My first project (fretless J.Bass 5) : wondering

[Emile K]

Hi folks !

This is my first post on the forum, please forgive my mistakes and possible misunderstandings : I'm French (nobody's perfect... :icon_biggrin

I'm looking for a J.Bass-style 5 strings fretless bass and thought that Warmoth was a great solution as I can easily finish and assemble a Warmoth kit by myself.

The bass would have :

• Mahogany Deluxe 5 J body with forearm contour and tummy cut (isn't it standard for Warmoth J.Basses ?)
• Maple Deluxe 4+1 neck with pau ferro or purpleheart fingerboard
• Takeiuchi 5 bridge and rear ferrules
• Hipshot Ultralite tuners
• A single Bassculture soapbar PU close to the bridge
• Oil finish

Nonetheless, I wonder about some things... It would be great if you'd help me !

The only tuner holes size that Warmoth offers is 9/16"... would I have to ask them special size or could I use Hipshot 3/8" or 1/2" Clover Ultralite machines ? :icon_scratch:

Would I have to ask for a special PU rout ? I saw that the single soapbar is usually installed in a middle position on other Warmoth J.Bass Deluxe.

I'm not sure about the fingerboard wood veneer. Is pau ferro hard enough on fretless ? I already built fretless basses with purpleheart fingerboard during an internship at Laurent Kah's (he's a famous French bass maker) and loved the sound, but purple color is ugly in my opinion. I also tried indian rosewood, that was too soft for fretless (the strings were digging the fingerboard), and ebony, that sounded too bright for me.

I looking for "mwaaah" sound, obviously, but as warm and powerfull as possible. That's why purpleheart, maple, mahogany and Bassculture PU was such a great combination to me. :icon_thumright:

Thanks for answers :icon_biggrin:

Edit : to add a picture of the purpleheart fingerboard fretless bass I made with Laurent Kah :

 

[line6man]

Warmoth does offer 3/8" tuner reams at a $25 upcharge..

IIRC, It's a $45 upcharge for pickup routes in custom locations.

I have been playing on my Pau Ferro board for 4 months now, and it seems to be holding up pretty well to my nickle roundwounds. I should note that i am not an aggressive player though.

 

[line6man]

Would I have to ask for a special PU rout ? I saw that the single soapbar is usually installed in a middle position on other Warmoth J.Bass Deluxe.

No, just order a bridge pickup route...

 

[Emile K]

Thanks for answers.

I hope they won't make me spent $45 because it's not really a custom rout : just like two PUs without the upper one.

For the purpleheart color, I could maybe tint it black but I'm afraid the strings sand the colour down.

Edit : for the moment, I should have for less than $1100 (780€) without customs fees. Great :icon_biggrin:

 

[line6man]

Ok, i was typing from my iPhone, so that's why my answers were short.
To elaborate further:

You choose your neck and bridge pickup routings... If you want the pickup in a custom location, that is a $45 upcharge, but if you just want a regular bridge pickup routing there will be no charge for that.
In your case, you would just specify no neck pickup routing.

 

[Emile K]

Okay, that's clearer now, thanks !

I think I'm going to ask for standard 9/16" tuner reams to put Schaller BMLB tuners : a friend of mine just told me he had five to sale, it will be heavier but much cheaper than Hipshot Ultralites.

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

Warmoth does offer 3/8" tuner reams at a $25 upcharge..

Only on the 4 string flat peghead, i.e.  P-Bass, J-Bass, and Tele Bass.  On the other 4-string 2+2 angled pegheads, the 3/8" mini tuning hole is the only option.  But, this is a 5 string, which the 3/8" is the only option as well.

 

[line6man]

Warmoth does offer 3/8" tuner reams at a $25 upcharge..

Only on the 4 string flat peghead, i.e.  P-Bass, J-Bass, and Tele Bass.  On the other 4-string 2+2 angled pegheads, the 3/8" mini tuning hole is the only option.  But, this is a 5 string, which the 3/8" is the only option as well.

:doh: I would have thought that the 5 string necks would work the same way as the 4 strings.

That's good news that it isn't an upcharge, but now the OP wants a different style of tuner...
Is there the option to omit tuner reams so that he can drill in the 9/16" reams himself?

 

[Emile K]

Er... in fact, standard size is 9/16". If someone wants to install 11/16" or 3/8" machines, only then he'd have to ask for a custom.

Edit :I'll have to ask for 11/16" reams as Schaller BM won't fit in standard reams.

@ line6man : do you think that pau ferro gives a warmer sound than ebony ? I'm looking for a compromise between ebony and rosewood.

 

[line6man]

@ line6man : do you think that pau ferro gives a warmer sound than ebony ? I'm looking for a compromise between ebony and rosewood.

I don't know, as I have never tried Ebony.
Pau Ferro is **supposed to be** exactly what your talking about though, brighter than Rosewood, but warmer than Ebony.

 

[Emile K]

I just received an answering mail from Warmoth :

"Hello,
We do not have any options for any different tuner reams on the 5 string necks.
The standard BML tuners also will not all physically fit on that peghead, I have tried it.

How about a Pau Ferro fretboard for the tonal spectrum described."

Thus I won't have beautiful shamrock-style tuners :-\ I dislike Y-style ones.
Though pau ferro should give me the fretless tone I want.

 

[Emile K]

I'm just dumb (and I didn't understand yet the imperial system :dontknow: ) 'cause I sawn on Hipshot FAQs that "the 3/8" Clover Key Ultralite model is designed to accommodate a 9/16" headstock hole diameter."

Great ! I'll be able to have the machines I wanted ! :toothy10:

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

I just received an answering mail from Warmoth :

"Hello,
We do not have any options for any different tuner reams on the 5 string necks.
The standard BML tuners also will not all physically fit on that peghead, I have tried it.

How about a Pau Ferro fretboard for the tonal spectrum described."

Thus I won't have beautiful shamrock-style tuners :-\ I dislike Y-style ones.
Though pau ferro should give me the fretless tone I want.

Well, I'm thoroughly confused now, but Warmoth can do any of the bass headstocks in 14mm (for the 3/8" mini), the only upcharge is for the four in line.  And, Hipshot makes the 3/8" in clover key as well.

 

[Emile K]

That's what I said the post before yours, man

I've just got the habbit of the metric system : can't visualize inches mesures, that's why I was all the way wrong with 3/8" reams.

Edit : I tried to make a simulation of the final bass. I didn't find a mahogany body so I put a swamp ash body, and finally found it nice (my other J.Bass has an olive ash body) and thought that, as pau ferro would be warmer, I'd be able to replace mahogany by ash.

A friend also told me to put Bartolini pickups instead of Bassculture, so that I'd get a warmer tone too. That's right that Bassculture PUs are very very clear (for exemple : fretted and fretless soundclips...)

How do you like it ?

 

[line6man]

-

 

[Emile K]

Merci beaucoup !

 

[Mor Paul]

I'm French

I'm so sorry...


Well, I don't really have anything to add here.

 

[Wana_make_a_guitar]

I'm French

I'm so sorry...


Well, I don't really have anything to add here.

Fetchez La Vash

 

[Mor Paul]

Your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries! I fart in your direction silly English k-niggits!

 

[Emile K]

"I'm French. Why do you think I have this outrageous accent, you silly king ?"

Huh, great to see Monthy Python fans out here :toothy12:

@ Wana's_makin'_a_guitar : I think that the French soldier says "cherchez la vache" or "sortez la vache" (bring out the cow) but he's got an outrageous accent so I'm not sure :icon_biggrin: