Bass equipment thoughts and ideas

[ituobrey]

clean isn’t always the goal

Truer words

 

[dedpool1052]

Anyone care about fingerboard radius? I didn’t until I found out I did. I think I’ve had 9.5” on 80% of all basses I’ve owned which is ok. Recently got some reissue Fenders and it wasn’t long before I learned that I don’t dig the smaller vintage radius. I’ll take greater than 9.5 any day.

I do to an extent.
It depends on how it plays against the width and profile. And fret size.

The only bass I have that has a 7.5" radius is my '81 Wunkay.

I have quite a few different necks, and all are comfortable for different reasons.

There's only been a few necks I didn't get along with.

 

[LBS-bass]

Anyone care about fingerboard radius? I didn’t until I found out I did. I think I’ve had 9.5” on 80% of all basses I’ve owned which is ok. Recently got some reissue Fenders and it wasn’t long before I learned that I don’t dig the smaller vintage radius. I’ll take greater than 9.5 any day.

Huge fan of flatter radius here. Just had this conversation with someone else, in fact.

 

[Morrighan]

The Cat has a compound radius. Maybe that's why I find it easy to play. No clue what the radii are on the other basses. And don't really know what the compound radius is on the Cat.

 

[dedpool1052]

Compound radius has a smaller (rounder) radius at the nut, and larger (flatter) radius at the last fret.
Sort of "conical" shaped.

The first time I recall seeing this, was the now defunct U.S. Masters basses.

 

[metron]

The Cat has a compound radius. Maybe that's why I find it easy to play. No clue what the radii are on the other basses. And don't really know what the compound radius is on the Cat.

Cat? Is that the Nordstrand shortie?

 

[dedpool1052]

Yup.

 

[Morrighan]

Just looked at my Cat bass and find it's a flatter radius at the nut, and a rounder radius at the 21st fret.

 

[mktrat]

Just looked at my Cat bass and find it's a flatter radius at the nut, and a rounder radius at the 21st fret.

Really? That's interesting....wonder why?

 

[armyadarkness]

Thanks for this.
Do you find maple fingerboards brighter than rosewood (i.e. do you hear a difference at all with fingerboard woods)?
I've never been much of a tone wood guy but think that there is some difference in tone with the fingerboard. It's all just a theory as I've never had two basses that were close enough in materials and construction with just the neck being different.

I have to say... Im definitely a believer in ebony, now.

For 20 years I refused to buy anything except for rosewood, for purely aesthetic reasons... then I bought the Steve Harris Fender, just to collect cause I was a fan, and it sounded so amazing that I switched to maple.

Then, when discussing this with Upfront Guitars, they suggested and recommended Ebony for my tastes... I took the leap with the Kilo, and now I'll never use anything but it. Looks, and brightness.

However, I do think that the changes these things all make is more of a building block than it is an entire foundation.

So, a rosewood board may sound warm, but it won't sound warm on a brash bass.

As Ive already bored you all with before, I think that all of these things are contributing factors, and that you can make MANY custom variants by mixing and matching.

Suffice it to say that an ebony board on a bass with bridge pup, stainless strings, and no tone pot will be bright, and a rosewood board would warm it, but not to the point that you'd say "wow that rosewood sounds warm".

 

[ituobrey]

wonder why?

Girth?

 

[Morrighan]

Really? That's interesting....wonder why?

All I can say is playing another bass after playing the Cat feels like work.

 

[LBS-bass]

Still trying to get used to my shorty Gretsch. My left shoulder still gets a little crampy when I play it. I'm practicing with it a lot lately though, because it's still fun to play.

 

[Morrighan]

And in the opposite camp as I work on my technique on the full scale 'Ray. It's taking a surprisingly good amount of effort to play cleanly because of three years of short scale finger kung fu. Switching back to one of the short scales feels practically like cheating.

 

[LBS-bass]

And in the opposite camp as I work on my technique on the full scale 'Ray. It's taking a surprisingly good amount of effort to play cleanly because of three years of short scale finger kung fu. Switching back to one of the short scales feels practically like cheating.

That's how I feel when I play my five strings for a while and then go back to the four

 

[Morrighan]

The five string I tried at the shop was a relic'd Ibanez Artcore. It was a here! Try this! moment. Didn't notice it was a five string. Fingers confused, mind confused, as the realization sinks in: hey this is a five string! Goes back on the wall.

When I need a five string, I'll get a five string. I don't need a five string now.

Strings are technically equipment. The EB Group IV flats I put on the 'Ray are just beginning to break in at about a month of daily play. Seriously underrated strings IMO. Maybe as close to the Bernard Edwards thing as I'll see. Yeah I did the Brite Flats that were OEM with the bass. They broke in nicely but gave way to the flats.

 

[Rawnchy R&R]

Anyone care about fingerboard radius? I didn’t until I found out I did. I think I’ve had 9.5” on 80% of all basses I’ve owned which is ok. Recently got some reissue Fenders and it wasn’t long before I learned that I don’t dig the smaller vintage radius. I’ll take greater than 9.5 any day.

Actually, you helped me out with this when I was in search of my ideal Jazz bass. I prefer a slim C profile, 7.25" radius, and a 1.50" nut = ala 70's Jazz. The only other bass besides my Fender Marcus Miller and '75 AVRI that had killer specs was my 2007 Fender MIJ Jaguar. I sold my Jag back in May of 2020 and miss it. Ironically, I jumped through hoops to mod my Marcus Miller and the Jag had most of the tone options.

• Active/Passive with bass and treble boost
• Series/Parallel pickup switching
• VV controls with on/off switching for each pickup
• '70's Jazz spacing.

I remember when people on TB used to clown these and the Rascal basses as being 'toys'. Very few people understood that those things could sit well in a mix, were comfortable, and were very high quality. Sold mine for $800 and you can't touch one for under $1200 these days.

 

[Rawnchy R&R]

For 20 years I refused to buy anything except for rosewood, for purely aesthetic reasons... then I bought the Steve Harris Fender, just to collect cause I was a fan, and it sounded so amazing that I switched to maple.

Then, when discussing this with Upfront Guitars, they suggested and recommended Ebony for my tastes... I took the leap with the Kilo, and now I'll never use anything but it. Looks, and brightness.

I can vouch for this. Ebony is a game-changer.

I had an early 80's ESP Surveyor with an Ebony fretboard and offset inlays. That thing barked and snarled harder than any other bass I've played with a maple fretboard. I used to shy away from ebony because it was mostly considered to be a boutique wood choice (=$$$), and very few production models had it as an option. It was possible to get lucky by buying an older Peavey Sarzo, Ibanez Musician, or a used Carvin that had an ebony board. Most that I've played seem to be durable and don't require as much finish to be fast players.

 

[Rawnchy R&R]

That's how I feel when I play my five strings for a while and then go back to the four

So happy to be back on fours. I feel like I can be a little more expressive and don't have to worry about my hand placement as much.

 

[Rawnchy R&R]

When I need a five string, I'll get a five string. I don't need a five string now.

Yup. Only ever needed one when I was in a cover band that played Country, Pop, and Rock. The singer and the guitar player loved changing keys for...reasons. I got sick and tired of having to swap basses in different tunings and having to remember hand placement. I kinda judge five strings on the total package: Active, humbuckers, hi-fi EQ, and quality of the low B. Chances are if I have to use a five, these things are going to be a factor.