EB Bass - Screaming Phoenix

[Finch]

Specs:

SG Style body: Black Korina stained on the sides and bevels with minwax ebony and the top/back with Verathane Cabernet, artwork done by yours truly with Acrylic paint
Hardware: Schaller 463 bridge, Seymour Duncan SSB4 Neck and Seymour Duncan Music Man (SMB4A) in the bridge, Seymour Duncan Blackouts for Bass concentric tone circuit. Volumes for Neck, North side MM, and South Side MM.

Neck is a Warmoth Bass Wenge w/Ebony fretboard, gold frets, no dots. Gold Gotoh ultralight tuners.

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs518.ash1/30495_677900599866_26515158_37071026_4714942_n.jpg/img]

[img]http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs558.snc3/30495_677900460146_26515158_37071023_7163828_n.jpg

 

[line6man]

Interesting strapbutton placement.
Does it balance ok?

 

[Finch]

I think it does! I had to move the bottom button up a little bit too to get it just right. Its very neck heavy and still "sags" some but it at least it doesn't go straight to "crash and burn".

 

[dNA]

how's it sound?

 

[Patrick]

that is some of the tightest wenge grain i have seen

 

[Finch]

how's it sound?

It thunders! I am not much of a bass player yet but I put into the hands of a buddy of mine who is (back when it still only had the MM pickup). The MM pickup is clean and punchy and sounds great for funky slap bass. The SSB4 is alot warmer with nice growl, especially when you boost the bass on the tone circuit. The sustain is probably the most impressive thing though. The low E will just keep on rolling for what feels like forever. I dont have MIDI cables for my POD or I would post some soundbites.

 

[line6man]

I dont have MIDI cables for my POD or I would post some soundbites.

:icon_scratch: You can't send/receive audio through the MIDI interface.

Do you have an XT/X3, or the original POD?
With the XT/X3, you can record via USB.

 

[Finch]

I dont have MIDI cables for my POD or I would post some soundbites.

:icon_scratch: You can't send/receive audio through the MIDI interface.

Do you have an XT/X3, or the original POD?
With the XT/X3, you can record via USB.

floor pod plus

 

[line6man]

I dont have MIDI cables for my POD or I would post some soundbites.

:icon_scratch: You can't send/receive audio through the MIDI interface.

Do you have an XT/X3, or the original POD?
With the XT/X3, you can record via USB.

floor pod plus

Nevermind then.

Well, line in/microphone port on your computer is better than no soundclips at all.  :blob7:

 

[whyachi]

I'm loving that pickup combo, I bet you've got every tone covered! Looking forward to clips and a review of the Blackouts EQ - if I ever get my original body back, I'm going to need something to put in it.

 

[dNA]

I'd be curious to hear what kind of sonic territory the different pickup combinations can cover. I'm going with a passive fender-style setup for my first build, because I haven't heard too many bassists playing active that get the kind of fat, mellow tone that i like most. I always think of active = aggressive or funky.
what kind of music are you into playing?

 

[whyachi]

Think that soapbar route could cover a P route?

 

[line6man]

Think that soapbar route could cover a P route?

Nope.

I very highly doubt it.

 

[Finch]

doesnt EMG make a pickup that is basically a P style in the 35 housing?

 

[dNA]

doesnt EMG make a pickup that is basically a P style in the 35 housing?

I think he's trying to do just the opposite

 

[Finch]

I'd be curious to hear what kind of sonic territory the different pickup combinations can cover. I'm going with a passive fender-style setup for my first build, because I haven't heard too many bassists playing active that get the kind of fat, mellow tone that i like most. I always think of active = aggressive or funky.
what kind of music are you into playing?

both the pickups are passive, its only the EQ (Bassline Blackout tone circuit) that is actively powered.

 

[Finch]

doesnt EMG make a pickup that is basically a P style in the 35 housing?

I think he's trying to do just the opposite

Oh, as in reroute a P for a soapbar, gotcha

 

[dNA]

both the pickups are passive, its only the EQ (Bassline Blackout tone circuit) that is actively powered.

yeah, but the pre-amp makes all the difference, doesn't it? And also from what I've seen, there are certain pickups that generally get used with preamps while others that are usually run passive.
At least I've never seen a bass with Bartolinis or a MM pickup that was passive (except the cheapo MM OLPs). And I haven't seen anyone running a p-bass pickup through a pre either. But I don't pretend to spend a lot of time around basses or bassists.

 

[Finch]

both the pickups are passive, its only the EQ (Bassline Blackout tone circuit) that is actively powered.

yeah, but the pre-amp makes all the difference, doesn't it? And also from what I've seen, there are certain pickups that generally get used with preamps while others that are usually run passive.
At least I've never seen a bass with Bartolinis or a MM pickup that was passive (except the cheapo MM OLPs). And I haven't seen anyone running a p-bass pickup through a pre either. But I don't pretend to spend a lot of time around basses or bassists.

Im probably not the best source of information either, I built the bass to give me an excuse to learn it haha. I knew I wanted MM, mainly cause i've never heard a MM Bass player (or guitar) that I didn't like, and I didn't want to go with the P route mainly cause i've never heard a Fender Bass (or bass player) that I was just ever really impressed with. I found this guys youtube site http://www.youtube.com/user/kyral210 and he did some pretty extensive tests with all of EMG's 45's and he ended up switching to the Seymour Duncans (his reasons have more to do with the active/passive issues than with actual tone). I thought the 4 string counterpart would balance out nicely against the really clean and funky MM so thats what I ended up going with.

I figure a little versatility never killed anyone and if I dont like it in the end there are a wide variety of soapbars out there that I could replace it with, I just wanted the bass to be finished haha.

I ll try and get some sound clips worked up and posted tomorrow. Just don't judge my poor playing skills

 

[Nando Vallart]

Lovely!