New basses!!

[Erik Tiwaz]

I am now very proud and pleased to announce that I am endorsed by the Norwegian master luthier Listerud. He is currently building two 8-string fretless basses for me. I'm totally stoked about this, and I can hardly wait to get my hands on them. The basses will be finished in june.

Specs:

Bass 1:
8-string fretless 34" scale bolt-on construction
9-piece Maple/Bubinga neck with double trussrod
Ebony fretboard
2-piece Maple body with Ebony top
Audere preamp
BassCulture soapbar pickups
Either oil or wax finish
The bass will feature some really cool carvings and Corian inlays taken from Norse mythology.

Bass 2:
8-string fretless 34" scale bolt-on construction
3-piece Maple neck with double trussrod
Ebony fretboard
2-piece Maple body
Audere preamp
BassCulture soapbar pickups
Black high-gloss piano finish

Tuning on both basses: F#-B-E-A-D-G-C-F

Pictures:

- Jan Erik

 

[Devourer]

They look awesome, congrats! I bet you will really enjoy them once they are finished

 

[The Grand Design]

Man it's amazing to see how they're built from scratch! You're very lucky Tyr! Why is the tuning F# to F, instead of F to F? Are you quite familiar with fretless basses or do you usually play a fretted bass? Those basses are gonna look amazing when finished!

 

[Zephyrus]

Will either or both of these be used in recording the new album?

 

[Erik Tiwaz]

Yeah, I'm very lucky
The tuning just follows the regular bass-tuning in fourths, and therfore the lowest will be F sharp, one string lower than that would be C sharp.
I am quite familiar with fretless basses, remember that on "Origin" I used fretless 6-string only.

 

[Erik Tiwaz]

Will either or both of these be used in recorded the new album?

I guess I will use both basses.

 

[The Grand Design]

Oh that's wicked, yeah I noticed the bass sound on Origin was quite "organic" (guess that's a good word to describe it). Is fretless bass more difficult, due to needing to know the notes by ear, or is quite easy to tell when a note is off by comparing it to other instruments in the song?

 

[Allfader]

Erik, Congratulations!! they look awesome!!! the ebony top looks amazing!!.. damn I fell in love with the 'norse' bass...

BTW, can you upload some pics while they are in construction till they are finished? Would be awesome to see how Listerud works and how they take shape...

I got a couple of questions...why basses are bolt-on? your old bass was made as neck-thru, there's a reason for use bolt-on basses now??

Do you know what strings will be used on each bass?


Congrats again!!

 

[Allfader]

Oh that's wicked, yeah I noticed the bass sound on Origin was quite "organic" (guess that's a good word to describe it). Is fretless bass more difficult, due to needing to know the notes by ear, or is quite easy to tell when a note is off by comparing it to other instruments in the song?

I play fretless bass and for me it's the same. The hardest thing at beginning is to have the accurate needed to play fretless. on fretted instruments, you have to place the fingers just before the bars and that's all, cause the bar gives the right note but in a Fretless one, you have to place the fingers on the fretboard exactly on the place where the bars are supposed to be, a couple of milimeters off that position and you play untuned notes. while you are going up on the fretboard, the difficult increases, but it's nothing impossible to do, with a lot of exercises you can dominate the fretless fretboard on a more or less short period of time.

Another thing that took me a while to master is to play my fretless headbanging. You need a complete dominion of the fretboard to do it, as you can't see what are you playing with the head on 360º movement... damn I always admired Erik for that... now I can do it too ^^.

 

[Naglfar]

They sound -expensive- as hell. What was the damage in $$$? haha

 

[Qu Appelle]

Those just look beautiful. Congratulations! You must have amazingly long fingers to be able to play those comfortably!

 

[FailingAcension]

Holy crap! I don't know a thing about playing bass, but I know that the neck with 4 strings is big enough for me. 5 seems like alot. 6 would be impossible. But 8?! Wow!

 

[Erik Tiwaz]

Erik, Congratulations!! they look awesome!!! the ebony top looks amazing!!.. damn I fell in love with the 'norse' bass...

BTW, can you upload some pics while they are in construction till they are finished? Would be awesome to see how Listerud works and how they take shape...

I got a couple of questions...why basses are bolt-on? your old bass was made as neck-thru, there's a reason for use bolt-on basses now??

Do you know what strings will be used on each bass?


Congrats again!!

I chose bolt-on because that gives more attack to the sound instead of neck-though which gives more sustain.

I will use Conklin strings, with the gauges (if my memory serves me right) : 165-135-107-87-65-45-30-22.

 

[Allfader]

I chose bolt-on because that gives more attack to the sound instead of neck-though which gives more sustain.

I will use Conklin strings, with the gauges (if my memory serves me right) : 165-135-107-87-65-45-30-22.

Thanx a lot! a brighter sound sounds cool! My fretless bass is bolt on and the sound compared to a neck-thru one is a lot brighter.

I forgot to ask, you will use roundwound or flatwound strings?

 

[Defiance]

ME JEALOUS OF TYR IS VERY MUCH .

 

[Erik Tiwaz]

Thanx a lot! a brighter sound sounds cool! My fretless bass is bolt on and the sound compared to a neck-thru one is a lot brighter.

I forgot to ask, you will use roundwound or flatwound strings?

Roundwound, I might ask Listerud if he could coat the fretboard with epoxy to help preserve it better since there will be inlays on the fretboard.

 

[Allfader]

Roundwound, I might ask Listerud if he could coat the fretboard with epoxy to help preserve it better since there will be inlays on the fretboard.

I dunno the gauge of the strings, but it's a fact the fretboard will have inlays on it.

If you wil be endorsed, I guess you can go to listerud for maintenance to the fretboard more or less often, doesn't?

I saw his website...beautiful basses. and Listerud seems to be a master on his art. anyway, congrats again!!!

 

[lordcthulhu]

WOW, an 8 string fretless? I think you're bass will eclipse the great Steve DiGiorgio's, my friend Can't wait to hear it

 

[darcy]

What the shit Erik? Have you been hanging out with Fred from Unexpect or something?

 

[Doomtroll]

What the shit Erik? Have you been hanging out with Fred from Unexpect or something?

Glad to know I'm not the only one who was thinking that. Then again I love ChaotH and his delicious bass <3