Warmoth (Half-Moth) P-bass

[DocNrock]

I posted previously about a cheap deal I got on a blemished Fender American Special P-Bass at Guitar Center (among other things).  http://unofficialwarmoth.com/index.php?topic=24338.0

Initially I was going to refinish the body, as it had a lot of gouges in it, but found a simple black-painted P-bass body in Warmoth's Screamin' Deals section.  Also, anyone who knows me knows I am a die-hard Iron Maiden fan.  Fender makes a Steve Harris P-bass, but I'm not really into purple and/or mirrored pick guards.  :laughing7: 

So I decided to make my own Steve Harris P-bass.  I used the neck, tuning machines, and electronics from the Fender that I bought and the black-painted P-bass body from the Screamin' Deals section, but replaced the ceramic cap with a Jensen paper/oil 0.047 uF cap.    The pickups are Seymour Duncan Steve Harris P-bass pickups.  The pickguard is a Warmoth black pearloid.  For the bridge, I used a Leo Quan Badass II.  Now, I'm just waiting on the neck plate from DangerousR6 (chrome, with a lovely portrait of Eddie  :headbang1.  In all fairness, he sent it much earlier in the week, but the USPS is taking it's sweet time. 

The strings were a surprise to me.  I decided to go Steve Harris all the way.  Apparently, he uses massive Rotosound flat-wounds (50-75-95-110).

The sound is something I did not expect, especially with the flat-wound strings.  I was expecting flat and warm.  The sound is very much like Steve Harris'.  It is punchy and raw, and the percussive sound of the frets rings through in just the right amount relative to the baseline thump. 

I previously only had one bass.  It is an Ibanez Prestige SR1000EFM.  I love it for what it is, with the active Bartolinis, and all.  It is more refined than my Harris P-bass.  This new build is so incredibly raw.  I love it.  I kept it simple, and am happy I did.  This is a very different bass, and complementary in every way to my Ibby.   

It is currently with the local tech that I use being setup, as the strings are way heavier than the original ones on the Fender.  I'm also having him change the nut from the original Fender one to a black Tusq XL.  Once I get it back, I will put the Eddie neck plate on it and post up a couple of more pics, with the new plate and nut.

For now, here it is:






:headbang1: :headbang1: :headbang1: :glasses9: :evil4: :glasses9: :headbang1: :headbang1: :headbang1:

 

[DocNrock]

...

 

[bagman67]

Simple and lovely.

 

[DocNrock]

Simple and lovely.

Thank you, kind sir.  Sometimes the simpler the build, the better.  Looking at your award-winning Tele, I can see you know all about that.  :icon_thumright:

 

[TheAmazingBassist]

Looks Amazing. Steve harris would be proud  :guitarplayer2:

 

[DocNrock]

Looks Amazing. Steve harris would be proud  :guitarplayer2:

Well, thank you, kind sir. That would be the quintessential complement! :headbang1:

 

[Day-mun]

I recently installed a SD Steve Harris pickup in a chambered ash body with a rosewood/maple neck. -A cool sounding bass, but the tone didn't translate (-it don't crank out the Maiden vibe AT ALL)... funny how much the neck and body woods color the voice of that pickup!

Looks like ya got yours installed on the right stack of lumber! -Enjoy!  ccasion14:

 

[DocNrock]

I recently installed a SD Steve Harris pickup in a chambered ash body with a rosewood/maple neck. -A cool sounding bass, but the tone didn't translate (-it don't crank out the Maiden vibe AT ALL)... funny how much the neck and body woods color the voice of that pickup!

Looks like ya got yours installed on the right stack of lumber! -Enjoy!  ccasion14:

Thanks, man!  Thinking through the tone chain, I'm wondering what strings you are using and what amp you are playing through.  I suppose the woods have an effect, as well.  I'm thinking the pickup mated with the massive flatwounds that he uses are the combo that give the sound this makes.  It might not be the amp, as much.  I know he uses Trace Elliot.  I have an Ampeg. 

 

[Day-mun]

Yep, I wondered the same thing. -Tried it under both round-wound and flat-wound strings. Neither were the number of the beast. Playing out, I use an Acoustic B300h w/the 1X15 & 4X10 cabs. At home, I got a Fender Bassman TV-Twelve, neither of them made me run to the hills. -So, I figured it must be the wood(s) the thing is made of. (-'cuz it couldn't possibly be the player *rolls eyes*) Duncan's literature even recommends that it be installed on a bass with a maple/maple neck & alder body.  :dontknow:

But, hey, I'm not complaining; I love the tone and enjoy the pickup. -Like I said, cool soundin' bass, its just not very Maiden.

