Bubinga Jazz Bass 2x Musicman PUPs - After 2 weeks in USPS Limbo

[BeagJon]

Refreshing shipping notification pages has become a solid covid-era hobby.

I fell in love with Warwicks when young, but I'd grown out of the shape and desired something classic. Enter the Jazz $$. When she's all said and done she'll be sporting 2 Nordstrand Big Blademan pups and the JC-3 Preamp as we steer this tone-bus into some Wal sounds. I'm still toying with the idea of doubling up and ordering the matching Bubinga neck, finding something from Fender's U-shapes with no finish (roasted maple, tele) while another part of me thinks I should Buy a graphite neck from Stratus.

String-Thru body, Badass III bridge rout. 4 pots, will have 5th drilled. 7/8" side jack.

I polled the friends and black hardware seems to be winning over gold, but I could still be swayed.


edit:  it took me 20 minutes of holding it to realize it's a two piece body. So It stands to reason no one else may ever notice

 

[bagman67]

Well, that's gorgeous.  I presume you'll go unfinished, or with a light oil or satin finish?  How much does that baby weigh? I  know bubinga can be a little on the hefty side. 


I don't own a roasted maple neck yet but every one I've picked up has been responsive, lovely to hold, and good-looking.  And if the bubinga body is quite heavy, perhaps a lighter neck wood species would ease the burden.


Finally, my vote is squarely with Team Black Hardware.


Enjoy the build and the resulting instrument. 

 

[TonyFlyingSquirrel]

I hear what seems to be some TOOL-esque riffs coming soon!

 

[ragamuffin]

Gorgeous! I didn't know they made bodies out of bubinga

 

[BeagJon]

All these comments are correct Tool Riffs incoming, I'm awaiting picking up his Dunlop pedal. I refresh the product page twice a day.

I worked with their team via email regarding the Bubinga body and they were kind enough to facilitate and accomodate my every idiot request. This was custom guitar purchase #1 after all, and I think I did well on the first buy. I wasn't sure what I was going to acquire as far as wood selection and left it in their hands. Unboxing was a very cool experience knowing that this wood grain would be my finish forever. I spend a good amount of time just staring at it, all the minute complexities. Bubinga is a very cool tonewood, and bass player or no, give it a listen sometime. Dive down that youtube rabbit hole.

Regarding the finish, Since I had loved Warwick basses, their care regimen/products are familiar to me. They were the brand that sold me on raw bubinga, and are in my eyes, some of the most experienced out there regardinging its use.

Roasted Maple may win out, but I'd ask those who are, or even aren't bass players, try out a Warwick neck if you see one in a store. They were so chunky that it has me wondering if I might want to be buying the 8 string neck option from Warmoth? For reference I'm on the upper side of tall, even a tad taller than Peter Steele, so that neck size might be my kind of appropriate.

The weight on the body? Oh man, who knows. As a guy who breaks many a lawn chair in their first use, it hasn't even occured to me. An entire Squire Jazz 60s vibe weighs a tiny bit more.

 

[bagman67]

As long as you're replicating the Warwick vibe, maybe a wenge neck?  I've played a couple of their wenge necks and they're pretty frickin' nice.  Slick and dry feeling, despite the open pores.

 

[BeagJon]

As long as you're replicating the Warwick vibe, maybe a wenge neck?  I've played a couple of their wenge necks and they're pretty frickin' nice.  Slick and dry feeling, despite the open pores.

Yep, you aren't wrong. I'm pleasantly suprised with the body's smoothness and I wonder how much that might translate to a neck. Even though I can easily see the endgrain etc, it almost feels like a matte finish at the moment, not like wood. The wood's density lends to that I assume.