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POLL: lefty '51P specs
http://leftybassist.com/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=471		 Page 1 of 1
Author:  Rodent [ November 4th, 2008, 10:30 am ]
Post subject:  POLL: lefty '51P specs
Hey there - time for another poll :shock:

Lefty modernized '51P 4-string

* Swamp Ash body finished in semi-transparent vintage white (custom brewed color that will only be available in a lefty ;) )
* 60's/70's reddish Tort pickguard
* Nordstrand SCPB pickup
* Hipshot Ultralight tuners and vintage bent plate bridge (with cover if I can get one to fit)
* Maple/AAA Birdseye neck with zero-fret, dual graphite stiffening bars, nickel/silver frets (SS zero-fret), bone nut, side dots only, satin finish
* CTS 250K pots with Orange Drop .047uf cap
* Electrosocket tele style side jack
* chrome hardware
* trussrod adjustment slot in body (but not pickguard)

am I missing anything here? (future units can be made most any color in either opaque or semi-transparent)

I'm also 50/50 between utilizing a J or P contoured neck. I really like the feel of the J, but can easily do a P. Preferences anybody?

My intent here is to capture the general vibe and aesthetics of the early '51P styled basses, but to also add a few modern touches that make what I consider to be improvements in playability and overall usability. I am definitely not attemptig to make a reproduction of the original - why duplicate what Fender already did so long ago?

All comments appreciated. You will see this one completed (and available!) before the end of this year

all the best,

R

edit: ammended neck spec to disclose graphite stiffening bars
Author:  bbl [ November 4th, 2008, 1:27 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: POLL: lefty '51P specs
My preferences would be a Brazilian rosewood fretboard, with dots, a J neck, and a sonic blue nitro finish with white or mint pg.
Author:  pjmuck [ November 4th, 2008, 4:25 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: POLL: lefty '51P specs
I'm personally not a fan of a semi-transparent vintage white finish. I've seen several Fender Custom Shop P basses in that finish and with the wood grain visible through the finish it has a way of making the bass look pink. If you can make it look white and not pink, then I'd be in favor of it.

As much as I loved J necks, I would actually prefer a beefier P neck. Will you be shaping the headstock to replicate a Tele-style headstock?
Author:  Rodent [ November 4th, 2008, 6:31 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: POLL: lefty '51P specs
Rosewood is easily doable for future units, as are fretboard dots. I have also lined up a local source for Nitro finishes (they are more expensive and take about a month longer to complete than poly, but I do have access to the same breadth of available colors)

P - agreed that most of the Fender semi-transparents have a pink edge to them, and something specific that I have been working to make sure is not the case for this bass - I've actually contracted a custom color that will be right in between a white transparent and butterscotch blonde. it has that "well aged in a smoky bar" feel to it


the headstocks will not be a replica of the Tele style due to Fender copyright on the design. on those units where I use a P neck, it will be a precise shape replica (except for the headstock, of course) of my personal Jul 65 P-bass C-neck

all the best,

R
Author:  LefThanDed [ November 5th, 2008, 6:12 am ]
Post subject:  Re: POLL: lefty '51P specs
Should look really good!
1. Body: slab or contour or hybrid?
2. What's up with the zero fret?
3. Metal control plate: Same shape as original '51, only lefty?
Author:  AustinLeftyBass [ November 5th, 2008, 7:46 am ]
Post subject:  Re: POLL: lefty '51P specs
This is gonna sound really stupid but, where's the poll?
Author:  Rodent [ November 5th, 2008, 9:14 am ]
Post subject:  Re: POLL: lefty '51P specs
ALB - you're right. in all of my edits prior to clicking submit I revised the real POLL portion right out of the content without noticing it :oops:

I guess the only remaining poll would be: is this an appealing configuration for a standard offering?

for those who would be generally interested but say 'no' due to certain specs, what would you need to see as options that would make this appealing?


I believe I'll be able to price this at $1595 + case/bag as spec'd, with a Brazilian Rosewood fretboard upgrade over AAA Birdseye coming in at $50. Pau Ferro or Ebony could also be a no charge option to the AAA Birdseye

all the best,

R
Author:  Rodent [ November 5th, 2008, 9:24 am ]
Post subject:  Re: POLL: lefty '51P specs
adgc wrote:
Should look really good!
1. Body: slab or contour or hybrid?
2. What's up with the zero fret?
3. Metal control plate: Same shape as original '51, only lefty?


1) initial bodies will be slab, but my end goal is to also offer a '54P model (they had the arm and tummy contours)

2) I'm a real zero-fret enthusiast due to the added playability and tonal consistency it provides. when properly done, a zero-fret will outlast a typical nut

3) yes, metal control plate identical to the original but in lefty config. these will be a custom part I'm having made since I cannot find them available anywhere - righties are easy to find, but no lefties :( fyi - the initial estimate for a small batch of less than 100 pieces is roughly $35 each :o

all the best,

R
Author:  Rodent [ November 5th, 2008, 3:50 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: POLL: lefty '51P specs
update: a '54 style contoured body (same outline as a '51, but with arm and tummy contours as shown below) will only be a minimal upgrade charge over the '51 style slab for those who would prefer a more comfortable body

here's a good visual comparison between the two models (sorry, I don't have any lefty images from this era)

Image

Image

all the best,

R
Author:  Lefty007 [ November 5th, 2008, 10:28 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: POLL: lefty '51P specs
1-I like the direction of the model. I dig the color choice, but I would also like to see it with a black pickguard instead of tortoise, especially if the tortoise is reddish (don't like those). And the pickguard should have a nice, precision-cut edge to it. . . I've seen some '51-P-Bass-inspired basses from Nash Guitars, for example, and the pickguards looks like they were cut by hand. . . not good.

