Chambered Black Korina Jazz bass with Bubinga/Bubinga neck

[Malta]

I finally got around to finishing my J bass. Here are the final specs:

Chambered Black Korina body with figured Black Korina top and black pinstripe, clear grain filler and satin Tru-Oil finish
Raw Bubinga C shape neck with bubinga fretboard, 6150 frets and Corian nut
Hipshot 3 string retainer
Schaller tuners (saving up for some Ultralights)
Gotoh 201 bridge
Delano JMVC 4 FE/M2 pickups, wired passive
Control plate I made out of some 1/8" bubinga I picked up at Woodcraft.
All black hardware
Currently passive, but I ordered the battery box route in case I decide to go active in the future.

This thing sounds MASSIVE, even unplugged. Huge low end with super crisp highs, growls like crazy, notes seem to just ring out forever.  

 

[JaySwear]

wow! love the binding. i've always thought this would be cool, no idea where you'd get one... but a clear pickguard with black edges. like a clear/black/clear pickguard i guess. awesome looking bass you have there!

 

[Mor Paul]

That's awesome looking. Really raw feel to it.

 

[tubby.twins]

For some reason, this combination of Korina and Bubinga looks better together than mine did.  Definitely a GOTM contender.

 

[baskruit]

That's a very nice body.

The Bubinga control plate is an acquired taste I guess.

Schaller tuners (saving up for some Ultralights)

At this point I wouldn't change the tuners to ultralites anymore because the holes you've already drilled would be clearly visible.

 

[line6man]

Well, as usual with me, the speed bumps thing, but other than that, I like it.

The Bubinga control plate is a nice touch.

I would leave the tuners though.
If you put Ultralights on it, you will have ugly holes on the back of the headstock.  :sad:

How does it balance with the heavy Schaller tuners btw?

 

[Steve_Karl]

Very nice!

 

[Malta]

Well, as usual with me, the speed bumps thing, but other than that, I like it.

The Bubinga control plate is a nice touch.

I would leave the tuners though.
If you put Ultralights on it, you will have ugly holes on the back of the headstock.  :sad:

How does it balance with the heavy Schaller tuners btw?

Still not sure I'm sold on the bubinga control plate either. I started making it because I way planning to drop either my Delano or Nordstrand 3 band pre in there and needed a 5 hole plate, but nobody seems to offer it and it was cheaper and much more fun than modifying a 3 hole plate, but on tubby.twins suggestion I decided to try running the Delanos passive first, and so the bubinga plate became a 4 hole. I might try with rosewood or wenge for the next 5 hole.

The bass balances fine, but its right on the edge of neck diving. If it weren't chambered I think it'd probably balance really nice.

 

[line6man]

Well, as usual with me, the speed bumps thing, but other than that, I like it.

The Bubinga control plate is a nice touch.

I would leave the tuners though.
If you put Ultralights on it, you will have ugly holes on the back of the headstock.  :sad:

How does it balance with the heavy Schaller tuners btw?

Still not sure I'm sold on the bubinga control plate either. I started making it because I way planning to drop either my Delano or Nordstrand 3 band pre in there and needed a 5 hole plate, but nobody seems to offer it and it was cheaper and much more fun than modifying a 3 hole plate, but on tubby.twins suggestion I decided to try running the Delanos passive first, and so the bubinga plate became a 4 hole. I might try with rosewood or wenge for the next 5 hole.

The bass balances fine, but its right on the edge of neck diving. If it weren't chambered I think it'd probably balance really nice.

Do you have any push/pulls or anything?
I don't see why a 5 hole plate is necessary?
You can do:
1. Volume/Volume
2. Bass/Treble
3. Mid/Mid Frequency
4. Output jack.

 

[dNA]

really interesting looking guitar man. I would definitely go for a wenge control plate to color match the neck.
as always, I will insist on getting some soundclips up if possible

 

[line6man]

I would definitely go for a wenge control plate to color match the neck.

:icon_scratch: I'm not seeing any Wenge on this bass?
Therefore, a Wenge plate would be totally out of place.

 

[Malta]

Do you have any push/pulls or anything?
I don't see why a 5 hole plate is necessary?
You can do:
1. Volume/Volume
2. Bass/Treble
3. Mid/Mid Frequency
4. Output jack.

I prefer a blend rather than 2 volume knobs. Haven't yet found anywhere that sells a stacked volume/blend pot, although I understand Audere's are available with that option?

But I may not need the 5 hole after all. I built the Nordstrand pre into a pedal and this bass sounds incredible through it.

really interesting looking guitar man. I would definitely go for a wenge control plate to color match the neck.
as always, I will insist on getting some soundclips up if possible

No wenge neck on this bass, all bubinga (hence the bubinga control plate) but I thought the wenge would go well with the figuring on the korina top. Ill be recording some tracks with it in the next few weeks so ill try to post a few of them.

 

[dNA]

i have no idea how i misread that. haha.
but yeah, the fretboard looks a bit darker than the neck and the control plate, and that's why i was thinking a darker color. i think if it just matched the fretboard it'd be great. that second to last photo - player's perspective - is especially flattering w/ that hardware and all

 

[tubby.twins]

I prefer a blend rather than 2 volume knobs. Haven't yet found anywhere that sells a stacked volume/blend pot, although I understand Audere's are available with that option?

Yes, this works because Audere's blend control is a single pot, not a dual-ganged pot.  So they simply use a dual concentric pot, and set up one half for master volume and the other half for blend.  But there's no center detent on the blend side.

Bubinga can vary in color and grain between different pieces.  The control plate does look a bit lighter than the neck, but I think it looks just fine the way it is.

 

[line6man]

I prefer a blend rather than 2 volume knobs. Haven't yet found anywhere that sells a stacked volume/blend pot, although I understand Audere's are available with that option?

You will need a dual concentric, triple ganged pot.
A/A/C or B/A/C taper.

MEC should be able to make you one, though it will be expensive.

 

[Malta]

You will need a dual concentric, triple ganged pot.
A/A/C or B/A/C taper.

MEC should be able to make you one, though it will be expensive.

I figured it would be pricey if it did exist, which is why I opted for $5 worth of bubinga, a coping saw and an hours worth of elbow grease instead. Plus it makes it that much more unique. The more i look at it the more the control plate is growing on me....

 

[line6man]

You will need a dual concentric, triple ganged pot.
A/A/C or B/A/C taper.

MEC should be able to make you one, though it will be expensive.

I figured it would be pricey if it did exist, which is why I opted for $5 worth of bubinga, a coping saw and an hours worth of elbow grease instead. Plus it makes it that much more unique. The more i look at it the more the control plate is growing on me....

I say keep the Bubinga plate!

 

[Nando Vallart]

Very cool and wild!

 

[Malta]

Sound clip: http://www.mediafire.com/?ijkfjzbmttt