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Custom Fretless 4 String Bass AS NEW.


mybass
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[b]FRETLESS 4 STRING BASS Custom Built.
Asking ... £950

SPECS ...

ONE piece SWAMP ASH body... wood finished with eight coats of "Tru Oil".
Lightweight 6 lb 12 oz.
Back control cover taken from same body wood piece.

THREE piece rock maple neck.
34" Scale.
Nut width @ 1.5+ inches/almost 40mm. ( Just a little over a Jazz bass width)...
12th "fret" @ 2.1"/55mm.
Neck depth: Nut … almost 1"/ 25mm ….
12th fret..almost 1 1/8th" 27mm
EBONY fingerboard @ 6.5mm middle thickness ... years of use on it.
Compound radius of 10/11" nut end to higher end 15".
Fingerboard has had a protective coat of Yamaha Bore oil. (This oil is used for inside the bore of woodwind
instruments, recommended to me many years ago by my double bass repairer).
Large 3mm side "black" abalone dots.
Note..side position dots are where the fret(s) would have been situated.
The 1st and 2nd octave position have double dots to be played centre of these two dots.
The neck is a bolt on design, joined by four recessed alan key head bolts that thread through the body
into brass threaded inserts in the neck wood.

Headstock front finish is "Tru oil".
Headstock rear has a Walnut veneer.
Maple neck and headstock rear finish is Danish oil.

No onboard pre amp.
Seymour Duncan "Active" Jazz pickups. (Single battery power quoted on SD site as approx. 1000 hours battery life).
Tone and Volume controls for each pickup.
Stereo barrel jack output, engages battery on jack plug input.

Schaller black "3D" bridge used for string width, height and intonation setting. Currently approx. 19 mm string spacing.

Schaller black machine heads.

(Currently strung with "Galli" nickel strings of 105/85/65/45 gauge).
[/b]

I HAVE BEEN DESIGNING/BUILDING BASSES FOR 15+ YEARS.
I STARTED OUT AFTER MELVYN HISCOX, A REPAIRER/BUILDER AND AUTHOR ON GUITAR BUILDING "ADVISED" ME TO
PURSUE BUILDING MY OWN FRETLESS AFTER MY DISAPPOINTMENT WITH SEVERAL FACTORY MADE INSTRUMENTS.
I HAVE MADE BASSES TO ORDER, USUALLY AFTER A BASSIST HAS SEEN AND HEARD MY BASS ON A GIG.
THIS BASS IS ONE OF A FEW I STARTED FOR A FRIEND'S SHOP SALES. THE SHOP HAS EXPERIENCED FINANCIAL
CHANGES SO I AM SOMEWHAT LEFT HOLDING STOCK THAT NEED TO MOVE ON.
THEY HAVE NORMALLY SOLD AT £1150.

Edited by mybass
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[quote name='mybass' post='1085639' date='Jan 11 2011, 03:56 PM']FRETLESS 4 STRING BASS Custom Built……..
£975 no case.

Lightweight 6 lb 12 oz. one piece Swamp Ash body wood finished with eight coats of "Tru Oil".
Back control cover taken from same body wood piece.

Three piece rock maple wood neck.
34" Scale.
Nut width @ 1.5+ inches/almost 40mm. ( A little over a Jazz bass width)...
12th "fret" @ 2.1"/55mm.
Neck depth: Nut … almost 1"/ 25mm ….
12th fret..almost 1 1/8th" 27mm
Ebony fingerboard @ 6.5mm middle thickness
This is not a flat fingerboard but approx. compound radius of 10" nut end to higher end 15".
Fingerboard has had a coat of Yamaha Bore oil.
Large 3mm side "black" abalone dots.
Note..side position dots are where the fret(s) would have been.
The 1st and 2nd octave position have double dots to be played centre of these two dots.
The neck is a bolt on design, joined by four recessed alan key head bolts that thread through the body
into brass threaded inserts in the neck wood.

Headstock front finish is "Tru oil".
Headstock rear has a Walnut veneer.
Maple neck and headstock rear finish is Danish oil.

