Wood and p-ups. Never ending story.

Is wood or p-ups responsible for a bass's sound?

Frankly we are all tired of hearing this question and the ensuing verbal fight. But I keep on bumping in it in one form or another.
I've steered clear from it until now, as it produces more foes than friends. But maybe I've been a coward. So, lets engage.

As it is formulated, it's as pointless a Q as it is impossible to answer to. Even if The One Answer did exist, it would be of little help in building a superior bass.

For argument sake, let's forget that wood's influence on tone in electric basses is minimal compared to acoustic instruments and say that Tone is in the woods. So what? Are we going to choose the best sounding woods - which is what top makers do anyway - and screw the rest? No, right?

So, it's in the electronics. Sure, lets get the cream of the electronics crop then. I've got an old frying pan sitting there, kiln-dried to perfection for the body.

No? OK then, so it is a pointless Q because whatever A we get will be basically useless.
And it is an impossible Q because it is far too generic. Is Manchester United a stronger team than AC Milan? Wanna fight? Is Ferrari a better car than Lamborghini? You and me, outside, now!

We would have to agree - as we usually end up doing when exhausted enough - that wood and pick-ups are only two of the many components linked in a chain reaction - and we're back to square one.

But if MU beats AC M hands down, then asking 'Why did this happen this time around?' might take AC M to recognize mistakes and change strategy for the next match.

Try this for a change - What do truly great basses have in common?

Is it the wood? Yes, but a Steinberger, Basslab, Status, Modulus and Moses would prove that wrong.

Then it's the p-ups. Yes. But a cheep bass mounting Alembic p-ups and electronics will never quite sound like an Alembic.

Hardware then? Yes. But what exactly. A Furlanetto sounds like a Furlanetto with either brass or wood bridge/nut.

Alembic, Sadowsky, Status, Wal and others use own proprietary electronics. MTD, Steinberger, Fodera and others use p-ups and electronics custom-made for them by top makers. So there is no apparent consistency here either.

What is then the common denominator across great basses?

Here's my personal experience. When I lift a great bass I know it with my eyes closed. I instantly feel its stiffness and can almost hear its voice under my fingers.

I lift up a so and so bass and can only feel the weight of parts assembled together.

Great woods assembled with so and so built quality will still sound crap. Yet a top bass sound great even unplugged.
Whether a bass is made of wood, graphite, metal, stone or kryptonite is quite irrelevant to me. I choose between graphite and wood depending on music style and/or mood of the day.

But stiffness is everything. Every great bass I have played is stiff, whatever the building style. Be it a neck through, bolt on, set neck one thing they have in common is that you can't feel the individual parts. The bass feels like one.

Of course great el/p-u/hw will make a so and so bass sound better. But more to the point, the same parts will sound helluvalot better on a bass built the way a great bass should be.

And that to me should end the wood vs. p-ups argument. However there is a more interesting angle to it. Once construction becomes the cornerstone of great basses, then everything else take a different meaning.

Because it all becomes product of a Vision - of unique sound, playability, look and feel. Which is to me a lot more interesting and insightful than finding the silver bullet. Players are interested in great basses with great personality. No one want the Perfect One - if the is such a thing.

Some makers believe in wood tone. They keep electronics, p-ups and hardware the same for every build. Then they experiment with woods. Whichever bass they make will share the same voice. But you'll be able to appreciate subtle differences due to wood choice. It's a wonderful thing. Try a few MTD.

Some others will sound almost the same regardless of woods choice. An Alembic always sounds like an Alembic and so does a Wal or a Status. And God bless them for that.

In either cases, that's the Brand's Voice.

To this point, some time ago I watched a very interesting experiment on UK TV. A guy claimed he could tell a bass only by listening to it.

So there he was, blindfolded and with a dozen basses behind him. One by one the instruments were played by Mr. Mark King, no less. Heck, the guy nailed them all! Which goes to prove that great basses have each a unique voice.

Stiffness is the foundation of it. Each maker achieves it in the way that is more akin to his nature and craft. He then blends in p-ups, electronics and hardware to perfect his unique vision.

Different vision = Different tone.
Which is why there is no universally acceptable A to the Wood vs P-ups Q. And nothing to learn from it.
I might still not know how to build an Alembic. But I sure as hell know which way to look to build my very own.

There. I said it.

O(=<

Review: His Majesty The Wal.

The Mk I Fretless.

Few basses have enjoyed the legendary reputation the Wal has. There is something about this bass that sets it apart from the others. More than a bass it is a statement to creativity, excellence and a blend of radical innovation and snobbish classicism.

