The Last Bass Outpost
Gear Discussion Forums => Gibson Basses => Topic started by: ilan on May 17, 2023, 08:49:25 AM
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$12K
TB pickups make it useful, not just pretty. 12.65 lbs. - not too bad for a double neck.
https://www.gibson.com/en-US/Electric-Guitar/MOD-RAM017786/Classic-White
(https://images.ctfassets.net/m8onsx4mm13s/7nYSvX3F4aYRkhT9Iipa5U/5deeee2cf8c6548df4a69f0e039433ac/RAM017786-2.jpg)
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That's cool! Are those the current NR pickups? I love the hardware aging they did.
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Epiphone bridge and tailpiece on a Gibson. Hmmmm.
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Very nice!
The bridge set maybe the set from Philadelphia Luthiers. Which is not branded Epiphone.
https://www.philadelphialuthiertools.com/bridge-and-tailpieces/bass-bridges-and-tailpeices/thunderbird-bass-bridge-and-tailpiece-set-1963-1969/
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Now that is nice!
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Advanced Plating in TN makes those bridges, or at least they used to.
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Pickguard is broken by the neck bass pickup? Looks like an odd angle if done on purpose.
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Pickguard is broken by the neck bass pickup? Looks like an odd angle if done on purpose.
I think that was deliberate.
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I like it a lot!
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It looks cool, but a builder like Seger, Serek or a couple of guys on here, could do a better job for sure.
Do rusty screws and Chibson-grade roughly cut acrylic pickguards really encourage folk to part with $12k these days?
(https://images.ctfassets.net/m8onsx4mm13s/6QIt7yl2cLHAE90ZIPZUmE/d4f48d7618d4159a317248989c8bb075/RAM017786-7.jpg)
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Very cool. Too bad the bass is on top. Price is a bit much.
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Nicely done.
Herr Heslin, all you need to do is play it lefty, and it's just right!
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Ooo, nice :)
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Extremely well done.
Does Mark have a bronze/amber dress?
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Very cool. Too bad the bass is on top. Price is a bit much.
That’s what I was thinking. I wish that they would put the bass on the bottom like many other builders………..
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Basses rule guitars, it's at the proper place alright.
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Today I got a question if I'd ever consider building a double neck.
Well, it did cross my mind. But I never really sat down and thought it through.
Until today 😉
How about a Brooks DoubleBird?
(https://www.brooksbassguitars.com/uploads/1/3/3/7/13376708/brooks-doublebird_orig.jpg)
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Cool! What about reversing the bass headstock, but keeping the tuners on top?
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Today I got a question if I'd ever consider building a double neck.
Well, it did cross my mind. But I never really sat down and thought it through.
Until today 😉
How about a Brooks DoubleBird?
(https://www.brooksbassguitars.com/uploads/1/3/3/7/13376708/brooks-doublebird_orig.jpg)
If you do my V2 nicely, Holländer, you migh try your luck on an SG shape long scale 5er fretless with a short scale fretted 4-stringer where the the D and G string feature octave strings. One bass Two basses to rule them all. I'd be invincible, ye mortals!!!
(https://external-preview.redd.it/mH42FmTLdd8UcHvH6hJFP8qqqTNguNa4LVnBg4zqNTk.jpg?auto=webp&s=f565c951ad6db5f59036fb51d0a4065d0b398dee)
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Du verrückter Deutscher! :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:
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Will you do it or chicken out, wretched Holländer?
(https://media.tenor.com/bkMSvB3eBekAAAAd/fortnite-doctor-doom.gif)
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Today I got a question if I'd ever consider building a double neck.
Well, it did cross my mind. But I never really sat down and thought it through.
Until today 😉
How about a Brooks DoubleBird?
(https://www.brooksbassguitars.com/uploads/1/3/3/7/13376708/brooks-doublebird_orig.jpg)
Very Nice!! The design does look cleaner with the bass on top. My reasoning for putting it on the bottom is mostly playing position.
