He's at it again - MDP eat your heart out

[davehux]

You may remember this chap's first attempt at a stick bass made from household materials

[url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&_trksid=p4340.l2557&hash=item2a20643183&item=180932063619&nma=true&pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&rt=nc&si=MbD1LI52Z3eyhcCKLM05Pwjj%252FGs%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc#ht_500wt_1203"]http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&_trksid=p4340.l2557&hash=item2a20643183&item=180932063619&nma=true&pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&rt=nc&si=MbD1LI52Z3eyhcCKLM05Pwjj%252FGs%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc#ht_500wt_1203[/url]

Now, may I present his latest 'invention' - a freakish combination of Aria neck and breadboard

[url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CUSTOM-BUILT-ELECTRIC-BASS-GUITAR-or-upright-electric-bass-WOW-/180956474842?pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item2a21d8adda#ht_500wt_1203"]http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CUSTOM-BUILT-ELECTRIC-BASS-GUITAR-or-upright-electric-bass-WOW-/180956474842?pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item2a21d8adda#ht_500wt_1203[/url]

Please note the skilled use of 'beezwax' - the sure sign of the professional gluethier/bodger, as MDP tells us so often.

A marked improvement on his Mk I bass, and very handy should you find yourself at the top end of sh1t creek, with no other form of propulsion

[brensabre79]

Considerably cheaper than the first effort, but really RRP £800!! and at 10% of the price still nobody has bid... yet.

[davehux]

That beezwax is pricey stuff - there's a national shortage of beez at the moment

[Dave Vader]

why must these things keep happening?

[yorks5stringer]

Where does he get a RRP of £800 from? Also I laughed at how he gets around it not having any tone or volume controls..." plug and play". Obviously he has seen the success of MDP and decided to jump on the bandwagon ( although in his case the wagon would not have any wheels....)

[johnDeereJack]

Well it definitely looks better than his previous offering.
You should check his 'Other Items' for a bit of a hoot; he has a plectrum cut from a brass Sabian cymbal which will totally wreck your strings I'd imagine, an old wardrobe/drawer key (?) which is 'A must for any collector' apparently and oddest of all, "Plans on how to build your own penis enlarger"!
Although if you do fancy a sly bid on aforementioned 'penis enlarger plans' rest assured, he promises discretion!

[yorks5stringer]

If you had met me you'd know I don't need a P**** Enlarger!

[tauzero]

Um, has no-one noticed that the scale length is 37"? With an Aria Pro II neck? So it's 17" from nut to 12th fret, 20" from 12th fret to bridge.

That should make for interesting intonation.

[brensabre79]

I think intonation would be the least of your worries if you bought that

[tazza1]

[quote name='brensabre79' timestamp='1345642014' post='1779868']
I think intonation would be the least of your worries if you bought that
[/quote]

I'm wondering why he's fitted a washer to the G string saddle adjuster behind the bridge? - & that second hand E string (a long scale string)* looks just about ready to break. He'll have someone's eye out with that.

*his parentheses - are the other three shortscale then?

[Mr. Foxen]

[quote name='tauzero' timestamp='1345634976' post='1779714']
Um, has no-one noticed that the scale length is 37"? With an Aria Pro II neck? So it's 17" from nut to 12th fret, 20" from 12th fret to bridge.

That should make for interesting intonation.
[/quote]

Had to ask him:

[quote]
[color=#000][font=arial, sans-serif][size=2]from top nut to 12th fret is 17" and 12th fret to bridge is 20" (long scale).[/size][/font][/color][/quote]

So can't be played in tune with music, or itself then.

And in response to that suggestion:

[quote][color=#000][font=arial, sans-serif][size=2]so exactly what is the scale lenght from top nut to bridge for an upright bass?[/size][/font][/color][/quote]

Because 20+17 = 42.

Edited August 22, 2012 by Mr. Foxen

[MB1]

MB1.
"Here 'ave you seen my washboard?"

[tauzero]

[quote name='Mr. Foxen' timestamp='1345650833' post='1780038']
So can't be played in tune with music, or itself then.

And in response to that suggestion:

[quote]

[size=4][color=#000000][font=arial,sans-serif]so exactly what is the scale lenght from top nut to bridge for an upright bass?[/font][/color][/size]
[size=4][color=#000000][font=arial,sans-serif][/quote][/font][/color][/size]

Because 20+17 = 42.
[/quote]

Did you point out what is noticeable about the frets on an upright bass?

[davehux]

You've got him worried - the description was amended shortly after Mr Foxen's communication, to read:-

[size=3][i][color=#000000][font=Arial](the bridge could be moved further up to the bridge pickup for different intonation)[/font][/color][/i][/size]

[size=4][color=#000000][font=Arial]By my reckoning, looking at the photos again, you'd have to screw the bridge on top of the pup to lop 3" off the scale length[/font][/color]

[color=#000000][font=Arial]Fail[/font][/color][/size]

Edited August 24, 2012 by davehux

[brensabre79]

I love it, "for a different intonation" i.e. the one the rest of the world uses

[yorks5stringer]

Don't you mean "Tonality" (copyright MDP)?

[tauzero]

I sent him a question about it, pointing out that it would work rather better with a fretless neck. His response:

[quote]
yes your right ...it was designed for a fretless bass...ive played it and its in tune upto 10th fret but like i mentioned in the ad that the bridge can be moved up to the pickup to improve intonation or change the neck...for the price its an amazing piece of kit and a one off size body.
[/quote]

It's nice to know that there's someone out there with even worse cloth ears than me. I reckon it would be a bit over a tone out by the time you got to the 12th fret (the equivalent of fretting a 34" scale bass 15.62" from the nut, in fact, I've just worked it out).

[Mr. Foxen]

In tune with what?

[Nibody]

Hmmm.. and it will sound like twangy s**** with that single JP so near the bridge. Out of tune Twangy S**** at that...

[Mr. Foxen]

Good work can be done with bridge pickups.

[grumble]

[quote name='Mr. Foxen' timestamp='1345838345' post='1782363']
Good work can be done with bridge pickups.
[/quote]

But not on this creation I suspect

[Protium]

Hi there can you tell me the distance from nut to 12th fret, and also distance from 12th fret to bridge?

[quote]please remember this bass was designed for an upright 17" from top nut 20" from 12th fret...the bridge can be moved up to the pickup...its playable up to the 10th fret...the neck can be changed for a fretless.[/quote]


Someone has stuck a bid on it too

[skankdelvar]

[quote]17" from [b]top nut[/b] 20" from 12th fret[/quote]

Well, he clearly is.

[Protium]

[quote][color=#000000][font=arial, sans-serif][size=3]like ive mentioned in my ad this is a custom hand made bass designed for the scale length of 37" for an upright...whoever buys it at this rediculas price is very lucky as the parts alone cost me £300 3 weeks ago. So if (as mentioned) a fretless neck was fitted the intonation would be corrected. This bass is for someone with some technical knowledge, so they can mess aroud with it to get it right...you seem to know it all so why dont you put a bid in at this givaway price.[/size][/font][/color][/quote]

Reported to eBay, no action taken

[Mr. Foxen]

[quote name='Protium' timestamp='1346067564' post='1784713']
Reported to eBay, no action taken
[/quote]

What category did you report it as, they changed the system a while back and I can't spot anything to cover 'description is complete lies'.

Also, if you fit a fretless neck, it magically gives you perfect pitch and co-ordination, that's cool.