funkle

The influence of the fretboard is profound. Far more than I would have given credence to a few years ago. But in swapping around necks I have found that the sound of the bass trends to follow the neck, assuming pickups unchanged and strings unchanged. Assuming nothing else changes and the neck is a bolt on single piece of maple, I find a maple fretboard is bright and clean, rosewood has more mids and no ‘spank’ at the very high end and has a nasally kind of twang to me, pao ferro is somewhere in between maple and rosewood but very pleasant, and ebanol sounds like it has a big fundamental but also plenty of mids. There is endless debate about where the sound of a bass comes from, but I’m not entertaining a lot of debate on this thread, quite deliberately. This is what I think and what I have reasonably shown from my own researches and videos.

None of those are likely…lol…but there will be an uptick in people buying Turner pickups and Lusithand preamps, I think…

I wonder the same. I’m probably not going back to it though with these pickups and preamp. I will speculate on this further in the video, but presently, I think the pickups and their placement make the biggest difference, the fingerboard next, the neck construction after that. The EQ is critical to get the characteristic distortion and ‘quack’ but given the pickups need buffering has to go hand in hand with that anyway. The body I think does make a small difference, but not on the same scale as the others. I don’t think nut, tuners, bridge make any audible differences to me in this context.

Brief update The mystery preamp had mysterious technical issues - couldn’t get it to work. The maker is very kindly going to make another one, but it may be some time. I need to record some video, but I have tried out the latest Turner multicoil pickups with a design that is closest to the Wal - more windings per coil, different wire, etc. Paired with the Lusithand Double NFP Special, these are a triumph. I did some very rough recordings today and I now doubt anyone could tell the differences. This is a win. The Wal and Double NFP Special preamps handle treble quite differently, but actually you can get similar treble boosts out of them. Basically ‘10’ on the Wal for the front pickup is ‘8’ on the Wal-ish, and ‘10’ on the Wal rear pickup is about ‘6’ on the Wal-ish. So, on the Wal, you get more treble either by pulling the ‘pick attack’ switch, or by maxing out the control knobs and pulling the filter boosts. On the Wal-ish, I just turn up the filters to closer to ‘10’ and/or pull the filter boosts. Of course, given how the preamps work, the Wal gets more granular mid controls, a little bit at the expense of finer trable control. The Wal-ish gets finer control over treble and slightly less over the mids, as the range of travel down to 0 on each knob is less than on the Wal. However, it does this with 1 less switch and a less complicated preamp design overall. (The Wal, as we know, separates out the treble then adds it back in later, if I recall correctly mainly from the neck pickup signal). I’ll make the video…It’s easier to show/explain I think. I took the Wal-ish out to a band rehearsal last Friday and it was a win there too. I’m very happy. I think I’ll be able to sell my Wal next year. I may keep it for reference for a bit - I’d like to compare other preamps - but I think the Wal-ish is finally where I want it to be.

I think those basses are a great price/value point. Would have bought either if they had the right neck!

Brilliant, that looks (and I bet sounds) amazing. Great job!

I saw that one @ped . Beautiful. If it was a 4-stringer I’d have tried to buy it - the triple pickup setup is really interesting to me.

The Herrick website is broken, won’t load on a phone on Chrome or Safari. Weird

I’d hack up a cheaper bass wherever possible…the BB734 is not cheap!

It’s been a journey for me too …I am very emotionally invested lol. I’ve learned a lot. Not only have I had to make sure all the bass tech work is done and I can actually play properly…which is agonising as I get ‘red light syndrome’…I’ve had to learn how to speak to the camera, scripting, lighting, mic placement, more about proper sound editing, video editing (ongoing), loudness mastering for different services, how to manage YouTube in general including branding and artwork…still though I love it now!

Ok, latest video should be up soon. Still processing right now so give it a couple... Link below!

Apologies for delays in posting more video - I am literally just editing the next video now. The next two videos after that are mapped out too - one with a new preamp, then another with a new set of pickups and another matching preamp. @MrDinsdale I’d be very tempted to hack up a project bass first. A bunch of the Yamahas are basically ideal, mainly because they feature multi laminate necks and (sometimes) mahogany bodies already, depending on the model. The custom instrument route is much more expensive. And you have to know *exactly* what you want. Most people don’t, really…or it changes as things go on…

New video coming soon…just editing it now…sorry for the delay!

You’re too kind! The problem is, I sort of get an idea in my head and I can’t leave it alone. This one’s been knocking around since my last double P attempt, which morphed into the Wal-ish. It’s expensive…

J Tone in my Squier Jazz. Brilliant bit of kit.

I’ll start a new thread and post a video when I’ve actually got the new bass up and going. It’s still being worked on. Both pickups will be reversed compared to the normal orientation. The EA coil on each will be centred on where 60’s Jazz Bass positions are, and the DG coils will be north of that in each. Like this bass - https://www.talkbass.com/threads/nbd-double-reverse-p.1143531/ It will be on a Jazz body like the Fender Blacktop Jazz basses.

I’m busy having another go at a Dual Precision pickup bass. My first attempt eventually foundered because I put the rear pickup too close to the bridge. I went throughs lot of the same agonies over pickup choice as the OP even then. Great to see this thread now, I think the advice is spot on. I have a Fender CS 62 in my ‘flats’ bass now. Because my new project needs two pickups and that could get expensive for the top name stuff, and I like the CS 62, I went for two Tonerider Precision pickups. The rumour is they are quite similar to the CS 62 I have. It’s good to see that opinion in this thread too. I can only hope!

Just bought Jason's Squier VMJ 77 Bass, easy transaction with smooth comms and quick shipping. The bass is utterly pristine. Thanks again Jason! Pete