Cool Bass Gear To Order: Guild Starfire II Bass w/ Dark Star Pickups

Now you can order shirts, bags, mugs, and phone cases with this one-of-a-kind Guild Starfire II + Dark Stars image that I call "Blonde On A Beach Towel". More image designs are available!
CLICK HERE: LowNotesDesign CafePress Store
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First Post

Welcome to my pages. I hope you enjoy these stories about the bass-building hobby, my experiences with the incredible gear from DNA Amplification (and Eden Electronics), as well as performance schedules.  The Older Posts are interesting, too!

JCtheBassMan Fretless P-Bass Build

Let's launch this blog with some photos. Here is a Fender fretless Precision bass that I assembled in the summer of 2007 from carefully chosen parts. The fretboard, "ebonal" composite, yields a warm, singing tone all across the fretboard. It plays like a dream and sounds fantastic! The color is Midnight Wine. The pickups are perfect for this bass: Fender Vintage '62 reissues. This is the third bass I have built with a specific goal in mind.

Update: In the summer of 2008 I grew restless and sold this bass to a fine gent in Chicago. It's time to build something else this winter.

2011 and 2012 Performances

@WorshipFest w/ Home Built mahogany bass with Hammond Dark Star pickup

I'll be performing with several groups this summer, with DNA + Eden bass rig in tow. The Crew (below) is a 6-piece band featuring classic soul, R&B, and rock dance music.  I was also invited to join What's Missing? a dance/party band from Wauconda. Last but not least is St Matt's Lutheran praise band (above), and a hybrid group performing at Worship Fest.

2012 Dates w/ What's Missing?
Sun Feb 12 - Benefit Event Lindy's Landing Wauconda, IL 2pm - 6pm
July 2012 - Wauconda Rodeo showtime 5:00-700pm and 9:00-11:00pm

2011 Dates
Sat. May 21 - DNA Amps event at The Music Garage, Chicago 2:00-5:00pm

Thu. June 16 - Wauconda Park District  Cook Park  600 N. Main St  7:00 - 8:30pm 

Tue. June 14 - The Crew at Music In The Park Wood Dale  7:00-8:30pm

Sat. July 9 - Wauconda Rodeo showtime 5:00-7:00pm and 9:00-11:00pm
Sat. July 16 - The Crew at 11th Annual Hawaiian Party Wood Dale
Fri. July 22 - The Crew at White Pines Bensenville 7:00-10:30pm
Sat. July 30 - Cross & Crowns WorshipFest Arlington Heights time TBD
Fri. Aug 19 - The Crew at White Pines Bensenville 7:00-10:30pm
Sun. Aug 21 - St Matts Lutheran Annual Picnic Hawthorn Woods  1:00-3:00pm
Sat. Sept 3 - Wauconda Street Dance - Main Street Wauconda  6:30-7:30pm  (event runs 6pm-11:30pm)
Sat. Oct 8 - TLS Veterans Benefit Dinner/Dance  Crystal Lake Country Club 6:00-11:00pm

I hope to see you at one or more of these shows!!  So far we've avoided rain at every one!

 

Eden WT405 + single DNS-115N + home built P-bass

with The Crew @ White Pines Golf Club 2011



The Crew @ Music In The Park Bensenville 2010
Eden WT800C + DNA DNS-115 prototype

With Louie Sharp's band @Wauconda Rodeo July 2011

Eden WT405+ two DNA DNS-112N's + home built P-bass



DNA Bass Cabinets from David Nordschow Amplification

Words cannot describe the new bass cabinets designed by David Nordschow in 2010.  Pictured is a pair of my new secret weapons, the DNS-112N. Check out the rating of 450 watts RMW, 900 watts RMS peak, per cabinet!  At auditons and gigs, it takes less than 30 seconds before drummers and band members are either grinning or exclaiming how awesome the bass tone is.  Last night, with just a single DNS-112N powered by an Eden WT405, guitarist Louie described the rig as BADASS. Drummer Dave and I will be having a fun summer "locked in tight" and "on fire" (his words).

DNA DNS-112N Bass Cabinets

It was a great privilege when David and Lane Baldwin called in 2010 asking for assistance with field testing the new DNA cabinets. In David's lab, we were astounded at the power, clarity, depth, and nuance of the prototypes.  While we played various basses, David measured response curves, tuned ports, and tweaked crossovers, but in actuality, David had nailed the designs perfectly before we arrived. I can't reveal what makes these cabinets different, but rest assured that David Nordschow is a smart engineer who loves raising the bar for bass tone.

