itu

There is also this former Modulus neck builder, whose name I tend to forget... Jerry Dorsch. He has built several necks for those who find him. He is in States, so customs etc. may affect the price quite a lot.

Basslab, another German company, any comments on that?

I certainly would try to find something that I already have. I can not see any benefit in doing this kind of sell-all-buy-something. If I use a retroscope, and think about the past, I do see many purchases that were funny and unnecessary. Live and learn...

Modulus Quantum neck (5-string) is very thin from the fretboard to the back, and 17.5 mm string spacing. Ibanez Veasley model (6-string) has 14 mm string spacing.

A simplfication: - nickels provide flatter response (= more mids), suitable for fretless and old skool - SS have a bit like 80's slap eq curve But: Depending on the manufacturer and gauge (not to talk about RW, GW, or flats), these generalizations aren't so sharp.

But I read from notreble that Louis used flats, too?

tce SCF, I rarely use other than the flanger side of the unit. That flanger sound is slightly similar to Prince's, and I like it. If there is a need to use it a lot, I mix it through a X-over (IE Divaricator).

The best is not chosen by "a democratic process". The article was just biased bull...

Tears for fears mentioned: Oleta Adams - Circle of one

I had the RC-2, but did not like it. Complicated use. Ditto x 2 was quite good, but sold it. Now I have this red Valeton and I try to learn to play and push the footswitch at the same time. Very hard for a bassist like me... but the response/feedback from the unit is very helpful.

The first thing is to consider any existing model. If there is one, I cannot see any reason to build another from scratch. The second is the requirements. What should the instrument have and why. Beware if it is something some other (like some star bassist) has. A custom is the custom for you! If something is unclear, we get to the third point... 3) The dialogue with the luthier has to work. If not, try the next one. Fourth point is to do the discussion and be honest with both: yourself and the maker. Any detail that feels strange or wrong has to be discussed now! not afterwards. 5) Play a lot and learn your new friend!

bartolini without a logo sounds like some other manufacturer. Their design is the logo, never seen a pickup without one. A short correction: I think that Zon has had bartolinis with kind of "bp" logo (bartolini pickups?) in them, so at least two logos exist.

Are you referring to a single pickup unit named as Flea bass or maybe some of its predecessors, like Sonic Hammer? https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modulus_Guitars

I used some gear grease, thick enough that it stays there. Thin oils tend to vanish pretty quickly.

Remember to put some grease to the rod thread and turn the screw from end to end before installation. It is easy to do it now before the unit is inside the neck.

Thin fretwire requires more attention from the fretting hand. If you are at Mr. Sklar's level, go for it. Otherwise some wider model is usually far easier.

I think Darryl Jones was endorsing Pilot basses years ago. Were the fretboards really interchangeable?

@tomread, it was the chorus of Happy, where the bass stays at C (we transposed it to B) for two bars, although it sounds decent with the Eb (D) in the second bar. Thanks for the Chaka's Tunisia!

If you compare MG's necks to Vigier's, they are different. Patrice has an idea of a wooden neck with CF bars. Genesis has a carbon spine, that carries the string tension and attaches to the body. Materials are similar, constructions not. I have had few instruments with and without trussrod and the biggest difference is if the rod is loose and resonates. Other than that I can not hear the rod nor its effect. What I like in a stable neck, is that it needs no adjustment no matter the weather. All CF necks I have or have had (MG Quantum, Genesis, and Vigier Passion II), are super stable.

Modulus has offered the chechen fingerboard option for their CF necks since 1990's. Modulus combined wood (back of the neck and the fingerboard) and graphite (the neck spine) in their Genesis range also in the late 1990's. At this time MG produced all necks with trussrods.

Dear @tomread, Your work raised some discussion a week ago in our rehearsals. The song was from your archive, and the g-word player and the piano man said I should play a D instead of B in one song. I just said: "But in the score made by Tom there is a B." We listened the song a couple of times and then they admitted that: "Yes, your Tom has sharper ears!" Thank you for your active effort, it seems that I will rely on your excellent work in the future, too.