Some Questions For Bass Players

[JaySwear]

sorry for the huge picture, but i'm curious... what is this stripe between the bridge and pickup? i've seen this a few times, and can only assume it's for grounding. but i would think that you could ground the pickup just like you would with any other pickup; through the wiring.

 

[tubby.twins]

sorry for the huge picture, but i'm curious... what is this stripe between the bridge and pickup? i've seen this a few times, and can only assume it's for grounding. but i would think that you could ground the pickup just like you would with any other pickup; through the wiring.

I think it's for grounding the bridge.  That bass may not have a ground wire which goes from the electronics cavity to the bridge.  The copper strip may connect to the ground wire in the pickup cavity.

 

[whyachi]

Its copper foil for grounding. Old J-basses had this one, including Jaco's. One of the guys at Talkbass did a Jaco-tribute and used it.. really if the bridge is grounded normally (which W bodies are routed to allow) then its just for vintage looks.

EDIT: http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=587518

 

[line6man]

Yep, it's to ground the bridge.

Modern basses usually have a channel routed under the bridge to the control cavity to allow you to ground the bridge, but that's how it was done in the olden days.

I always burst out laughing whenever I see someone do a bass like that though. It just looks so stupid! For the love of God, what is the appeal of having an ugly copper strip on your bass? :icon_scratch:

 

[JaySwear]

I always burst out laughing whenever I see someone do a bass like that though. It just looks so stupid! For the love of God, what is the appeal of having an ugly copper strip on your bass? :icon_scratch:

pretty much my exact thoughts. i thought it was so ugly that it must be important for something or it definitely wouldn't be there.

anyway, this has turned into quite the bass information thread. thanks guys! MAN i'm excited to get this thing underway. a couple more weeks and i should be making my order.

 

[Malta]

Yep, it's to ground the bridge.

Modern basses usually have a channel routed under the bridge to the control cavity to allow you to ground the bridge, but that's how it was done in the olden days.

I always burst out laughing whenever I see someone do a bass like that though. It just looks so stupid! For the love of God, what is the appeal of having an ugly copper strip on your bass? :icon_scratch:

It makes sense if you don't have a drill bit that can reach from the bridge to the control cavity. It can also add just a bit more vintage vibe, it that's what you're going for. Personally I think a bass looks silly without frets, but to each their own.  :laughing7:

 

[line6man]

Yep, it's to ground the bridge.

Modern basses usually have a channel routed under the bridge to the control cavity to allow you to ground the bridge, but that's how it was done in the olden days.

I always burst out laughing whenever I see someone do a bass like that though. It just looks so stupid! For the love of God, what is the appeal of having an ugly copper strip on your bass? :icon_scratch:

It makes sense if you don't have a drill bit that can reach from the bridge to the control cavity. It can also add just a bit more vintage vibe, it that's what you're going for. Personally I think a bass looks silly without frets, but to each their own.  :laughing7:

It's fine if you are actually going for a full on vintage vibe, like the Jaco replica in the TalkBass thread, but the red bass that JaySwear posted had a BAII bridge. That's about as vintage as you can get! :tard:
The copper strip isn't even centered properly. :sad:

There is absolutely no excuse for not having the wire cavity drilled out. If you buy a Warmoth or any other parts body, it will already be drilled for it. Not very many people build their own Jazz/Precision bodies when they can buy parts bodies, unless they are professional luthiers that have all sorts of tools/drill bits on hand.

Personally, I would rather have no ground at all and deal with the noise than to have an ugly ground strip like that!  :sad:

I'm guessing you're not too keen on uprights, violins, cellos, shamisens, sarods, etc..?
Leo only put frets on his bass to make it easy to play.
:blob7:

 

[whyachi]

Leo only put frets on his bass to make it easy to play with precision.
:blob7:

Fixed.

 

[line6man]

Leo only put frets on his bass to make it easy to play with precision.
:blob7:

Fixed.

Precisely.

(But actually, frets aren't that precise. With straight frets, every string has to cut off at the same point, which leads to notes being a few cents off pitch, because each string intonates differently. Multi-scale/fanned fret systems are more accurate, but ultimately, I would call fretless the only way to ensure precise intonation.)

 

[whyachi]

Leo only put frets on his bass to make it easy to play with precision.
:blob7:

Fixed.

