It's obviously been a while since I've been on here - too long actually. A lot has happened, and many things in my life - many things - have changed.
My 2 year old daughter, Arabella is home and doing wonderfully. She has now had 3 operations, and lives with an internally implanted pace maker. Her website. She is an amazing girl - and astounds me daily.
I am also now in the process of getting a divorce. It's a very long and boring story - and I have no desire to demonize anyone - let alone the mother of my children. Suffice it to say, we found ourselves in an untenable situation, and in order to make things better for all of us, decided to separate and divorce. The children are dealing, as are we, and life is a circle.
Perhaps the biggest news for me, is that fact that I am being deployed to Afghanistan. I plan on using this forum to write about my experiences there, and to document it for friends, family and loved ones.
Feel free to share, give out the url, or leave comments, as I'm sure the support from back home will mean a great deal to me, as I traverse the world.
More to come. . .
Tuesday, December 04, 2007
Monday, November 27, 2006
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
Monday, September 18, 2006
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Friday, July 07, 2006
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Saturday, July 01, 2006
Saturday, June 24, 2006
Atlanta Bass Gallery
While in Georgia last week for a class (Theater Deployed Communications - a military class) I had a weekend free, so I drove up to Atlanta to take in the sites. I found the Atlanta Bass Gallery. Wow. That about sums it up! Jim Rubio - owner - had just about every high end bass you can think of - from US Spectors (of course my preference!!) to Ritters and Jerzy Drozd (oh my - these are some nice basses) to Eden (of course!) and then Accugroove and also EA, the new Sadowsky amps, Bag End - oh, my. Bass Heaven indeed!!
Jim was super - we talked for at least an hour, then I went and tried not to drool on all the wonderful basses he has in stock. I've never seen that many high end basses in person before - ever. Fodera, F Bass, NS Design (Ned Steinberger) EUBs - very nice - and I even finally got to play on a Barker! Roscoes, Warwick, Zon, Skjold, Pedulla, Parker, OH - The new MTD Zephyr!! - Modulus, Ken Smith, Mike Lull, Elrick - there were so many nice basses - wow. I was truly impressed.
The last straw - as if the store wasn't perfect already - was the supplies. He has every string manufacturer IN STOCK!! And he had some of the nicest straps I'd ever seen - yes, I'll be getting one. . . Eyeland was the name of one company's strap that was super nice - and then of course there's Levy's - and the Ritter straps were very cool as well - wide and made of some kind of "comfort material (Tempur)" - super comfortable.
Ok - I'll stop. If you are ever in Atlanta - stop by - you will be impressed.
Atlanta Bass Gallery
1584 Piedmont Ave
Atlanta, GA 30324
Monday, June 12, 2006
Tour of US Music (with Pics!!)
Well, with the festival coming upon us - yes, Cornerstone - we're working on building up the PA to it's optimum. We've added a couple more power amps, and went this past weekend to pickup our 4 new SoundTech 2 x 18s. Yes, four of them. Should sound good. Very good in fact. :)
While we were there, we were able to talk with our friends at US Music and we got a tour of the facilities! It was very cool. We were shown the places where they make the Washburn acoustics - by hand - and the Washburn electrics, the custom shop where the paint is applied - the drying facilities, the necks for the Parkers, the bodies, the pickups being wound, the CNC machines that cut out the bodies, the bare wood, the blanks for bodies and necks, the neck wood - well, you get the idea. Very cool. Here's some pics to document what we saw. . .
Here's some guitars going through the 'being built' phase. This was very cool to see - the guys at Washburn making guitars. Very cool...
Hmm what's this? An empty area where some new walls are . . .
Empty Eden Boxes - here's Eden cabs going through the process of being built - before they get carpet and speakers:
String Winding - these are the original string machines that DaVinci used - so yes, they wind their own strings:
This is a beautiful thing. . . wow - look at all that EDEN!!!!
