Thats awesome, 49. I hope im able to stumble across a low number Wish one day. Please to post pics when theyre available.
Side note/question...
Ive been toying with the swirl a few days now. No complaints that i cant get use to but i do have a question about the sound.
Let me preface my question by saying i havent been playing very long. Somewhere around a year so my ears may not be trained well enough at this point. But on the G & D strings im picking up a lot of metallic twang that i dont hear through my other basses. It could very well be that im finally hearing what a good sounding bass sounds like, but its definitely different from what im use to hearing. At this point im assuming its the strings, but i dont know. any ideas?
YammerH: I guess you do need to identify whether what you are hearing is fingerboard-to-string buzz (not uncommon!) or the actual sound of the string(s) themselves. If it is buzzing due to the fingerboard, you will have to do some re-leveling to it, but that is not really a big deal to do yourself - you will be amazed at the improvement! As far as strings are concerned, I have found the different types to greatly influence and/or change the sound of any one Wishbass. Like you, I am a beginning bass player and this is still kind of driving me nuts because my discernment is underdeveloped to date. I know I will have more of it at some point, but it's not really there yet ... However, I have noticed a distinct difference between some of the string types and I am starting to go into certain directions. Like MJL, I just purchased and installed the RotoSound Tru Bass 88 tapewound strings on my new maple Lobe (#1016), and love them - very silky feeling and the tone is good, to my ears anyway. They definitely have a melllower vibe without getting "thuddy" sounding. Keep in mind though, this bass has a lot of mass to it so it can 'carry' this type of string.
My walnut JB (#947), however, with it's tiny little body and thin, thin neck doesn't seem to like a heavy gauge string. I ended putting D-Addario half-wounds on it in the lightest gauge possible in super longs (after trying 2 other kinds) and that seems to work on this bass. The JB is a 'treble-ly' sounding thing anyway since the PUP is so close to the bridge, but this bass has SO much m-wah to it, I did not want to lose that with a thicker sounding string. The half-wounds seem to be a good compromise.
On the oak burl Scarab (#668), which has the fattest neck of any Wish I have owned, I still have the stock Wishbass strings, but even so, it sounds killer - so deep sounding and sustain until next week, I don't think it will matter much what I use on it. The woods (the neck is mostly walnut and FB is purpleheart) on the Scarab are such that it is naturally a very bassy sounding unit even with the DM's on it. Not sure what I will put on it when it gets refinished. Hmmmm ...
On my ash Hyper (#808) I installed GHS flatwounds, in the regular gauge, and it just seems to 'dullen' out the tone of this bass. I am going to try the D'Addario lighter gauge half-wounds on it someday after I get moved to Austin (it is down there now so I do not have access to it), or the TruBass 88 tapewounds.
I point out all of this out because with all the different types of woods used, and different body types etc., each bass is going to be unique with unique tonal properties. That's what is so kool about these things and why you can't own just one! Like others on this forum, I suggest you try different string types as your budget allows; but I've got my money right now on D'Addario half-wounds (lighter gauge) and TruBass black tapewounds.
If your fingerboard is not level, well, that is a different story but very common. You'll notice it more and more once you start to lower your action. Actually, I re-level every Wishbass I purchase, if nothing else. It's not difficult, only takes about 40 minutes and makes a HUGE difference. Besides, once you sand the FB out past 1000 grit and then oil it, the grain just 'pops' and becomes a bigger part of the aesthetic of your piece. Small price to pay IMHO ...
Have fun!
Seriously, you've done well - big time IMHO.
