Having a custom bass built...

[bjeans79]

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CB0QFjAAahUKEwiLs-PajInJAhVN42MKHdxXAaU&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.maycustombasses.com%2F&usg=AFQjCNFTKc_f9zub4Ibe-83yLuVvl2_Oyg

So I am blessed to know an extremely talented luthier named Shawn May (maycustombasses.com) and I will be having him build me a custom bass. He is a busy guy and I like to hear what you all would have to say about some ideas and advice about how to get the tone I am looking for, and yes I understand that fingers and technique are a majority of the battle I am just looking for a few ideas for the bass and tone in general. What follows is my message to him about my thoughts on a bass build. IF you want, share your dream bass build in a reply! Thanks in advance for all ye who grace this post!


So here are some ideas for a bass build.

5 string.

pickups:
double hum with thick punchy tone like a Wal or Stingray, so I was thinking maybe Kent Armstrong could wind a 5 string MM type pickup set or you know of something better that's a thick humbucker sound. I read that MM and WAL preamps are where a lot of the character of tone those basses are known for come from so your input there is appreciated. I know you like aguilar?


3 band eq.

For the pickup switching, I was going for a Sting 5 HH so I was hoping for that type of switch setup. I don't know if this is even possible but can I have that 5 way HH switch and another switch or something allowing me to split only the bridge pickup 3 ways (like a classic stingray H 5?) I don't know how ignorant that is... I don't know if you do rotary switching or a 5 way strat style? That single pickup stingray has that nice fat thick tone, which I guess has to do with its placement as well...

Hardware - hipshot tuners and high mass bridge like hipshot or something...


Scale length - for the B, is there anything that can be done to take away floppiness besides a 35" scale or fan fret (which I saw your mock up for one, looks interesting)?


String spacing:
I like the string spacing on the Sting 5's but I find its just a bit to close for my big hands and I would like it just a bit wider (MTD Kingston 5 seemed a little too wide) which will help me a little with slapping clearly.

And for the woods to use...
That's a really hard one so I will give you my ideas... I really dig those nice Ernie Ball Birdseye fretboards (necks), but also really like ebony and rosewood. Maybe a birdseye maple fretboard with ebony bindings on the edges would look cool or a ebony fretboard with birdseye blocks. What I would want for the fretboard (pick from birdseye, ebony and rosewood depending on your supply) will depend on what color the piece of wood is on top, which brings me to a few questions...

TOP:
If I did a darker color stain flamed maple OR birdseye top or a walnut burl top, what would you or do you recommend for the core wood to yield a finished bass around 7 to 9 lbs (I don't mind if it's heavier)? I also was thinking a dark amber flamed koa top would look beautiful (don't know your supply). I was thinking if I did a dark stain on top, a light core like maple would be good, maybe mahogany? If I do Whichever would make it heavier.



[video]http://www.maycustombasses.com/images/welcomebass.jpg[/video]http://www.maycustombasses.com/BassGallery/c1bd1e49a45340a18c78%5Clarge%5C6799caf9c64f43f8a5a d8fecebd306.png

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Having a custom bass built...

Without wishing to appear rude, you need to help the luthier by nailing not only what you require but the reasons why. (For example, all of your musings about woods seem to be based solely upon appearances.)

On matters such as scale length and string spacing, get your hands on as many different bass guitars as possible and find which dimensions best suit your reach. Try an instrument with fanned frets.

*

Regarding the dream bass build question, I do not have a dream bass.

I do not expect any single bass guitar to make all of the possible sounds that I might require.

I do own one German-made, through neck five string bass guitar but it gets little use because I play more creatively on a four string. To extend their range, I have fitted some of my instruments with a Hipshot D-Tuner device.

Enough about me, already.

Since you have started this thread on the SDUG forum, may I suggest that you investigate the SSB-5 NYC Bass Soapbar pickup pair.

 

[One Bad Monkey]

Re: Having a custom bass built...

+1 to what FunkFingers said. I'd also add that Shawn is an extremely knowledgeable guy, so if you can tell him what you are looking for tonally, he can guide you as well. You went to him for a reason; don't just give him specs on a build. Work WITH him on it.

