The bass customisation thread.

[xxxwookie]

I've noticed over the time that I've been here that a lot of people at MX like to customise their basses and they like to do it themselves. The aim of this thread is to ask for help or post advice regarding customisation of your guitar.

You may, if you like, post and discuss your own customisation jobs explaining what you did and how you did it etc.

Some of you may know of my own customisation which has now been going on for over a year (Things seem to go wrong and then I can't do anything while I'm at uni.) Well, I finally finished the paint job and got a clear lacquer to use and guess what. It ate away at my paintwork :rolleyes: I'm off back to uni soon so I probably wont have time to repaint it again and find a lacquer.

Anyway.
I started off with an old P-bass someone gave me because the pickups weren't working. Not a great wuality bass but I saw it as my opportunity.

The Neck
I defretted the neck using a soldering iron to heat them up and gently tapping them out with a screwdriver and a hammer. You will probably get one or two dings but when you fill the frets up you wont notice them so much.
You can buy wood filler from a DIY store or such. This usually involves mixing a wood resin based substance containing saw dust and a catalyst which makes it set quickly. Rub this into the gaps where the frets were and when the filler is set, sand it down so they are flush with the surface
I've actually painted the fret board. I wasn't too sure if this would be a good idea or not but it can always be sanded down if it doesn't work. The back of the neck and the head were also sanded and painted black.

The body
Firstly, I sanded this down until it was completely bare. Easy enough. Some people will recommend a product called Nitro more or somethign like that. This is much better and easier as it burns off the lacquer and paint without harming the wood.
If you're sanding it I recommend you start with a low grade sandpaper about p140-180. This is for stripping paint and such.
I don't really like the P-bass shape so I actually reshaped the body using a coping saw. I cut the horns similar to the shape of an SG but the staggered look actually looks more interesting. I've also reduced the big ugly backside that P-basses have so it looks more slim.
I then used a file to shape the wood in a more detailed way. The coping saw leaves it bumpy.
After this, to smooth off the body before painting, I began sanding again, starting with a low grade around p180. Around the edges of the bass, you should clamp it upright in a workbench, lay the sandpaper over the edge and pull down on either side repeatedly. This will give a smoother more rounded ege on the bass for extra sex appeal. You need to work up to a very high grade of paper such as p600 and then use iron wool to get the smoothest possible finish.
I noticed a problem at this point in that I wanted a J-J pickup combination, however the bass was a P-J. I couldn't just fill the hole because the drilled hole leading to the electronics compartment would be filled. I used a couple of pieces of wood to section off a small gap around the hole and filled the rest of the pickup gap. I then placed on the pickup cover for my J pickup and drew around it. I used a router to cut out a hole to the shape of the J-pickup. Using a router is difficult though. A much easier way to do it is to use a scratchguard which is easily shaped (Unless you want a metal one) and cut a large hole in the wood.


Painting
make sure the surface is as smooth as possible, going over the surfaces with fine iron wool.
Remove any dust from the surfaces using a tack cloth. Be thorough, the dust can make a mess of your paint job.
The best and easiest way to paint IMO is to hang the bass in a garage or a shed. you can hang it through one of the holes for the neck to screw on.
Alternatively, you can screw a piece of wood into the neck holes and clamp that to a workbench.
Use a spray paint, it is difficult to evenly paint with a brush. spray only in light coats and allow time for those coats to dry before spraying another. I painted my bass using a black primer and then a black gloss spray. In between coats, always use a tack cloth to remove dust that may have attached during the time it's taken to dry.
I decided I wanted a personalised design on my bass. I printed a bass clef on my computer and then cut it out of card. I used items to hold down the card so it didn't fly up. I didn't want to use adhesives in case it pulled the black paint up. Paint onto the stencil in the same way you painted the rest of the bass and I did many coats to ensure that it was complete. I covered up the rest of the bass with bits of newspaper to prevent the white paint from getting everywhere.

My bass is now complete except for one stage. it needs to be lacquered. I've made two mistakes thus far. Firstly I used plastikote polyurethane varnish which someone had recommended to me. This aged the white design and left a poor and rough finish which peeled off. I then sanded down and redid the paint job. I used nitrocellulose lacquer which is used by professional luthiers. Make sure you didn't use acrylic paints if you're going to use nitrocellulose, it ate away at my paint job. You should always check the suitability before you use (My lacquer didn't have any guides on it so I wasn't to know).
A good lacquer will need time to set properly. Leave it a few days-1 week and do not touch it. You can spray new coats before it has set properly, it'll probably be sticky to the touch but if you spray too much on at once it will drip and make a mess.

[deeps]

ummmmmmmmm... sounds sweet...
got pics?
:naughty:

[Jublian]

yes pics!

[xxxwookie]

um... *Looks* Unfortunately I don't have many. Like I say, I have to sand down and repaint because the varnish made a horrible mess.

OK, I found a few and put them on my website, but it is geocities so it'll probably mess up in some way or another.
http://www.geocities.com/raw_throat_vocal_martyr/Gear/custom.html

[Bass+Fingers+Amp=Groove]

Looks like a really cool project man, i wonder how it sounds though.

[Jamie]

nice!!! I like!! the 3rd pic doesnt work...

I have a question, which i have asked many a time with NO ANSWER! from anyone,

so, ive defretted my p-bass and done everything, ive put the first coat of laquer on and its been 3 and a half days and its still sticky. Ive been using a brush to put it on.

What do i do, what have i done wrong? (have i put too much on and shall i just left it for a couple more days?

[Jamie]

Oh and that second pic is confusing me. Is the grass the floor or is the brick the floor?!?! its really weird!!!

[xxxwookie]

ive put the first coat of laquer on and its been 3 and a half days and its still sticky.
The lacquer can take up to over 1 week to set properly. It's probably fine. As long as it's just sticky you can continue with any extra layers that may be necessary but only if it's a spray lacquer

nice!!! I like!! the 3rd pic doesnt work...
Yeah, Don't you just love geocities? 1st one isn't working anymore either

Oh and that second pic is confusing me. Is the grass the floor or is the brick the floor?!?! its really weird!!!
They're both the floor ;) That path was laid over 100 years ago, they didn't use slab much then. On top of that the local area is particularly well known for clay bricks so it was an easy resource.

i wonder how it sounds though
So do I. Like I said, I got it for free so I question how good the wood is likely to be and I don't know how painting the fingerboard will effect things too. Only one way to find out, if I ever finish it that is :angry:

[Mango Kid]

Looks kind of like a Wal. Very nice work.

[Les_enfants_terribles]

The last picture of it painted doesn't show up. What is your next step going to be?

[xxxwookie]

I've fixed the link to the third picture. However, Geocities have shut down my site for an hour or so because of the traffic it's receiving :angry:

Next step, I'm currently sanding it down (Again) I'll redo the paint job in black gloss and the stencil of a bass clef in white. This time I have a friend whose father knows a lot about paint so he's going to fix me up with the right sprays for the job. It'll probably be my Christmas vacation (If I get one) before I can finish it.

I also have some of the gum drop rubber knobs (ESP) for my controls in white and a badass style bridge

[baggagebassman]

Can't wait to see it man.

[Big-Bird]

um... *Looks* Unfortunately I don't have many. Like I say, I have to sand down and repaint because the varnish made a horrible mess.

OK, I found a few and put them on my website, but it is geocities so it'll probably mess up in some way or another.
http://www.geocities.com/raw_throat_vocal_martyr/Gear/custom.html

dude your bass is looking rad!

[coddingtown]

what did you coat the neck with after you painted it?

[Les_enfants_terribles]

It looks odd to me. The horns are a little uneven, although I realize that one should be further out than the other they don't look to be the exact same size. Maybe try and fix it up later?

[xxxwookie]

what did you coat the neck with after you painted it?
The polyurethane spray which made a mess of the rest of the bass. I have a friend who is organising the right paints and the right lacquers for me now though so all should be sorted eventually.

It looks odd to me. The horns are a little uneven, although I realize that one should be further out than the other they don't look to be the exact same size. Maybe try and fix it up later?
They've been cut from P bass horns which are different sizes. I kinda like it like that.

[Les_enfants_terribles]

Essentially what I mean is that you should shave some wood off of the lower horn so that it looks more like the sg on the outer horn. other than that it looks alright.

