Hellzero

@Manton Customs The most important in here is this simple question : Are your clients happy with their basses ? That's all ! And I like your work, that said.

Thanks for the pictures. There are three other biases, one bass is lacquered, one has chrome hardware, one has no headstock shown : try this with audiophiles and they'll become some kind of aggressive... Trust me. The other point that is bothering me is that your rosewood looks way much denser than your ebony which seems to be close to sapwood, the grain being correct... Strange. You know like me that some rosewoods are denser than some ebonies. Is it the case here ? Is there a shim under the necks ? Did you screw everything with a torque reader screwdriver ? Is the trussrod more tightened on the rosewood fretboard. All these details can change the sound, you know it. It started from a good point, but there are too many unscientific approaches... These were not identical twins differing only by the fretboard as they were supposed to be. Anyway, it's been very interesting.

This is good starting point : For the bass, take a look in the sale section, there are plenty of them.

The Glockenklang is terrific, very transparent and progressive, hoping there is enough height for it in the control cavity.

If you have a spare Aguilar OBP-3 then it will be very close to the Signature model. And I like your hotel shower analogy.

And put some fresh brand new strings on it, they are certainly, as the low B, completely dead. Isn't 14 mm string spacing a bit narrow ?

I guess, you already went there : http://www.ibanez.com/products/u_eb_detail18.php?year=2018&cat_id=2&series_id=65&data_id=68&color=CL01

Try AER, Bergantino, Demeter, Glockenklang, Kemper, Vanderkley and the likes if you want to be in the high end amps. Look at Alembic, Elrick, F-Bass, Fodera, Ken Lawrence, Leduc, LeFay, Mike Lull, MTD, Overwater, Ritter, Roscoe, Sadowsky, Sei, STR, Wal, Warrior, Wyn, Xotic, Zon and the likes if you want to be in the top class basses. By the way, how many strings : 4, 5, 6, 7 or more, or less ? Fretted or fretless ? But be ready to spend a small fortune.

@Prosebass I tried the Q2.0 version, quite close, but not so clear and dynamic, but it was the medium output, not the high output. I still have my homemade sixer (now fretted) with the original Q-Tuner's : no need for a preamp even if the Musician Sound Design preamp I put in is very transparent.

Buy a second hand, you won't lose too much money, but try it before.

Very interesting result, indeed. We learn every day. Could we get pictures of the two basses please ?

@Prosebass Q-Tuner fan ?

Like anyone else, definitely the Eminence is certainly the best choice, especially the one with removable neck for portability and sound. I owned two Zeta's (4 and 5) : short scale and fretless sound. I owned a Stagg : awful, not a double bass sound and cheap making and sounding. Add the fact that good strings will cost you the price of second hand one. I owned a Wave (NXT) : again a fretless sound. I owned an NS Design CR4M (the full specs one made in Czech Republic) : played it for 2 to 3 years, can sound like a double bass, but won't feel like it. I owned an Ergo 6 (Jesse's personal one) : could come close to a double bass sound with some amp tweaking, but totally unreliable especially the piezo system. I'm owning now a Leduc Contr-U-Basse Moaï L-09 : 6 strings EUB made especially for me (7 years to have it finished), really terrific, but heavy and very expensive... I'm also owning a Berne Harpobasse which is a smaller bodied 34 inches double bass with a harp top design so the strings are pulling the top and not pushing it : close in sound, light, but still a bit of a doghouse. Try as many as you can and read this : https://www.gollihurmusic.com/product/3080-ELECTRIC_UPRIGHT_BASSES_WHICH_ONE_A_BUYER_S_GUIDE.html

They are always selling crap and since such a long time that it's indeed ridiculous.

I will not see Steven Wilson over here in Luxemburg next Saturday, the venue being too small it's been sold out in a snap, but my wife and I are going to see Gary Numan this Friday just ... 40 years too late, but a least, we'll have seen him once.

Seen him a few times, and I don't like slap at all, but it's really part of his sound and musical. The price tag is high simply because it's Ronnie Scott's.. Around £35 GBP over here in Luxemburg ! If you have the opportunity to see him, go you won't be disappointed. Overkill !

And I've checked : the preamps with a 48 Volts phantom power are quite rare. This Vintage Revolution Acoustic Box™ Live looks to be some kind of Swiss knife at an affordable price. Just let us know. That said I really love my AER BassCube first generation (updated for free by the AER service in Germany).

Try to find an AER BassCube first generation with 3 inputs totally mixable. Ok it'sa combo, not a preamp, but it's not that heavy, quite small and certainly the best combo ever, soyou won't need anything else. Period. And it's working great for electric bass as well.

Better change the title into "Pino PALLADINO's Fascinating Fretless".

Leduc U-Basse 5 strings fretless, yes fretless, with magnetics and piezo... Single coils punchy sound with the great Frédéric MONINO paying his due to a guy named Jaco. LISTEN to what a terrific fretless sound is !

Don't tell me there is no punch in Mick KARN's playing !?! Listen to the album "Bestial Cluster". Or this most improbable reunion :

Mick KARN here :

Terrific !