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Will you do it or chicken out, wretched Holländer?
Haha, who knows. Let's get that silly UV done first.
In the meanwhile I can fool around making sketches.
Such as this variant on the DoubleBird that I did this morning.
(https://www.brooksbassguitars.com/uploads/1/3/3/7/13376708/brooks-doublebird-v4_orig.jpg)
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I do prefer guitar on top, but the T Bird body lends itself to that setup really nicely. Just build it. Someone will buy I'm sure. ;D
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Haha, who knows. Let's get that silly UV done first.
In the meanwhile I can fool around making sketches.
Such as this variant on the DoubleBird that I did this morning.
(https://www.brooksbassguitars.com/uploads/1/3/3/7/13376708/brooks-doublebird-v4_orig.jpg)
That's promising, but can you do it with an SG shape too? I do want to be Jimmy Page, you know.
Admittedly, the "mirrored" TB headstocks look just great.
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Jawohl Herr Obergibsongruppenführer!
Brooks EB²
(https://www.brooksbassguitars.com/uploads/1/3/3/7/13376708/brooks-eb-rootsquare_orig.jpg)
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I could make a lot of noise with that.
In the interest of the B string, let's have the fretless 35".
The Twinbird is beautiful, but that is just not a good shape for upper register accessibility.
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I could make a lot of noise with that.
Not necessarily more than with a single neck bass.
In the interest of the B string, let's have the fretless 35".
You want BEAD?
The Twinbird is beautiful, but that is just not a good shape for upper register accessibility.
You could move the body to the left a bit more. but somehow that doesn't look right on a Thunderbird (IMHO)
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Curious how a Non-Reverse body would look as a double-neck.
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Or maybe a Non-Reverse top and Reverse bottom.
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Curious how a Non-Reverse body would look as a double-neck.
That has already been done
(https://www.flyguitars.com/graphics/Cope_3.jpg)
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Oh, Jeez. How could I forget that.
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Is the Julian Cope doubler a Gibson one off or a Peter Cook, Dick Knight et al creation?
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https://www.flyguitars.com/interviews/JulianCope.php
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You want BEAD?
No, I want BEADG, I wrote that I wanted the fretless to be a fiver. Back to the drawing board!
It will be the world’s first 11 string bass.
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Yeah, but you also wrote that want the short scale neck to have the D and G with an octave string.
How do you expect me to take those kind of requests seriously? :mrgreen: :popcorn:
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I was perfectly serious. I want the D and G on the short scale to be enhanced by octave strings! It makes perfect sense for the way I approach multi-string playing, I essentially only need octave strings on the D and G, with the E and A they get in the way (rhymes!). You‘ve seen me play, I very much differentiate between what I do on the E and A (relatively simple) and D and G (relatively elaborate, melodic - avoiding root notes - and 'chordy').
That's my life predicament: People never know whether I'm serious or not. :-X
I want a bass where I can within one song switch between short scale bend-o-mania, the deep notes of a 5er, fretless playing and multi-string sheen. All in one.
Will you take the challenge? If you remember older posts of mine, I‘ve been talking about a bass like that for many years.
And it‘s not that strange, Taylor have just released an 8 string acoustic guitar that features octave strings just on the D and G - where it counts.
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Alright. So you really are verrückt!
It'll cost more than a few bicycles or Wiedergutmachungsschnitzels.
Someone suggested the fretless should be the upper neck, because it requires more precise finger placement on the fretboard.
I'll go back to the drawing board then. ;-)
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(exasperated) Have I ever denied being verrückt? :mrgreen:
(https://i.gifer.com/L9lO.gif)
The more I think about it, the more I like the concept. This could be a great bass for recording and for trying out new bass arrangements to see what might work best. Obviously, I wouldn't stand on stage with it for 90 minutes or so or play it throughout a full rehearsal lasting several hours. Though I do like the twin neck image, I always thought that classic 1977 Rush pic iconic ...