Show us some pictures of it on a while background, I can't see the "butt" enough.

[The Mullinator]

i have a starter bass
epiphone accu bass jr. and i would like to add a nice body, like flying V, or vintage z or something. I dunno how to "customize guitars" on my own, just looking for something to screw on. Will it ruin the sound, can it make it better, could i change the pickups? Is it worth it?

[vheartagramv]

How would you go about tightening a truss rod that's basically round? As in, allen wrench won't work. It's like "o" on the inside and "O" on the outside: nothing to grip at all.

Posting in the thread because I can't be arsed to make a new thread, and I really don't feel like bumping my POS thread.

[Naveed Afzal]

I have a Black Bass

and i want to put a design on the black what kind of paint would i use to do that

[ShelBel]

I would imagine any kind of enamel-type paint would work- like they use on model cars, etc. Or buy some of those "paint pens", those would probably be good too. You know what else might work? Nail polish. I've never tried it though, so don't have any practical tips for you.

I did see a black bass that had the Jagermeister logo on it in glow-in-the-dark paint once... it was really nicely done and pretty cool...

[BassBud]

Hey, don't mean to hi-jack the thread, I looked for a introduce yourself forum but didn't find it, anyway I'm David, I play bass with the band Motionside from Austin Tx,

I have a couple of questions about eq settings on my amp, where would be the best place to ask those, I can't start a thread for 24 hours and I just stumbled on to this site and signed up.

[ShelBel]

Just post it in the main Bass forum when you can. You sound like you're a little bit beyond the "beginner's questions". :) Welcome, by the way.

[BassBud]

Just post it in the main Bass forum when you can. You sound like you're a little bit beyond the "beginner's questions". :) Welcome, by the way.

thanks for the welcome, yeah, i'll just wait and start a thread later.

[xxxwookie]

There is an EQ thread in the resources section I think, you might try that.

I have a Black Bass

and i want to put a design on the black what kind of paint would i use to do that
I can't be sure of how to do it without stripping the bass, I'm not sure how well paint works on lacquer. If you do, like Shel says, it'll have to be a hard enamel type paint, you can usually get small cans of these from DIY stores.

How would you go about tightening a truss rod that's basically round? As in, allen wrench won't work. It's like "o" on the inside and "O" on the outside: nothing to grip at all Not really a customisation question, but.
You need a tool to do this, it'll usually come with the bass, but if you don't have it, you'll have to take it to the shop, or you can ask if they have a key that will fit

epiphone accu bass jr. and i would like to add a nice body, like flying V, or vintage z or something. I dunno how to "customize guitars" on my own, just looking for something to screw on. Will it ruin the sound, can it make it better, could i change the pickups? Is it worth it?
Drastic changes to shape like the flying V can't really be done. I'm not sure what the accubass looks like, but the V-bass is a very different design to most basses, it's longer to account for the bridge coming so far up the body. You can't cut out that muchbecause it would involve moving the bridge.

Guessing by the jr part, it's a short scale bass too. Maybe not worth doing anything too special/expensive with. I wouldn't bother gettin new pickups, you're better off saving the money for a new bass. You could reshape a little bit like I've done, but drastic alterations like a V shape will require a new body.

[Finar Finar]

Ok, so I've a pretty crappy P-Bass for a while and I'm maybe looking to customize it. Its basically just a black normal P-Bass, fender, and it still sounds alright. Any Suggestions as what I should do with it? I have no real idea as to what I want to do as of yet, so just throw out ideas.

[xxxwookie]

Well, you could remodel it. P bass shape is kinda ugly IMO. Personalised paint job? Has it got a scratchplate? You could remove that and fill in the gaps (Leaving a tube running from your pickups to the electronics panel). You could defret it and get some ghost frets going on. New pickups.

By Fender, do you mean Squier?

[Finar Finar]

squire, yeh, but it says fender squire. But yeh, I was thinking of defretting it. But your scratchplae removing idea sounds awsome. And a custom Paint job too... hmmm. Thanks man.

[xxxwookie]

The filling in the hole under the scratchplate isn't an easy job. In saying that it's not too hard either. Basically, you need to get some wood filler and some thin plastic tubes (Wide enough for you to pass 2 wires through) You fill in the gaps leaving space for the pickup(s) and you make sure that the wire tube is submerged and emerges at the pickup hols and at the electronics. you wait for it to set and voila, no need for a scratch plate. You can do the same to the electronics but you'd have to route out a hole in the back to put them in.

It's a tricky job, but not something amazingly difficult

[Shady Ultima]

Question:
I got a black Ibanez BTB100 Ripoff (Barracuda brand) I want to know if I can change the knobs, and the tuning pegs. Are there anything that can be done with these?

[Jamie]

You can change the tuning pegs as long as you get the right kind, and im pretty sure you will be able to change the knobs, try just lightly pulling on the knobs, most cheap basses just have puush-on knobs (such as squiers) so they are easy top take off and put on

[Shady Ultima]

Mine are screwed on. They need to be removed with an a special screwdriver.

[Shady Ultima]

If anyone has any links to sites that show custom tuning pegs, custom knobs, and I also want to customize the bridge, any good lookin bridges? I should also say I want gothic looking parts, like bloody, and skulls and stuff. Thanks!

[xxxwookie]

Try ebay for you spares, only problem is that there are different types of machine head so you need to know specifically the size that you're looking for (If you remove them and measure the diameter of the hole without the ring, that is what you need to know).

The knobs on your bass are attached with allen key bolts. They hold on better and wear less than push on knobs, but all pots are similar so push on knobs will work fine on there

[Lotto]

Hey There....
I'm kind of new to this site, and well, new to the bass for that matter, but i got bored about a month ago and painted the pick gaurd and changed the knobs out on the ol' pbass. I found some like hexagonal 70's style radio knobs at Radio Shack, LoL... Well, I like it... :D

http://www.textamerica.com/user.images.x/40/IMG_430340/_0920%5CTZ200920180426114.jpg

[xxxwookie]

That looks pretty funky but it ****s with my eyes!

[ibanezfishman]

Hey i need to know hoe to defret my bass step by step here cause im a lil thick

[xxxwookie]

Well, quick guide.

You will need a mahher, a screwdriver and a soldering iron.

Use the soldering iron to heat up the frets. This does a little to loosen it up.
Use the hammer to gently tap the screwdriver pushing the frets out.
Once completely defretted, fill gaps with woodfiller
Sand down until smooth
Cover fretboard with varnish.

There are a lot of guides available on the net if you search for them

[tom the frog]

id just like to say congrats to both conversions i saw, there very beautiful, all ive done to mine is put some stickers on it lol, well keep it up, youve inspired me

peace

[Jamie]

http://www.geocities.com/lessthanjakebass/index there ya go mate (defretting thing)

It aint fully finished. (ill finish it this weekend) but its good enough to read through for now

[billtus]

i'm currently remaking a really cheap bass that has one split pickup, i've reshaped the whole thing, but it had a layed of fiberglass about 2mm thick and i don't know what to use to get it off, and hints?

[billtus]

i de-fretted it a few years ago, but now im making it a rock style bass (kind of the ESP F-204) so i need to buy some frets, but i have no idea about the purchasing of frets

[ThePatient]

I defretted my Squire ages ago and I still haven't done anything with it but I've come into money lately so I'm finally going to get it fixed and upgrade it. So I've got a couple of questions:

1. Any reccomendations besides the Seymour Duncan 1/4 pounders?
2. Is there any place besides Warmoth to look for bridges? Because I went there and the only one under $100 was a bridge that looks exactly like the one already on Squires.

--Oh, and Jamie Dunce, I like what you did with your pickguard. :thumb:

[ThePatient]

Two days and no response? What is the world coming to?

[billtus]

i guess i'll respond, ive got the first coat down on my bass, now i gotta sandit then recoat and repeat

[WHoRRID]

I defretted my Squire ages ago and I still haven't done anything with it but I've come into money lately so I'm finally going to get it fixed and upgrade it. So I've got a couple of questions:

1. Any reccomendations besides the Seymour Duncan 1/4 pounders?
2. Is there any place besides Warmoth to look for bridges? Because I went there and the only one under $100 was a bridge that looks exactly like the one already on Squires.