 

[DocNrock]

Yep, I wondered the same thing. -Tried it under both round-wound and flat-wound strings. Neither were the number of the beast. Playing out, I use an Acoustic B300h w/the 1X15 & 4X10 cabs. At home, I got a Fender Bassman TV-Twelve, neither of them made me run to the hills. -So, I figured it must be the wood(s) the thing is made of. (-'cuz it couldn't possibly be the player *rolls eyes*) Duncan's literature even recommends that it be installed on a bass with a maple/maple neck & alder body.  :dontknow:

But, hey, I'm not complaining; I love the tone and enjoy the pickup. -Like I said, cool soundin' bass, its just not very Maiden.

Day-um, Day-mun that was the best reply, ever, with the song references, and all. I didn't know Duncan's literature on that pickup was that specific about the woods of the bass.  I guess I got lucky.

 

[Day-mun]

Lucky indeed! -Sorry to derail your thread with my silliness. -Let's get back to discussin' the Trooper you've constructed!  :laughing7:

 

[DocNrock]

Not silliness, at all!  To me, these posts are all about discussions not only about any virtues of the featured instruments , but also about any other relevant build. In other words, keep the aces high! :icon_thumright:

 

[DavyDave53]

I really like the gray pick guard on this beauty.  The standard white pick guard on a black bodied p-bass just doesn't look good to me.

 

[DocNrock]

I really like the gray pick guard on this beauty.  The standard white pick guard on a black bodied p-bass just doesn't look good to me.

Thank you for the kind words. It's funny.  I've never cared much for the pearloid pick guards of any style. But for this build, it just seemed to fit. Thanks!

 

[Day-mun]

Hey Doc, I spy quite a collection in the reflection on your TV screen! Maybe you should snap a few more pics and make a post on this thread:

http://unofficialwarmoth.com/index.php?topic=10952.195


-I'm sure we'd all like to meet the whole family!  :laughing7:

 

[DocNrock]

Hey Doc, I spy quite a collection in the reflection on your TV screen! Maybe you should snap a few more pics and make a post on this thread:

http://unofficialwarmoth.com/index.php?topic=10952.195


-I'm sure we'd all like to meet the whole family!  :laughing7:

You have a good eye, my friend.  I used to be quite active on this forum back around 2008-2009, but then another hobby yanked me away.  But during that time, I built like 14 Warmoths.  My wife wanted to kill me, lol! 

Anyway, now I'm back and just recently completed two more.  One of them is the bass in this thread.  And I recently ordered two more.  :laughing7:

Currently, four of my Warmoths at the shop getting some work done, like fret dressing, etc.  But I've got pics of them somewhere on the computer.  I'll come up with something that resembles a "family portrait" later today.  Thanks for asking!  :icon_thumright: 

 

[Day-mun]

Yeah, I noticed that when the prodigal son returned, all the old-timers welcomed you back with open arms!  :icon_thumright:

I hear ya on the divided interests thing. I go in spurts, too; crank 'em out for a bit, then get side-tracked with other life-stuff. -Congrats for even still having a wife! My hat is off to your Mrs. for sticking with you through the years; it isn't easy living with a junkie in active addiction!  :icon_jokercolor:

No pressure on the "family photo" thing, -only do it if it would be fun to throw together. I could just see 'em all lined up over there and figured it would be easy enough to comb their hair an' tuck in their shirt-tails quick and snap a few shots... -you know (probably better and longer than I) that we here love the eye-candy pics!  :icon_tongue:

 

[DocNrock]

Yeah, I noticed that when the prodigal son returned, all the old-timers welcomed you back with open arms!  :icon_thumright:

I hear ya on the divided interests thing. I go in spurts, too; crank 'em out for a bit, then get side-tracked with other life-stuff. -Congrats for even still having a wife! My hat is off to your Mrs. for sticking with you through the years; it isn't easy living with a junkie in active addiction!  :icon_jokercolor:

No pressure on the "family photo" thing, -only do it if it would be fun to throw together. I could just see 'em all lined up over there and figured it would be easy enough to comb their hair an' tuck in their shirt-tails quick and snap a few shots... -you know (probably better and longer than I) that we here love the eye-candy pics!  :icon_tongue:

s

LOL!  I don't know about "prodigal son" (nice Maiden reference, once again), but it was nice to see some of the same friendlies around.  But I'm not too sure about the "open arms" reference. That doesn't sound like a Maiden song, to me.  :laughing7:

My wife is awesome. Yeah, she wanted to kill me, lol, but only because she just doesn't get it.  But her tune changed when guests would come over and see my collection and have nothing but great things to say.

Anyway, I'll try to get a few of the others together for pics, but for now, here is a group shot I took a while ago that has eight of them: 

 

[Day-mun]

 

[DavyDave53]

Nice family portrait!

Which one is your favorite?