Klaus' Instruments

 

The bass page.

 

These instruments have great personal value for me and so they're not for sale. That's why this page is not a catalogue, and the instruments appear as they are - as a logical consequence thereof with dents, scratches and greasy fingers as a part of the impression.


Harley Benton EUB 500SB, 2011.

Scale: 41,2"/ 103 cm (1/1 Upright Bass).
Body: Spruce top with Maple sides and back.
Hollow body
Neck: Maple
Fingerboard: Ebony
Bridge: Maple (adjustable)
Pick-up: Piezo-ceramic, active

Tuning: e-a-d-g-
Strings: Thomastik Spirocore.


In the price range an incredible electric upright.
Only the electronics leaves things to be desired,
and are quite noisy.
Directly injected, (all treble out of the EQ) and a
large diaphragm microphone at the strings to mix in,
it sounds pretty acoustic after all, with nice tone
and sustain.
A sidebar (not shown) kan be added, and a
retractable rod for height adjustment sits at the
back.

 
U2 Fretless bass. Build by myself in '91.

Scale: 34,6"/ 86,5 cm.
Body: Oak/Mahogany
Neck: Mahogany (laminated)
Fingerboard: Ebony
Thruss-rod: Build by myself
Bridge: Brass (build by myself)
Tuners: 5 x Schaller m4 mini (black)
Pick-up's: Build by myself

Neck p.u.:
Lay-out: Single-coil with double magnets (Fender Jazz-Bass style)
Magnets: 2 each string (10 x)
Impedance: 12 Kohm

Bridge p.u.:
Lay-out: Single-coil with double magnets (Fender Jazz-Bass style)
Magnets: 2 each string (10 x)
Impedance: 8,5 Kohm

Tuning: b-e-a-d-g-
Strings: Mostly Carl Martin .045-.130

Notes: This bass is my main instrument. The sound is enormous and can be fitted any possible mix. Even it's a fretless it's possible to play excellent slap on it, and I'm even, allthough I'm a consequent "fingerplayer", able to make it sound like I was using a pick.

 
 
Precision Bass. Kasuga build '75. Modified by myself and by Johnny Mørch.

Scale: 34,6"/ 86,5 cm.
Body: Alder
Neck: Maple
Fingerboard: Ebony
Bridge: Brass (Mighty Mite Fender replacement)
Tuners: 4 x Original Kasuga
Pick-up's: Fender and Seymour Duncan

Neck p.u.: (Fender)
Lay-out: Humbucker with double magnets (Fender P-bass type)
Magnets: 2 each string (8 x)
Impedance: 10 Kohm

Bridge p.u.: (Seymour Duncan)
Lay-out: Single-coil with double magnets (Fender J-bass type)
Magnets: 2 each string (8 x)
Impedance: 8,5 Kohm

Tuning: Std.
Strings: Mostly Elite .045-.105

Notes: The bridge pick-up has, since the photo shooting, been moved to a position closer to the neck (more like a std. Jazz-Bass position). This was my first "real" bassguitar (apart from misc. cheap short-scale models of Japanese origin). I still remember my music teacher (in public school) advice me not to buy a fretless. "You'll grow tired of it in a hurry! Don't do it!" - I ignored his advice and luckily I've never regretted that.

 
 
Precision Bass. Fender build '72. Modified to 5 strings by myself.

Scale: 34,6"/ 86,5 cm.
Body: Ash
Neck: Flamed maple
Fingerboard: Rosewood
Bridge: Brass (build by myself)
Tuners: 4 x Original Fender+ 1 x Schaller m4 mini
Pick-up's: Fender and Dimarzio

Neck p.u.: (Fender)
Lay-out: Humbucker with double magnets (Fender P-bass type)
Magnets: 2 each string (by 4 strings) (8 x)
Impedance: 10 Kohm

Bridge p.u.: (Dimarzio)
Lay-out: Humbucker with double under positioned magnets and
double adjustable polepieces (Fender P-bass type)
Magnets: 4
Impedance: 12 Kohm

Tuning: b-e-a-d-g-
Strings: Mostly D'addario .045-.130

Notes: In honour of the passionate vintage freaks who might experience a nervous breakdown because I've cut and drilled in a quite old Precision, I'll defend myself with the fact that partly I don't really know if you can regard a '72 Precision as "real" vintage, and on the other hand I've, with the choice of a little, black Schaller tuner as no. 5, achieved that the bass still looks original on a dark/multicolour illuminated stage<g>.


 
 
Ultra short-scale Bass. Build by myself in '82 as
piccolo-bass. Modified throughoutly in 1995.


Scale: 29,8"/ 74,5 cm.
Body: Mahogany
Neck: Ash
Fingerboard: Ash
Bridge: Brass (Fender replacement build by myself)
Tuners: 4 x heavy duty Schaller
Pick-up's: One Dimarzio and one build by myself

Neck p.u.: (Dimarzio)
Lay-out: Humbucker with double under positioned magnets and
double adjustable polepieces (Fender P-bass type)
Magnets: 4
Impedance: 12 Kohm

Bridge p.u.: (Build by myself)
Lay-out: Single-coil with single magnets (diagonal mount a la
Gibson Victory Artist and others.)
Magnets: 1 each string (4 x)
Impedance: 8,5 Kohm

Tuning: Std.
Strings: Mostly DR .040-.110

Notes: One of the smallest basses with the biggest sound that I know of. Because of the very short scale the strings are relatively low tensioned which creates an excellent punch for funk. It's often claimed that short-scale basses aren't able to deliver any real volume in the low end of the frequency spectre. That might be the case for many short-scales, but apparantly this one has never heard about that<g>.

 
 
Tenor Bass. Build by myself in '83.

Scale: 30,6"/ 76,5 cm.
Body: Walnut
Neck: Maple
Fingerboard: Rosewood
Bridge: Brass (build by myself)
Tuners: 4 x Hohner
Pick-up's: Build by myself

Neck p.u.:
Lay-out: Humbucker with single magnet in the neck positioned coil and magnetic conducting bottomplate and single polepieces in the coil towards the bridge
Magnets: 1
Impedance: 10 Kohm

Bridge p.u.:
Lay-out: Single-coil with single under positioned magnet
Magnets
: 1
Impedance: 7,5 Kohm

Tuning: a-d-g-c-
Strings: Mostly Rotosound .028-.065

Notes: This instrument is a bit special as it is tuned a quart above a standard bass. This bass is excellent for solo work and rhythmguitar- like playing with chords. It can substitute a baritone guitar in certain situations, but is not quite as versatile.

 

 

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