While we were there, we were able to talk with our friends at US Music and we got a tour of the facilities! It was very cool. We were shown the places where they make the Washburn acoustics - by hand - and the Washburn electrics, the custom shop where the paint is applied - the drying facilities, the necks for the Parkers, the bodies, the pickups being wound, the CNC machines that cut out the bodies, the bare wood, the blanks for bodies and necks, the neck wood - well, you get the idea. Very cool. Here's some pics to document what we saw. . .
Here's some guitars going through the 'being built' phase. This was very cool to see - the guys at Washburn making guitars. Very cool...
Hmm what's this? An empty area where some new walls are . . .
Empty Eden Boxes - here's Eden cabs going through the process of being built - before they get carpet and speakers:
String Winding - these are the original string machines that DaVinci used - so yes, they wind their own strings:
This is a beautiful thing. . . wow - look at all that EDEN!!!!
Monday, May 22, 2006
New Spector
It's here!!!! I finally got it! The wait actually wasn't too long - PJ promised June - and I got it a month early. . . Thanks PJ!!
This is my new Spector bass.
It's a Rebop - > officially titled a Euro 4 DLXFM in Black Cherry, non-burst. It's really a beutiful bass, plays exactly like a dream. There is really nothing wrong with it - I absolutely love it!!
Here's a couple photos - enjoy!!
This is my new Spector bass.
It's a Rebop - > officially titled a Euro 4 DLXFM in Black Cherry, non-burst. It's really a beutiful bass, plays exactly like a dream. There is really nothing wrong with it - I absolutely love it!!
Here's a couple photos - enjoy!!
This photo is much better:
Sunday, May 14, 2006
Shawn's Guitars
We had a gig at Shawn's Guitars - really cool that Shawn is opening up his music store to have bands come play. Really helps out the scene - and although it's not a paying gig - it's a great way for us to build our local fan base. Folks can come check out bands - not much cash - and we had 4 different bands! It was a great show - and we had a blast.
Thanks to the bands - Ascension, Predicate, 7th Overture and us - StrangeLand.
Here's a couple shots I got on my cell - yeah, forgot the camera - of the band 7th Overture - a great prog-metal band from Pekin:
Thanks to the bands - Ascension, Predicate, 7th Overture and us - StrangeLand.
Here's a couple shots I got on my cell - yeah, forgot the camera - of the band 7th Overture - a great prog-metal band from Pekin:
Thursday, May 11, 2006
Dragonforce live in Chicago
Dragonforce - a huge band from the UK - getting rave reviews, and selling out shows all across the USA and Europe. This was a great chance to see a newer band in a smaller setting - with a great show. The band was fantastic, really into the show - lots of jumps, running across stage, interacting with the audience during the entire show. They really love what they do. This ranks up there with the top concerts I've attended...
Some live shots I took with my phone camera - it's a RAZR v3c - so they aren't pro shots by any stretch - but give you a small idea. . .
Some live shots I took with my phone camera - it's a RAZR v3c - so they aren't pro shots by any stretch - but give you a small idea. . .
Dragonforce
Dragonforce 2
Dragonforce
Dragonforce 3
Monday, April 10, 2006
Eternity X - New Bass
Wow - it's April already.
I've been trying to update monthly - if more folks are here and checking this out on a regular basis, I would be more than happy to update more often, I'm just not sure who all is reading. If you'd like to see more, more often, or whatever - hit me up with a comment. :)
Well, Terry Richards has been vying for a spot with the band Eternity X - and I'm pulling for him. We know know for sure until its announced on the band's website - > but IMHO - I think Terry is a shoe in. The guy has chops for days, can play circles around most of the bassists in the area (and beyond!) and he's a heck of a nice guy. Who better to fill in with a progressive metal band that has over 300,000 album sales to date?! I think it would be awesome! Check out Eternity X website - and when I get a chance - I'll post their myspace page too. Great stuff!
Spector sale:
Yup - I sold my beloved Euro. I had it listed on TalkBass for awhile - a couple trade offers - but I only want another Spector - not something else. Yup - single minded. :) I know what I like - and when I'm happy.
