Why Do I Spend That Much?
Because it's my life! I've been playing bass for at least seven years, and through the years I've managed to find some nice basses to keep and play. I'll try to get pictures up as soon as I can, but for now you'll have to do with text.
Carvin LB-75 fretless 5-string bass
- purchased new from Carvin in March 1996
- 5-piece maple/koa neck (thru-body construction)
- koa body wings - Tung oil satin finish
- fretless ebony fingerboard with inlayed white lines
- replaced stock pickups with Lane Poor passive pickups (model JL neck, MM5HB bridge)
- replaced stock Carvin active pre-amp with Aguilar OBP-3 bass pre-amp module, including 3 EQ bands with a midrange frequency switch (400Hz vs. 800Hz), and a pre-amp bypass switch for when I want to go passive (i.e. disable EQ)
- replaced all pots, and added a 4-way rotary pickup selector (neck solo, neck + bridge in parallel, bridge solo, neck + bridge in series)
- resurfaced fingerboard and coated with epoxy for better sustain, more crisp tone
- pickup installation and fingerboard work performed by Guitar Czar (Salt Lake City, Utah)
- awesome deep, clear tone with an expressive midrange voice, punchy upper mids, crisp treble (when I want it) - my main bass!
- DR "Sunbeam" nickel-wound bass strings (.130 - .045)
- added a Hipshot de-tuner for when I feel silly
Ibanez Soundgear SR1206TK 6-string bass - SOLD to Chris, a good friend and bass buddy in October 2006
Chapman Stick(tm) 10-string touchboard - SOLD to a musician and new Stick player in Portland, Oregon
Warwick Corvette Standard 5-string bass - SOLD to John, a good friend and fellow bassist in May 2002
Tobias "Toby Pro" 5-string bass - ON LOAN to my father, who wants to learn to play the bass
- purchased used from a Yahoo Auction in February 2000
- 5-piece wenge/maple neck (thru-body construction)
- flamed maple body wings - satin finish
- replaced stock pickups with Lane Poor passive pickups (model M40.W neck, M40.HB bridge)
- replaced stock electronics with Lane Poor "2-1ac" preamp with passive tone controls for each pickup
- above pickups and electronics installed, and other maintenance performed by 12th Fret Guitars (Portland, Oregon)
- incredibly deep, clear, and well-rounded tone, thanks to the great pickups
- DR Hi-Beams bass strings (.130 - .045) - transparent, deep and clear tone with good midrange and punch
Zon Legacy Elite "Special" 5-string bass
- purchased used from an eBay Auction in July 2000
- composite graphite neck (set-in construction)
- poplar body (black finish on back) with highly figured koa top - polyester finish
- phenowood fingerboard
- Bartolini custom-wound pickups (near-bridge positions)
- Zon Polyfusion ZP-2D pre-amp with 3-band EQ
- killer tone! awesome, punchy midrange, great buttery deep bass, minimal high end unless I slap
- DR Fat Beams bass strings (.130 - .045) - awesome midrange, great sustain and crisp feel
DeArmond Ashbory (re-issue) 4-string bass
- purchased new from an eBay Auction in February 2001
- one-piece agathis body/neck with solid black finish
- 18-inch scale with fretless fingerboard
- Ashworth piezo transducer with active electronics, and bass/treble EQ controls
- very light weight, small, with unique silicone rubber strings
- great "thumpy" sound with rubbery overtones - it's like playing 4 big rubber bands
- DeArmond Ashbory silicone strings
Modulus Quantum 5 "Sweetspot" 5-string bass
- purchased used from an eBay Auction in August 2002
- composite graphite neck (bolt-on construction) with wood fingerboard (either chechen or granadillo)
- alder body with highly figured quilted maple top - amber-stained gloss finish
- single Lane Poor passive pickup (most likely a model M4.0 W) with Modulus logo, mounted in the harmonic sweet-spot
- Bartolini NTBT preamp with 2-band EQ
- smooth, expressive, deep yet articulate tone, thanks to the great pickup
- Maxima gold-wound bass strings (.125 - .040) - clear, warm sound with great harmonics and detailed midrange, lots of attitude
Warmoth Gecko fretless 5-string bass #1
- purchased new parts from Warmoth "Showcase" in September 2006
- mahogany body with beautiful rosewood laminate top - satin body finish
- 5-piece rosewood/wenge neck (bolt-on construction) with slightly wider string spacing (19mm)
- fretless ebony fingerboard with light inlayed lines and Gecko logo (wood unknown)
- chrome hardware, including Gotoh tuners and a Kahler bridge
- two Lane Poor passive soapbar pickups (JB 4250 neck, SB 4250 bridge)
- totally passive wiring, featuring a 4-way rotary pickup selector (choices: neck solo, neck + bridge in parallel, bridge solo, neck + bridge in series), a stacked (concentric) pot for volume and tone, and a pre-wired midrange cut control from HAS Sound
- assembly, pickup installation, wiring and final setup performed by me! This is the first time I've built a bass from parts, and I'm very happy with the results.