--Oh, and Jamie Dunce, I like what you did with your pickguard. :thumb:
http://mailboxmusic.zoovy.com/category/bassparts/
http://www.allparts.com/

[Skit]

The filling in the hole under the scratchplate isn't an easy job. In saying that it's not too hard either. Basically, you need to get some wood filler and some thin plastic tubes (Wide enough for you to pass 2 wires through) You fill in the gaps leaving space for the pickup(s) and you make sure that the wire tube is submerged and emerges at the pickup hols and at the electronics. you wait for it to set and voila, no need for a scratch plate. You can do the same to the electronics but you'd have to route out a hole in the back to put them in.

It's a tricky job, but not something amazingly difficult

Sounds good but I dont quite understand....

Do you thread the wires through a pipe and cover it and the control knobs completely?
Any persific(sp) type of pipe needed? (im doing plumbing at college so i can nick some pipe :thumb: )



Could you maybe post a more detailed explanation?

[billtus]

i was thinking of wood filler, but i might just buy a new body(im re-shaping the old one) because the one i've got had a 3mm or so thick layer of fibreglass and it was kinda dodgy

[LewsTherin]

i'm currently remaking a really cheap bass that has one split pickup, i've reshaped the whole thing, but it had a layed of fiberglass about 2mm thick and i don't know what to use to get it off, and hints?


i work with fiberglass for a living (boats), we usually use angle-grinders. you could use just a power-sander, but youll have to be careful not to f- up the wood underneath. also, be careful when sanding fiberglass, wear a mask, its nasty shi-

oh yeah, for detail/small work, id recommend something like a dremel.

[jaseonbase]

HI...what type of paint do you use to ad decoration to a bass(its a **** samick) that has fibreglass or plastic guard all the way around the body?

NEED HELP!!

[LewsTherin]

HI...what type of paint do you use to ad decoration to a bass(its a **** samick) that has fibreglass or plastic guard all the way around the body?

NEED HELP!!


Acrylic Enamel Spray works, I think. Thats what I use on gas-cans (polycarbonate) and the boats (fiberglass) at the shop at my work.

[jaseonbase]

sweet...if i get it done i'll take photos cos its gonna kick ***.

[TerryThorne]

If you defret a bass, does it still sound as good as a normal fretless?

[Skit]

If you defret a bass, does it still sound as good as a normal fretless?

Yes :thumb:

[yesiamsimon]

I've attempted a few custom jobs, I stripped the paint from a messed up bruiser of a Precision copy and routed a deeper pickup cavity in my jazz so i could lower the p/u's more as well as tinkering with the electronics when things have broken, but the most ambitious things i've done is defret a bass.

Followed the advice that i picked up from various web pages, like I treated the fingerboard with lemon oil before I started, masked the wood around the fret, heated it with an iron, and so on. I used two part Epoxy Resin to fill the slots but didn't want to lose the tone of the rosewood fingerboard so sanded it off flush with the neck. One good tip i discovered is, if you want to make the fret slots show up without messing around with contrasting wood laminates, take a white watercolour paint block, scratch at it with a knife to get really fine flakes then add just enough water to make a thick paste and add it to your epoxy as you mix the resin and hardener together, takes a long time to mix the two together, as your just suspending the water based paint in the epoxy but when it dries it will be white (or at least off white) its probably easier to source coloured resin but i had to bodge something together with the materials i had to hand. You'll have to sand the resin off the fingerboard though, and if the frets have chipped out lots then it wont be a clean line - But it worked for me. Now i just need to learn to play fretless....

[LewsTherin]

I've attempted a few custom jobs, I stripped the paint from a messed up bruiser of a Precision copy and routed a deeper pickup cavity in my jazz so i could lower the p/u's more as well as tinkering with the electronics when things have broken, but the most ambitious things i've done is defret a bass.

Followed the advice that i picked up from various web pages, like I treated the fingerboard with lemon oil before I started, masked the wood around the fret, heated it with an iron, and so on. I used two part Epoxy Resin to fill the slots but didn't want to lose the tone of the rosewood fingerboard so sanded it off flush with the neck. One good tip i discovered is, if you want to make the fret slots show up without messing around with contrasting wood laminates, take a white watercolour paint block, scratch at it with a knife to get really fine flakes then add just enough water to make a thick paste and add it to your epoxy as you mix the resin and hardener together, takes a long time to mix the two together, as your just suspending the water based paint in the epoxy but when it dries it will be white (or at least off white) its probably easier to source coloured resin but i had to bodge something together with the materials i had to hand. You'll have to sand the resin off the fingerboard though, and if the frets have chipped out lots then it wont be a clean line - But it worked for me. Now i just need to learn to play fretless....

or, if your using West System epoxy (as i would), you could set it under a lamp partway into the set, and after it sets....itll make it nice and yellow.
i've never done it on a fingerboard, but ive done epoxy inlays on boats (just screwing around), and if yellow suits you, its great. im not sure if other brands do this too, ive only ever used West System.

[cramboli]

a hollow neck with barbed wire on the inside and running blood thta would be awsome.

[LewsTherin]

a hollow neck with barbed wire on the inside and running blood thta would be awsome.

ill take your word for it.

i dont know if any transparent materials would be both strong and flexible enough for a neck....or if one thin-walled enough to put stuff (like barbed wire) would be strong enough...

[Fernandes Power]

I am thinking about buying a Fernandes Gravity 5X as it is a particularly playable bass, but the electronics arent amazing so i wanted to get some EMG J's fitted to it sometime soon (if indeed i buy it). Although i have seen that Robert Trujillo of Metallica has also done this, and his basses seem to have an extra knob (4 instead of the 3 that are on the Gravity) this is obviously due to custom electronics and having his basses built from scratch.

The 4th knob makes me wonder if it is possible to get the EMG's fitted to it, will i need to drill a hole and attatch a new knob to it? Should i just leave it?

[neatobassman]

^^I'm not sure if you will need the 4th nob, but I think you might, cause my spector has EMGs and I have 4 nobs

[ridethelightning]

well on music123.com theres to models of the gravity, one is a much cheeper model, and hte second is much better and said to be inspired by rob trujillo

[KSD_Heath]

well..new on THESE boards, and what a way to introduce myself with my bastard fretless p bass.....this is cheapo.....my nan got in a mystery auction....it was your basic stock p copy before...i pulled the frets, mixed in red food dye with the wood putty, i carved the cavity for the 2nd pup with a chisel and hammer and i made the finger ramp at the bridge....mmm brass bridge
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v611/Kubicki_heath/bastard.jpg

[neatobassman]

what's with the wood block?

[KSD_Heath]

what's with the wood block?
its a finger ramp..kinda like on the ibanez gary willis sig....on my ex-factor the pickups are curved to match the radius of the neck and i have my pickups raised so i fell them under my fingers, helps to prevent digging in to much and improves speed.....and well the gap between body/pickups and the strings on a p bass is too much, so i did the same thing just made it out of wood, and on a fretless the worst thing to do is dig in too much, so this helps...

its pretty much a preference thing, i just like to feel something under my fingers..plus i have a light touch

[neatobassman]

I see, must try that out one day

[experi_metal]

hey, i'm just de-fretting my bass atm... 4 more to go. anyways, gonna buy new pickups too and put 2 green LEDs where the 12th fret markers are. i'll post a pic when it's finished

[Khanzo]

hey, i'm just de-fretting my bass atm... 4 more to go. anyways, gonna buy new pickups too and put 2 green LEDs where the 12th fret markers are. i'll post a pic when it's finished


i know i wanna see pics of that

[Skit]

and put 2 green LEDs where the 12th fret markers are.

How can you do that without ruining the fretboard/neck!?


:confused:

[Jamie]

^^^ exactly what I was wondering! And where will you put the battery?

[LewsTherin]

^^ pull of the board, install the leds.

run the wiring down the rod cavity, into the bass.
rout a cavity for the battery, put in a switch.

reglue board.

[KSD_Heath]

heres a pic of a cool modded ibanez atk..leds, the single coil pickup and extra strat style pickup switch
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v611/Kubicki_heath/bass.jpg

[neatobassman]

very nice.

[Skit]

nice... but why is there a light on the pickup ion that pic?