Why sell the Euro - well, to be honest - I have never been a fan of the color. Of all the colors Spectors come in - the only one I dislike more than the blue/black 'burst' is the natural with no figuring. Plain. Nothing wrong with it - just ain't for me. As a matter of fact - Karl absolutely loves the color of that bass. I also love the neck profile of the Euro LX - the Euro had a thicker neck profile - the difference was more fatigue as I played - not good. Especially after having my Carpal Tunnel surgery - I try to do all I can to minimize any future problems with my wrists. So, I sold it on eBay.
I have been talking to PJ over at Spector, and I 'special ordered' a replacement. :) I will soon be the owner of a ReBop 4REDLXFM. or something like that. It will be the Euro bolt on model, referred to as the ReBop, in figured maple - with the black cherry color - no burst - so the figuring and the color will be all over the bass. I'm very very psyched! To say the least. The pickup configuration will be a bit different - as the ReBop has EMG HZ soapbars - instead of the P/J configuration. So I'll have to see how that changes the sound. . . hopefully not much! I love my Spectors - and I'm just looking to add a bit more color - and anther palate of sound, so to speak, to my toolbox. I'll keep you posted.
Here's a nice shot of Terry with his new Spector - congrats!!
I've been trying to update monthly - if more folks are here and checking this out on a regular basis, I would be more than happy to update more often, I'm just not sure who all is reading. If you'd like to see more, more often, or whatever - hit me up with a comment. :)
Well, Terry Richards has been vying for a spot with the band Eternity X - and I'm pulling for him. We know know for sure until its announced on the band's website - > but IMHO - I think Terry is a shoe in. The guy has chops for days, can play circles around most of the bassists in the area (and beyond!) and he's a heck of a nice guy. Who better to fill in with a progressive metal band that has over 300,000 album sales to date?! I think it would be awesome! Check out Eternity X website - and when I get a chance - I'll post their myspace page too. Great stuff!
Spector sale:
Yup - I sold my beloved Euro. I had it listed on TalkBass for awhile - a couple trade offers - but I only want another Spector - not something else. Yup - single minded. :) I know what I like - and when I'm happy.
Why sell the Euro - well, to be honest - I have never been a fan of the color. Of all the colors Spectors come in - the only one I dislike more than the blue/black 'burst' is the natural with no figuring. Plain. Nothing wrong with it - just ain't for me. As a matter of fact - Karl absolutely loves the color of that bass. I also love the neck profile of the Euro LX - the Euro had a thicker neck profile - the difference was more fatigue as I played - not good. Especially after having my Carpal Tunnel surgery - I try to do all I can to minimize any future problems with my wrists. So, I sold it on eBay.
I have been talking to PJ over at Spector, and I 'special ordered' a replacement. :) I will soon be the owner of a ReBop 4REDLXFM. or something like that. It will be the Euro bolt on model, referred to as the ReBop, in figured maple - with the black cherry color - no burst - so the figuring and the color will be all over the bass. I'm very very psyched! To say the least. The pickup configuration will be a bit different - as the ReBop has EMG HZ soapbars - instead of the P/J configuration. So I'll have to see how that changes the sound. . . hopefully not much! I love my Spectors - and I'm just looking to add a bit more color - and anther palate of sound, so to speak, to my toolbox. I'll keep you posted.
Here's a nice shot of Terry with his new Spector - congrats!!
Friday, March 17, 2006
PA building, guitar rigs, & Cornerstone
Wow - the last couple of months have been simply amazing - absolutely amazing.
The guitarists have been blessed enough to be able to endorse Randall Amplification. They both have full stacks now - with Kevin G going for the tube head, and Kevin S going solid state. They both love them. Both heads are absolutely amazing. I have to say that being a tube guy myself - the solid state Randall head sounds truly wonderful - from a full out metal distortion ripping your head off - to a nice gentle clean sound - it does it all with ease. Very nice stuff - we are blessed.