(https://guitar.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Rush-1977-Fin-Costello-Getty-Images@1400x1050-1068x801.jpg)
I'm not dogmatic about whether the 35" or the 30" is the lower one, I wear my basses medium-low, but not punkish ultra-low. Considering that I don't play fretless all the time, I'm actually a pretty precise fretless player after a few minutes of adjustment. Neck heaviness would probably be best averted via a "short on top of long"-concept, but obviously, ergonomics need to step back with a contraption such as this one. Be creative, Holländer!
Showing up with this thing at an audition would mean either:
(i) the other musicians immediately fall to their knees, exclaiming "We are not worthy!" before you have played a single note, or ...
(ii) show you the door at once - also without you having played a single note! :mrgreen:
I kinda like both reactions.
(https://i.gifer.com/origin/a0/a066dc55fcee87e2ba79f0fda0549fb0_w200.gif)
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There is no playing in the practice room!!!
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Gott im Himmel, what a ridiculous bass!
(https://www.brooksbassguitars.com/uploads/1/3/3/7/13376708/brooks-eb-square_orig.jpg)
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Looks funky as all heck. Just get a nice old style bevel on those horns.
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We're getting there, well-done, Rob. :popcorn:
Eat your heart out, Rick Nielsen.
Name me one other bass in the world where you can switch between 30" and 35" scale, fretted and fretless, regular and double octave with ease?! Not to mention a six octave B to D#!
World domination would be mine. Utterly.
I could rock out on the short scale and immediately revert to long, massive notes on the extra-long scale with lots of atmospheric glissando and meaw. Do a few melodic fast runs on the double octave D and G and while the guitarist is still turning his head you're back grooving on the low D pretending nothing happened. 8) They would never catch me.
(https://i.gifer.com/origin/19/19169dc7248e3a1f964a848ee108c394.gif)
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I've heard you've perfected the art of the sliding pup, Rob ... That would make sense especially on the 5er; the shortie could do with just two fixed pups. One up-front, one more to the middle, don't squeeze it too close to the bridge.
Don't be obsessed with a Gibson (parts) look, functionality comes first. Monorails as bridges are perfectly fine, for instance, let's go with the times.
The necks should have different woods perhaps. Maple on the shorty for a bit more bite, maho on the x-long scale for ultimate growl? Body for both: maho. Different fret board materials too. Why not a snappy maple board on the shorty? Ebony on the fretless.
Four controls, 1 x vol x-long scale sliding pup, 2 x vol short scale (each pup) and a master tone for everything, toggle switch for change between the basses, middle position: both on. That's all I need.
The shortie should have a high E (like in your design sketch), the 5er should have a double octave neck.
Two outputs for feeding them into different rigs? One of them functioning as a mono output for both if solely used.
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I'm dead-serious about this. Decades ago I asked the Gibson Custom Shop to do something like that, they declined. It will come back to haunt them.
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I've heard you've perfected the art of the sliding pup, Rob ... That would make sense especially on the 5er; the shortie could do with just two fixed pups. One up-front, one more to the middle, don't squeeze it too close to the bridge.
I'd have to make a pickguard in order to facilitate a sliding pickup. Uwe: That's ok.
Any specific pickups in mind for the shortie? And/or the fretless? Uwe: A TB-Plus can be among them, also DiMarzios or Seymour Duncans or Jim DeCola, I wouldn't even be averse to a Fenderesque split-coil which does fine work on the Yamaha Billy Sheehan Signature. We're not emulating Gibson here.
Don't be obsessed with a Gibson (parts) look, functionality comes first. Monorails as bridges are perfectly fine, for instance, let's go with the times.
Because of the two octave strings there is no other option for the shortie. Uwe: I'm fine with monorails on the 5er was well.
The necks should have different woods perhaps. Maple on the shorty for a bit more bite, maho on the x-long scale for ultimate growl? Body for both: maho. Different fret board materials too. Why not a snappy maple board on the shorty? Ebony on the fretless.