I still dont think it'll work, surely once you've ripped off the fretboard you can never get it back on correctly and not **** sounding...

[KSD_Heath]

nice... but why is there a light on the pickup ion that pic?

I still dont think it'll work, surely once you've ripped off the fretboard you can never get it back on correctly and not **** sounding...
why not? its how it was put there in the first place...

[experi_metal]

hehe, call me crazy or whatever, but the way i done it was to drill straight through the 2 holes from the 12th fret dots. i've already spoken to a friend who makes guitars/basses, and he said as long as i haven't touched the truss rod (which i haven't), then everything will be fine. at the moment i'm just applying the umpteen layers of polyeurethene... and the bad thing is, tomorrow night i've got my first jam with my new band

[MikeRatcliffe]

Could somebody help find some pickups I could put into my Ibanez 305? I am looking for something with a real punchy sound and less bass.

[KSD_Heath]

ibanez what? BTB? Soundgear? ATK? Roadgear? Roadstar?..be more specific, if you dont know what pickup types are they, single coils, split coils, humbuckers, soapbars, a combination of the few

[MikeRatcliffe]

ibanez what? BTB? Soundgear? ATK? Roadgear? Roadstar?..be more specific, if you dont know what pickup types are they, single coils, split coils, humbuckers, soapbars, a combination of the few
It is a soundgear. And, I believe, has two soap bar pick ups.

[cliffburtonrules]

It is a soundgear. And, I believe, has two soap bar pick ups.
That's the bass I'm getting as soon as I can raise $180

[MikeRatcliffe]

Its a sweet guitar, I like it alot. Get it in black though. The moonshadow silver colour kind of gets ugly after awhile.

[egarrz]

yeh i am in the process of gettin the srx300. i am getting it in iron pewter. im getting it off the web and it should take a week or so to arrive. ive only played it briefly but i liked it.

[Linkin_X1.0]

i have an esp b-50 4 string it has 3 pickups(dont really know much about my bass) and i was wonderin about a paint job and 2 humbuker pickups or whatever is better for my bass you look at one samedaymusic.com or musiciansfriend any ideas of how this would cost or should just keep my pickups. thanx if anyone can help

[twiggyramirez]

i want to put a white line around the edge of my warlock. Like Nikki Sixx did with his black warlock. Anyone know how this could be done?

[Bedrovelse]

i was gona post in here, be4 i did the actual bass part of the forum,
anywho. i just got 2 new pickguards for my p.bass, that i intend to customize. so i decided i wanted to design my own pickguard. As a friend i know is a graphic designer and can create a stencil type for me to do it.
Now, what paint shall i use? and what protection? to stop it from just flaking off?

any help is much apretiated.. :thumb:


Dav

[LewsTherin]

i want to put a white line around the edge of my warlock. Like Nikki Sixx did with his black warlock. Anyone know how this could be done?


take masking tape, and unsticky it a bit (do this by patting your fingers on the sticky side so it gets dirty and less sticky) so that it wont ruin the finish, then tape up the corner of your instrument, but on top leave where you want the line, and tape newspaper over the rest of the instrument.

you should have
|b|t-|n-p-e|
|o|a-|e-a-r|
|d|p-|w-p-|
|y|e-|s-p--|

then, spray or paint over the body (try and be as clean as possilbe...even tho u have newspaper, theres no sense in taking chances). when its dry, take off the tape/newspaper, and you have yourself a painted line around your bass.

i hope that makes sense. IM me at xiiLewsTherinIIx if it doesnt.

[LewsTherin]

i was gona post in here, be4 i did the actual bass part of the forum,
anywho. i just got 2 new pickguards for my p.bass, that i intend to customize. so i decided i wanted to design my own pickguard. As a friend i know is a graphic designer and can create a stencil type for me to do it.
Now, what paint shall i use? and what protection? to stop it from just flaking off?

any help is much apretiated.. :thumb:


Dav


acrylic enamel, id say.

then maybe like a clear coat (clear nail polish?)

[Bedrovelse]

acrylic enamel, id say.

then maybe like a clear coat (clear nail polish?)


cheers :thumb: will look into it :cool:

[DeadKennedy420]

hey im painting my bass

[DeadKennedy420]

i have a Peavey Milestone III, im gonna paint it and i was wonderin
do i need any certain kind of paint
and how many coats of paint should i put on it
and should i remove the neck or put tape around it so i dont paint it
like, what all should i remove from the body

[Skit]

^
Im not sure about what paint, but remove the neck and everything (pickups - bridge - electronics etc) from the body before hand ;)

[david4991]

you could always use basic car paint. PPG has a good selection of colors and a pretty decent quality. Friend of mine used PPG Dark Cinnamon Red on his Fat Strat with a Floyd Rose Bridge. Look amazing. If I see him this weekend, I can find out more details such as type of paint (acrylic, etc) and primer he used.

[Az_Holl]

My bass was red and i wanted to paint it black with hot pink GT stripes. But my dad said pink would be stupid. :upset: So now its black and ill get around to putting the stripes on it when i leave home :D

Aside from that ive replaced the bridge(which snapped in half when i was taking it off anyway), the split p pickups with dimarzio split p's, ive added a big arse dimarzio humbucker, a second jack, the pots and am going to get an all maple telecaster bass neck from warmoth as soon as i get the money.

Ive got a Cimar which is basically- Cimar is to ibanez, as squire is to fender- if that makes sense. My dad bought it second hand in 1985(3 years before i was born) and i inherited it late 2003. And thats the story of my bass.

[Arrakakaka]

Gives me an idea on my P-bass..maybe i'll paint it dark red..

[david4991]

i just finished redoing my old Squier.....

Badass Bass II Bridge
Seymour Duncan SPB-3 Quarter Pounders
Hipshot Tuners
Now Fretless :D
D'Addario Flatwounds
Dark Cinnamon Anodized Red
Restyled Headstock and painted to match
Black/White/Jagged clear pickguard

Well, just popped a string after an hour of playing.... Hmm, never popped a string before in my life. I'll try and get some pictures of it tomorrow or soon next to my black Ibanez SR305dx.

[Az_Holl]

http://www.musicianforums.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=13220&stc=1

Edit- can someone tell me how to post pictures because im a fool :upset:


Another edit- i got it. but the pictures poor.

[jamesr]

Here is my custom sx bass, and a review/story behind it. I figured i would post it in here, since a lot of people seem to buy these and customize them. This might give them a head start.

Summary:
I just finished my sx bass project. So I figured I would write a review on sx basses, and give some info on upgrading them. First off I think a lot of people recommend SX basses that never owned one. I will see a lot of people recommend them to beginners, and even say they are as nice as a MIM fender. They are far from MIM fender basses, even with a pickup upgrade. But considering a MIM bass is about $400, and an SX from rondo is $109 I didn’t expect them to be better. But with that said after upgrading the bridge, pickups, all the electronics, and a good set up it will be as nice as a stock MIM fender. I wouldn't recommend an sx bass to anyone that can't set up their own bass. They need a lot of work to play nice. Action, truss rod, fret dressing, and intonation. Sx basses are great for us do it yourselfers looking for a cheap project, but they are not a good beginners bass. I even had to file down a raised fret slightly.

Electronics:
It comes with very cheap, noisy, low output pickups. Also small cheap pots and a tiny cap. The stock pots are slightly smaller than the standard 3/8” so you have to drill the pick guard a bit to put in new standard pots. The factory pots are 250k with a .47 cap. I put in two cts 250k pots, a switchcraft jack, new .47 cap, and all new wiring. I used a factory American p bass wiring schematic. As for the pickup I put in a Model series DiMarzio p pickup. The stock sx pickups are a little larger then the stock fender pickups. So I had to drill new holes for the pickup screws. After all that the bass now sounds as good as my American p bass with more output. I fully recommend a Model pickup for and sx bass upgrade. Although this would not be a great setup for tappers, and slappers. Like most p basses it lacks treble needed to have a great slap tone.

Hardware:
I left the factory tuners in. They seem to keep in tune good, and are nicer than the factory ones on a squier. I did take them apart and greased them better; also I had to file two of them out slightly to turn smoother. I replaced the bridge with a Gotoh 201 model which was a perfect fit. It increased the sustain, but slightly restricted the action. The Gotoh Bridge is thicker, and doesn’t allow you to lower the action really low. Right now the action is 4/32” measured from the 12th fret which is the standard action Fender sets up their American Basses. Personally if I would do it again I wouldn’t replace the bridge.