That said, for the B string, a lot of it comes down to the neck. A stable neck is going to have a fantastic B string. Fred Bolton of Bee Basses makes instruments with tremendous B strings that are 33" scale. My Warwick Streamer has an insane B string, and it's only a 34". I've played 35" scale B strings that sound horrible. Having played Shawn's basses (I know him, as well as gave him a tour of the GHS office a while back), I can tell you his B strings sound great and ring true.

 

[bjeans79]

Re: Having a custom bass built...

Thanks my friend, I appreciate the help. As I said, Shawn is a busy guy and we have talked about what I want, but I wanted to see if there was anybody out there that might throw a bone as to a good set of humbucker bass pickups and hear what other players like in their setup. I always like to hear about what people like themselves as a matter of opinion, as tone is so subjective. Thanks!

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CB0QFjAAahUKEwiLs-PajInJAhVN42MKHdxXAaU&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.maycustombasses.com%2F&usg=AFQjCNFTKc_f9zub4Ibe-83yLuVvl2_Oyg

So I am blessed to know an extremely talented luthier named Shawn May (maycustombasses.com) and I will be having him build me a custom bass. He is a busy guy and I like to hear what you all would have to say about some ideas and advice about how to get the tone I am looking for, and yes I understand that fingers and technique are a majority of the battle I am just looking for a few ideas for the bass and tone in general. What follows is my message to him about my thoughts on a bass build. IF you want, share your dream bass build in a reply! Thanks in advance for all ye who grace this post!


So here are some ideas for a bass build.

5 string.

pickups:
double hum with thick punchy tone like a Wal or Stingray, so I was thinking maybe Kent Armstrong could wind a 5 string MM type pickup set or you know of something better that's a thick humbucker sound. I read that MM and WAL preamps are where a lot of the character of tone those basses are known for come from so your input there is appreciated. I know you like aguilar?


3 band eq.

For the pickup switching, I was going for a Sting 5 HH so I was hoping for that type of switch setup. I don't know if this is even possible but can I have that 5 way HH switch and another switch or something allowing me to split only the bridge pickup 3 ways (like a classic stingray H 5?) I don't know how ignorant that is... I don't know if you do rotary switching or a 5 way strat style? That single pickup stingray has that nice fat thick tone, which I guess has to do with its placement as well...

Hardware - hipshot tuners and high mass bridge like hipshot or something...


Scale length - for the B, is there anything that can be done to take away floppiness besides a 35" scale or fan fret (which I saw your mock up for one, looks interesting)?


String spacing:
I like the string spacing on the Sting 5's but I find its just a bit to close for my big hands and I would like it just a bit wider (MTD Kingston 5 seemed a little too wide) which will help me a little with slapping clearly.

And for the woods to use...
That's a really hard one so I will give you my ideas... I really dig those nice Ernie Ball Birdseye fretboards (necks), but also really like ebony and rosewood. Maybe a birdseye maple fretboard with ebony bindings on the edges would look cool or a ebony fretboard with birdseye blocks. What I would want for the fretboard (pick from birdseye, ebony and rosewood depending on your supply) will depend on what color the piece of wood is on top, which brings me to a few questions...

TOP:
If I did a darker color stain flamed maple OR birdseye top or a walnut burl top, what would you or do you recommend for the core wood to yield a finished bass around 7 to 9 lbs (I don't mind if it's heavier)? I also was thinking a dark amber flamed koa top would look beautiful (don't know your supply). I was thinking if I did a dark stain on top, a light core like maple would be good, maybe mahogany? If I do Whichever would make it heavier.



[video]http://www.maycustombasses.com/images/welcomebass.jpg[/video]http://www.maycustombasses.com/BassGallery/c1bd1e49a45340a18c78%5Clarge%5C6799caf9c64f43f8a5a d8fecebd306.png

 

[bjeans79]

Re: Having a custom bass built...

Thanks! Shawn IS an extremely talented luthier, and I have no doubt that if I asked him to use pallet wood and spare parts from an old lawnmower he could make something that would make me weak at the knees!

I just like to hear people opinions and what they like for their preferred sound.

+1 to what FunkFingers said. I'd also add that Shawn is an extremely knowledgeable guy, so if you can tell him what you are looking for tonally, he can guide you as well. You went to him for a reason; don't just give him specs on a build. Work WITH him on it.

