Nordstrand Pickups and Basses Forum

[Eugenio]

Hi,

I would like to build a bass with big singles pickups. I would like to know your impressions about the combination of tone woods with this pickup and your favorite combination.

Please consider:
Neck: Maple
Fretboard: Maple, rosewood, ebony
Body: Ash, alder, korina

Thanks

[Eugenio]

Oh, I forgot, please consider also Mahogany Body.

Thanks

[Sweet Willie]

The fellahs in the shop will give a better answer than I will, but I can at least tell you what's in my head...and I'm assuming passive electronics.

Fretted: maple neck, maple board, and ash body w/ big singles -- I would expect this to have a big, ballsy sound.

Fretless: maple neck, ebony board, and mahogany body w/ big singles -- I would expect this to really sing.

However, Carey & Crew may shoot me down.

Can you say more about your project? How much of this will be assembly of pieces obtained elsewhere? How much will be your own crafting of components?

Peace.
--SW

[Eugenio]

Yes, fore sure!! My intention is to build a custom 5 string jazz bass style, with the following characteristics:

1- Big Singles pickups;
2- Active preamp: I'm strongly thinking about Audere;
3- Fretted;
4- bolt-on neck;
5- solid body, made of one piece of wood (i.e. no different top wood);
6- 34"
7- Through body string (hipshot A style bridge)

Regards

[Carey Nordstrand]

You could probably combine any of those woods in any order and get great results. Scale length is very important and then pickup placement. Woods come after that.

I've got a lot of experience with alder body and maple/rosewood necks and also with ash body and maple necks. Traditional Fender woods. I can say that these are going to work great. Ash/maple is going to be generally a little clearer and deeper with snappier highs. The alder/rosewood is going to be fatter and warmer.

I don't have a lot of experience with Korina, but I'd say it's probably in between alder and ash with good depth and still nice warmth.

Ebony will make the fingerboard very even and compressed. It can be a bit boring in my opinion. I'm not a huge fan of it either because of stability issues.

[Eugenio]

Ok. It makes a lot o sense for me that pickup placement in one of the most important issues in tone.

But your pickups come with standard pole pieces spacing. For this spacing, what scale lenght do you recomend?

Regards

[Carey Nordstrand]

I think 34" is a great scale. Probably the most practical and useable.

[Sweet Willie]

Personally, I do like 34.5" for a 5-string. However, for a DIY construction, 34" makes a lot of sense.

Carey, you're doing fewer 34.5" 5-strings these days. Are the Nordy customers more interested in 34" or have your thoughts changed in this regard?

Peace.
--SW

[subcontrabassist]

We are definitely doing more of the 34" scale basses but there are still some 34.5" scale basses coming down the pipe.

While I prefer 34", I have a couple of 34.5" scale instruments and they completely kill!