If you have any questions about the bass let me know. I have owned it now for a month and love it. It is not neck heavy, and the neck feels like a fender p neck. I have gigged with it, but will use it mainly as a backup to my American P. I would not recommend this bass to a beginner. With the stock pickups, and set up this bass is not as nice as a GSR200. But if you can set up your bass, and wire in new pickups it makes a great bass. I still recommend an Ibanez GSR200 to all beginners. They play much nicer from factory, and sound nicer. If I could do it all over I would buy a used MIM Fender, and just replaced the pickup.

Costs (includes shipping & tax)
SX P BASS + hard-shell case........$184
American P bass wiring kit............$15
DiMarzio model p pickup...............$55
Gotoh 201 Bridge........................$35
Chrome Knobs............................$10
TOTAL......................................$299

"completed bass"
http://www.ezphotoshed.com/users/022679/photos/1109278917-1.jpg

[edgebass5]

Just did a bit of modification to my 2000 Modulus Flea 4. I took out the existing Lane Poor MM so that I could do a bit of an A/B comparison of the pickup. The reason I did this was because the Lane Poor MM is often looked at as being the "holy grail" of MM pickups. Well, I wanted to know for sure. A pickup (and bass) maker named Carey Nordstrand has been making an Alnico V version of an MM pickup that is supposedly a spot-on recreation of the pickup in a '76 Stingray. Well, I bought the pickup and swapped it with the Lane Poor. I also installed an active/passive switch (i.e. preamp bypass) so I could get a good feel for the pickup's passive tone qualities as well. As far as I'm concerned they're both outstanding pickups, but the Nordstrand was just a better fit for me. Its got a bit more bottom end, a more focused lower midrange and a more polite treble response. The upper-midrange isn't quite as good, let's call it less defined. The Lane Poor had a little bit less bass response, a much weaker lower midrange, a more defined upper midrange (its one saving grace) and a more "biting" treble that could occasionally sound harsh when used with extreme EQ settings. One thing that the Lane Poor does very well, despite my seemingly harsh review is deliver a spot-on recreation of Flea's modern tone. Its actually very hard to dial out, so if you really like Flea's more modern tone, this is the pickup for you. Unfortunately they're very hard to find and go for a pretty steep price tag. I'll be further modifying this bass by taking out the onboard preamp (it actually sounds better in passive mode), and changing the function of the switch I installed to be series/parallel instead of active/passive (since there won't be a preamp in there anymore). This will leave me with an unused knob that will do..... nothing. The other modification that I'm looking into is making a custom control plate for the knobs and switch (think of the control plate on a Music Man Stingray/Sterling, or a Fender Jazz bass). I think this will add a nice touch of "flare" to an already flashy bass.

[Bedrovelse]

ok im really confused :confused:
i didnt want to end up starting new threads etc...and i know this has been done a million times before.. but ive got a p bass copy..its sunburst @ the moment..(was)
now, ive taken everything from it, so im left with the body, ive sanded it down...and its as smooth as hell.. now what? what paints do i need? and what clear finishes?, (i just want it solid black)
sorry that this is a boring topic and been done before loads of times, im just majorly confussed..cos loads of people are chucking different names at me, about what i should use, and i sure need some help.

any help, much appreciated

thanx

[billtus]

i need some help, are the small acoustic mics made to pic up vibrations on the body? because i had an idea to put on in a cavity near the bridge or neck with a switch near the volume etc, to give it a better bass sound, im not shure tho

[Joelbassman]

Hey I just recently decided to upgrade my bass as I love it for slap and popping and just about everything else...But the tone isn't the falsehst out...So I need some sites to check out fordecent pick ups and strings...And is it possible to paint or get coloured Tuning pegs?? So can people please psot some sites for me to check out?cheers

Edit: Oh and it's not a Fender JB but it's an import(long story) but EXACTLY the same, and I'd post a pic but I;m sure you know what a Fender JB looks like :thumb:

[thefunkymonk]

Just did a bit of modification to my 2000 Modulus Flea 4. I took out the existing Lane Poor MM so that I could do a bit of an A/B comparison of the pickup. The reason I did this was because the Lane Poor MM is often looked at as being the "holy grail" of MM pickups. Well, I wanted to know for sure. A pickup (and bass) maker named Carey Nordstrand has been making an Alnico V version of an MM pickup that is supposedly a spot-on recreation of the pickup in a '76 Stingray. Well, I bought the pickup and swapped it with the Lane Poor. I also installed an active/passive switch (i.e. preamp bypass) so I could get a good feel for the pickup's passive tone qualities as well. As far as I'm concerned they're both outstanding pickups, but the Nordstrand was just a better fit for me. Its got a bit more bottom end, a more focused lower midrange and a more polite treble response. The upper-midrange isn't quite as good, let's call it less defined. The Lane Poor had a little bit less bass response, a much weaker lower midrange, a more defined upper midrange (its one saving grace) and a more "biting" treble that could occasionally sound harsh when used with extreme EQ settings. One thing that the Lane Poor does very well, despite my seemingly harsh review is deliver a spot-on recreation of Flea's modern tone. Its actually very hard to dial out, so if you really like Flea's more modern tone, this is the pickup for you. Unfortunately they're very hard to find and go for a pretty steep price tag. I'll be further modifying this bass by taking out the onboard preamp (it actually sounds better in passive mode), and changing the function of the switch I installed to be series/parallel instead of active/passive (since there won't be a preamp in there anymore). This will leave me with an unused knob that will do..... nothing. The other modification that I'm looking into is making a custom control plate for the knobs and switch (think of the control plate on a Music Man Stingray/Sterling, or a Fender Jazz bass). I think this will add a nice touch of "flare" to an already flashy bass.
show me picsssssssssssssssssssssssss :D

[EonBlueApoc128]

I recently bought Primus' Hallcino-Genetics DVD (spectacular), and saw Les make some pretty good use of his wammy bar.

So I've come to the conclusion that i'd like to get one, the only place I've seen that sells one for a 5-string bass is Hipshot Products (http://www.hipshotproducts.com/5stringtremolo.htm ).

So would anyone happen to know of any other companies that make a bass trem system? And how difficult would it be to fit a Peavey Grind BXP NTB bass with one?

[neatobassman]

^^I asked about that also, and I was told pretty much not to if you don't know how to rout the strings through the bass. but I'm not sure if you yourself can or not. If you can, then do so.

[billtus]

ok, heres the lo-down, i've completely re-shaped the body and headstock, i've filled in the spots under the pick-guard, sanded it...all thats left is to sand the the rest of the putty off when it sets and im going into town tommorrow morn' to buy some high gloss black paint

and my brother and me redid sanded down his drum kit, and they are stainded dark brown...so i need to put polyurathane on a 7 piece kit and my bass tommorrow...fun

[billtus]

anybody know where to buy frets for a p-bass neck?

[jamesr]

anybody know where to buy frets for a p-bass neck?
http://www.warmoth.com

[AMistfit]

Hi, first post :)

Are there any decent UK sites to buy bass parts?

[braindamage]

Hi! I have a P-Bass (at least that's what I assume since I know nothing of basses :P ) and I did a complete new paintjob but now I want to change the pickups... it has the same pickup setup than xxxwookie's bass (as seen here http://www.geocities.com/raw_throat_vocal_martyr/Gear/custom.html hehe), and the three knobs also... what I want to know is, does anyone knows where I could get a good scheme of the wiring? I already bought my new pickups (BassLines), and there is a wiring Scheme for both of them on the website ( http://www.basslines.com/ ), but nothing that involves both pickup and the three knobs at the same time... I don't know if I'm being clear or what, but could anybody help please?? :)

[braindamage]

^^ Nevermind, I think I found it :D
http://www.bassmanuals.com/duncanpjbass.pdf

[kilian]

^^ true!