We've also come into possession of a 15 passenger van. :) SO - when travelling now we can all travel in one vehicle. With a trailer, we can travel with all our own gear, including the PA. Nice. God is good!!
The PA has recently seen some updates. We now have 4 of the Peavy 2x15" speakers. We also have 2 x 18" subs - and we may be growing again. As it turns out - we'll be playing The Cornerstone Festival in Bushnell, IL - one of the biggest, and I believe the first, Christian festivals around. This is absolutely huge. We will be playing the Sanctuary Tent - courtesy of our folks at Sanctuary International - yes, the folks from Bobfest!! - and we couldn't be more thrilled! We may be providing the sound as well. . . I'll keep you posted.
So - > keep July 5 - 8 open - come on down and check us out - I'm sure the weather will be grand! :)
The guitarists have been blessed enough to be able to endorse Randall Amplification. They both have full stacks now - with Kevin G going for the tube head, and Kevin S going solid state. They both love them. Both heads are absolutely amazing. I have to say that being a tube guy myself - the solid state Randall head sounds truly wonderful - from a full out metal distortion ripping your head off - to a nice gentle clean sound - it does it all with ease. Very nice stuff - we are blessed.
We've also come into possession of a 15 passenger van. :) SO - when travelling now we can all travel in one vehicle. With a trailer, we can travel with all our own gear, including the PA. Nice. God is good!!
The PA has recently seen some updates. We now have 4 of the Peavy 2x15" speakers. We also have 2 x 18" subs - and we may be growing again. As it turns out - we'll be playing The Cornerstone Festival in Bushnell, IL - one of the biggest, and I believe the first, Christian festivals around. This is absolutely huge. We will be playing the Sanctuary Tent - courtesy of our folks at Sanctuary International - yes, the folks from Bobfest!! - and we couldn't be more thrilled! We may be providing the sound as well. . . I'll keep you posted.
So - > keep July 5 - 8 open - come on down and check us out - I'm sure the weather will be grand! :)
Thursday, March 02, 2006
Rotosound
As you may have guessed by now - or by looking in the menu on the right, I am now a Rotosound endorsee. Here's the story....
I had been playing flats, halfs, grounds - just about any kind of 'wound' string there was, because round wounds were just too bright for me. I had tried all kinds of rounds, D'Addario, Ernie Balls, Fender, Elixirs, GHS - and they were all tirelessly bright. Irritatingly bright. I wanted something that had more of a mid-range bite, something that had some pronouncement, but that didn't sound like a fat guitar string. Something with some meat to it - something with some bass to it!!
I found Rotosounds because, well they've been around forever - first Round wound bass string - and are used by some of the top - and my favorite - bassists, Geddy Lee, Steve Harris, Billy Sheehan - some of the top names in the biz! I started out with the monel flats - and I loved 'em. They were flat-sounding - very thumpy - but they also had a certain brightness to them, and not a harsh bright - but you could slap them. So, I thought to myself, maybe I should try some of the others to see how different they sound. I started off with the half-wounds - and I didn't really like them. So then - since my gear hounding is near endless - I thought I should try the nickel rounds. That would be better - and less bright, to be sure. They were less bright - but had a great sound to them as well - almost exactly what I was looking for. . . almost. :) So then I bit the bullet and tried the Swing Bass 66's - the Stainless Steel Rounds - the originals.
I was blown away. They were brighter - to be sure - but that irritating harshness was not there. The mid-range bite was. I was thrilled!
I haven't used anything else since.
Now, in StrangeLand we decided to downtune - so that makes it a whole step, so I'm tuning D-G-C-F - and I thought about getting heavier guage strings to compensate. Now I'm using .50 - .110 guage 66's Swing Bass. Wow - they are think - but honestly, not that much thicker than the .45 - .105 that I have been using. I have my Euro Spector with the heavier, and my Euro LX with the Medium strings - tuned the default E-A-D-G. I use that bass with Jeremiah's Journey gigs. I love that bass. :)
I had been playing flats, halfs, grounds - just about any kind of 'wound' string there was, because round wounds were just too bright for me. I had tried all kinds of rounds, D'Addario, Ernie Balls, Fender, Elixirs, GHS - and they were all tirelessly bright. Irritatingly bright. I wanted something that had more of a mid-range bite, something that had some pronouncement, but that didn't sound like a fat guitar string. Something with some meat to it - something with some bass to it!!