That tone that moves people is why I endorse David Nordschow bass gear.  David has truly outdone himself with the DNA designs. You owe it to yourself to check out the info at http://www.dnaamps.com/ .  And of course you will recall that David built his reputation at his former company http://www.eden-electronics.com/ .  I will continue using my great Eden amps until DNA releases a line of new high power amplifiers.

The Soul Machine

I must confess. The Fender Precision bass is such a perfect design in so many ways that, like pototo chips, I can't stop building them. The P-Bass does not require many parts, but the end result sounds so good in the mix. This classic was born in 2010, from parts that came my way when I wasn't really looking. I love that when it happens, and this one is a keeper.

JCtheBassMan P-Bass Build

This is now my #1 work horse bass for band gigs in 2010 and 2011.  The neck, from Warmoth, is especially nice.  I ordered it unfinished, then smoothed it with sanding, steel wool, and buffed coats of Birchwood Casey Gunstock Oil.

Pedulla Buzz Fretless

This 1986 Pedulla Buzz fretless may be the finest bass ever made.  Neck-thru maple construction, Bartolini pickups and pre-amp, and Schaller bridge are common components today, but the sum of the parts far exceeded my expectations.  I purchased this example from Mandolin Brothers in 1987, after having sold all my gear and "retired" in 1984. Well, Mark Egan's tone on the Pat Metheny Group albums just floored me. So, I scrimped and saved quite a while for this instrument, which payed me back with many great memories and recordings.

As the years went by, I found myself being a "band" player more than an "artist", and it was time for this bass to find a new home.  Fortunately, the right buyer appeared at the right time, someone who grew up playing cello and still had great chops.  Maybe some of you readers remember hearing this bass during duo shows with songwriters Steve Elowson, Melissa Adams, and Jay Einhorn, or at various church services.  Play one if you get the chance!!!

1986 Pedulla Buzz Fretless Bass

The Spirit Bass

A 5-string bass is essential for the praise bands and church music that I play. A tight B-string provides that deep gospel thump, and flexibility for changing keys. The bass pictured is a Lakland Skyline 55-02, modified by Lakland's luthier head Carl Pedigo (a/k/a ChicagoBassDoctor). Carl installed the new Chi-Sonic humbuckers that are designed in-house, along with a passive tone switch that I just love.  The Lakland-Hanson LH-3 pre-amp has adjustable mid frequency, single coil vs humbucking mode, and active-passive mode.  Currently I am experimenting with strings - DR Black Beauties and DR Marcus Miller Fat Beams.

Lakland Skyline 55-02 with Chi-Sonics

Lakland Skyline 55-02 with Chi-Sonics

Refinished Parts Bass

JCtheBassMan P-Bass Build

I just finished the major assembly on this Fender Precision Bass. The body started out as the 'mule' for my 2005 Dark Star P-bass, so it has the swimming pool shaped routing for that pickup.  It's Olympic White body (that I sprayed with Krylon ha!) had relic'd beautifully, but I felt the urge for something different.  So, here it is in Duplicolor auto lacquer that's close enough to Lake Placid Blue for my purposes.  The pickguard may remain tortoise, though I'm thinking about a parchment or ivory color. Pickups are from Mighty Mite with tones ranging from soul vibe to angry piano.

The final detail was to sand down the back the neck for a natural satin feel.  Three coats of Birchwood Casey TruOil were applied, with 00 steel wool buffing between coats. The neck now has a great velvety vintage feel. The rosewood fretboard was revived using Howard's Feed 'n Wax, a blend of beeswax and orange oil.

Looks ready for a night of 1960's surf rock and soul, doesn't it?  I like the parchment pickguard, too.

JCtheBassMan P-Bass Build

Dark Star P-Bass (DS-P)

JCtheBassMan Dark Star P-Bass Build

Here is my latest project, a Fender Precision type body in mahogany with a maple neck. The tone is deep and resonant. With the Elixir strings it also has a muscular, throaty quality instead of a bright tone that would be good for slapping.