If you want snappy, ebony js the way to go. Uwe: Snappier than maple?
Four controls, 1 x vol x-long scale sliding pup, 2 x vol short scale (each pup) and a master tone for everything, toggle switch for change between the basses, middle position: both on. That's all I need.
Shouldn't be a problem
The shortie should have a high E (like in your design sketch), the 5er should have a double octave neck.
In the sketch it already has
Two outputs for feeding them into different rigs? One of them functioning as a mono output for both if solely used.
We'd need a switched output. Yep, that's possible. I did that on a previous build.
Question: what string spacing (at the bridge) do you prefer for the 5-string? Uwe: I'm a klutz, I'll never be able to play with fingers, so the string spacing can be tight, just not silly tight.
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I've put my answers in your previous post! In deep purple, of course.
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You need to be more specific about the string spacing.
17mm, 16mm? (heart-to-heart distance)
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This is going to be a fun build to watch, wow!
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You need to be more specific about the string spacing.
17mm, 16mm? (heart-to-heart distance)
What's wide, what's medium, what's narrow? I like my steak medium-rare if that helps.
I've never bought or not not bought a bass because of string spacing, I just adjust to what's in my hands. Ric 4003/5ers are just a bit too narrow for me (they are deemed unplayable by most finger players), anything else goes. What I don't like about aircraft carrier deck fretboards is the look, not the playability. Most 5stringers with wide necks look unelegant, so let's not have that.
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Did a lot of drawing and calculating last night. With this body type a sliding pickup is impossible with a 24 fret neck.
Best I can do is a 20 position neck. The sliding plate where the pickup is attached to takes a lot of space and has to be able to obcsure the gap in any position.
(https://www.brooksbassguitars.com/uploads/1/3/3/7/13376708/brooks-eb-square-sliding-tb-pickup-pg_orig.jpg)
I personally don't really like the pickguard.
I would skip the sliding pickup.
And go for this one:
(https://www.brooksbassguitars.com/uploads/1/3/3/7/13376708/brooks-eb-square-artec-tb_orig.jpg)
- Artec Mudbucker pickups on the shortie
- EY Guitars 60 repro Humbucker on the fretless
- Ebony fretboard on both necks
- Gotoh Res-o-lite bass tuners. And Gotoh CBX-01 carbon plate tuners for the two octave strings
- Custom Brooks Duo Rail bridge system for the shortie
- Babicz Solo Rails for the 5-string 35" fretless
- Mahogany body
- Maple neck for the shortie
- Mahogany three piece neck for the 5-string 35" fretless
- Volume Artec Neck, Volume Artec brigde, Volume EY, Master Tone
- Two outputs. One of them switched to allow for one output for all pickups
- Three way toggle to choose upper, both or lower bass
- Wine red high gloss finish.
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Cool stuff. Looking forward to seeing what you guys end up going with. Personally, I'd pull out all the stops and go for a semi hollow body based on the es or lp shape, multiply binding everywhere possible and a wide ribbon flame top with some flavor of burst. Oh and can't forget some fancy inlays made from abalone or mop. But that's just me.
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That was a dumb idea with the slider pup, too gimmicky really, even if it had worked. And the scratch plate really takes away from the look. Forget it.
Are those Artec pups any good? You seem to have experience with them. The shortie better not sound too muddy or the octave strings will be swallowed up (I don't like distorted multi string sounds like the guys from Cheap Trick or King's X have either, I like the octave strings to sound clear). And the magnetic field not be too narrow, I want to pull strings (that's the point of having a short scale) on that without any volume fading. With the 35", I'd want a warm, wooden sound.
I might prefer a satin worn fin without fillers to a hi gloss one. I like that 'reptile skin' feel of the wood surface.
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I love the Artec Mudbucker.
They are structurally the same as the Gibson Mudbucker. Which means the magnets are glued to the sides, all across the length of the pickup.
So the screws in the middle are not pole pieces.
