Finished my new bass

[Jisch]

Completely off topic, but one of my other passions is music and as a side of that I have built three instruments so far. I just finished my latest fretless bass with a spalted maple front on it:

http://forums.mtbr.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=74643&stc=1

If you want to see a blog of the build process, its here: http://apps.carvin.com/cgi-bin/ubbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=2;t=003844;p=1

John

[nhiker]

That is beautiful......Very nice work Jisch!
NH

[Goldstar78i]

Very nice. I've played bluegrass mandolin for 9 years so I can tell quality when I see it. So do you keep your instruments or sell them?

[ArmOnFire]

NICE!

It looks a little Les (Claypool) inspired!

[Jisch]

Thanks for the comments! I don't sell them <yet>. When I retire some 20 years from now, its a possibility. I really enjoy building them.

And I did kind of use a Carl Thomson design, (that's who makes Les Claypool's basses), though its significantly different - hopefully enough to keep me out of court ;D ;D ;D

John

[Quo Fan]

Nice bass!

Technical questions: Is it long scale, or short scale? Looks long. How is the action? What kind of electronics are you using? Active or passive pick-ups?

I like the way you butterflyed the body. Really nice effect

[Jisch]

Nice bass!

Technical questions: Is it long scale, or short scale? Looks long. How is the action? What kind of electronics are you using? Active or passive pick-ups?

I like the way you butterflyed the body. Really nice effect


Its a 35 1/4" scale - which is a bit longer than normal 34". The action is just good right now, it will be better as I slot the nut a bit deeped - I go slow. Once its cut you can't go back.

The pickups are EMG and active. Most of the rest of the parts I got at Carvin.

John

[nhiker]

Well I think Jisch is a good name brand and you ought to make them to sell custom. Get yourself a web site.... :o

[AA]

I'm still waiting for the pictures of the fish...... ::)

[Jisch]

Well I think Jisch is a good name brand and you ought to make them to sell custom. Get yourself a web site.... :o


I was thinking Fischstix (my middle initial is F). Maybe Jischstix? Nah.

Funny story about bass (the instrument) and bass (the fish) - my daughter plays tuba, and I was carrying it for her as we were leaving a concert. There was another concert right after hers so the lobby was a mob scene. As I am wrestling this huge, heavy case through the mass of people, I comment to one of the waitees, "Why couldn't she play the flute?", the person responded back, "Well at least she doesn't play bass" (pronounced like the fish). Wow, now there's someone who gets around eh?

John

[MTBME]

Whats the difference between active and passive, in terms of the pickups.

[Jisch]

Whats the difference between active and passive, in terms of the pickups.


Active pickup systems use a battery and have small amplifiers built in. There are two advantages: you can alter the tone of them and they produce higher levels going into an amplifier so the Signal to Noise ratio is lower. While passive systems have "tone" controls, they are really just attentuating ranges of frequency, not actually adjusting tone, if that makes sense. Most active systems are actually not in the pickups, but in the control cavity of the bass, EMG (the ones in this bass) builds the amplifiers right into the pickups.

Some people don't like active systems, if those people rode mountain bikes they would be the ones riding 40lb rigid steel bikes with thumbies and toe clips ;D ;D.

Active systems are fairly common in higher end basses, but rare in guitars - go figure... Us bass players are so far ahead.

John

[mtbtom]

Active systems are fairly common in higher end basses, but rare in guitars - go figure... Us bass players are so far ahead.
John


On a guitar a lot of the amplification/sound transformation is done at the amp or with effects - the way I understand it is that active controls on the bass will allow you to better accentuate treble or deeper tones of the actual instrument, which would be especially noticeable on a 5 string like you've got there. Personally, I got a 83 telecaster with a warped neck and I plug it straight into the amp. ;D

Nice work by the way, I had a carvin head with a Marshall 4 speaker cabinet back in the day.

[MTBME]

I have a Fender Stratocaster and a 30 year old Hagstrom "Swede" at home and I was wondering how they might be set up. Sounds passive to me.

[Jisch]

I have a Fender Stratocaster and a 30 year old Hagstrom "Swede" at home and I was wondering how they might be set up. Sounds passive to me.


If its 30 years old and you never changed a battery, then its passive. I don't know that I've ever seen an active Strat?

John