phil. I have no idea which wears faster. My thought was that zero-fret might result in less maintenance: the nut becomes a spacer, so it doesn't have to be cut perfectly for height; less to worry about if switching from light to heavy gauge strings or vice versa.
 

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