And welcome to the forums ;)

And you know you can change the tone pot's resitance to 500k Ohms to give it a more treble sound?
http://guitarelectronics.zoovy.com/category/wiringresources.1basicwiringfaqs/

Check that out for a FAQ

[newbie2607]

hey im thinkin of reshaping and painting my Squier p-bass. could anyone tell me how i would go about cutting it? im kinda goin 4 a thunderbird style look. help would be appreciated. thanks.

[Shyanel]

Cut it on a band saw or clamp it and jigsaw it, then contour it with sand paper.

[newbie2607]

i think i mite just add a humbucker pickup 2 it i just got lazy and realized i didnt wanna do all that work. thanx for the help though if i do change my mind i'll try 2 remember that.

[LewsTherin]

i doubt theres enough wood on a P-Bass to shape it into a t-bird style body. if you actually managed to do it, it wouldnt be the right size at all.

[newbie2607]

yea i dont think if i do it i'll do it t-bird style. prolly eagle style.>http://www.warmoth.com/bass/bodies/radical.cfm?fuseaction=include_eagle do u all think it's possible? if not i'll do this >http://www.warmoth.com/bass/bodies/dinky.cfm?fuseaction=include_dinkyp or nothing. thanx 4 the help if any1 decides 2 help me. bye now.

[newbie2607]

yea i dont think if i do it i'll do it t-bird style. prolly eagle style.>http://www.warmoth.com/bass/bodies/radical.cfm?fuseaction=include_eagle do u all think it's possible? if not i'll do this >http://www.warmoth.com/bass/bodies/dinky.cfm?fuseaction=include_dinkyp or nothing. thanx 4 the help if any1 decides 2 help me. bye now. :thumb:

[newbie2607]

oops i posted twice. sry.

[Skit]

Anyone have any ideas as to how to fill an electronics cavity?

(Removing pickguard and I want to fill in holes)

[Zalcentice]

Does anyone know a site or something dedicated to Rogue Bass Customizations and set-ups, Drive Amp settings, and Ibanez Pedal settings?

[needleboy]

ok, got to the point where i want to do something with my bass, let me describe, tell me what you think.

it's an S101 JHB74 (see it here: http://www.ascpianos.com/PagesGuitars/basses/htbass/JHB74TBL.html). not the color of the one in the pic. it's a dark walnut brown, color's very very nice, and the whole finish of the guitar is great. i'm actually really satisfied with it (and it was cheap!). just want to make it better.

anywya, my thoughts on the paint job were like this: i want to paint only the front of the body in a transparent dark red, thus making it dark red, but still having the wood look through it. i'm not going to do the sides or back, just the front. should i use any coating on it after painting? i really don't want it to look glossy.
the headstock i'm going to do in the same manner, though i'll sand it before painting, as it's already covered with paint, and the wood's not showing through. besides, i really want to get rid of their ugly eagle logo, and make a nice carving of some design, then fill it with silver paint. so it'll be a carved in logo in silver on a deep red wooden headstock.

now for problems:
i really want to change the pickups, but it's a problem, as the factory ones are HUGE (5.5"x1.5") soapbars, and the guitar doesn't have a pickup guard (and i don't want one either). should i just use the covers i have now and install different pickups inside (if i buy a di'marzzio i want it to be seen) or just fill the extra cavity space with wood filler (i'd hate to do that, as it'll show through the paintjob). any ideas on a good way to do this without a pickup guard?

lastly, how tough will it be to turn it into an active one? the woodwork won't be a problem (a cavity for the preamp and battery), but i might get into s**t with the wiring and installing the extra buttons. any suggestions?

i'll post a pic of it as it looks now in a few hours, as soon as this workday's out.

thanks!

[needleboy]

another thing... how woul i go about changing the inlay dots? how the hell can i pull the current ones out? just drill them out?

[nilon]

Hey, got a MIM Jazz, just wondering if anyone knows any sites to get a left handed maple fingerboard neck for it.
Any suggestions on how to make it "active" rather than passive will be appreciated too, but if that's not possible then just recommendations for new pickups and preamp. Thanks!

[nicatterberry]

Hey, got a MIM Jazz, just wondering if anyone knows any sites to get a left handed maple fingerboard neck for it.
Any suggestions on how to make it "active" rather than passive will be appreciated too, but if that's not possible then just recommendations for new pickups and preamp. Thanks!


http://www.east-uk.com/jrhome.htm

go there for a new preamp, the j-retro 01 or j-retro 01 deluxe.

http://www.warmoth.com/showcase/sc_guitar_necks.cfm?type=bass&start=31&menuItem=1&itemNumber=bn505&subMenuItem=0&subMenuItem2=0

maple neck/fingerboard

[Blink_Fan315]

ok i have a fender squier p bass, (yes like everyone else), but ive been playing for a year and a half now and now have an acoustic bass, and i want a new electric, but i dont have the money for the shecter right now. My band is starting up now because were out of school for the summer and i want new pickups, but im not sure which ones to go with,and, would all i need to do to install them be to resauder the wires from my old ones to my new pickups? Please Help, Thanks...

[Skit]

You should get a wiring diragram/instructions when you buy the pickups, but you basically just connect the wires in the same space as they where previously.

[Blink_Fan315]

Thats what i thought, also im gonna paint my pickguard while im at it, what kind of paint should i use, any tips you guys have?

[dragonzmad]

Here is how I am trying to customize my yamaha p-bass:

I decided that it might be really original to customize my bass by covering the back of the bass with photographs. I wanted to create a collage (not sure thats how you spell it, [cOlage]) the shape of the body of the bass and put it on the back. I'm stuck because I want a nice clear coat over the pictures. Would I have to get a piece of clear glass, plastic, or fiberglass and attack it to the body (with screws) or could I use some sort of clear coat over the photographs to make them look like they came on the bass. Not only that the body isn't entirely flat. Its shaped in an ergonomic way to fit comfortably under my arm so I would need something that would bend with the shape of the back.

Also I am contemplating putting another pickup in the bass possibly a musicman type pickup. What tools would I need and how would I go about making the space that the pickup would fit in?

[Skit]

dragonzmad - I dont think you can get a coat of the pictures, I think your best bet is a clear piece of plastic like you suggested.
If you try it on an old piece of wood first, you might be able to stick the picture on the varnish over it so it looks like its painted to the wood - just a guess though Im not sure it'd work.

I've never added a new pickup before, but I've replaced an old one with a different sized pickup.
I marked out how big the pickup was, then added a few extra mm so the pickup has room and is not crushed in.
I then took a jigsaw and cut along the lines I had made.
after they where cut out I filed the edges down making them smooth.
the pickup then fitted right in and I wired it up accordingly.

I guess a similar way would be used to install one from scratch but you would probably have to drill a starting point hole for the jigsaw to fit it.

Blink - I'd suggest buying a new pickguard all together there not too expensive and you can get them in any colour you want.
If you paint it yourself, odds are the paint would keep pealing/chipping off.



Hope that helps guys :thumb:

[Kibuddy]

Blink - I'd suggest buying a new pickguard all together there not too expensive and you can get them in any colour you want.
If you paint it yourself, odds are the paint would keep pealing/chipping off.



I disagree. If you use Krylon Fusion spray paint (designed for use on plastic), or a similar kind of paint, it should be perfectly fine.

[good rats]

For the photograph idea. You could glue all the photos on, then get a spray on, clear coating, and spray it over the top so it protects teh photos.

[maynardhater]

I was reading in the original post about how you defretted your bass. I'd like to defret one of my basses so I don't have to enrage my girlfriend and buy a fretless. My question, after you fill in the frets and sand the neck down, if you don't plan on painting anything, what should you put over it, just so the neck doesn't loose it's smoothness.

[Skit]

Varnish and epoxy :thumb:

[sixxbassist90]

does anyone know any good p- bass pick ups that are passive and that come with all the wiring set for you

[YTREWQ]

DOES anybody know any decent Uk sites to buy parts from? Need a scratchplate for a P-Bass.

[Skit]

^ Cant you just order from america?

http://pickguards.com/ :thumb:

[bass&cookies]

sixbassist-seymour duncan quarter pounder.those are so awesome.

[Scooch]

How would you take a J-P configuration and change the P hole to another J hole like the threadstarter did?

[nrcafootball68]

^^wood putty and a router i think, im not sure

[LewsTherin]

How would you take a J-P configuration and change the P hole to another J hole like the threadstarter did?

youd have to rout it from the z-shape to a large rectangle. the new hole would be larger than a j-pup hole, but itd still work, i think.

