Lee-Man

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.

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.

The fretless body has been capped and chambered. My PPJ5 fretted is only 8lbs, so this fretless one should be in the same region.

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!

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.

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.

If I could I'd also have that fretted blue one as well, its looks awesome IRL.

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.

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

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, 18V There'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.