In all honesty, this is not a build we recommend doing for one simple reason that can be summed up in one word: Unstable. While it’s genuinely appreciated that someone went through the time and effort to show how to make an electric bass out of a shovel (see video below), it is known to … Read more
Fresh from the NAMM show, MXR showed off the Sub Octave Bass Fuzz pedal. This fuzz pedal features two circuits, meaning it’s not the typical “one trick pony” type of fuzz. It also features separate bass and treble EQ controls, an octave control (of course), dry volume control (totally necessary for bass), has mid-frequency boost, … Read more
We get a good amount of dads emailing and/or calling us up for assistance with father-son or father-daughter bass build projects. Many of these dads are musicians themselves that help their kids out when learning their instruments, and if there’s one thing these dads possess more than anything else, it’s patience and lots of it. … Read more
See Steven’s business listing here The feature bass this week concentrates on ergonomics to make for a great bass to play sitting or standing. Bass builder Steven Yanofsky writes: This is my first fretless build, the body is based on a previous build I made, with some modifications, the shape was design considering ergonomics, trying … Read more
The feature bass this week is a modded MTD Kingston. William Hill writes: This started as a stock MTD Kingston series artist model. I had been playing one just like it with the addition of a Bartolini MM4cbc pickup. The artist was being discontinued, and I had a chance to pick up another from the … Read more
The feature bass this week is a custom build for a player that wanted a does-it-all 5-string. Owner Eric Fortaleza writes: I sold all my five strings and decided to get one built by one of the best Australian Luthiers. The purpose of the bass was cover all my 5 string needs and cover pretty … Read more
While playing in The Jimi Hendrix experience, Noel Redding typically did turn up his bass extra-loud just to be heard better… …and we’re glad he did, because he had an amazing bass tone. While watching the video below, you will hear his “blare” loud-and-proud, even while playing slowly. You’ll also notice he favored playing up … Read more
This is a beginner-friendly way of oiling a neck. While there are several ways to do this, this particular method is suitable for anyone even if you have no prior experience. Below: Box of rags (thick paper towels, same as blue shop towels), pair of medical grade gloves (meaning not kitchen gloves), tung oil (natural … Read more
Some preamp systems allow for the use of either 9 volts or 18 volts for power. Check the specifications for your preamp to make sure that it is recommended. Some known systems that DO allow for 9 or 18V are: Aguilar OBP2, OBP3; Bartolini NTBT 918, NTMB918, Delano (all); John East (all); ACG (all); Nordstrand … Read more
Generally speaking, the term means that there is a battery in the bass. Most commonly, the battery is being used to power a preamp. The preamp uses a battery and thus the instrument is powered (active). Occasionally, the pickups are active; a bass with active pickups would, of course, also be considered active. Most pickups … Read more