[Aerodyne]

In addition to my Aerodyne Jazz Bass, my stolen Crate bass was replaced with an Ibanez GSR 200-FM. Aside from the obvious de-fretting and pickup replacement, both of which I will do when I get the money, what else could I do at a minimal cost, with more effect on tone than looks, It's a good looking bass as is.

[Aerodyne]

I just de-fretted the Ibanez! I followed most of the guides on the boards: used a paint scraper thing to get the frets out, took about 5-10 minutes, filled the frets with wood filler, sanded it down, and now I'm going to decide on what to use for the clear-coat finish. I admit I'm still a n00b, but if you're interested in pics I'll get to that after I coat the fingerboard. It sounds great, I'm just not sure if I'll use rounds or flats, I've got rounds now and I'll wait till after I coat it before I decide to change. Must... Stop... Typing... Must... Play... Bass!!!

[Penaltyplaybass]

I painted the screws that go into my pick gaurd. Im awesome.

I defretted a bass earlier, but doestn compare to the screws.

[wileycoyote]

ive changed my string height...wow

but i want new pickups for my fender j sometime...

[ak50324]

I want to add a J pickup to my P bass...(as well as change the other pickup...)
Is it worth it? I just spent a couple days defreting it and it now has some fender 9050 flatwounds which helped it's sound a bit....I have a super crappy P bass and a amp that always sounds like a P bass amp....I also plan on getting another pickguard later mainly because I actually use picks! Any good bridge J pickups to recommend?

[wileycoyote]

im gettin DiMarzio Model J PUP's and a badass II bridge and a black/red tortoise shell pickguard for my Fender MIM J. and im going to paint my old piece of crap Silvertone.

[4stringguy]

hey nice thread by the way. i have an old peavey milestone III and i am interested in defretting it. if i do do i have to get new pickups for it? i don't want to spend too much. i have another good bass but i really want a fretless. and i like the feel of my peavey. can you give me some help?

[Peterwgw]

i seen that alot of people want a site that sells parts in the Uk well i stumbled apon this site agies ago http://www.axesrus.com/ its mostly guitar parts but there is alot of bass spares

[ak50324]

I want to add a pickup to my Pbass...I really want a musicman pup since I only need one...HOw do I actually do it though? I know that I need to saw off a part of my bass, then sodder it in..but if It isn't under the pickup how do I even dsdo that? As you can see I am hopelessly confused :(
HELP?

[shabbytheflyingape]

I defretted a neck from an old P-bass copy I got (that's all, I just defretted it, haven't touched it other than that) and when I was done I noticed that there was a spot around the 7th fret where the wood is kind of trying come out. There are like four little chips that are trying to come out. I'm guessing it was just because the fret was still glued in a lil bit (Sorry about the horrible job describing this amazing phenomena). But anywho, is this going to be a big problem or not? I don't want to go in with the wood filler or anything if it'll just fudge it up worse. And also, how would I use roundwounds on the neck when I'm done? The epoxy idea sounds kinda risky. Please tell me if there is another way. Thanks all.

[Crudd-Bucket™]

I want to add a pickup to my Pbass...I really want a musicman pup since I only need one...HOw do I actually do it though? I know that I need to saw off a part of my bass, then sodder it in..but if It isn't under the pickup how do I even dsdo that? As you can see I am hopelessly confused
HELP? You want to add a pickup to your bass I assume you are trying to say. You will need to mark out the position then you could use a router to route out the hole, or I recommend using a router bit in a drill press and milling it out that way then finishing the edges with a sharp chisel or a dremel with a sanding drum attachment. You will also need to cut a hole in the pickguard I assume, so you will need to use a jigsaw. First drill a hole in the pickguard then cut it out.

[Crudd-Bucket™]

I defretted a neck from an old P-bass copy I got (that's all, I just defretted it, haven't touched it other than that) and when I was done I noticed that there was a spot around the 7th fret where the wood is kind of trying come out. There are like four little chips that are trying to come out. I'm guessing it was just because the fret was still glued in a lil bit (Sorry about the horrible job describing this amazing phenomena). But anywho, is this going to be a big problem or not? I don't want to go in with the wood filler or anything if it'll just fudge it up worse. And also, how would I use roundwounds on the neck when I'm done? The epoxy idea sounds kinda risky. Please tell me if there is another way. Thanks all.

So when you were removing a fret it pulled up woodchips? If you have them still glue them back in with pva glue, clamp them on hard. If not fill them with filler, or sawdust mixed with pva and sand it down.

Epoxy on the fretboard will give reduce wear a lot. Go for it I say. I'm not sure how to apply it though. I believe Sade does.

[bass&cookies]

epoxying is fairly easy, you just need patience. i think LEC did a lesson on it awhile back

[spaz21387]

i have a mim fender jazz and i want to custom paint the pickguard but im not sure what paint to use

[AcerbicCunnt77]

i have a mim fender jazz and i want to custom paint the pickguard but im not sure what paint to use

go to page 5 :rolleyes:

[spaz21387]

that doesnt mention paint its about fenders and squires but nothing to do with paint. what paint would stick to the pickguard of my bass?

[AcerbicCunnt77]

sorry I meant 6, It's only one page back dude, look around next time

[Crudd-Bucket™]

that doesnt mention paint its about fenders and squires but nothing to do with paint. what paint would stick to the pickguard of my bass?

Enamel paint :thumb: it's used with modelling as well, you know when painting model cars and such.

Do not buy arcrillic paint as it is water-based and will not bond to the plastic.

[spaz21387]

cool thanks ill go look for some tommarow does it come in a spraypaint like can or do you have to paint it on with a paintbrush or something?

[spaz21387]

im done painting the pickguard what do you guys think?

[img=http://img170.imageshack.us/img170/1592/jazznewpickguard9tr.th.jpg] (http://img170.imageshack.us/my.php?image=jazznewpickguard9tr.jpg)

[img=http://img343.imageshack.us/img343/1749/jazznewpickguard26cq.th.jpg] (http://img343.imageshack.us/my.php?image=jazznewpickguard26cq.jpg)



[img=http://img289.imageshack.us/img289/7130/jazznewpickguard30pi.th.jpg] (http://img289.imageshack.us/my.php?image=jazznewpickguard30pi.jpg)

[img=http://img289.imageshack.us/img289/6528/jazznewpickguard46pi.th.jpg] (http://img289.imageshack.us/my.php?image=jazznewpickguard46pi.jpg)

[AcerbicCunnt77]

it looks bad on a jazz just cos I think jazz basses are more classy IMO

[Its all gravys]

hmmm i think it looks really cool.

[neatobassman]

it looks bad on a jazz just cos I think jazz basses are more classy IMO

that's funny, because when I think jazz bass, I think costumization and everyone has one. lol

[Crudd-Bucket™]

cool thanks ill go look for some tommarow does it come in a spraypaint like can or do you have to paint it on with a paintbrush or something?

Yes it comes in little spray paint cans aswell.

[spaz21387]

that's funny, because when I think jazz bass, I think costumization and everyone has one. lol

yea im customizing mine cuz the standard fender electronics arent the best coming soon is an active 3 band onboard preamp and seymore duncan quarterpound j bass pickups

[the101er]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v652/beav2k2/mmjblk.jpg

My (soon to be )customisation:

Seymour Duncan MM in bridge
Badass II
Black Pickguard
Hipshot Xtenders
J Retro Active Pre-amp

:D

[Ting]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v652/beav2k2/mmjblk.jpg

My (soon to be )customisation:

Seymour Duncan MM in bridge
Badass II
Black Pickguard
Hipshot Xtenders
J Retro Active Pre-amp

:D
I'm longing for a Hipshot on my bass. Anyone got the price on one?

[funkyhoney]

howdy guys, in a few days im getting a fender jazz copy which im plannignto defret,and im thinking i want to do more, like add an active pre-amp. what kind of work would this involve and is it something an amatuer should attempt?

