New Bass Uke Day, 2; Ibanez Jr. Guitar and Rondo Hadean conversion, Jazzelele.

KohanMike

Los Angeles, Beverly Grove West
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Here's are my latest works, an Ibanez miKro guitar, 22.2" scale converted to a bass, and a Rondo Hadean 24" bass uke modified like a Fender Jazz.

The work was originally done by a new luthier I tried who's shop is very near me, but he dropped the ball too many times, so I went back to Eric's Guitar in Van Nuys, who does great work, and who I will not forsake again. Pat Wilkins did the paint jobs, who also does excellent work.

The purple one the first guy put the tuners in the wrong place, which I'll live with, put the bridge in the wrong place, which Eric corrected, and didn't solder the pots properly, which Eric fixed. He did route the space for the P/J pickups well enough.

The yellow one, I routed the chamber on the back so the pots could be moved, and sanded the top of the body to make room for my arm. Eric made the pickguard and chrome looking pieces, which are actually mirrored plastic. Eric also made me a couple more rosewood bridges because the other guy lost mine and installed the fake Jazz pickups, they're just covers. The other guy did install a battery on/off switch so I can keep the amp cable always plugged in.

When I got the yellow one home, the D string would not resonate. I changed the pickup, but it tuned out to be a dead string, which I changed.

I still have to add the Ibanez miKro mini bass decal I had made and make a Jazzelele decal.

UU Purple and Jazz.jpg



This is Michael Kohan in Los Angeles, Beverly West near the Beverly Center
9 tenor cutaway ukes, 5 acoustic bass ukes, 11 solid body bass ukes, 11 mini electric bass guitars (Total: 35)

• Donate to The Ukulele Kids Club, they provide ukuleles to children in hospital music therapy programs. www.theukc.org
• Member The CC Strummers: YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/CCStrummers/video, Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheCCStrummers
 
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Michael, I don't know who Eric is, but you seem to make a good team revising these into great looking bases. Very sharp!
 
When you have a chance, let us know what you think about the Hadean Rondo, before and after the changes. I hadn't heard of that brand until I got here to the UU bass section.
 
I really like the Ibanez conversion. :drool:

But it looks like the guitar had a pickup selector but the bass doesn't? Why ditch that? :confused:

P.s. is the Fanner build still a thing?
 
I really like the Ibanez conversion. :drool: But it looks like the guitar had a pickup selector but the bass doesn't? Why ditch that? :confused:
P.S. is the Fanner build still a thing?

Yes, the Ibanez had a pickup selector, but with a bass, I found it wasn't necessary.

The Fanner SG is still in the works, but Brian is taking much longer than anticipated, I'm sitting in earnest for it. He keeps saying he'll send photos, but so far not. I'm not worried in that someone here posted that they just received a custom lap steel from Brian.


This is Michael Kohan in Los Angeles, Beverly West near the Beverly Center
9 tenor cutaway ukes, 5 acoustic bass ukes, 11 solid body bass ukes, 11 mini electric bass guitars (Total: 35)

• Donate to The Ukulele Kids Club, they provide ukuleles to children in hospital music therapy programs. www.theukc.org
• Member The CC Strummers: YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/CCStrummers/video, Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheCCStrummers
 
Very nice Mike!
IF I ever take up the bass, I Hope you'll customize one for me.
 
Very nice Mike! IF I ever take up the bass, I Hope you'll customize one for me.
Being that I'm retired, I can't make any promises. I very much enjoy not having any outside responsibilities, just having a good time playing, building and never watching the news.


This is Michael Kohan in Los Angeles, Beverly West near the Beverly Center
9 tenor cutaway ukes, 5 acoustic bass ukes, 11 solid body bass ukes, 11 mini electric bass guitars (Total: 35)

• Donate to The Ukulele Kids Club, they provide ukuleles to children in hospital music therapy programs. www.theukc.org
• Member The CC Strummers: YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/CCStrummers/video, Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheCCStrummers
 
When you have a chance, let us know what you think about the Hadean Rondo, before and after the changes. I hadn't heard of that brand until I got here to the UU bass section.
The Rondo basses are well known on the Talk Bass forum. For the price, under $200 US, I think they're really good, though I've had issues with the pickup not balanced between strings, which I've fixed myself. Some of the changes involved replacing the poly strings with flatwound steel strings. Which works well, especially when I have a gig outside were the humidity is higher, the poly tend to get sticky, the steel don't. I choose the Hadean solid body to modify because of the price and they lend themselves to reasonably easy modifications.


This is Michael Kohan in Los Angeles, Beverly West near the Beverly Center
9 tenor cutaway ukes, 5 acoustic bass ukes, 11 solid body bass ukes, 11 mini electric bass guitars (Total: 35)

• Donate to The Ukulele Kids Club, they provide ukuleles to children in hospital music therapy programs. www.theukc.org
• Member The CC Strummers: YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/CCStrummers/video, Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheCCStrummers
 
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Good luck with that :rofl: I'm just waiting until he decides "y'know I guess I can't really play more than 18 basses at once, maybe I should sell a few" :smileybounce:
But I can play 25 basses at one time, maybe even 30, only time will tell.
 
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