UPDATE Jan 7 Anniversary Bass preview

[koogie2k]

Pops....the tuning key restructure is pure f**kin' genius! Here is why I think that:

I am very wild on stage and the one thing that gets the most damage are those big tuning keys on my bongos. Ask Beth...she will tell ya. I have had to replace many of them.

The smaller keys as pictured will certainly increase the survival rate of my tuning keys. Plus, the smaller headstok.....pure evil genius.

I have always wondered why no one has re-invented the tuning keys on basses.

Very happy Koogs here just about that alone. Awesome stuff to all the peeps involved.

Thanks Pops.

 

[dmullen]

I've had so much fun keeping up with the new bass stuff that I forgot a guitar is in the works as well. Thanks BP for letting us in on this type of thing. It is a rare opportunity and I'm sure I speak for all Knuckleheads that we really appreciate it.

 

[adouglas]

<BillTed>woah.</BillTed>

Very, VERY cool.

Does the lower weight affect tone, I wonder? I seem to recall reading somewhere that the mass at the end of the neck was one component of the way the instrument resonates.

So, anyway....

How come that headstock isn't Bongo-shaped, as it should be?

 

[PeteDuBaldo]

OK so this seems like a tease....its not. I really want to explain this thing and the thoughts as we go along.

Our philosophy with an anniversary instrument is to not just issue a relic or reissue something already done. Rather it is a moment in time to incorporate things from where we started and different milestones along the way while offering a glimpse of the future. This is a ground up instrument that will be available as a different name and cosmetics after the 25th.....so here is the first tidbit

One of my latest mantras is that we are hamstrung by an industry and consumer base that has separation anxiety with 1953. I also strive for making the stuff as ergonomically pleasing.....Which generally means weight and balance....

That brings us to the bass tuning key. I giant hunk of metal......Been using the same one for 50 years. Our guys went about making a tuning key that had the same gearing and feel but with most of the mass taken out. This design does not require the backing plate or the screws. it also has 4 "wings" instead of two for tuning ease To give you an example on a five string bass this bass will weight one half of a pound lighter than the old ones....and thats just the keys. Keep in mind that when you put a half of a pound about a foot and a half on the end of a neck it is heavy. Now without those giant plates we can make the headstock smaller.....also by stealing from our guitar design we can make a neck that doesnt need a string retainer and actually functions better due to the downward pressure of the compensated nut.......Now we shrink the headstock and end up with a headstock that is only 10% bigger than an Axis guitars with a boatload of weight gone....we can do alot of things with that weight gone or redistributed in terms of body ergonomics and balance points....

The red outline is the sterling headstock shape

One smaller headstock for basses, one giant leap for bass players.

 

[Big Poppa]

AD Everybody has their theories as to the secret of tone and resonance. I put headstock mass at the bottom. Everything contributes but I think it starts with the bridge. I think that any perceived loss will be more than made up with all of the benefits that we are getting.

 

[Jimmyb]

BP, when you start looking at a new design, do you 'clean sheet' everything, or start with some basic parameters and work from there?

 

[adouglas]

AD Everybody has their theories as to the secret of tone and resonance. I put headstock mass at the bottom. Everything contributes but I think it starts with the bridge. I think that any perceived loss will be more than made up with all of the benefits that we are getting.

Interesting, and thanks for the insight.

I wasn't thinking in terms of "loss" at all...just difference. Knowing how well thought out all of your basses are, I naturally assume that any differences in how the bass resonates are taken into account during the development process, either explicitly or as part of the overall design (e.g., as I understand it the Bongo is made of basswood in large part because it sounded best...but that wasn't the only reason).

Having a small inkling of the large number of factors that go into an instrument's sound, and how interdependent they all are, I'm aware that designing a new bass is about much more than just cutting out a cool body shape from a chunk of nice wood and bolting stuff to it. Owning a number of basses over the years and seeing how much better the Bongo is has given me an appreciation of the importance of the overall recipe.

 

[your idol]

Tuner key design..AMAZING!
Headstock re-jived..i can dig it!
Changing the face of bass tastfully and in a progressive manner. that's a class act
thnak you BP ..win or lose with this design and set up thank you for continualy pushing thing forward.innovation is somethin you dont se enough of in th bass market. Just do me one favor..dont make a bass that tunes itself.

with this being said i wanna throw my hat in the name suggestion ring.

Trinity S4
Trinity S5
has a nice ring to it

also as to not limit the naming to pickup configuration (for future tinkering) ..you could simply name it Knucklehead

just a thought

 

[mathewsanchez]

Thanks BP, I truly believe this smaller headstock and new tuners will do wonders for the balance of the instrument. Its a great way of adding a new updated model the ebmm bass range but keeping it tasteful. I love the way older ebmms look sound and play but I completely agree that things need to move forward rather than back (it won't stop me buying old basses but who says you can't have a mixture of old and new).

I think the real question now is what's the body gonna look like? I take it you scrapped the 'Al' shape even though it was a bit of fun at the time.

 

[Big Poppa]

body? what body?.....heheheheheheheh

 

[Kirby]

body? what body?.....heheheheheheheh

BP please don't do this. It makes me think of the 80's Steinberger craze!

 

[INMT]

It will be like a broom stick with a rubber band on it.....

 

[Psycho Ward]

That looks like right handed headstock to me.

 

[sloshep]

This is getting very interesting. Can't wait to see the next preview. I have learned one thing here. NEVER underestimate the minds of Ernie Ball.

 

[Smallmouth_Bass]

All this teasing before the weekend!

 

[Eggman]

Oh boy - very clever stuff. Looks like an incredible tuner and headstock design. Can't wait to see it all matched up with a body, neck, bridge, fretboard and electronics!!

 

[RobertB]

4 winged tuning keys ... seems so simple, & perfect that it *should* be obvious, yet it has escaped everyone in the industry until now. Even if others did think of it, they didn't have the kahunas to do it.

I'll bet they'll follow suit in short order after this bass is released, though. Although I assume you've already patented it, BP, other manufacturers will be able to avoid infringement with minor design variations, is that correct?

Otherwise I guess there'd still be just 3 electric basses in the world.

 

[fly]

just can't wait............that simple.

 

[paranoid70]

Looks cool. I just hope the bass playing community at large appreciates it upon initial inspection. There is a reason there are two or three bass shapes for the last 50+ years. Often folks are reluctant to try something new (remember laser discs?). Hopefully this will catch on!

 

[Big Poppa]

paranoid we dont have to sell that many. We have a small factory and I think that we will be ok