First up, possibly the least consequential hardware choice for the instrument (probably tied with strap buttons), the knobs! Of course, as this can have a surprisingly strong impact on the aesthetics, I agonized over this for at least 3 weeks.
These are black aluminum with a white indicator line. The slight gloss and top surface indicator says "precision" to my eye.
Significantly more important is the stuff the knobs will be controlling, the Audere Audio preamp, with blend, volume, and 4-band EQ. There will also be 2 coil-tap switches, and the neato Audere z-mode switch, which changes the input impedance of the preamp, and the resonant frequency of the pickups along with it. I'm contemplating having a bypass switch and passive-mode tone knob as well, but it adds about $40 to the preamp, and I'm still on the fence about the actual utility of it. Plus, it's a fourth toggle switch for the surface...
Another important choice for the bass is of course the pickups. I've selected Nordstrand Fat Stacks, which are stacked, tap-able dual coils with a wide-aperture, single-coil sound.
And of course the bridge/tuner assembly. I've always had a fascination with headless basses, and I've wanted to build one for a long time. I think it was Hipshot's release of their new headless bass hardware that actually spurred me to start this project. It's quite nice looking, and I've always been pleased with the quality of their hardware.
And of course the output jack. Neutrik locking jacks are very solid, and look nice as well. These things are bulletproof, and the nicest part is your cable doesn't fall out!
