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Thread: Crackercaster 556 Debutante Bass

  1. #1

    Default Crackercaster 556 Debutante Bass

    This past Saturday, I had the very good fortune to snag this beauty from the guys at Guitar Repair of Tampa Bay:


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    From Guitar Repair of Tampa Bay's Facebook page:

    This is a very special Crackercaster 556 Debutante Bass. It's made from Pecky Cypress, Southern Ash and Florida Rosewood. The Pecky not only looks cool, it also has a LOT of resonance due to the air voids in the body. This also cuts down on the weight. Carey Nordstrand has once again outdone himself making us a neck/bridge set of hum-cancelling 5-string '51 P-Bass pickups. The look of the body was so amazing we just couldn't cover it with a pickguard. The controls are volume/balance/tone with 20 gauge shotgun shell knobs. We built this for the Nashville Music Gear Expo so no one has laid claim to it yet. Stop by the shop to play this monster.

    YeeHaaa!!!!

  2. #2
    Join Date
    May 2010
    Location
    Alberta, Canada
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    2,088

    Default

    Certainly very unique body wood!! WOW!
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  3. #3

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    We had a Crackercaster in a round of Skin DEEP. Nice!


    - low life -

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
    Location
    New Liskeard, Ontario
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    528

    Default

    The look is unique and, IMO amazing. What does it sound like??
    Brian

  5. #5

    Default

    It sounds quite good actually. The output from the pickups is surprisingly strong for a passive setup, and it has the best sounding B string of any 5 string I have tried. I usually string my 5 strings E-C because low B strings usually sound muddy to me, but I am leaving this one strung B-G. I think with some refinements this will be a seriously awesome instrument.

  6. #6

    Default

    congratulations Nice saw that one there. Beautiful work. Been telling him to make one out of sinker cypress. Was the Cedar Crackercaster Tele there when you went? I did not get to see it finished. Love to see a cedar bass from them.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
    Location
    New Liskeard, Ontario
    Posts
    528

    Default

    OK now you have really peaked m ycurosity.
    What are you looking at modifying, and in what order??
    Brian

  8. #8

    Default

    I didn't see the Cedar Crackercaster when I was there. I will check it out, if they have it, next time I visit. That would be something I would like to see as well.

  9. #9

    Default

    The number one thing this bass needs, and in my opinion is needed by all the Crackercasters, is a string retaining device, or "tree", on the headstock. There is quite a few differing opinions as to the need, or not, for a device to keep the strings held against the nut, but I am in the camp that thinks it is needed. The strings currently break across the nut at a variety of angles, and with no retainer, the D string on this bass makes a VERY shallow bend across the nut. It is darn near straight in fact. Surprisingly, the string sounds fine. Since the nut and bridge work to isolate the vibrating portion of the string, I would have expected it to be more muted with such a small angle across the nut. The next thing I would change is the bridge. Whereas the current bridge does the job, it is what I would call a "budget" piece, and I think this bass deserves a nice Hipshot or similar bridge. I am thinking also about some bezels around the pickups for cosmetic reasons. That would be about it for changes, other than different strings that is. Well, there is one other modification it needs. Mick Donner called me the other day and asked me to bring it back so they could put a serial number on it. In their haste to finish it for the show, they neglected to stamp a number on the back of the headstock. The bass sounds and works great as it is, and I may leave it completely original as it is a beautiful and unique instrument. But if I do make some mods, those would be the mods I would make.

  10. #10

    Default

    I have two basses with string retainers. All my basses have the original pups and bridges. I'd love to try upgraded gear, but I have no money. Heh.


    - low life -

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