No onboard pre amp.
Seymour Duncan "Active" Jazz pickups. (Single battery power quoted on SD site as approx. 1000 hours battery life).
Tone and Volume controls for each pickup.
Stereo barrel jack output, engages battery on jack plug input.

Schaller black "3D" bridge used for string width, height and intonation setting. Currently approx. 19 mm string spacing.

Schaller black machine heads.

Currently strung with "Galli" nickel strings of 105/85/65/45 gauge.

This bass was designed and built by myself for a music sales project for a friends shop. Due to the current economic climate the sales project did not eventuate.
I am a pro bass player and play fretless bass 99% of the time which due to the lack of decent fretless instruments in the past,
is how I started building fretless basses. I was introduced to bass design/building some years ago by way of a conversation with
Melvin Hiscox. Melvin is a builder/repairer and has written a book on the subject of guitar building.
I have since used my fretless basses for 15 years now for concert touring/gigs/recording and I also occasionally build to order for other players.
They usually sell at £1150-£1250 depending on hardware/pickup specs.
The bass is set up and played in a little at home and re-setup before handing over. This bass has been set up for over a year now.
As the bass is unlined, side dots denote where the frets would normally lie.
I have previously cleared with Basschat moderators on selling "new" basses and I do donate from any proceeds.
The instrument can be seen in NE Hants/Bordon/Farnham/Hindhead area.[/quote]

BUMP

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[quote name='mybass' post='1085639' date='Jan 11 2011, 03:56 PM']FRETLESS 4 STRING BASS Custom Built……..
£975 no case.

Lightweight 6 lb 12 oz. ONE piece SWAMP ASH body wood finished with eight coats of "Tru Oil".
Back control cover taken from same body wood piece.

THREE piece rock maple wood neck.
34" Scale.
Nut width @ 1.5+ inches/almost 40mm. ( A little over a Jazz bass width)...
12th "fret" @ 2.1"/55mm.
Neck depth: Nut … almost 1"/ 25mm ….
12th fret..almost 1 1/8th" 27mm
Ebony fingerboard @ 6.5mm middle thickness
This is not a flat fingerboard but approx. compound radius of 10/11" nut end to higher end 15".
Fingerboard has had a coat of Yamaha Bore oil.
Large 3mm side "black" abalone dots.
Note..side position dots are where the fret(s) would have been.
The 1st and 2nd octave position have double dots to be played centre of these two dots.
The neck is a bolt on design, joined by four recessed alan key head bolts that thread through the body
into brass threaded inserts in the neck wood.

Headstock front finish is "Tru oil".
Headstock rear has a Walnut veneer.
Maple neck and headstock rear finish is Danish oil.

No onboard pre amp.
Seymour Duncan "Active" Jazz pickups. (Single battery power quoted on SD site as approx. 1000 hours battery life).
Tone and Volume controls for each pickup.
Stereo barrel jack output, engages battery on jack plug input.

Schaller black "3D" bridge used for string width, height and intonation setting. Currently approx. 19 mm string spacing.

Schaller black machine heads.

Currently strung with "Galli" nickel strings of 105/85/65/45 gauge.

HISTORY:
I've sold few basses over the years, usually to order. This one (of 3) was made for a friends' shop that was branching into guitar sales.
After some success in the lower end market he asked about custom basses. However, 18 months ago after I had started the bass,
the shop's business took a bit of a dive so no possibility of selling them there.

I am a pro bass player and play fretless bass 99% of the time which due to the lack of decent fretless instruments in the past,
is how I started building fretless basses. I was introduced to bass design/building some years ago by way of a conversation with
Melvin Hiscox. Melvin is a builder/repairer and has written a book on the subject of guitar building.
I have since used my fretless basses for 15 years now for concert touring/gigs/recording and I also occasionally build to order for other players.
They usually sell at £1150-£1250 depending on hardware/pickup specs.
The bass is set up and played in a little at home and re-setup before handing over. This bass has been set up for over a year now.
As the bass is UNLINED, side dots denote where the frets would normally lie.
I have previously cleared with Basschat moderators on selling "new" basses and I do donate from any proceeds.
The instrument can be seen in NE Hants/Bordon/Farnham/Hindhead area.[/quote]

BUMP

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  • 2 weeks later...