[spaz21387]

Its not that hard i bet you could do it. Theres some instructions on here check those out i was thinking of doing that to my squire p bass. I havent gotten around to it yet though

[Worrpigs]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v652/beav2k2/mmjblk.jpg

My (soon to be )customisation:

Seymour Duncan MM in bridge
Badass II
Black Pickguard
Hipshot Xtenders
J Retro Active Pre-amp

:D
that is the hawtest jazz bass i have ever seen in my life.

[ibanez949]

ok, here's my dilema. I'm not 100% sure if this is possible, my band teacher mentioned something about it giving me "bleedback" (I'm not very experienced, I apologize) but I'm rewiring my bass. It's an Ibanez GSR200: came with precision pickup, jazz pickup, 2 volumes, and a tone. I'm trying to rewire it a certain way though. Keeping the two pickups, I'm trying to give each of them thier own volume, getting rid of the tone knob, and then trying to install a 3 way toggle. does anyone have anyclue on how to do this? if so, I would greatly appreciate

[Crudd-Bucket™]

I'm longing for a Hipshot on my bass. Anyone got the price on one?

$85 US minimum

[neatobassman]

ok, here's my dilema. I'm not 100% sure if this is possible, my band teacher mentioned something about it giving me "bleedback" (I'm not very experienced, I apologize) but I'm rewiring my bass. It's an Ibanez GSR200: came with precision pickup, jazz pickup, 2 volumes, and a tone. I'm trying to rewire it a certain way though. Keeping the two pickups, I'm trying to give each of them thier own volume, getting rid of the tone knob, and then trying to install a 3 way toggle. does anyone have anyclue on how to do this? if so, I would greatly appreciate

Somewhere in this forum, there is an article about making parallel/series switches (what I think you are looking for) and for the tone knob, I think you can just by pass it, but you should keep it because it's very helpful.

[m-dirnt_fan101]

im hotrodding my highway1 pbass with a custom shop '59 pbass pickup, a tortoise shell pickguard and if i have any money left over a badassIII bridge

the parts should be here by monday so ill post pics then:D

[Manadar]

I don't really like the P-bass shape so I actually reshaped the body using a coping saw. I cut the horns similar to the shape of an SG but the staggered look actually looks more interesting. I've also reduced the big ugly backside that P-basses have so it looks more slim.
I then used a file to shape the wood in a more detailed way. The coping saw leaves it bumpy.


Weren't you worried about how the balance will become? And how did the balance turn out ?

[Manadar]

Oh and something completely else... I recently broke the bit between the neck and the head, since it was already lost I put glew in and drilled 2 holes and put two screws in. It was one piece again but it lookes like crap, and I actually want to sell it as i've bought a new bass. But I might get rid of those drill holes, etc. first. Any idea's on how i can fix this?

[m-dirnt_fan101]

fill with wood putty, sand smooth, paint

[Crudd-Bucket™]

I found a guy selling a fender style hipshot detuner for $100 AU, I would have to drill out the hole in the headstock to have it fit wouldn't I?

[DarkGothComy]

I don't mean to move off the subject but I was just curious where you guys picked up all the technical skills of bass guitars? I mean nothing in school has anything to do with it except maybe electronics for cars???

[neatobassman]

I don't mean to move off the subject but I was just curious where you guys picked up all the technical skills of bass guitars? I mean nothing in school has anything to do with it except maybe electronics for cars???

Some people just relate school knowledge and others find stuff on the interenet. This forum being a main source of information. lol

[Hardinge]

that jazz bass is sweet ! id love to have it

btw could i put a bridge pick up on my p-bass or would it invovle a lot of work

[LewsTherin]

that jazz bass is sweet ! id love to have it

btw could i put a bridge pick up on my p-bass or would it invovle a lot of work

youd have to:

a) route a cavity for it

b) make room for the controls for it

c) drill a path for the wiring from the pup cavity to the control cavity

d) wire it up


its a bit of work.

[kilian]

In other words.. Let a luthier drill the holes for you and fix the pickup. Or if you're handy with solder: do it yourself (isn't a hard job).

[Zion Gates]

could i some how stencil something on my pickguard..that is possible to wash off? iam thinking sharpie, but will it wash off?

[LewsTherin]

could i some how stencil something on my pickguard..that is possible to wash off? iam thinking sharpie, but will it wash off?


either actual pencil, grease pen, or dry erase would probably work best.

[Zion Gates]

either actual pencil, grease pen, or dry erase would probably work best.

...what will stick to my pickguard?...i made an outline of what iam going to draw, everything looks good...i finished it with a fine liner pen, but thats not gonna stick..any ideas?

[LewsTherin]

...what will stick to my pickguard?...i made an outline of what iam going to draw, everything looks good...i finished it with a fine liner pen, but thats not gonna stick..any ideas?


So you want something semi-permanent? Thats a toughie.



Personally, Id spend the $15 on a new pickguard, draw on one of em, and just change it if you decide you dont like it in the future.

[Killer Fridge]

i've had a horrible idea, and now i kinda wanna go ahead with it, and i sorta want some opinions

ive wanted to to put EMG35DCs in my thumb for a while now, but im having doubts about butchering the pickup cavity - obviously i'd get a proper luthier to route it and install it (i only want it a bridge p-up, the neck can go with a straight j replacement) along with the emg BTC (or summat like that) preamp

would this be feasable, or would it be just allot of work for nothing?

[TheBassStylee]

i bought a set of EMG p-bass pickups (active humbucking) and a black pickguard for my squier p-bass. is it hard to install? (ive never done this before..)

i think in the future im also gunna get a maple jazz neck for it but im not sure bout spending more money on it. should i buy one later on or is it not worth it?

[Zion Gates]

i bought a set of EMG p-bass pickups (active humbucking) and a black pickguard for my squier p-bass. is it hard to install? (ive never done this before..)

i think in the future im also gunna get a maple jazz neck for it but im not sure bout spending more money on it. should i buy one later on or is it not worth it?

i think you should just get an actual fender, much better quality and you could probably get the same colour (iam guessing its black) with a maple neck and install the black pickguard and the pickups on it

[neatobassman]

i've had a horrible idea, and now i kinda wanna go ahead with it, and i sorta want some opinions

ive wanted to to put EMG35DCs in my thumb for a while now, but im having doubts about butchering the pickup cavity - obviously i'd get a proper luthier to route it and install it (i only want it a bridge p-up, the neck can go with a straight j replacement) along with the emg BTC (or summat like that) preamp

would this be feasable, or would it be just allot of work for nothing?

very feasable. I think it will sound awesome like that.

[TheBassStylee]

i think you should just get an actual fender, much better quality and you could probably get the same colour (iam guessing its black) with a maple neck and install the black pickguard and the pickups on it
nah i dont wanna spend the money on a fender and then mod that. i jus got a deluxe jazz so i dont need a new bass. i jus wanted sumthin i could play some nice reggae and funk on

[Killer Fridge]

very feasable. I think it will sound awesome like that.

cheers for that, thats about all the encouragement i need to go and get it done :thumb:

right, now i just have to try and afford the p-ups and the preamp (got the money, but i also need a car, and to pay for the 4x10 i just bought :D )

[I heart Ska]

Hey all, Im new here.

Ive been playing for a about 2 years and am currently using a good old Ibanez GRS200 (while saving for something new as always).

I have recently decided, while taking a break form my revision, to do up my old Squire P-bass, going for a real jazz sound.
I Have de-fretted it and waiting for some wood-filler.
I am wanting a custom design on my scratch plate, so im working on that.

The thing I was wondeirng about were pickups...
I was looking at a few jazz pickups..but im not sure what would be best for me...(especially as all I looked at wouldnt fit in my plate)

So, could anyone reccomend some good pickups (not too expensive) and, do I need to kinda remodel my plate or buy a new one (but then the nobs wont be right,,,) if I want the fit something like a jazz?

Thanks in advance

[hellonearth07]

i'd say get a new pickguard, one for j basses... but then the control cavity would show on the p.... hmmm... you could always get blank pickguard material and cut your own which would kinda be like a pbass pickguard with cavities for j pups instead of a p

also, i like dimarzio's J's, but if u wanna get something really special, and pay just a little bit more, i'd seriously look into some Lindy Fralin j's

[I heart Ska]

Thanks, I was thinking of just getting a P-bass replcement (mines snapped anyway) and cutting space for some larger jazz pickups....

I'll look into those pickups..thanks