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The 4 String Bass
The four string version seen in the majority of videos is basically a
custom jazz bass. When chatting through the design with Jon, I was
basically after a jazz bass with plenty of grunt!
The construction is a classic swamp ash body, but the capping wood is a piece of rotten maple. It looked terrible when we pulled it out of the wood pile, but he back fills all of the holes with ebony dust, hence the beautiful dark pattern that you can see.
The neck is a bolt on 5 piece laminate of maple and wenge with a Birdseye maple fingerboard. The profile shape is based on an early 70's jazz.
In terms of pickups I chose EMG's and spacing is classic 70's jazz.
In particular these are the extended range series with a DC model in the neck and a CS model in the bridge.
Both basically have two individual single coils under the plastic and
help to give the bass a hearty growl in the bridge, yet when soloed to
the neck pickup the bass sounds smooth and buttery.
One thing
that really pointed me towards Jon as a luthier is that he designs his
own preamps and this is what's installed in this bass.
Jon
is a real advocate on making a transparent sounding preamp that allows
the natural sound and combination of pickups and wood choice to speak
out.
It's
too common nowadays for instruments to use lovely choices of wood and
then have a preamp that allows you to boost the bass by 18db!!!
The 5 String Bass
If you'd like to see more of Jon's work then please visit his website:
Hi Richie I've Ben looking to sign up for
ReplyDeletePremium service for the bass guitar lessons on utube but don't seem to know how because I've been on music college tv website and all I found was PDF for 30 lessons on utube. Please help
Compliments to Richie Blake tutorials on YouTube Lotta great instructors but I'm liking Richie. I'm learning a lot. Compliments once again.
ReplyDeleteThank to your instruction video on YouTube Learn Bass Ive made a great start and finally understand Modes andd there use. Can make baselines that sound musical now. Thanks again. If you make a follow-up to the 30 videos, it would be great. A fan greats you.
ReplyDeleteThank to your instruction video on YouTube Learn Bass Ive made a great start and finally understand Modes andd there use. Can make baselines that sound musical now. Thanks again. If you make a follow-up to the 30 videos, it would be great. A fan greats you.
ReplyDeleteHi Richie. Thanks so much for the bass lessons series. You have the knack of demystifying musical theory in a way I have not seen before. The modes were a perennial mystery to me but now I not only understand what they are, but *why* they are. As we say up here in Norway 'Tusen takk' (a thousand thanks :-))
ReplyDeleteI am almost 66 years old and guess what? I started to learn to play bass guitar a month ago thanks to you.
ReplyDeleteAt first time I saw your Bass lesson on YouTube I couldn't stop thinking about my dream when I was young in early '70.
Thank you very much for the opportunity that my dreams become true.
You are best teacher I have ever met in my life.
Thank you very much one more time!
Branislav
I am a 69 year old former teacher who gave up my Vox Clubman II in 1968. You have inspired me to begin learning Bass again so I bought a Yamaha Bass and Vox amp and, thanks to you I am making progress. Yes, slow progress but I have learned more in two weeks from watching listening and playing than ever before. Originally I was from Dorset, but live in Adelaide and I really would like to shake your hand for being an exemplary music teacher. If only I learned from someone like you when I was young. To other students, if I can make progress with the 30 lessons with my arthritis and stiff short fingers, then you CAN too! Well done Richie and sincerely, thank you. Best wishes.
ReplyDeletePlease make more tutorials!!!
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