Project Basses

We’ll see how it goes, I like the look- better than the pics, but I also really want to strip back a bass and make a cool green one possibly with a light clear luminous coat. So there is a better than average chance this will happen at some point.
Like I said it just gives me another project

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I currently only have the one bass (a Bluerock [cheapy] P bass), but have just had half an hour on AliExpress ordering some of the bits I’ll need to Frankenbass it.


Two more P bass pickups (one with scratchguard and pots), a J pickup that I’ll probably use on another bass & a jackplug to move the jack to the side of the bass. Hopefully I can cut the scratchguard down to make a router template for the pickups and add the two split pickups to the original, plus cut the headstock down to look like a Music Man bass and that will hopefully help slow down the chronic neck dive it currently has. Not sure if I’m going to keep the original paint or sand it down and stain it.

Unfortunately I can’t start the project until I’ve got my new bass (end of September), which will be a Harley Benton of some description (Since I’m in Europe, shipping from Thomann is free for an order over £149, which makes their basses a serious bargain).

Would love ideas for a bass to build for the spare J pickup!

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But two more and build a homebrew Dingwall

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or four more for a Bootsy Space Bass

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Fantastic idea! :joy::joy::joy:

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You have to be a complete diva to take 6 outputs on the board for one instrument, lol.

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The MIDI is for controlling the lights :slight_smile:

But yes, five outs, one per pickup. A bit much :rofl:

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There’s a local guy with some takeoff soap bar pickups that Mike be fun for that kind of project. Hmmm…

Apparently I just had 4 packages arrive at home, didn’t expect anything today.
I am guessing pickups, tuner ferules, maybe a bridge or pots.
I may get frowned at :wink:

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Pickups (Fleor) PJ
Pots (rather larger than I expected (pickguard holes need to be expanded slightly)
2xvol, 1xtone for versatility (waiting on a blend)
Capacitor
Rotosound 77 strings
Neck plate in aged copper finish which fits the existing holes (measured twice)
Got an eye roll instead of a frown :slight_smile:

Not sure when I am going to be able to get started though.
I am still waiting on some parts we have 4 birthdays coming up, camping in a fortnight and a few other things.
May not get to it until June at this rate.

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Found some spare time today so I set up the pickups and started soldering the pots etc.
I used to blend and tone but did not get a good result, possibly because I don’t have a good wiring diagram and am basing it of another one I did previously and guess work.
Taping the pickups when all connected to an amp I get a good signal with the neck pickups but no real signal from the neck and it doesn’t really change with the position of the blend knob. I have some ideas as to what I may have done wrong but not certain.
Having a cuppa now, I did disassemble what I had done and I am going to try two volumes in a bit.
What I am worried about with this set up is picking up too much other electrical noise.
I’ll know in an hour or so.

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Well, looks like I had a lot more time today than I thought.
I have gone with the 2 volumes, possibly some ground noise still (no copper tape in the cavity yet)-I grounded the bridge with some wire soldered to copper tape.
I am about to put on some strings.
Here are some pictures:

I am waiting on some black screws for the pickguard and I will need some strap buttons

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Last effort for tonite.
Rotosound 77 flats.
A bit of noise unless touching the strings…but it completely disappears using the wireless.
I haven’t set intonation yet and I will give it a wipe down later.
I got my daughter to film this for a play and pickup test.
THis is just through a small Marshall guitar amp I keep upstairs.
It looks like the neck P pups are best and sound drops a bit with the bridge pickup.
I didn’t notice the Pink Floyd shirt til I saw the vid-I’ve been wearing it all day.

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That’s fantastic @Gloucestre, very crisp!

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Nice! :sunglasses::+1:

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Thanks guys,
The bad bit is I have been thinking about the blend pot all nite- I learned a bit more last nite and now want to wire it in again.
I also have visions of a red-copper bridge cover and tuners to match that neck plate, can’t fine tuners like that unfortunately so that idea will stay on the shelf

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I’ve never done this with copper, @Gloucestre , but:

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I’m not keen enough to do that at this point, the only things I can’t get (yet) are the tuners and I am not sure how well they would hold up to that with wear.

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I played around a bit more (as I do)
So tonite I pulled out the two volume pots and after watching a youtube vid (Blend Pots Wiring Tutorial - YouTube) wired in the blend pot and tone.
I am getting sound as expected from each pot, but still a bit of noise, again almost gone with the wireless though.
What is interesting is that the tone pot is kind of a volume, in that for the first say 1/8 of a turn there is no sound then for the rest there is sound with perhaps a small volume change and an increase in hiss signal.
I am not sure why this is, maybe the capacitor?
I do not have a separate volume pot just the two (see pics above)

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Well that’s odd.
I just ran it through my Fender amp and Zoom B1four and the issues aren’t there.
Even straight through the amp it works as it should.
I declare a success and hereby decree my awesomness :slight_smile::rofl:

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