This is the review of my '89 Mk I fretless. In a way it's also a reflection over the early days of the fretless phenomenon.

Among all Wal models - Mk I-II-III, fretted, fretless, in 4,5 and 6 strings configuration - the Mk I fret-less is, in my opinion, the most iconic of all.

I own a Mk III as well and I believe is a more refined instrument and the perfect evolution of the species. Should I buy another Wal today I would likely buy a Mk III.

So, why exactly do I think so highly of the Mk I fretless? It's not just because of its excellent quality and sophisticated electronics. Every Wal, fretted or fretless, shares that. It's rather because of it's significance in the fretless world. To me, at the very least.

In its infancy the fretless phenomenon basically meant the sound of Jaco Pastorious' Fender Jazz. Only God, and a handful of us, knows how hard it was to be a fretless bassist at that time and not wanting to sound like Mr. Pastorius - with all due respect.

Literally overnight every bass player wanted a fretless J, a Chorus and wanted to - worse, he was expected to! - make it sound that way. Makers were struggling to follow suit and in a matter of months it had become a circus. It went on and on. Holy cow, I hated it!

The Mk I fretless was the perfect alternative, so naturally inclined to sound different thanks to its unorthodox electronics. But like the fretless bass needed Pastorius, so the Wal needed his champion.

Enter Brand X and Percy Jones. Over a few recordings the genius of Mr. Jones showed us bass players not just what else a fretless could sound like, but also what a Wal was capable of. Others followed suit - notably Mick Karn of Japan Fame.

But more to the point non-Wal players started drifting away from the Fender Jazz shadow. Pino Palladino was one of the first bassists to build his sound around the Wal/Jones's lesson - and he played a Music Man Sting Ray.

Suddenly those who wanted to sound different had something to start with. Even if they couldn't afford a Wal. I'll be always grateful to the Mk I and Percy Jones for breaking the spell.

Construction.


This bass is a 21 years old. But today's Mark I are made exactly the same way. The body is Brazilian Mahogany. The neck is a six piece Maple/Mahogany laminate with Ebony fretless fingerboard.

Top and back facings of this particular one are American Walnut. Between the facing and the core is a thin layer of Maple which contrasts beautifully with the two dark woods - especially where the body has been contoured.

This is a fairly classic combination of timbers. Any extravagance at Wal is usually reserved for exotic wood tops.
















Two huge, black humbucking P-ups and a massive bridge create a distinctive look, especially when in contrast with natural finish.

The body finish is natural and you can feel the wood under you fingers, while the neck is lacquered. A beautiful effect and a great feel under your fingers.

The 21 frets Ebony fingerboard is tastefully lined with a light brown wood, probably Olive, which is clearly visible at short range while blending nicely with the beautiful black fingerboard - another elegant touch.

Side MOP dots mark the fingerboard and a simple, elegant headstock houses the Schaller tuners. This bass is a gem of inspired simplicity where everything has a role and every detail is taken care of.

Take the fifth screw placed in the center of the metal neck plate. It doesn't contribute to holding the neck. In fact it's shorter than the others and doesn't even go through the body into the neck.

All it does it holding the metal plate so it won't fall when the fourth screw is taken out. That's a Bulgari touch.

The neck is a marvel of reliability. This bass has traveled with me since 1989 from North America to many countries across Europe and Asia, through hot, cold, dry and very humid climates.

Even so, I never had to adjust the truss rod - which is a lot more than I can say of the majority of great basses I have owned or still own. Except for the Steinberger. Go figure!

When you consider that the truss rod is a 21 years old thing, not a contemporary state of the art, then you've got to conclude that the wood is dam good and the construction makes it very stiff.

My MkIII 5er shares the same quality - and it mounts only one truss rod, unlike many 5ers. It's a Wal thing.

Ergonomics.

Once you wear it, the headstock immediately looks for its balance point in the air. It does feel slightly heavier on the headstock compared to the more compact Mk III, but its natural playing position is comfortable and ergonomic. It doesn't feel heavy and doesn't make you tired.

















The bridge P-U falls in a position slightly more central that that of other basses and that is very comfortable for the right arm. It also makes the end of the fingerboard comfortable for fast articulation.

The only thing this fretless doesn't have is a 24 frets long fingerboard. Today I would like that. Than again, today I would like a five or six strings 24 frets fretless, not a four. The Mk III ;)
















Electronics.

Now, when many other basses would have been happy to thrive on such a superior crafting, the Wal hits you with electronics like no other. If you remove the Eq cover and look inside you'll see a neat and somehow spartan looking circuitry.













