Project Basses

I also like the HB kit as a first build a real learning project and one to base future ideas from. Fingers crossed for a good salary :slightly_smiling_face:
:guitar: :slightly_smiling_face: :guitar:

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Welp, 29.5 on the Warwick. Hmm.

So on the Warwick it’s actually more towards the bridge from the center of the string, but closer to the last fret. The distance from the center of the string is what matters here because that’s the position the harmonic amplitude of the string vibration is relative to.

Given that the tone (in theory) should be thinner and brighter, and less boomy on the Warwick compared to a P as far as I can tell.

Of course the Warwick is using EMG pickups vs whatever Fender uses, too. And an onboard preamp. And it weighs a lot less and is made from a different tonewood. Lots of factors here.

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yes, lots of factors. but 1.4 cm is not a so big difference, it’s even less than the distance between the two parts of a split coil pickup (2.9 cm measured from the magnets rows). I suppose that the other factors, including the bridge and neck woods, make more difference in the final tone.

also as you say it’s not the same pickup. by the way I like the EMG P, I don’t want an active bass anymore but I had an old EMG in the past and it sounded really great. not “vintage” at all, but great.

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Actually just noticed they are MEC’s, not EMG :slight_smile:

EMG is an option on higher end 'wicks though.

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I had MEC pickups too :grin: great pickups but not the same level than EMG, yeah

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What does your SBV have? YGD? I’m pretty impressed with the YGD humbuckers in my TRBX.

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the SBV have the stock single coil pickups, called R100 and R101 according to the specs I found. those pickups are truely awesome. JB-style but with more punch and an extended low-end content. I guess they have ceramic magnets.

I like ceramic magnets (unpopular opinion).

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I really like all the modern Yamaha pickups I have heard. Very nicely balanced.

My 604 has al/ni/co pickups, the 304 had ceramic. Both sound awesome to me. The pickups on the little motion basses (late '80s onward) sounded great to me too. Same goes for the BBs, really excellent tone.

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yeah, don’t know if the SBV can fit in the “modern” category as it’s still a 20 year old instrument, but yeah, I’ve never been disapointed by Yamaha pickups neither.

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One down ( except fine tuning the action ) !

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Looks nice @Mac.
Cheers Brian

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Cheers @TNKA36
Doesn’t feel as nice in the hand as the Ibanez, a lot thicker in the neck and heavier but I can “ slap “ with it !!!

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Hi @Mac,
I have some slabs of hard wood that I’m gunna carve up and make bodies out of.
Thats the thing though, they can get heavy.
My 5 string is heavy as and I rarely even pull it out.
The natural timbers do look nice.
And if it works for slap, that’s a positive.:+1:
Cheers Brian

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Thinline gets rid of the weight same with a clam shell body. If I make a p bass body out of Scottish Ash it will give a 12lb bass. Just thoughts Brian and there is a capped also allowing chamber ing. I have worked with a lot of old Red Jarrah, fekin heavy @TNKA36
Jamie

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Nice work, looks great!

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Thanks Jamie, @Jamietashi
When I decide which exotic pieces I am going to use I will drop you a message if I need a bit of advice.
And I’m sure I will :+1:
Cheers Brian

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Here it goes!

So a few years back I got myself my first bass, a Yamaha RBX 374.

These are the earliest photos I can find of it, and here it already had some few years uses under his belt


Here it was already unplayable. The arm was bent and the electronics needed soldering. The paint job had several dents.

Thanks to covid19 I had plenty of time to start restoring it.

The following photos illustrate the process I went by







And that’s how it is as of now. I’m waiting for some parts (knobs, bridge, tuners). Tried painting over the original parts after sanding\polishing but I didn’t like the result.

This is how I envision the finish:

Something along these lines. Not sure about materials, can you guys give me some recommendations?

Not sure what to do with headstock


It had a plastic half-cover

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Regarding my project, any recommendation on dealing with rust on the pickups? I know the project deserves new pups, but I’m on a budget and already gone over it.

image

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If it were anything else I would use fine sandpaper. But since pickups are magnets that’s probably bad. Someone else will have a better solution hopefully.

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I started doing that, using a bit of sandpaper molded into the back tip of a pencil to create some kind of circular sanding tool, in order to have more control and save the plastic from scratches.

But then this hit me and stopped doing it

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