Belated NOBD: Traben Neo 4

Funkfingers

2012 MIV Traben Neo 4-string bass guitar, in MIC Fender case. 

https://i.imgur.com/CzZ9g0n.jpg?1

Decent condition. Modest price. Ideal platform for alteration.


For the curious amongst you, this is what lies beneath the oversized bridge/pickguard.

https://i.imgur.com/SmbGB5g.jpg

The drilling is not of the highest order. (Easily remedied.) The neck position pickup cavity is spot on. The bridge position pickup cavity is deliberately oversized, presumably, to allow some slack for aligning the pickup with the cut-out in the metal sheet.

https://i.imgur.com/kwmw8W9.jpg

The bridge saddle anchoring bar is simply screwed on through the metal sheet. It is likely that an aftermarket bridge could be installed and the oval sheet abandoned.

Funkfingers

Not sure why anyone is awarding a Wow! The one "special" thing about Traben bass guitars was their outlandish combined bridge/pickguard metal parts.

The woodwork and fretting are on a par with top-end Squier and mid-price Cort factory offerings by Ibanez, Schecter et al. 

For me, Traben's greatest weakness is their pickups and control electronics. G&B soapbar pickups are the equal of EMG HZ and/or Select-by-EMG. (Make of that comment what you will.) 

It had been my plan to cobble together two Duncan NYC Soapbar pickups and a STC-3M active EQ from my parts drawers. Unfortunately, I am struggling to find suppliers of 100k centre detent pots.

The 2023 retail price of a brand new Duncan STC EQ system is almost as much as a complete Fishman Fluence two pickup system. 

UPDATE 22/05/23
Ten weeks on, I never got around to wiring the thing up.

The previous owner has just informed me that he wants to buy the bass back. My upgrades out, original pickups and electronics back in. Ker-ching!


UPDATE #2 09/11/23
The previous owner wanted shot of the Traben so I had it back again dirt cheap. G&B pickups and EQ out. Seymour Duncan NYC Soapbars and STC-2P EQ harness in. 

https://i.imgur.com/YPW8Ruo.jpg