That said, for the B string, a lot of it comes down to the neck. A stable neck is going to have a fantastic B string. Fred Bolton of Bee Basses makes instruments with tremendous B strings that are 33" scale. My Warwick Streamer has an insane B string, and it's only a 34". I've played 35" scale B strings that sound horrible. Having played Shawn's basses (I know him, as well as gave him a tour of the GHS office a while back), I can tell you his B strings sound great and ring true.

 

[DrNewcenstein]

Re: Having a custom bass built...

Regarding string spacing, you might look into Kahler. They have a model that allows adjustments to string spacing, from super tight to super wide.

 

[treyhaislip]

Re: Having a custom bass built...

Sweet! Keep us posted with pics please!

 

[One Bad Monkey]

Re: Having a custom bass built...

Thanks! Shawn IS an extremely talented luthier, and I have no doubt that if I asked him to use pallet wood and spare parts from an old lawnmower he could make something that would make me weak at the knees!

I just like to hear people opinions and what they like for their preferred sound.

That's kind of hard to say. What styles/genres are you planning on using this bass in? While you can arguably use any bass/pickups in any setting, this would help narrow the field a bit for selection.

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Having a custom bass built...

Since this is bass guitar that we are discussing, it could be argued that the individual bassist's tonal preferences are subordinate to the needs of an ensemble. Unless the bassist is the featured artist, the instrument sound has to sit with the rest of the band.

I get most mileage from a simple Alder body and maple neck. The fingerboard can be integral or applied. Fretted or fretless. Onboard active EQ is useful but not essential. Much of the sonic variety comes purely from playing techniques.

 

[bjeans79]

Re: Having a custom bass built...

I like the sound of Wal basses, but I havent had a chance to play them myself. I really like the sound of the MM Stingray 5 string basses with the single p'up and the double hum. Since I am getting a double hum bass made, I dont want it to sound just like a stingray, but I want it to have a full thick tone like a humbucker gives. I play funk/rock/blues and I really dig some of the old school 90's rap bass lines I listened to growing up. I already have a sweet 4 string Fender Jazz bass that does pretty much everything I need, except deliver the low end punch to the gut that I want out of that low B.

Thanks!

That's kind of hard to say. What styles/genres are you planning on using this bass in? While you can arguably use any bass/pickups in any setting, this would help narrow the field a bit for selection.

 

[bjeans79]

Re: Having a custom bass built...

Absolutely, I couldnt agree more regarding application, which is why I wanted to have a custom bass built that will allow me the variety I need to accomplish all the different styles of music I play. With a double hum pickup configuration there are a lot of tonal possibilities I am afforded. I am able to get most any sound I want from what I have currently (Fender Jazz / SR505), I just want the great Shawn May to build me a bass that I can enjoy for the rest of my life that has the special touch that I believe only HE has, for he is one of a kind in many ways!

Since this is bass guitar that we are discussing, it could be argued that the individual bassist's tonal preferences are subordinate to the needs of an ensemble. Unless the bassist is the featured artist, the instrument sound has to sit with the rest of the band.

I get most mileage from a simple Alder body and maple neck. The fingerboard can be integral or applied. Fretted or fretless. Onboard active EQ is useful but not essential. Much of the sonic variety comes purely from playing techniques.

 

[bjeans79]

Re: Having a custom bass built...

Sweet! Keep us posted with pics please!

When that day comes, I surely will!

 

[One Bad Monkey]

Re: Having a custom bass built...

I like the sound of Wal basses, but I havent had a chance to play them myself. I really like the sound of the MM Stingray 5 string basses with the single p'up and the double hum. Since I am getting a double hum bass made, I dont want it to sound just like a stingray, but I want it to have a full thick tone like a humbucker gives. I play funk/rock/blues and I really dig some of the old school 90's rap bass lines I listened to growing up. I already have a sweet 4 string Fender Jazz bass that does pretty much everything I need, except deliver the low end punch to the gut that I want out of that low B.

Thanks!

For me, having a double humbucker bass (Warwick Corvette $$) didn't sit with me. At all. I never ran both humbuckers full on, because that sound was not usable in a band/studio context; it was too aggressive and biting, without a lot of low end warmth. I kept the neck at single coil and used the bridge either at single or double (usually single), at which point I could've just had a Lakland 55-02 that accomplished that. Every now and again I'd flirt with the double at the neck and single at the bridge (basically what the Washburn Stu Hamm sig had), and it sounded "better," but not for me.