Precisely.

(But actually, frets aren't that precise. With straight frets, every string has to cut off at the same point, which leads to notes being a few cents off pitch, because each string intonates differently. Multi-scale/fanned fret systems are more accurate, but ultimately, I would call fretless the only way to ensure precise intonation.)

I've got a fretless in mind after a five-string, so my bases will be covered, pun intended. I've got this Delano pickup Tubby sent me on my dresser just dying to be put into something. Its going to have to wait until next Christmas though, if not longer, before I can start on #3 (#1 is MIA in Nashville still).

 

[Cagey]

You guys are being awfully hard on a ground strip. Judging by a lot of the junk out in the market, I would think that would be the least of anyone's worries. It's almost decorative.

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

any idea if one of warmoth's routing would allow for one of these?

i was thinking maybe one of their Bartolini BC or BD routings with a pickup ring. not sure though. the pickup rings are already proving hard to find just looking around the web.

If the SD on the left is the same dimensions as the guitar-sized mini humbucker used on some Gibsons, W may be able to do a guitar pickup route on a bass for an upcharge.  Assuming there aren't any string spacing limitations (probably not becuase it's designed for a 4-string bass), it could be mounted like a guitar with a mini-hum mounting ring.  There are plenty of guitar-sized humbucker bass pickups out there.  The Gibson LP Bass had them, the Steinberger has them, and Eastwood Guitars sells a few repro knockoffs with them.  So it can be done.

As for your other post wanting a single pickup that can be versatile, any 4 conductor humbucking pickup should fit the bill.  Depending on how it's wired - series, parallel, in phase, out of phase, split, it can most anything.  Your limitation would be the position it's mounted.  The EBMM Stingray (an aquired taste for many) is famous for being versatile despite having only one pickup.  Of course it's got an active EQ too.

 

[JaySwear]

started a new thread for this thing since i'm starting to work on a few of the pieces. might be making a poll on body finish sometime soon as well. anyway, here's the Work In Progress thread for now!

http://www.unofficialwarmoth.com/index.php?topic=12222.0

 

[Malta]

Yep, it's to ground the bridge.

Modern basses usually have a channel routed under the bridge to the control cavity to allow you to ground the bridge, but that's how it was done in the olden days.

I always burst out laughing whenever I see someone do a bass like that though. It just looks so stupid! For the love of God, what is the appeal of having an ugly copper strip on your bass? :icon_scratch:

It makes sense if you don't have a drill bit that can reach from the bridge to the control cavity. It can also add just a bit more vintage vibe, it that's what you're going for. Personally I think a bass looks silly without frets, but to each their own.  :laughing7:

It's fine if you are actually going for a full on vintage vibe, like the Jaco replica in the TalkBass thread, but the red bass that JaySwear posted had a BAII bridge. That's about as vintage as you can get! :tard:
The copper strip isn't even centered properly. :sad:

There is absolutely no excuse for not having the wire cavity drilled out. If you buy a Warmoth or any other parts body, it will already be drilled for it. Not very many people build their own Jazz/Precision bodies when they can buy parts bodies, unless they are professional luthiers that have all sorts of tools/drill bits on hand.

Personally, I would rather have no ground at all and deal with the noise than to have an ugly ground strip like that!  :sad:

I'm guessing you're not too keen on uprights, violins, cellos, shamisens, sarods, etc..?
Leo only put frets on his bass to make it easy to play.
:blob7:

Ah, but we're discussing electric basses not uprights, violins, cellos, shamisens, sarods, etc. Personally, I play hard, heavy rock so generally speaking, fretless is just not for me.

I have a grounding strip on my non-warmoth walnut jazz because when I got it there was no hole drilled for grounding the bridge and I had no way of drilling it. But then again its my bass, I like how it looks, and ultimately that's all that really matter right?

 

[line6man]

I play hard, heavy rock so generally speaking, fretless is just not for me.

Didn't stop Tony Franklin.  :dontknow:

Also didn't stop this guy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9djDf7S2xQ

 

[mmarino92]

I play hard, heavy rock so generally speaking, fretless is just not for me.

Didn't stop Tony Franklin.  :dontknow:

Also didn't stop this guy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9djDf7S2xQ

Or Les Claypool

MM