Lee-Man
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Posts posted by Lee-Man
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NBD! Well, it was a few weeks ago actually. I picked up this awesome @Bassworks PPJ5 early January. It’s a great machine. For me the melding of modern engineering and great luthiery is awesome.
TBH I wasn’t planning on buying anymore basses. I’ve recently sold quite a few pretty nice instruments. But I spotted the PPJ5 on a No Treble post and then noticed that Bassworks are only 40 mins from me. I was quite intrigued by the spec and philosophy behind the build. So off I went for a noodle and back home I came with it! I was so impressed that I ordered a matching fretless for it while I was there. The build diary for the fretless is here: https://www.basschat.co.uk/topic/445717-fretless-5-string-bassworks-build-diary/
In fact the build diary for this fretted one has been posted by Bassworks in the build chat:
The attention to detail and re-world ‘players’ approach to design coupled modern features in a traditional format is really refreshing. For me, while I’ve got some nice basses, I was really attracted to the versatility and stability that this instrument provides. The PPJ5 feels really well build and its only 8lbs. 8lbs dead on for a great sounding/playing 5 string with a 35” scale. It means that I should be able to use it on all of my current gigs (well, when gigs come back!).
Here’s some pictures of the beast in all its glory.
Here’s the spec taken from the No Treble post:• Lightweight Swamp Ash chambered body
• Canadian Rock Maple neck with carbon fibre rods
• 2-way truss rod with 12" to 20" compound radius
• Macassar Ebony
• 35" scale
• block inlays
• Luminlay side dot markers.
• "Aero" treatment to fret ends and invisible fret tangs
• Asymmetric thumb groove profile
• 4mm Birdseye Maple headstock plate on lightly chambered headstock
• Recessed tuner detailing,
• Hipshot USA hardware
• Bartolini PJ pickups
• Tri-point pick up height adjustment from the rear and lockdown screws to the front
• John East UNI Pre 01 3 band EQ running at 18V with a true passive option + PTC/VTC
• Dean Markley Blue Steel cryogenically treated strings strung through body
• Copper shielded electronics cavity.
• Bassworks' top secret proprietary heel connection geometry and 5 screw fixation into threaded inserts in the neck heel.
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The fretless body has been capped and chambered. My PPJ5 fretted is only 8lbs, so this fretless one should be in the same region.
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More pictures. Heres one I took when I dropped into BassWorksHQ last week.
And this is my neck on a similar in stock body. I've gone for an off white/cream pick guard. Saying that, the white looks pretty good!
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More progress on the neck. It’s going to have a compound radius and rolled edges. Not vintage FMIC, but just a bit softer. That should make it more comfortable on a fretless.
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26 minutes ago, owen said:
Midi into Logic, never play drums on your keybpard again.
I know you know this Lee.
Yes, this 100%
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Bruce at Bassworks has been great at keeping me updated. Once we settled on the specs he sent over a spec sheet for reference. The only other choice at this stage is the fingerboard wood. I’ve gone for the piece on the left. Its Macassar Ebony and its going to have pear wood lines.
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Not sure what to say about this. It's a great thing to have about. But, 3 drum kits in one house is excessive (apparently).
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1 minute ago, SpondonBassed said:
Ah right. Also cool.
If I could I'd also have that fretted blue one as well, its looks awesome IRL.
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5 minutes ago, Hellzero said:
Thats the one I own now, its awesome (hence commissioning a new fretless build😁).
Spent the day at Zephyr Studios in Leicester with it yesterday.
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10 minutes ago, SpondonBassed said:
Is this the @Bassworks bass that he's mentioned on another build thread?
Cool.
The fretless is a new build, but is the same colour as a pre existing fretted 5. The colour of the fretted one inspired my final decision for the fretless build
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Hi all, a few weeks ago after trying out (and then buying!) the Bassworks Surf Green nitro PPJ5 I’ve ordered a new fretless partner to it in Daphne blue.
Here’s a picture of a similar bass on the Bassworks Instagram.
Current planned specs are:
• Body American Red Alder
• Neck Flat Sawn Canadian Rock Maple
• Fingerboard Macassar Ebony
• Pear wood fretlines
• Nitro Daphne Blue
• Luminlay side dots
• Bartolini PJ pickups
• John East UNI Pre, 3 Band EQ, 4 knob, 18VThere's not only some great luthier skills in these builds, but also some really clever engineering and technology stuff.
Bruce at Bassworks has been amazing keeping me in the loop with the build, so hopefully I’ll be able to keep this thread updated.
Also, just to note since the bass was commissioned I’ve now become a Bassworks Artist.
The pic below is the colour I've settled on.
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@PatrickJ yes it's volume,volume and a tonestyler tone pot.
The tonestyler is a notched pot with diff capacitor values for each notch. It's a great way of getting a variety of tones without the issues you get with active circuits. Also, the two switches (one for each pickup) have three positions (series/parallel/single coil).
https://www.bassdirect.co.uk/bass_guitar_specialists/Tone_styler_BAss.html
As it's an oil finish.
There are no marks on the front, neck or headstock. A couple of small marks on the back of the body and leg bout. These are in the Brazilian mahogany, so can prob be steamed out like on a Warwick. The first pic is near the jack socket where it sits on your leg.
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7 minutes ago, Kev said:
Seriously wish I was the owner of this bass. It’s just wonderful.
Your more than welcome to try it out.
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15 minutes ago, PatrickJ said:
@Lee-Man - what is the neck width at the nut please?
It's bang on 40mm, so between a jazz and p bass. It's a fast/easy neck to play.
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Have the original box, so shipping should be easy.
Open to trades on this.
Can add cash if needed.
Would be very interested in studio gear (1073 clones/500 series bits etc) , Rhodes/Whirly or a versatile guitar for the studio.
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Open to trades on this.
Can add cash if needed.
Would be very interested in studio gear (1073 clones/500 series bits etc) , Rhodes/Whirly or a versatile guitar for the studio.
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8 hours ago, molan said:
Do you know roughly how much it weighs Lee?
Yes, 4.3kg
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41 minutes ago, krispn said:
Whoa whoa back up a second there fell! The ultimate pre/power amp rig just casually photographed with a Helix rack. Filth!
Its a beast of a rig for sure. It sounds like the universe imploding through two 8x10.
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14 minutes ago, tom1946 said:
What does it weigh please?
It's 3.55 kg.
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On 23/11/2020 at 12:40, Eldon Tyrell said:
Man, this looks killer! Love that wood grain. Fair price too and literally down the road from me. This could be the Louis Johnson/Bernard Edwards bass I have been looking for. Very tempting, very tempting indeed. Good that I want a Classic with the 2 band EQ, so I can resist, well, for the moment at least 😉
GLWTS 👍
Go on treat yourself, I'll even chuck in a free cuppa and some choc biscuits
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3 hours ago, Kev said:
Stunning, what a beautiful bass! Can see how easy that would have been to Impulse buy!
Yeah, it was an expensive weekend. Getting in to the show before it opens is great, but can be expensive.
1 hour ago, scrumpymike said:Yep, 'Impulse Buys R Us'! If this were a short-scale, I'd probably be doing it right now 🙂
You should try this if you want a shorty, it smokes
It’s rebuild time
in Build Diaries
Posted
I had my eye on this when it was up for sale on FB. Good luck with the rebuild. Can't wait to see how it turns out.