For someone looking at funk/rock/blues and old school 90s rap basslines (we've reached that time when 90s music is "old school?" Sigh...), I'd look at something like passive soapbars with an active preamp (with push/pull active/passive option); I'm using Nordstrand Dual Blade pickups with their 3 band EQ on my Warwick Streamer right now (it's also my only non-SD equipped bass). That setup is easily the most versatile I've owned.

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Having a custom bass built...

I like the sound of Wal basses but I havent had a chance to play them myself.

Extremely well built. One of my absolute favourite bassists used a WAL Custom fretless bass. I have never heard any other bassist get quite the same sound as Mick Kahn.

I already have a sweet 4 string Fender Jazz bass that does pretty much everything I need, except deliver the low end punch to the gut that I want out of that low B.

A-ha. This is a whole topic in its own right.

 

[BlueTalon]

Re: Having a custom bass built...

Since this is bass guitar that we are discussing, it could be argued that the individual bassist's tonal preferences are subordinate to the needs of an ensemble. Unless the bassist is the featured artist, the instrument sound has to sit with the rest of the band.

It could be argued that way, but I would argue against that argument. :wink: I suppose a bass could be unusable in a group context if it is too boomy/bassy or thin/bright or dead. But apart from those extremes, there is a lot of tonal variety for bass that can fit well in a mix.

While I appreciate what you say about alder body and maple neck (I have a few such basses myself), in the case of a custom instrument, I recommend pulling out all the stops. This is the best single chance of getting an instrument that is unlike any other, one that the OP can define for himself and which can later define him. In that situation, I absolutely do not want something that looks like the same thing a lot of other people have. Now is the time to be selfish and maybe a little crazy.

 

[dd12939]

Re: Having a custom bass built...

Since you have started this thread on the SDUG forum, may I suggest that you investigate the SSB-5 NYC Bass Soapbar pickup pair.

I would second this. I love mine!

 

[bjeans79]

Re: Having a custom bass built...

It could be argued that way, but I would argue against that argument. :wink: I suppose a bass could be unusable in a group context if it is too boomy/bassy or thin/bright or dead. But apart from those extremes, there is a lot of tonal variety for bass that can fit well in a mix.

While I appreciate what you say about alder body and maple neck (I have a few such basses myself), in the case of a custom instrument, I recommend pulling out all the stops. This is the best single chance of getting an instrument that is unlike any other, one that the OP can define for himself and which can later define him. In that situation, I absolutely do not want something that looks like the same thing a lot of other people have. Now is the time to be selfish and maybe a little crazy.

Exactly! I am not just looking for an everyday run of the mill PJ or HH with a slab alder/ash body. My luthier friend gets some crazy beautiful wood in to build stuff with. Check out the link in the original post. Just the other day I played a Stingray HH and a cheap Yamaha PJ and I was almost like "DANG I love that P bass sound," and I already know I love the way a jazz bass bridge pickup sounds. So that got me to thinking...

P/H with the H split and series parallel and whatever combinations of tones there are. I have experimented a lot with all of the basses here at work (guitar center) and find that I dont have much use for the humbucker neck pickup and I love that P bass sound, but with that being said, considering I would probably split the neck pickup to single coil all the time a nice p bass setup with a good humbucker in the bridge should suit me nicely.

 

[bjeans79]

Re: Having a custom bass built...

Exactly! I am not just looking for an everyday run of the mill PJ or HH with a slab alder/ash body. My luthier friend gets some crazy beautiful wood in to build stuff with. Check out the link in the original post. Just the other day I played a Stingray HH and a cheap Yamaha PJ and I was almost like "DANG I love that P bass sound," and I already know I love the way a jazz bass bridge pickup sounds. So that got me to thinking...

P/H with the H split and series parallel and whatever combinations of tones there are. I have experimented a lot with all of the basses here at work (guitar center) and find that I dont have much use for the humbucker neck pickup and I love that P bass sound, but with that being said, considering I would probably split the neck pickup to single coil all the time a nice p bass setup with a good humbucker in the bridge should suit me nicely.

THOUGH.... I wonder if there are any humkbucker pickups out there that can sound awesome in the neck position? I haven't much more than a MM stingray and such like. How much different is a WAL neck humbucker than a stingray if any?