JCtheBassMan Dark Star P-Bass Build

This bass originally started out as a "test mule" for the Dark Star. In 2005 I found a maple body for the bargain basement price $40, but it was very well seasoned. I painted the body with a shade of Krylon(!) that resembled vintage Olympic White, attached a rosewood neck from a Made-in-Mexico Fender P-bass, and a tortoise pickguard. That bass looked beautful and the Krylon started to "relic" in very cool ways to look like a well-used blues bass. Maple tends to emphasize the midrange, which was ideal for the Deep Purple tribute band I was rehearsing with. But over time I wanted to try mahogany.

The end result complements the full-range character of the Dark Star. The wiring harness was impeccably crafted by Butch Ammons at Bayou Cables in Louisiana. Butch has soldering skills that are certified by NASA, so it's a shame that detail is hidden under the control plate.

Here is a close-up of the Dark Star pickup; you can read about them elsewhere in my blog also.

Hammon Engineering Dark Star Pickup

Fender 50's Classic Precision Bass

JCtheBassMan P-Bass Build

Fender just released a new model called the 50's Classic Precision bass. Pictured is a 1957-59 clone that I built a few months before Fender released their version. My design is based on a modern body color, Midnight Wine, to match my fretless bass. Fender's color choices for their 50's Classic series are a love-it or hate-it affair, so I'm glad I built this one my way. Rounding out the classy vintage look is the Fender gold anodized pickguard...very Cadillac or '57 Chevy, eh?

The neck is seasoned hard rock maple from Warmoth with a fantastic vintage feel. Electronics are hot-rodded with strong Rio Grande pickups and a wiring harness from Butch Ammons at Bayou Cables that is a work of art. I now use Wilkinson brass saddle bridges on all my Fender basses - they have good mass and are beautifully finished. How does it sound? Deep, snappy, and woody, like a classic Precision Bass should. Imagine this bass as a 1959 hot rod blasting down the Bonneville Salt Falts or cruising Daytona Beach. Put on your blue suede shoes and let's do the twist!

March 2008: this bass is on it's way to Ireland! Mark, it was great to meet you and I look forward to photos of you rocking an Irish crowd. Go forth and rock!

JCtheBassMan P-Bass Build

July 2008: And here is the new owner, Mark Jordan, at his band's CD release show in Dublin. Keep on rocking, Mark!

Guild Starfire II Reissue with Dark Star Pickups

Let's take a trip in time to the last 1960's or early 1970's. This is the bass that got me started down the path to modifying and building instruments. It's a 1996 Guild Starfire II Reissue made in the original Guild factory in Westerly, Rhode Island. The plant closed a few years ago when Fender purchased the company - go figure. This bass is beautifully made, with flame maple body, a mahogany neck, and a resonant tone that made the 60's such a wild and wooly time. I titled this photo "Blonde on a Beach Towel":

JCtheBassMan Guild Starfire II Reissue with Dark Star Mod 

All it needed were pickups like the original Hagstrom Bi-Sonics, which were phased out for being complex and expensive. Fortunately, Fred Hammon, a bass-playing aerospace engineer in L.A. devoted a great deal of time and resources to recreating the Hagstrom Bi-Sonic. Fred's creation is called the Dark Star - massive chunks of alnico magnets and copper coil wire, with adjustable pole pieces - that he manufactures in his basement! Pure genius.
I lucked into being one of Fred's first customers, and in June 2005 my Guild received a heart transplant. This bass now beats with the heart of a thousand Vikings! Sometimes there is no substitute for awesome tone, volume, and response when you dig in to a soul groove or a trippy Jefferson Airplane riff. Somehow the Dark Star is able to sense resonance in the wood and the bass feels alive to the touch. In this photo I'm indulging in flatwound Thomastik-Enfeld strings played with a pick. Tone to die for!  The rig behind me is an Eden WT550 with three Eden D112XLT cabinets.  That was total overkill, so after selling one cabinet I still had a rig that covered all situations reliably for years.

JCtheBassMan with Guild Starfire II and Eden Bass Rig

Keep winding those Dark Star pickups, Fred! Here's a photo from Fred's web site http://www.hammoneng.com/ . See if you can find my bass on Fred's webpage.

Hammon Engineering Dark Star Pickups

Man, was I nuts? I sold this bass. I'm in shock. But it's found a great home with Tim Marks, a Nashville session ace and touring pro. Lay down some righteous grooves, Tim!  February 2010 update: Tim Marks played on a double-Grammy winning record for country artist Taylor Swift. Congrats!