I used two of these in the Thinline Telebird:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLwzZR_rxYQ
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As a PSA, Lollar winds its Thunderbird pickup in a 5-string configuration (I was order #1) and also offers OEM pricing.
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That would be a very good alternative for the EY.
The magnet of the EY is 63 mm wide. Which should be just enough to pick up the B to G
(https://www.eyguitarmusic.com/cdn-cgi/image/quality%3D100/assets/images/sc0150410170211_22.jpg)
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Initially the 5-string model was more expensive, but on my last orders they charged the same price as the standard. I just order the 5-string model for all of my builds now.
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I don’t see it in his website?
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I don’t see it in his website?
It's not there...it's "off menu". I assure you, it's a stock production item. Reach out via email and feel free to tell them I sent you. :)
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Just as a comparison, Rob, how much would you have to further set the two basses apart to have both the necks perfectly parallel without their headstocks tangling up? Would that make the body too huge?
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Body would be 49,3 cm wide
(https://www.brooksbassguitars.com/uploads/1/3/3/7/13376708/brooks-eb-square-artec-tb-parallel-necks_orig.jpg)
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This has to settle with me, I'm comparing ... What do my brethren here think? Am I being anally retentive? I think the slanted necks look Rick Nielsen-goofy.
(https://www.brooksbassguitars.com/uploads/1/3/3/7/13376708/brooks-eb-square-artec-tb-parallel-necks_orig.jpg)
(https://www.brooksbassguitars.com/uploads/1/3/3/7/13376708/brooks-eb-square-artec-tb_orig.jpg)
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The entire thing is Rick Nielsen goofy. No matter what angle the necks make.
:popcorn:
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Derek Smalls' was angled. Not sure I'm making a point here, though.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QMbyPtf_ys
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I prefer the look of the parallel version. I have no opinion on ergonomics or playability.
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I think it was a real lost comedic opportunity in Spinal Tap with the BC Rich. It would've been hilarious for both to be the same exact 4-string bass.
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Derek Smalls' was angled. Not sure I'm making a point here, though.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QMbyPtf_ys
Spinal Tap is always a worthy reference! With the BC Rich pointy shape, angled actually looks good, but with an SG Siamese Twin?
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I think it was a real lost comedic opportunity in Spinal Tap with the BC Rich. It would've been hilarious for both to be the same exact 4-string bass.
That is what I first thought before I recognized the octave strings!
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(https://media.tenor.com/hg8UWn0-3nMAAAAM/monkey-monkeys.gif)
"Honey, you think my arms will be long enough to play it?"
"You'll do mighty fine, Uwe."
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The entire thing is Rick Nielsen goofy. No matter what angle the necks make.
:popcorn:
Goofy is as goofy does!
(https://y.yarn.co/25ce1ba2-c755-4a9c-a0a0-eb6d572b4773_screenshot.jpg)
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I'm almost certain my arms are not long enough to play it. :)
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I would go with angled. It looks like it would make the lower neck easier to play.
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Great thread, go for it Uwe!
I have thought about building a Gibson doubleneck bass/guitar for years and have now started buying wood for this one:
(https://i.imgur.com/qu3xFTU.jpg)
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I still like the double bird better, but you do you.
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I’ve been tossing around building or having built a guitar/bass double neck for years. Bass on the bottom with either one or two Hobbit pickups. Guitar on top. I have both vintage & one Jim DeCola Les Paul Recording pickup that could be used for the guitar, or two NOS Maurader bridge pickups that I made pickup surrounds similar to the low impedance pickups. I was thinking os using a Boss LS-2 to switch from bass amp to guitar amp. An interesting project that I may never get to………
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The only bass/guitar doubleneck I've actually witnessed played live was this homemade job in this weird arty underground band Spongehead back in the late 80s.
Can't see it very well in the lo-fi video but:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0S23077Ca70
Funny thing about this band, when he was playing the guitar neck the "bass" role was filled by his brother - as on this tune - playing baritone sax through an octave pedal through a bass amp. That sax sounded pretty cool.