Bass porn! I knew if I hung around long enough ...
Oh my. A Gorgeous Series II, a P-Bass, an Ibenhad SD GR 5-string with the Charlie Hunter/Novak thing goin' on and a Music Man 5-string (that seems to have too many knobs).
The Novak fanned fret thing is really interesting. It's one of the few ideas that's made me immediately think; hey, that's a great idea! You get the benefits of the longer scale right where you need it, and the clarity of the shorter scale on the upper register. That must sound AWESOME.
I went to the Dallas Guitar Show with a friend, a true Texan. He wasn't going to spend a dime. After he handed over the cash for his SECOND guitar, he shook the seller's hand and said; you have no idea how much my wife hates you.
That's how I feel, looking at that thing. *Stuart Townsend must feel like that a lot. Yeah, I covet. My palms itch. That's as close to an ideal arsenal as I've ever seen. The only problem you face, as far as I'm concerned, is trying to put one down once you've locked in with it. You know what I mean? Especially with a good drummer. Holy cow.
This illness started when my dad bought a '62 P-bass for me when I was 9 years old, because everybody in my family plays an instrument so the ol' man was sick of me battering away at the cutlery. It was either bass or drums, and I think even he had to admit I wasn't dumb enough to be a drummer.
So I'm familiar with P-basses, but I have never replaced that one when some scumbag stole it in Seattle. He might as well have reached into my rib cage and tore my heart out.
I like playing other people's, though.
Hey, speaking of Novak, take a look at this:
http://www.truetemperament.com/ How about that? That's different, making your OCD work for you. Note that the biggest squiggle is on the G String, third fret.
So both Novak and True Temperament are approaching nearly identical issues of scaling and temperament in two radically different ways.
Note that the bridge for the the acoustic is dead straight. On the electrics, the saddles are in standard intonation positions. (I did hundreds of original Floyd Rose setups, where you had to lock everything down to make even the most minor adjustment, and if it was off you had to take the whole damn thing apart again. So I have an eye for that kind of thing.)
Notice that they all vaguely follow the Novak thing anyway (I think one of the most charming things about Gibsons with stop tailpieces are never really in tune. Teles with log saddles, either.)
So the answer is between the two approaches: a Novak approach to scaling by fanning the frets, correcting temperament with minor adjustments in the frets. (Plus, it would look really cool.)
You're a genius, I tell ya.
After all, the more you split the difference, the more effective each approach is at solving the other's problem at the same time.
I'm assuming from your act of shameless bass porn that you are a man of exquisite tastes. Bravo, sir.
You have no idea how much my wife hates you
PS: Carvin!
That was @2004(?) Gotta get some new pics.
*Stuart Townsend is Charlize Theron's boyfriend