- awesome deep, clear bass tone with an expressive midrange voice, singing upper mids, and a pleasant high end
- airy, deep and clear passive voice sounds natural and has lots of dynamics
- DR "Sunbeam" nickel-wound bass strings (.130 - .045)
Warmoth Gecko fretless 5-string bass #2
- purchased new parts from Warmoth "Showcase" in October 2006
- mahogany body with detailed makorie (a.k.a. "African cherrywood") laminate top - clear gloss body finish
- 5-piece bubinga/purpleheart neck (bolt-on construction) with slightly wider string spacing (19mm)
- fretless bloodwood (a.k.a. "satine") fingerboard with light inlayed lines and Gecko logo in ebony
- chrome hardware, including Gotoh tuners and a Kahler bridge
- two Bartolini passive dual-coil soapbar pickups (P25CBC-B neck, P25CBC-T bridge)
- totally passive wiring, featuring a 4-way rotary pickup selector (choices: both neck coils, outer coils, inner coils, both bridge coils) and a stacked (concentric) pot for volume and tone
- assembly, pickup installation, wiring and final setup performed by me! This is the second Warmoth Gecko bass that I've built and it's as good as the first!
- awesome deep, warm bass tone with a detailed midrange voice, resonant upper mids, and a smooth high end
- airy, deep and clear passive voice sounds natural and has lots of dynamics
- an old set of bass strings (gauges unknown) - will replace soon
Folks, I can't say enough good things about Warmoth Gecko basses. They sound great and they're not difficult to assemble. I think I'm getting pretty good at the wiring now. Anybody want me to build a bass for you?
I usually order my bass strings from a local shop, Five Star Guitars. In the past I used to order from JustStrings.com but it's been a while - Five Star usually has what I need, or they can custom order it for me.
And, of course, you're probably wondering what kind of amplification I use, so I suppose I had better mention that as well. Big changes on the amp front lately! I'm ditching all my SWR gear in favor of a smaller, lighter, and better-sounding Carvin + Acme rig. Read more below:
Carvin B800 mono bass amplifier
- purchased new, direct from Carvin, in May 2006
- 350 watts into 2 ohms; 500 watts into 4 ohms; 800 watts into 8 ohms
- 6-band tone controls
- tubeless "drive" control that adds thickness and warmth
- deep, punchy, clear, warm and clean sound in a very portable package
- mute switch and effects loop
Acme Low B-1 bass speaker cabinet
- purchased used from eBay, in May 2006
- single 10-inch custom designed woofer
- 5-inch midrange driver and 1-inch tweeter
- custom designed crossover
- portable enclosure - measures about 16 inches on each side, easy to carry around
- phenomenal, accurate bass tone! Punch and depth all the way to the low "B", rattles my windows yet sounds like a studio monitor.
Acme Low B-2 bass speaker cabinet
- purchased used from eBay, in October 2006
- two 10-inch custom designed woofers
- 5-inch midrange driver and 1-inch tweeter
- custom designed crossover
- sturdy enclosure - reasonably portable yet massive, built like a tank
- powerful, deep bass tone! More volume and authority than the B-1 cabinet, but same great midrange and accurate sound.
Zaolla silver-core instrument cable (16 foot)
- Transparent sound with no loss in clarity or detail
- Solid pure silver center conductor, surrounded by copper windings
- "Telecaster friendly" right-angle plug on one end, which works with my Warmoth bass
- Expensive, but worth every penny! Heartily recommended for any bassist or guitarist who cares about clean, detailed tone.
- This cable was originally a 20-foot cable, but I bought some extra Zaolla connectors from eBay and split the cable into a more usable length, and made up two free 2-foot patch cables out of the deal.
- I also now have a 5-foot Zaolla cable, for miscellaneous purposes. It's a bit short for an instrument-to-amp run, but works well for an effects pedal or a patch cable.
Monster Studio Pro speaker cable (3 foot) x2
- Thick copper conductors and sturdy, reliable Neutrik SpeakOn twist-lock connectors
- Braided cover to protect cable from damage
- High power handling and great bass frequency transmission
So now you know what I play, and don't you feel better?