That is the heart of the Wal sound. Each pick-up contains individual adjustable (!) pick-ups for each string, which eliminates imbalances. It's a very quiet circuit and it uses only a 9-volt battery. Then there is a standard 1/4" jack and a Balanced DI so you can kiss goodbye to external DI boxes.

Pulling the volume Knob activates a pick-attack. As the Wal website sums it up "...a narrow band of high frequencies is added to the overall tone-setting to provide dynamic, percussive attack".


Both output level and pick-attack level can be adjusted from inside the bass. This is how Wal describes the electronics:

"Pick-up Mixing Knob:- This silently mixes the levels of the pre-EQ’d pick-ups to any desire ratio whilst keeping the combined output level constant.

Tone-Knobs:- These operate electronic, low pass filters whose roll-off frequencies vary with the position of the control. Fully clockwise at 10, the spectrum is full and flat. As the controls are backed off, the spectrums of the appropriate pick-ups are foreshortened. (Roll-off 12dB/Octave).

The dominant tone character varies, therefore, throughout the entire range of control. Pulling-up the knob produces a quasi-parametric boost of about 10dB to the harmonics which lie at or near the roll-off frequency set by the rotary position.

This provides the characteristic ‘active’ sounds so popular today, without the clinical quality common to many circuits.

By using the pan mixer like a master tone control, in conjunction with the pick-up controls, an endless range of subtle tones and dynamic effects can be created, with or without the pick attack.

On left-hand models all rotary functions are reversed to right-hand".

Wow...


All this might sound intimidating but it's actually a lot more intuitive than the traditional three knobs Eq.

Basically all you have to do is to rotate the tone knob of one pick up and listen, until you like what you hear.

Then you do the same with the other pick up.

When both P-ups sound good to you, you use the balance to move around the sound spectrum you have created. I like this way of looking at it.

It sets me free from the mental grid of B/M/T and encurages me to think of sound as a whole, not as the product of three frequencies. It's a much more creative process which over time has changed the way I set the sound on bass I play.

I have played my two Wal with large band line up, in small clubs, with horns and with less then perfect sound system. There has never been a time I couldn't cut through the mud.

The Wal's voice.

...and here is where I hit the wall - pun intended. Sorry, I couldn't resist it :) I really don't know how to describe the sound. It cannot be likened to any other, not even just for reference purpose.

I can say that the massive Mahogany body adds a dark tone to the overall voice; that the sound is round, with a huge, earthquake-like bottom and that it has so much sustain you'll have to shoot it to make it stop.

I can point out how each note sounds clear and powerful; how high the P-ups output is - higher that most basses I know; how it sounds always clear, rich and with seemengly infinite nuances.

But then, what does that really tell you about the its Voice?











The best i can do here is to suggest listening to some of the old Percy Jones recordings with Brand X recordings - Masque and Do They Hurt above all - and the sound of Mick Karn on Japan's recordings - take 'Oil on Canvas'.

That's a good start but it is only half the story. To feel the magic of this bass you'll have to try one. Well, I live in Asia. If that's not a problem for you I suppose it can be arranged.














Wrapping it up.

Now you might say I am biased, and I would accept that. How can I not be? It is not even a matter of saying 'I cannot find fault with this bass' because the Wal is in a category of one. Conventional rules simply do not apply.

I might not drive a Rolls or a Ferrari, but they are what they are regardless. And I have personally played a lot of Porches but I have found only a handful of Rolls and Ferrari.

How many great brands out there have made the questionable marketing decision to offer a line of instruments made in so n so, to produce the same uncompromising blablabla at an affordable price. Right.

It is just my point of view, but these makers are simply damaging their brand and I leave it to you all do wonder why.

Price and quality are part of the same equation and you can't have an affordable Rolls because that wouldn't be a Rolls anymore, now wouldn't it? Likewise, Wal doesn't offer a more affordable-but-just-as-good marketing miracle. Think about it.

Now that Wal has resumed production after changes at the helm of the company, the chances to actually own one are real.

Regretfully the long waiting list is real too - rumored to be at least a year. That is, unless one is prepared to bit for it on the second hand market. And with price starting from 3200 British Pounds, getting a new one is not exactly easy.

And so it happens that, while some choose to make great basses everyone can afford, near Cobham in Surrey, UK, things just work together in prefect harmony to make a legend.

>=)O




In a nutshell:
+ Top craftsmanship.
+Unique sound.
+Iconic status.

- Very hard to get one.
- 21 frets.


Links

Wal website

Lesson learned: My ol' Jaydee taught me.