I found Rotosounds because, well they've been around forever - first Round wound bass string - and are used by some of the top - and my favorite - bassists, Geddy Lee, Steve Harris, Billy Sheehan - some of the top names in the biz! I started out with the monel flats - and I loved 'em. They were flat-sounding - very thumpy - but they also had a certain brightness to them, and not a harsh bright - but you could slap them. So, I thought to myself, maybe I should try some of the others to see how different they sound. I started off with the half-wounds - and I didn't really like them. So then - since my gear hounding is near endless - I thought I should try the nickel rounds. That would be better - and less bright, to be sure. They were less bright - but had a great sound to them as well - almost exactly what I was looking for. . . almost. :) So then I bit the bullet and tried the Swing Bass 66's - the Stainless Steel Rounds - the originals.
I was blown away. They were brighter - to be sure - but that irritating harshness was not there. The mid-range bite was. I was thrilled!
I haven't used anything else since.
Now, in StrangeLand we decided to downtune - so that makes it a whole step, so I'm tuning D-G-C-F - and I thought about getting heavier guage strings to compensate. Now I'm using .50 - .110 guage 66's Swing Bass. Wow - they are think - but honestly, not that much thicker than the .45 - .105 that I have been using. I have my Euro Spector with the heavier, and my Euro LX with the Medium strings - tuned the default E-A-D-G. I use that bass with Jeremiah's Journey gigs. I love that bass. :)
Thursday, February 16, 2006
Wednesday, February 15, 2006
Wednesday, January 04, 2006
Gabe & Kay
Gabe & Kay
Great photo - great times!
My daughter and my step-son - hanging out at the house. We are truly blessed with a wonderful family!
..and the friends Gabe brought with him....
Ry & Jason
Ryan and Jason -nice guys - don't let 'em fool ya. :)
We had a wonderful visit - so thanks fellas!!
Sunday, December 11, 2005
Spector!!
Spector - finally!
Over the last couple of years I have been the webmaster for a site called ExtendedRangeBassist.com. I originally got started in web design by doing my band site, and then offering the service to other folks. I think my first customer was Stewart McKinsey. The man is a phenomenally talented, and very humble and down to earth, guy. When I *met* him - he was living in New Orleans - he has since moved to California - after great loss during Katrina - but is thankfully back to playing! Anyway - was introduced to Gregory Bruce Campbell from Stew - who wanted to get a website going for his Yahoo group - Extended Range Bassist. I spoke with Greg and developed a website and a forum. Still going - and the forum is very popular with the ERB folks. Well, with the web site - we started looking into getting some advertising support. Spector was one of our first. Through that, I was able to talk to both Stuart Spector and his right hand man, PJ Ruble. Both very nice guys - not to mention making the absolute best basses in the market!
I was able to hook up with them and get a Spector Euro LX, in natural maple. Oh, my, bass nirvana! This bass - being not only the first bass I have bought new - but one of the best basses I have ever played is absolutely gorgeous - plays like a dream - the string spacing is perfect - I love this bass! When I first got it - I couldn't put it down. I do my best to keep in in perfect condition - lemon oil the neck, clean it - wipe the strings down. . .
Eventually, I wanted to sell my Warwick - to get another Spector! I put the Warwick up online at a couple places, Talk Bass and Bassgear.com. I wanted to avoid the 'bay if at all possible. I had a few hits right away, and made contact with Tim - with whom I still talk occasionally today. Tim's a great bassist - and getting better, taking lessons from Bill 'The Buddha' Dickens! Anyway - Tim and I agreed to a swap - his Spector Euro for my Warwick Thumb NT - and a bit of cash to make up the price difference. He had installed an EMG three band pre-amp - which I thought killed the sound. He was nice enough to send the original Tone Pump (the Spector Pre-amp) with it. I had the Tone Pump installed in short order - and had a phenomenal bass! The main differences between it and the new Euro LX is that the Euro is a solid maple bodied bass, while the Euro LX is a maple top, with a thin layer of walnut - and maple wings. Sustains for days. The black/blue wasn't my favorite color - but it's growing on me. I still want a dark cherry one though. Those are way cool....