2-I would go with a J neck, unless the P neck is the modern kind (thin front to back, no baseball bat). Wonder how the '65 P-bass you would use as a model is.

3-A contoured body is a must for me. I would not consider buying a slab-body bass at all.

4-Must be balanced and lightweight, under 9 lbs.; the lighter, the better.

5-Fretboard dots would be nice also, for traditionalism's sake.

6-I'm curious about the headstock shape. Should be something resembling the '51/'54/Tele look.
Author:  Rodent [ November 6th, 2008, 9:35 am ]
Post subject:  Re: POLL: lefty '51P specs
n/p on a black pickguard. my current plan offers a beveled edge on the majority of the edges, with a square cut around the pickup itself. I can confirm that these are very well crafted pickguards, and not some hack job from an eBay sweat shop


my standard P-necks are .8" in thickness from the fretboard seam to the extreme of the rear contour curve - pretty thin by most anybody's standards. I use a 12"R fretboard as standard, so there is also a little less thickness when compared to the typical 9"R fretboard found on most 4-strings. I can easily accommodate most any fretboard radius preference between 6"R and 20"R, and also most any compound radius ... these would be a special order item, but offered at no additional charge

my personal '65P neck is the rather thick version. great for those who also need a weapon handy while loading up after a gig, but not something a typical J-bass player would instantly feel at home on. for those who have a fondness for thick necks, this one is pretty sweet


target weight for this bass model is 7.5 - 8.5 pounds, which is easily achievable. I believe I could even get it down to just under 7 pounds (maybe even in the mid 6's, but I'd need to do some additional testing) without any balance issues. for those who like a heavier 70's era body, I can easily accommodate with a heavier Ash body


fretboard dots can easily be included/omitted


thanks for all the thoughtful feedback so far. feel welcome to keep it coming

R
Author:  Rodent [ March 10th, 2009, 1:14 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: POLL: lefty '51P specs
thought I'd update this thread to confirm that I just secured a source for lefty '51P control plates. Since these will be custom made for me, I'm going to leave the source unnamed for now (I'd like to get a couple lefty '51 and '54 basses out the door before these plates flood the market, ya know :D )

I'll be working the headstock this weekend - hopefully I won't need to modify my 4-string headstock logo to accommodate the changes

all the best,

R
Author:  pjmuck [ March 10th, 2009, 6:29 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: POLL: lefty '51P specs
Rod, these are not the ones you quoted at $35 a piece earlier, are they?
Author:  Rodent [ March 10th, 2009, 6:43 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: POLL: lefty '51P specs
nope - that deal just kinda vaporized into nothing (friend of a friend's machinist coworker kinda deal). my current deal is going into production within the week.

all the best,

R
Author:  Rodent [ March 22nd, 2009, 7:09 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: POLL: lefty '51P specs
Lefty007 wrote:
6-I'm curious about the headstock shape. Should be something resembling the '51/'54/Tele look.


Finalized the headstock this weekend. it definitely captures the original Tele vibe, but it also is readily identifiable with my standard headstock design

I should have a 5-string version (5 in-line tuners) of the headstock ready in about three or four weeks. The 4-string is almost identical, but there's a slight adjustment due to the thinner nut width. The 4-string will be available in 1-1/2" and 1-5/8" nut widths, and the 5-string has a 1-7/8" nut. I'm going to make these available with and without a zero-fret. FWIW the first unit off the bench will have a zero-fret

for color I'm looking at a semi-transparent white with a vintage tinted clear as an attempt to capture the look of an older Nitro finish. definitely NOT going for the relic look

all the best,

R
Author:  Rodent [ May 12th, 2009, 7:11 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: POLL: lefty '51P specs
it's long overdue for me to update this thread ...

the lefty control plates are about ready to ship out! :D that said, here's where I'm at on this ...

Lefty modernized '54 styled 4-string

* 1-piece Swamp Ash body finished in semi-transparent 'vintaged' white (custom brewed color that will only be available in a lefty, and definitely NOT pinkish!)
* forearm and tummy contours, 3/8"R round over edges
* quartersawn Maple/Maple neck with 1-5/8" nut and modern P-styled profile, zero-fret, 6230 alloy frets, dual graphite stiffening bars, bone nut, black face/side dots, vintage tinted satin finish
* custom RGW 'Heritage Series' headstock for that vintage headstock vibe
* Nordstrand SCPB '54 style pickup with raised pole pieces
* Hipshot Ultralight tuners with clover keys
* Replica '54 Tele twin saddle bridge with thru-body stringing
* Black pickguard
* CTS 250K pots with Orange Drop .047uf cap
* Electrosocket tele style side jack
* chrome hardware
* trussrod adjustment slot in body (but not pickguard)

definitely a few changes from where I was originally headed at the beginning of the year, but all for the better I believe. and for anyone interested, I'm just about to begin a 5-string version that's near identical to this one as a custom lefty build.

There will be two versions of this 'Heritage Series' design - one that resembles the original '51, and another that incorporates the tummy/forearm contours introduced in '54/'55. Once I have parts rolling, I'll open a new thread dedicated to the first build of this series. I'm still hoping to keep my pricing in the $1595 US range (plus case and shipping) for this model, but I can't guarantee it just yet especially considering I'm building this initial one with a 1-piece ultralight Swamp Ash "clear finish grade" body

all the best,

R
Author:  AustinLeftyBass [ May 13th, 2009, 9:46 am ]
Post subject:  Re: POLL: lefty '51P specs
OK, I'm interested.
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