After 23 years the fingerboard of my old Jay Dee Supernatural and its truss rod had to be replaced. In the meantime I had entered this dangerous phase of my life when I want to know basses inside out - the most recent by-product of it being the upcoming Uber-J ;) - see the progress in archive on the right.

























I wanted to do it myself, hands on and, under the guidance of a luthier I know, I took on the challenge.

First thing I did was to remove the old Ebony board - and almost my left thumb while at that.
It's one tough MFSOB of a job! It's hours spent heating up the old wood, trying to take it out only to see it cracking into tiny pieces which you'll have to deal with one by one - with pain. Believe me, after one hour of that you will want to pay whatever the guy's asking.

And here's Lesson One: Building instruments really is hard work and that costs money.

But I finished the job. Doing this forced me to notice and ponder over tiny things which a player doesn't necessarily need to know, being mostly focused on the 'feel' of the thing as opposed to the way it works. I learned how to choose the wood, prepare the fingerboard, decide the radius, bind it, glue it, choose the size of the frets, fret it, er...re-fret it, oil it.

Playing on a fingerboard I know this well is a feeling I haven't experienced so far and it is affecting the way I play this bass.

And here's Lesson Two: God is in the details.

Together with replacing the old truss rod with a new double action one I wanted to add stiffness to the neck. So I considered adding two graphite rods. Hence the chilling question:

"Do graphite rods affect (negatively or positively) the sound of a wooden bass which was not made with graphite rods to begin with?"

It's a honest question, if you ask me. Many have argued over it since graphite first appeared in the bass universe. You know those 'headless vs headstock' or 'sound-of-wood vs sound-of-electronics' kinda debate? There you go.

To know for sure - or close enough - the only way is to have two identical wooden basses, one with and the other without CF rods. Of course there is no such a thing like two identical wooden basses. Ah ah ah. So the next best thing is to take a chance and do it to a bass you know very, very, very - did I hear very? - well. Like mine.

Which is exactly what I did.

Now I cannot speak as a builder because I ain't. But I am a bass player, I can tell you that. And my answer is a humble, resonant, rounded 'hell no'. Nope, niet, pas de tout, nein.

I couldn't notice any difference at all. Same strings, same amp, same player etc. The bass sounds the way it always did. Maybe my neighbor's cat hears something I don't. But, as far as I'm concerned, if I can't hear it it isn't there.

The graphite rods did however make the neck beautifully straight, stiff, and believe me, absolutely impervious to the humidity level of a tropical rain forest during the rainy season. But that is a side effect I can happily live with ;)

End of the debate, as far as I'm concerned.

So, my Lesson Three is: What seems to have a point in theory might not have one in practice. Do it and see for yourself.

























The Best for last: Lesson Four.

I wanted to add a few personal touches to my Jay Dee, but was intimidated by the old fear of spoiling the market value of the instrument. But I really, reeeeeally wanted to add an inlay myself and most importantly fix a few details which were key to my playing pleasure.

So I did the inlay. It took me two months. It might not be a masterpiece of perfection but I like it and I learned a lot, especially Lesson One all over again. Inlaying is one hell of a job which requires patience, precision, time, dedication, a sharp eyesight and good taste.

Then I added an oval shaped Ebony/Maple to fill the gap between fingerboard and body. It works with my slapping technique, which requires 5mm max distance between strings and body. For the same reason I had to file the edge of the fingerboard's lower angle to a smooth rounded shape right down to the neck. It just works for me. You can see both modifications in the picture above.

And here's Lesson Four: If it works for me I'm gonna do it. Screw the market value.
What I have learn easily compensates me for the monetary loss - if! Plus, I ain't gonna sell this love after 23 years :) Which brings me to the Special Wisdom Prize

Special Wisdom Prize: The Lesson of a lifetime.

I bought this bass brand new in 1987. I my early years I wasn't in the position to own more than two basses. To buy this one I had to sell my Music Man Sting Ray - a '77 I believe...yeah, don't say a word ;) (Fore the records, the second bass I had at that time was a fender Precision fret-less class '73. Ask me where that one is now, please?)

Years later when I had more cash to spare I tracked down the owner - it wasn't easy, the bass had changed hand a couple of times! - only to see it disappear again, for good this time.

And here is the lesson: Never sell a great bass.
Not even to buy another great bass. Sell your car, sell your next 5 years worth of booze, sell your ass if you have too. Later on, you'll never miss them as much as you will miss that great bass you once let go.