Here's pics of my babies. . .
Natural Euro LX 4 string neck through, EMG Pups, Tone Pump pre-amp (click for larger version):
My black beauty - Euro 4 string, neck through, EMG Pups, Tone Pump pre:
Over the last couple of years I have been the webmaster for a site called ExtendedRangeBassist.com. I originally got started in web design by doing my band site, and then offering the service to other folks. I think my first customer was Stewart McKinsey. The man is a phenomenally talented, and very humble and down to earth, guy. When I *met* him - he was living in New Orleans - he has since moved to California - after great loss during Katrina - but is thankfully back to playing! Anyway - was introduced to Gregory Bruce Campbell from Stew - who wanted to get a website going for his Yahoo group - Extended Range Bassist. I spoke with Greg and developed a website and a forum. Still going - and the forum is very popular with the ERB folks. Well, with the web site - we started looking into getting some advertising support. Spector was one of our first. Through that, I was able to talk to both Stuart Spector and his right hand man, PJ Ruble. Both very nice guys - not to mention making the absolute best basses in the market!
I was able to hook up with them and get a Spector Euro LX, in natural maple. Oh, my, bass nirvana! This bass - being not only the first bass I have bought new - but one of the best basses I have ever played is absolutely gorgeous - plays like a dream - the string spacing is perfect - I love this bass! When I first got it - I couldn't put it down. I do my best to keep in in perfect condition - lemon oil the neck, clean it - wipe the strings down. . .
Eventually, I wanted to sell my Warwick - to get another Spector! I put the Warwick up online at a couple places, Talk Bass and Bassgear.com. I wanted to avoid the 'bay if at all possible. I had a few hits right away, and made contact with Tim - with whom I still talk occasionally today. Tim's a great bassist - and getting better, taking lessons from Bill 'The Buddha' Dickens! Anyway - Tim and I agreed to a swap - his Spector Euro for my Warwick Thumb NT - and a bit of cash to make up the price difference. He had installed an EMG three band pre-amp - which I thought killed the sound. He was nice enough to send the original Tone Pump (the Spector Pre-amp) with it. I had the Tone Pump installed in short order - and had a phenomenal bass! The main differences between it and the new Euro LX is that the Euro is a solid maple bodied bass, while the Euro LX is a maple top, with a thin layer of walnut - and maple wings. Sustains for days. The black/blue wasn't my favorite color - but it's growing on me. I still want a dark cherry one though. Those are way cool....
Here's pics of my babies. . .
Natural Euro LX 4 string neck through, EMG Pups, Tone Pump pre-amp (click for larger version):
My black beauty - Euro 4 string, neck through, EMG Pups, Tone Pump pre:
Wednesday, November 09, 2005
My Warmoth experiments
During the time I had other basses - and played them! I experimented with Warmoth. If you're not familiar, Warmoth is a company out East, that makes 'replacement' bodies for Fender guitars and basses. They also make necks. And they will sell you just about anything else you need to make a whole instrument. The pieces are pretty nice, on the whole (I never had any problems at all - and when I had a question about something I thought I shouldn't pay for - they agreed - - > great customer service!) I have had 2 experiences with Warmoth - so let me tell you about them.
