LeftyJ

[b]What information did you need to know before going ahead with a custom build?[/b] I didn't order a custom bass yet, but I am considering having a bass built for me. [b]If in an ideal world your were having a custom bass built, what information would you want to know before going ahead with the build?[/b] Lots of things. Based on the experience with various basses I've played over the years, I think I pretty much know what I like in a bass and what I don't, in terms of woods, neck joint, scale length, neck profile, body contours (both in terms of aesthetics and looks), pickups, pickup placement, electronics. But a luthier may well have different thoughts on this, based on my description of the tone and tonal options I'm looking for. And of course, when comparing basses, there's often more than one variable that's different so you can't really pinpoint what variable is the most decisive in creating the tonal differences between the two. So before pulling the trigger, I would have to talk to a luthier about the specs to share our thoughts, and to make sure we agree about this before I place my order. [b]What information have you or do you find hard to find on custom bass's and builds?[/b] Mostly the tonal characteristics of different species of wood. There is a lot of information on this subject, but most written descriptions of tone are somewhat vague and describe the writer's view and taste, which I don't always share. [b]How did you go about the process of choising the components for your bass?[/b] Based on experience with other basses. And part is a bit of a gamble, really. [b]What advice would you need before going ahead with a build? (Wood choices, electronics etc) ?[/b] I'm open to any type of advice. I place a lot of trust in the skill and experience of a good luthier. [b]Would you need information on different designs of bass (such as thru neck to bolt on neck) and the pro's and cons?[/b] Yes, would be greatly appreciated. Right now I favor bolt-on necks, but if something else would work better for the tone I'm looking for, any good advice is welcome. I like a traditional look and feel but I like both modern and classic tones and preferably in the same instrument, so there may be a bit of a challenge in combining all my wishes in a single instrument.

That is by far the highest price I've ever seen a Musician sell for, even for a lefty! I bought both my lefty MC924's for 400 euros last year.

Beautiful Roadster. I added one to my collection last saturday: Sorry for the awful quality of the picture, I'm taking some proper ones soon.

The family is expanding: my two MC924's got company of a baby sister last saturday. Say hello to my 1981 RS924!

[quote name='Darkstrike' post='1000444' date='Oct 25 2010, 09:30 PM']That one actually isn't anymore, Zon won't make the detunable bridge anymore.[/quote] I believe they still build one with just the 4 Hipshot X-tenders, like the one pictured in the background here

PM sent.

[quote name='octaedro7' post='814396' date='Apr 21 2010, 11:19 PM']I have the same MC924 but mine was made in 1982, in a condition similar to your '81 though ;-) Mine is 100% original. Has the same bridge as your '81, volume, balance and tone knobs are of a lighter color. Everything else seems to be the same except that in your pictures, the poles of the pups seems to be regular slotted screws while mines have Allen type ones. They might be changed. I guess that it's not fair to compare tones between your 2 musicians since clearly the 81' is 100% original pups wise while the pups of the '83 seem modified or repaired.[/quote] Hi, I hadn't checked out this topic for ages and was just reminded of it because Deezbar is offering his '81 MC924L for sale. The pickup in the '83 is completely stock. These pickups have seen some changes throughout the years, but this type with the slotted polepieces has commonly been used by Ibanez. My '83 is from december, I suppose they were 'updated' for the new year or something because I see a lot of 1984 Ibanez basses (MC's, RB's) with the very same polepieces as on mine. In fact, they're pictured on the opposite page of the very same catalog you took that page with the Rolls Royce from, and the basses pictured in front of the Rolls have them too

I don't have one particular favourite, I have several. If I did need to pick just one, though, it would be my Ellio Martina Forza 5-string. It's 'just your regular high-end custom 5-string maple board Jazz' (but with a different bodyshape) and it can truly do it all. Great neck, great playability, perfect weight and balance, awesome tone and clever features (a coiltap to switch the pickups from 7200 to 9200 windings for added output and lowmid growl, for example) and the ever great Aguilar OBP-3 onboard preamp.

I admit it: I will never be as funky as that, nor will my Jazz!

What a beauty! There's a green lefty for sale right now on leftybass.com and I'm seriously tempted, especially after seeing yours. That one doesn't have the sexy carved waist contours though, it's a flattop. I've never seen one like yours before!

Very pretty! I would have chosen a 'stranger' colour to accentuate the bodyshape, like Dargie Delight, True Gold or Olive Gold, but this looks great too! (too bad the Dargie Delight only comes with a rosewood board though) Then again, I have nothing to choose, as there is no and won't be any lefthanded Big Al, let alone a 5-string

[quote name='BigRedX' post='835165' date='May 12 2010, 12:20 PM']Where's the second strap button on the longbow?[/quote] On the back of the instrument, at the 5th position, on the bass side. So when I still played the righty upside down, it had a tendancy of tipping forward (and the position of the other strap button didn't exactly help either ). I resolved that by folding the strap over the instrument at the bottom, which kept it from tilting.

This is me with my Longbow (I'm the big guy on the left): I once noticed one of these on eBay a few years ago and wanted one badly but didn't buy it because I feared it would just be a gimmick. After that, Longbow went out of business for a couple of years and they became impossible to find. I then found the one on the right secondhand and bought it immediately. It is the standard model (righthanded, 30") but because of the strap button placement I had some balance issues with it when playing it upside down. All of a sudden, in October 2009, they popped up again on eBay in offers by Longbow themselves, so I sold it to the other guy in the pic and ordered a proper lefty (and 32" scale this time). Longbow is/was a small American company that makes these of a single quare piece of solid figured maple. They're very well-made and have some interesting features. The pickups, for example, are custom-made stacked humbuckers and the ABM Mueller monorail bridge parts are recessed into the body with 'string-through-body' stringing . Mine has the regular pickup placement, but they were also available with 'EB pickup placement', with the pickups in the famous Gibson mudbucker-position for an even deeper tone. The sound is somewhere between an upright tone and the tone of a fretless Precision, and very dynamic. These came stock with flatwounds, and they're still on mine. They don't come with a gigbag, but they fit into a rifle bag perfectly so that's what I'm using. You should see the look on peoples faces when I walk by with it . It was even more fun when I still had long hair and a long black coat.