JPJ

Well after much um’ing and ah’ing and a lot of emails back and forward with James, I’ve pulled the trigger on a five string PJ body from a one piece ash blank. To minimise the chance of pink torpedo-ups at my end I’ve also taken the option of having the body finished by them. Delivery is quoted at 3 months but hopefully quicker, but that’ll give me plenty of time to refinish the neck I have here. So, don’t hold your breath but stand-by for further updates.

Well I’ve just played my first gig with a v2 BDDI and I bloody loved it. Just the right amount of old skool breakup when I dug in, otherwise just a fuller fatter tone akin to a nicely warmed up valve amp. Can’t see me switching it off anytime soon.

Hi, I’m just north of Newcastle upon Tyne

I’m tempted by the Sire P5, if it’s as good as my V7 I’d be a happy chap, but no info on delivery dates yet.

5 string split coil P basses seem to be fairly rare beasts. I know Fender and Lakland produce them but you don’t see a lot of them about (yes I know there’s a sunburst Fender for sale on here). I built mine a good few years ago but I’ve never been happy with the finish so I’m thinking of either a rebuild or buying new/used. Are there any other manufacturers I should be considering?

So a while ago I built a five string version of the Fender Stu Hamm (2xJ + 1xP pickups). I made a few mistakes with the body but enjoyed the process however there is now an expensive assembly of pickups, John East electronics and various premium hardware sitting unused as the mistakes prevent me from enjoying playing it. I was thinking of getting a new body blank and remaking the body trying to avoid making the same mistakes when I spotted these bodies on eBay from G&B Guitar and Bass https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/114814090038?_trkparms=aid%3D1110002%26algo%3DSPLICE.SOI%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20201210111451%26meid%3D7944b18f16924273a8b5ad44ffc694ef%26pid%3D101196%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D12%26sd%3D124730139220%26itm%3D114814090038%26pmt%3D1%26noa%3D0%26pg%3D2047675%26algv%3DPromotedSellersOtherItemsV2WithMLRv3&_trksid=p2047675.c101196.m2219&amdata=cksum%3A1148140900387944b18f16924273a8b5ad44ffc694ef|enc%3AAQAGAAACAOb76QHAr8sDNZS8Pp4qkZL%2FI1q9IwwmEfIGOEukLv5G910HztGV%2F7kpisKTVrBpywTDSvO%2BBSMmK%2FB34OXUYJ7IKMeo9xqW36%2FRAhx3Ikx0ho5TNfHlYFClKroDFWkYvF%2FHbZKlev0gQRVpzOlrjCv39wTqSmkgbu2SABjVg6yS8eUEGgBT15loEhJaWzofSdlPnJtYdg%2BetsnORfOG1GfwfG7G4%2BLhtRph2Jn68rgoiK8YAobHWrXnQt%2BjYgaM0ZeT6tF4bi1KjIAebI9bq3g%2FY4l8y0yz%2F0C24w2Eh8tkZWf0dYScpVIRetoHRxnQA6JW753RIQz3L%2FC2pOcMD5WhbbhkmToGXsVFuxVUg34nkQ0DhuGOVEtFubtkcv1bb%2BrSDvuHN0WBekBxZywYBGuqHb2cP8HXXUiK4XT%2FeLSp1ICezctPKrtoRU6Cxw%2Ff%2BiTKPQ%2FXlgedkR%2Bnvp9iZdGYzh2W4s4urx0prp7YRrmQdh6YgCQNv27%2Ftvn7dxx0tyKXoASCFeT9EpRIwSWyHRM2OQCk6HhPO8CJQzHyJ1CXJcQiKOuqQYrQeoDAcGMpo9F0e5eLgPeqED%2Fc%2BK%2FwvXq%2FSLcYc8MVOGEGT%2BQ78ylpYch27os8cE9oC%2BYy1LstP6Eh0vO76nKxU9l4n%2FSicGvYo4%2BVJvZhMnDOA2E8354O|ampid%3APL_CLK|clp%3A2047675 Looks like an easy way to avoid any router pink torpedo-ups this time but before I pull the trigger, does anyone have any experience of these bodies?

If it’s half as good as my old black HB five string acoustic you won’t be disappointed. As others have said, whack a set of flats on it and away you go.

Loving my v2 Sire five string as much as I do, there was only one thing I disliked, the original plastic control knobs. I did try sourcing alternatives a while ago but I wasn’t happy with what I was able to source and then last week I bit the bullet and ordered what I needed from John East. Just installed them and I think they look rather spiffing even if I say so myself.

Used to have serious gas for one of those 8 string Kramers

Didn’t Shergold do a similar thing with their “modulator” guitars & basses?

Interesting. One of my favourite ever cabs was the 2x10 + 1x12 Schroeder with the 12” on the angled baffle slanting back into the cab. Proper single cab room filling solution.

I used to run a PLX with the Marcus Miller but the combination was almost as heavy as my SM1500. I may however have solved my own problem as I’ve just scored a SWR amplite which is a lightweight 400W into 4R single channel power amp.

Great answer, thank you for taking the time to share this. I’ll be interested to hear your further thoughts on the Connex option. 500W in to 4R would work for me. I plan on building a 2x12 version of the Basschat 1x12, and I’m much handier with wood and metal than electronics so I’m confident I could rustle up a reasonable heat sink.

Thanks Phil, interesting stuff. All I know about our ZLX’s is the make a nice sound. I’ll be watching closely the development of the basschat plate amp option.

I started having hum issues about a year or so ago, so I bought a replacement PJB power supply. Unfortunately, that didn’t cure the hum, which developed into a crackle, then intermittent distortion, to finally a dead Bass Buddy. i really need to see if I can get mine repaired, but the PJB distributor Selectron-uk hasn’t replied to my emails.

So having managed to buy back my old SWR Marcus Miller preamp I’m back thinking of building a 2x12 version of the Basschat 1x12 project cab, but adding a plate amp to make it a powered self contained rig with the SWR pre. As I seem unable to find a supplier of a reasonably priced 500W into 4 ohm plate amp, I’ve been considering buying something like the replacement amp module from an EV ZLX PA cab. We run two of those for FoH duties and despite running quite hot, have been reliable for the last 3 years (would be 4 but for lockdowns). Am I mad for even considering this or is there a better plate amp option?

Reminds me of back in the late seventies when I wrapped my Jedson sunburst short scale bass in black sticky backed plastic so that it would look like Phil Lynott's precision (it didn't).

I recently commented on a thread on a Facebook SWR group about my preference for a 5751 valve in place of a 12AX7 and one of the replies said the 5751 had a gain factor of 70 versus 100 of the 12AX7.