Jazz
I figured I should play a jazz bass - cause everybody else did. Well, that was my logic, anyway. I wanted something special. I looked through the Warmoth woods site and found a great piece - Black Korina it was called. Wow - that was a real beaut! Kind of like a dark, dark, zebra - but the lines were almost like a spalted maple, and the dark lines through the pieces looked way cool. :) Yeah - it was pretty. For a while, the body I bought was the 'example' piece of what Black Korina looked like! Anyway - I figured it can't be that hard - so I bought the body, bought a really cool neck (that didn't have to be finished - I didn't want to finish a neck so I bought one that could be left bare - it was great wood too, although I can't remember what it was). I got tuners, I got jazz Bartolini pups, even a pre-amp to put in. I know, sacrilidge to some, but I like active pickups! :)
I got the body - and it looked great. I didn't feel it needed any finishing work in terms of fine sanding or anything - and I figured the finish would make up for any fine openness of the grain. Turned out I was right about that. I decided to go with a 2 step approach. First, I wanted a touch of color, so I went with a Tung oil (I know - they always have a bit of something in there to help it set - in this case a bit of poly, I think). I used a furnature type Tung oil, with a good reputation for quality. I did around 7 coats. Put it on, hang it overnight. Put on another, let it set overnight. A few times, I let it cure for more than a day - 2 at the most. After that was done, I let it sit for a few days - maybe even a week if I recall correctly, before putting on the final coat. Oh, and I also used some 0000 Steel wool before using any - and after - the first few coats. To make sure that I was getting a nice shine (I wanted it to stay looking pretty!). After the Tung had dried to my satisfaction, I started with the Poly.
I applied around 12 coats of poly. This was a much longer process. More coats - more steel wool, although applied much more sparingly - and yes - I used a magnate to clean it up. It didn't seem to cure as fast, so most were 2 day waits. After, I also let it sit for a few days. Then I got to drill out some holes again, since none of the knobs would fit now! :) But the result was absolutely wonderful. It was gorgeous. Now all I had to do was drill and set the neck, install the pups, put on the bridge and tuners, and some strings. I did all that - using black hardware (wow - it looked really great) and got ready to play. Dang. Still sounded like a jazz bass. :| Nope, I'm not that fond of the Jazz bass sound. Sure - lots of folks love em. I even used the bass a lot - put on flats and half-wounds (still my constant choice of string) and played the heck out of it for a few months. But it still sounded like a jazz bass. nuts. Sold it at a huge loss. ebay'd I believe. Somebody got a great bass - for way less than it was worth - not even counting the work I put into it. Yikes.
Gecko
My second Warmoth Experience was during the tenure of the Warwick Thumb. I got an inkling that I should be playing a 5 string. After all, being the web master of the ExtendedRangeBassist.com site, you'd think I was one of 'em. So I set out to build and own a 5er. I loved the look of the Gecko series - not quite jazz or p - but still a nice look to them, so I thought that I would start there. I had a body picked out - wasn't really worried - since they all pretty much looked the same, but I did have my choice of woods. I went with a AAAA quilt top of Maple, and a see through gloss purple finish. Yes, I wanted purple. But not quite that bright -yikes! It was bright - but looked great. The finish was done very well - pretty thick stuff - but they didn't do any finish work on it at all - so I had to (again) redrill out all the pot holes, and places where I was going to install anything - like evey hole on the thing. Neck. Pickups. Knobs. Man - that got old fast. The neck was also a beaut. Since I had a warwick and knew of the call of the Wenge wood (I loved the low-mid growl of my Warwick, plus, Wenge is another 'no finish' neck wood. Plus Plus!). The neck, while being a tad larger than my beloved Warwick, was very nice. I got Barts again for the pups, black hardware, as per my usual, and set to work. I had an aguilar pre I was going to use. Couldn't get it to work. Oh, it only works with passive pups, right. :| Ok, back to EMG's......Oh, they work! Perfect!
Off to practice. What - guys - you don't like it? Not meaty enough. Different than the Warwick. No real value.....wow. Thought the band would like it! :) They really like the Warwick....ok. Back for sale. Another disappointing loss....Oh, well. I really like 4 strings!