Thanks for listening

>=)O

ps: In case you asked, I sold the '73 P to buy a Wal Mark I fret-less - a gorgeous bass, not from this Earth. It will follow me into my grave. Wood smells good underground ;)

Review: Tobias 5 strings

I have owned this bass for about nine years now. I bought it in Atlanta, Georgia, in 2003. Is the previous owner out there?

The serial number shows that this bass was completed on the 13th of May 1992. At that time Tobias had already been acquired by Gibson (on 1.1.1990) but basses were still made by Mike Tobias and original team at the Burbank Calif. shop. This makes it one of the last few basses built before the shop moved to the new facilities in Nashville, sometime in June I believe, which marked the end of Mr. Tobias collaboration with Gibson.

Construction.

The body is Swamp Ash with natural finish. The neck is a five piece Maple/Purpleheart laminate and it's a bolt-on - the preferred choice for a punchy sound. Under the 24 frets Pau Ferro fingerboard is a double truss rod which can be adjusted removing the plate located at the end of the fingerboard. As you can see from the pictures woods have aged beautifully.

The neck is perfect, straight and very fast with the asymmetric profile that is Tobias' trademark. The action can be set incredibly low and is virtually buzz free. It mounts two Bartolini p-ups and on board 3 bands EQ.

One impressive feature of this bass is that it is extremely light, even lighter than its slick shape would suggest - lighter than most 4 strings actually. But the sound is big, with a warmth and a growl that speaks directly to your guts.

A few details are really a joy to look at. The MOP inlay of the intricate logo and the stark contrast with the black glossy headstock cover is a very tasteful touch.

The head stock's angle naturally holds the strings down without any need for the usual metal bar just above the nut. Again, one cannot help but notice how all these details converge into a bass that makes inspired simplicity its style statement.


















The scarfed headstock joint at the back is more pronounced than on most basses and is so beautifully sculpted that your thumb can gradually tell you when it's approaching the headstock. A very nice touch indeed.

The neck joint is shaped in an almost heel-less fashion. Even just visually this is a far cry from the chunky squarish heels of most bolt-on of the time - and not only. The neck screws sit into ferrules and are arranged in slightly open layout, with the bottom screws further apart from each other that the top two. This seem to suggest that the neck end is shaped slightly wider than the rest of the neck. I'm not sure. I haven't disassemble it.

Overall, the attention to details shows just how much love and expertise had been put into it. Lets not forget, this was 1992 and this bass' price wasn't exactly at Alembic level.
















Electronics and sound.

I particularly like the way mids cut through. Dialing in a bit more of the bridge P-U produces a sound that is beautifully nasal, perfect for soloing. Bartolini P-U and EQ are exemplary in their simplicity and effectiveness - V/B/bass/mid/treble. A little EQ goes a long way without changing the voice of the instrument. A toggle activates/deactivates the EQ.

In the off position the three filter won't work and you can only adjust vol and balance. Even without EQ the sound is beautiful and gutsy.
When the sound spectrum of two P-U is wide I tend to dial in an overall sound I like, then use the P-U Balance almost like a master Tone control. I have developed this habit playing Wal. It works well with this bass.

I cannot find fault with this bass except perhaps that, it isn't the best bass for my slapping style. I tend to slap with my thumb perpendicular to the strings and the neck positioned horizontally. At this angle the 24th fret gets in the way. Many bass players actually like to hammer on the fingerboard. I don't - I don't like the harmonics it produces.

To be fair, this is an inherent problem I have when slapping with many 24 fret basses - except a Steinberger because of its unique layout and ergonomics. For slapping I prefer a 21 or 22 fret board with a body layout that pushes the neck slightly forward.

Having said so, if the preferred slapping style is with the neck at an angle, then this bass is spectacularly balanced and ergonomic.

For finger style I just love it and it's one of those rare instruments which allows the player to access frets from 20th to 24th really comfortably - including on the B string!

In fact, the Tobias is designed in such a way that the bass position itself slightly more towards the player's right shoulder. This makes playing around the 1st/3rd frets quite comfortable. But aside the problem I mentioned earlier, I feel it makes it a bit tiring for the right arm when playing at the bridge P-U for long time.

As a side note I will add that I have also played a number of Gibson made Tobias and the high end ones seem very good. However the Killer B I have played don't quite fell like this one.

This bass has sealed my respect for Michael Tobias' work and all the MTD (link provided below) I have played show how the vision has improved.

Thanks for reading.

>=)O

In a nutshell:
+ Growling machine. Very light. Comfortable neck. Bartolini.
- Must like the ergonomics. Hard to find.

Links:

MTD