[quote name='mybass' post='1085639' date='Jan 11 2011, 03:56 PM'][b]FRETLESS 4 STRING BASS Custom Built.
Asking ... £950

SPECS ...

ONE piece SWAMP ASH body... wood finished with eight coats of "Tru Oil".
Lightweight 6 lb 12 oz.
Back control cover taken from same body wood piece.

THREE piece rock maple neck.
34" Scale.
Nut width @ 1.5+ inches/almost 40mm. ( Just a little over a Jazz bass width)...
12th "fret" @ 2.1"/55mm.
Neck depth: Nut … almost 1"/ 25mm ….
12th fret..almost 1 1/8th" 27mm
EBONY fingerboard @ 6.5mm middle thickness ... years of use on it.
Compound radius of 10/11" nut end to higher end 15".
Fingerboard has had a protective coat of Yamaha Bore oil. (This oil is used for inside the bore of woodwind
instruments, recommended to me many years ago by my double bass repairer).
Large 3mm side "black" abalone dots.
Note..side position dots are where the fret(s) would have been situated.
The 1st and 2nd octave position have double dots to be played centre of these two dots.
The neck is a bolt on design, joined by four recessed alan key head bolts that thread through the body
into brass threaded inserts in the neck wood.

Headstock front finish is "Tru oil".
Headstock rear has a Walnut veneer.
Maple neck and headstock rear finish is Danish oil.

No onboard pre amp.
Seymour Duncan "Active" Jazz pickups. (Single battery power quoted on SD site as approx. 1000 hours battery life).
Tone and Volume controls for each pickup.
Stereo barrel jack output, engages battery on jack plug input.

Schaller black "3D" bridge used for string width, height and intonation setting. Currently approx. 19 mm string spacing.

Schaller black machine heads.

(Currently strung with "Galli" nickel strings of 105/85/65/45 gauge).
[/b]

I HAVE BEEN DESIGNING/BUILDING BASSES FOR 15+ YEARS.
I STARTED OUT AFTER MELVYN HISCOX, A REPAIRER/BUILDER AND AUTHOR ON GUITAR BUILDING "ADVISED" ME TO
PURSUE BUILDING MY OWN FRETLESS AFTER MY DISAPPOINTMENT WITH SEVERAL FACTORY MADE INSTRUMENTS.
I HAVE MADE BASSES TO ORDER, USUALLY AFTER A BASSIST HAS SEEN AND HEARD MY BASS ON A GIG.
THIS BASS IS ONE OF A FEW I STARTED FOR A FRIEND'S SHOP SALES. THE SHOP HAS EXPERIENCED FINANCIAL
CHANGES SO I AM SOMEWHAT LEFT HOLDING STOCK THAT NEED TO MOVE ON.
THEY HAVE NORMALLY SOLD AT £1150.[/quote]

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[quote name='BigJim' post='1104167' date='Jan 26 2011, 06:53 PM']Pete is a master builder and an amazing player who has played with many of the greats. Seriously, Pete was the bass player from The Splinter Group.

If someone doesn't buy this, I'll have to have a tantrum![/quote]

:)
Many thanks Jim, very kind of you.

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[quote name='chuck_stones' post='1106537' date='Jan 28 2011, 06:14 PM']That is a nice looking bass! Kudos on your luthiering (sp?) skills Pete. Sadly not an unlined fretless player nor have the money, but have a bump on me! :)[/quote]

cheers Chuck...

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[quote name='chuck_stones' post='1107216' date='Jan 29 2011, 02:11 PM']Out of interest, do you have any sound clips of the bass? I'm sure that would help some people :)[/quote]

I could maybe look into that...I've usually sold the basses on the facy that a bassist has caught me
playing a show on my bass often enough to figure they want one themselves.

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