Hipshot Does It Again....

[ram]

This "severe"???

[incubus2432]

This "severe"???

.....more severe.

I have a competent source to take care of it for me but am checking another possibility before committing.

[bassilisk]

bassilisk wrote:
I went with the brass model because I came through the glorious Brass Age in the 70's, when every bass needed a brass nut and bridge!!!

What does the weight differential from the original to brass feel like to you? Does the neck want to jack itself up now or is that a negligible issue when you're playing?

Of course, the Hipshot is much more substantial than the original bridge. I've never taken a Ric bridge off before and, truth be told, I was surprised by how "flimsy" it felt. Then again, I've taken a BadassII off my '76 Precision, went back to the original Fender bridge and suffered no ill effects regarding sustain and grunt. Go figure.

For me an instruments weight has never been an issue if it's well balanced (I'm fortunate that I don't have any back problems - so far). I don't notice it here, and there's not enough counterweight to make the neck go up. If weight is an issue they do make an aluminum model. I don't have any experience with aluminum anything, so I went with what I know (disregarding the "tone" hype on their website - more/less mids, more/less bass...each bass is different so broad stroke discriptions don't do anything for me). But I do feel the mass made a positive difference - not glaring, but noticeable to me on this bass.

[qwezirider]

Cool. I have an aluminum one installed. Overall weight's not an issue with me, I was just curious if there was enough of a balance difference to even notice.

[ram]

.....more severe.
.

OK - I'm all ears!!!!

when you can talk about it of course.....

[seyesbass]

Tom you need to sell me that 8 string!!!!!!!!

[ram]

Naaawwww I don't need to do that. Just buy a 4004, bridge, tuners and strings - talk to a luthier (Dane's is really good!) and a few months and a few $$ later you too can have one! It is nice....

[incubus2432]

.....more severe.
.

OK - I'm all ears!!!!

when you can talk about it of course.....

Well, more severe in execution but less strings.

I wasn't being secretive just to be secretive....I was waiting on confirmation that my project would be accepted before blabbing about it. It isn't set in stone but I have a casual agreement on the table so......

My Blackened Laredo will be undergoing conversion to a proper 5-er. Depending on final estimate price it may just end up as a 5 string version of it's current self with it's current ACG active preamp, Nordstrand soapbar p/u's and Hipshot bridge. If room in the budget allows it may end up with 21/24 frets (probably a slight scale change but I'll leave that to those more skilled/knowledgeable than I). Full width inlays with a silver tinge would be cool with the blackened fretboard (possibly just an ebony board to avoid long term paint issues). The paint will basically be JG with the possibility of an uber-subtle ghost flame job. Some issues like p/u placement have to be worked out as well......the added frets/possible scale change along with the size of the p/u's may dictate them being placed away from the fretboard. When I was installing the active electronics there was a drilling mishap that was repaired before it's last paint job but it may need more attention along with a more professional touch to my routing job and shielding (the routing looks fine and I have a Pickguardian cover for it but it could be cleaned up a tad so it looks factory).

The time frame for it's completion is looooooonnnnngggggg so I may be without it for a year t year and a half. That's fine, I'm really not playing much at the moment and I have the LK for my limited noodling. I have wanted a fiver Laredo since I parted with my Cii/5.....I, stupidly, didn't want to modify with new p/u's so i sold it. Now look at the mess I'm involved in.

*******While typing this I received my ballpark estimate from Paul, it is perfectly acceptable so all I need to do is send the bass and a deposit. I guess if he has a break between scheduled projects he'll poke at it here and there but I'm sure his schedule doesn't leave much free time.

[ram]

Brian, it sounds like a waaay coool project. Keep us posted with updates as they become available. Getting what you want is really worth the wait... good luck with it.

[aceonbass]

Of course there are two ways to make it a 21-24 fretter. Make the scale shorter by moving the bridge up(yuck), or making a longer fingerboard. Access to the truss rod hardware at the body end would be impossible without replacing the truss rods with longer rods. Being a curved channel, I don't know how you'd be able to keep the body end of the rods from theoretically poking through the fingerboard on that curve. Since it's going to be a five string, I'd move the bridge back an inch or so, stretching the scale, but still maintaining a 20 fret board within the existing dimensions. Obviously a new board would be required, but the longer scale would make that B string sound even better. I have a 24 fret Schecter Hellraiser 5 and can tell you I have no pressing use for the extra four notes. However, if you do somehow get the bass converted to 24 frets, altering the cutaways for access those frets would be required and would look pretty cool.
By the way Tom, how has that 4-2-8 working out for you? Does it get a lot of use with whatever kind of music your band plays?

[ram]

Hi Dane, the 8 is doing VERY WELL! Matter of fact just came up from play it. I love the thing. We are working some tunes for recording and the 8 is there very prominently! It is not perfect for all tunes but man it comes close. We are a three piece band - I have some bass pedals and the guitarist loops stuff so it works in quite well. Huge sound from that light weight thing. Still blows away the other guys when I play it…

[weemac]

Tom, you have the 8 string that Rickenbacker SHOULD build!
Eden.

[JohnRick]

Vasyl,
I have seen this pic before! How's it workin out?

[ram]

Tom, you have the 8 string that Rickenbacker SHOULD build!
Eden.

Thanks Eden... mayhaps someday they will!!! They really should. It is a wickedly cool machine.. I AM bonding with it quite nicely!

[bassilisk]

I have seen this pic before! How's it workin out?

Took a while to get back around here bro...
And it be working very well indeed!!! 'Smatter of fact it'll be coming out with me to tonight's gig. I just got my old GK800RB back from the shop and am anxious to hear it with this bass.

It's nice to have a Ric again, especially one I can do things like this to without guilt!