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If you were building the most upright-double-bass-like electric bass from Warmoth parts, what would your specs be?

Hodgo

Hodgo

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I was thinking about building another bass, and what I would do if I was after a dark, thumpy tone. Obviously it starts with some nylon tapewound Rotosounds.

I think a J style neck works here, it has the right taper from nut to heel, the right radius. It would probably need outfit with a neck pickup that sits closer to the fretboard edge, like an EB-0, and maybe a piezo in the bridge. A removable foam mute at the bridge would provide some of the decay.

How would you approach getting upright tone from a Warmoth build?
 
P-Bass, Roasted maple J neck with rosewood cap. Fretless. Flats (of any kind, really). Piezo bridge is a good idea, but throw in a dual-battery preamp along with it.
 
First I would not use Rotosound tapewounds. They are brighter than other tapewounds. If going tapewounds go LaBella.

Next I would go Labella flatwounds. Remember tapewounds are basically round wounds with tape over the outer coils.

Next go fretless. No clang off the frets.

Next I would most likely point to a P bass pup rather than a J Bass pup. The piezo is maybe a good idea as well as long as it hasn’t a different tone control than the magnetic. This could be emphasized with a true hollow body bass.

Next use preamp in the bass with at least a 3 way eq, preferably 4 with the mid having a freq selection.

Myself I’d use a hog body and neck, RW board.

Finally use a compressor and set it for quick decay and low compression.

That should get you close.

I avg about 30 paying bass gigs a year. My first gig ever was at age 15 on an upright bass in a bluegrass group. I do know a bit about the bass though I am primarily a guitarist.

PS Thank you, now I have e a build in my head LOL.
 
I would go fretless, and to emphasis the hollowness, use a Custom-T with Hollow Construction. P-Bass pickup on the neck will be fine.

Also, I do this with my fretless, I use a Tonex pedal to add a little chorus and reverb, and instead of a speaker IR, I use a Double Bass IR, which bring me closer to an actual upright tone.
 
I agree with most of the above, and I played acoustic bass in my University days... Recommend hollowbody mahogany, and actually I'd vouch for fattest possible neck profile, with heavy gauge dark sounding flats (not TI!) OR heavy black roto 88 tapes (I find those to be quite dark). Give that bass a big cap on the tone knob, 0.1uF (at least 0.068uF). Bartolini makes some nice fat sounding pickups...
 
rockandroller said:
I agree with most of the above, and I played acoustic bass in my University days... Recommend hollowbody mahogany, and actually I'd vouch for fattest possible neck profile, with heavy gauge dark sounding flats (not TI!) OR heavy black roto 88 tapes (I find those to be quite dark). Give that bass a big cap on the tone knob, 0.1uF (at least 0.068uF). Bartolini makes some nice fat sounding pickups...
Click to expand...
A sturdy neck is definitely part of the equation I reckon.

I’m thinking about maybe doing a 5 string neck or Gecko neck set up for a 4 string nut. The wider nut and heel is closer to a 3/4 upright, and a Hipshot A bridge can be adjusted to 21mm string to string spacing to take advantage of the wider heel.. 7.25” radius seems to be as tight as can be found from the big names in custom necks.
 
My plans for a build of this type are:

Jazz Neck-
Flamed maple shaft
Ebony fingerboard
Unlined Fretless
No face inlays
No nut (I’d cut my own ebony nut)
Carbon stiffening rods.

Precision body-
alder
Seafoam green finish
Hipshot A style bridge rout
18v battery box
7/8” side jack hole (for electrosocket)

Hipshot A style bridge with Graphtech Ghost saddles
Acousti-phonic preamp
Locally wound early-60s spec P bass pickup

Wired up as mag vol, mag tone, piezo vol (pull for mid/dark piezo preamp mode) with stereo output

LaBella white nylon tape wound strings.



Using a TRS cable, the piezo output would go to an IR loader with IRs of some nice German upright basses, and into a DI. The magnetic output would go to my standard electric pedalboard and rig. Best of both worlds
 
bricksnbeatles said:
My plans for a build of this type are:

Jazz Neck-
Flamed maple shaft
Ebony fingerboard
Unlined Fretless
No face inlays
No nut (I’d cut my own ebony nut)
Carbon stiffening rods.

Precision body-
alder
Seafoam green finish
Hipshot A style bridge rout
18v battery box
7/8” side jack hole (for electrosocket)

Hipshot A style bridge with Graphtech Ghost saddles
Acousti-phonic preamp
Locally wound early-60s spec P bass pickup

Wired up as mag vol, mag tone, piezo vol (pull for mid/dark piezo preamp mode) with stereo output

LaBella white nylon tape wound strings.



Using a TRS cable, the piezo output would go to an IR loader with IRs of some nice German upright basses, and into a DI. The magnetic output would go to my standard electric pedalboard and rig. Best of both worlds
Click to expand...
Very smart approach. I was thinking a piezo buffer and putting the piezo/mag on a blend would be ideal.

I do know my next bass will have a Delano MM Hybrid in it - like having a Jazz and MusicMan Pickup in one housing. Placed in the sweet spot, and maybe a Ric Toaster up at the neck.
 
Glad you made that specific piezo choice with the deep function. Otherwise it would not help achieve the goal.

I’ve sidelined this idea as I don’t have a current need that strong that I can’t get close enough.

Something else caught my eye. Squirrel
 
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