Im currently trying to design and then find a reasonable retail price for my first CS.
It is going to be a Vette $$ NT4 Bubinga FRETTED
What I'm wondering right now is fret wood.
I plan on going with a wenge neck and was planning to go with an ebony (TS) board but have begun to question if it is really worth it, playability/ sound/ cost after getting my first quote on the bass.
I have been playing an all wedge vette standard since 98ish so it certainly is comfort zone.
Hi Johny,
Wenge + Ebony is a killer combination (and not really expensive through Custom SHop). Ebony adds just a touch of attack to the deep sound you already have. Unlike maple which can sound a little bit clangy ( I am using ebony +maple btw, fortress LTD 2014 is built that way), ebony sounds really discrete and high, it goes more like "ts ts ts"
You can expect some big changes in sound and playability anyway in a 2015 model compared to a 98, so just by chosing wenge/ wenge it doesn't mean you will find the same bass
So I guess it is your choice, wenge/ wenge sounds dark, tight and warm, wenge/ ebony sounds more ballanced, still dark, still warm, but with a nice extra 5-8 k-ish attack.
On to my next inquiry...Pickups & electronics
I have seen that a number of CS$$ have used Nordstrand pickups and it looks like Bartolini makes a mm pickup as well.
Has anyone played these? My early years as a guitar player has made me a fan of active systems, my Kramer has 18v Seymour Duncans that are crazy. Is this an angle worth pursuing or is stock (MEC) awesome enough?
There is no absolute advice here, but we all can tell from our experience.
Nothing changes the sound in a bass more like the pickup TYPE and PLACEMENT.
$$ pickups will sound more like a growlier Music Man than the typical Warwick sound. By using both pickups in single coil mode you will somehow get the familiar (to you) sound in corvette std.
Before chosing the brand, please consider that if you like how the corvette std sounded and you want to feel somehow similar it is a good thing to stick with JJ pickups placed as in corvette std. stock MEC active pickups are great! If you want more typical Warwick sound and growl, then using a JJ placement as in Streamer Stage 2 is better, or even chosing the TJ/J combination. Or TJ TJ, if you want to preserve the $$ looks, but I would move the bridge pickup closer to the bridge, to have the south coil as in Streamer stage 2...
I didn't liked Nostrand pickups i don't know why... It seems they have a really strong magnetic pull, so at least my fat stacks sounded with a little bit of warble... But it seems I am a weirdo as many other people like them a lot, so maybe they are good for you
Bartolini MM pickups sound tighter but darker than stock MEC, less boomy also less bright. They have a strong tight low mid punch.
Again, this must be your choice. MEC sounds more like a true MM pickups should sound, Norstrand are more hi - fi (I guess) Bartolini are deeper, punchier, often described as Harleyesque.