Jazz
I figured I should play a jazz bass - cause everybody else did. Well, that was my logic, anyway. I wanted something special. I looked through the Warmoth woods site and found a great piece - Black Korina it was called. Wow - that was a real beaut! Kind of like a dark, dark, zebra - but the lines were almost like a spalted maple, and the dark lines through the pieces looked way cool. :) Yeah - it was pretty. For a while, the body I bought was the 'example' piece of what Black Korina looked like! Anyway - I figured it can't be that hard - so I bought the body, bought a really cool neck (that didn't have to be finished - I didn't want to finish a neck so I bought one that could be left bare - it was great wood too, although I can't remember what it was). I got tuners, I got jazz Bartolini pups, even a pre-amp to put in. I know, sacrilidge to some, but I like active pickups! :)
I got the body - and it looked great. I didn't feel it needed any finishing work in terms of fine sanding or anything - and I figured the finish would make up for any fine openness of the grain. Turned out I was right about that. I decided to go with a 2 step approach. First, I wanted a touch of color, so I went with a Tung oil (I know - they always have a bit of something in there to help it set - in this case a bit of poly, I think). I used a furnature type Tung oil, with a good reputation for quality. I did around 7 coats. Put it on, hang it overnight. Put on another, let it set overnight. A few times, I let it cure for more than a day - 2 at the most. After that was done, I let it sit for a few days - maybe even a week if I recall correctly, before putting on the final coat. Oh, and I also used some 0000 Steel wool before using any - and after - the first few coats. To make sure that I was getting a nice shine (I wanted it to stay looking pretty!). After the Tung had dried to my satisfaction, I started with the Poly.
I applied around 12 coats of poly. This was a much longer process. More coats - more steel wool, although applied much more sparingly - and yes - I used a magnate to clean it up. It didn't seem to cure as fast, so most were 2 day waits. After, I also let it sit for a few days. Then I got to drill out some holes again, since none of the knobs would fit now! :) But the result was absolutely wonderful. It was gorgeous. Now all I had to do was drill and set the neck, install the pups, put on the bridge and tuners, and some strings. I did all that - using black hardware (wow - it looked really great) and got ready to play. Dang. Still sounded like a jazz bass. :| Nope, I'm not that fond of the Jazz bass sound. Sure - lots of folks love em. I even used the bass a lot - put on flats and half-wounds (still my constant choice of string) and played the heck out of it for a few months. But it still sounded like a jazz bass. nuts. Sold it at a huge loss. ebay'd I believe. Somebody got a great bass - for way less than it was worth - not even counting the work I put into it. Yikes.
Gecko
My second Warmoth Experience was during the tenure of the Warwick Thumb. I got an inkling that I should be playing a 5 string. After all, being the web master of the ExtendedRangeBassist.com site, you'd think I was one of 'em. So I set out to build and own a 5er. I loved the look of the Gecko series - not quite jazz or p - but still a nice look to them, so I thought that I would start there. I had a body picked out - wasn't really worried - since they all pretty much looked the same, but I did have my choice of woods. I went with a AAAA quilt top of Maple, and a see through gloss purple finish. Yes, I wanted purple. But not quite that bright -yikes! It was bright - but looked great. The finish was done very well - pretty thick stuff - but they didn't do any finish work on it at all - so I had to (again) redrill out all the pot holes, and places where I was going to install anything - like evey hole on the thing. Neck. Pickups. Knobs. Man - that got old fast. The neck was also a beaut. Since I had a warwick and knew of the call of the Wenge wood (I loved the low-mid growl of my Warwick, plus, Wenge is another 'no finish' neck wood. Plus Plus!). The neck, while being a tad larger than my beloved Warwick, was very nice. I got Barts again for the pups, black hardware, as per my usual, and set to work. I had an aguilar pre I was going to use. Couldn't get it to work. Oh, it only works with passive pups, right. :| Ok, back to EMG's......Oh, they work! Perfect!
Off to practice. What - guys - you don't like it? Not meaty enough. Different than the Warwick. No real value.....wow. Thought the band would like it! :) They really like the Warwick....ok. Back for sale. Another disappointing loss....Oh, well. I really like 4 strings!
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