hamfist

Would it not simplify your setup if you simply had a small pedal tuner at your feet , in line from your bass to your RBI. Use a true bypass one (eg. Korg Pitchblack) and you will not be negatively affecting your signal at all. Then one stomp gets you tuner and mute at the same time.

[quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1393539350' post='2381791'] My choice on a black Precision with maple would be either black or tort (tort currently the winner for me). [/quote] My taste too, although my number one preference would be for a 3 ply B/W/B. As for quality, I suspect all the scratchplate manufacturers in the world are pretty much using the same blanks from the same factories, so the quality of the raw material is exactly the same. If you spend £12 on a cheap one it'll be laser cut, accurately and the blank material looks identical to me to any other scratchplate. Dangleberry music have downloadable pdf templates that you can print and cutout to check for fit. They are well cheap too, and the quality of the product will be as good as anyone else.

Come on ! You've got to give us more than that.

[quote name='tom1946' timestamp='1393512209' post='2381248'] Have you compared the Wilkos to the SD SPB-1 pickup? I don't REALLY want to buy another if the wilko is similar. [/quote] I have owned an SPB-1 in the past, and it is a nice pickup for sure. It was in a completely different bass to what I have currently though, so not really directly comparable. THe ceramic-magnet Wilko cheapies may have a slightly brighter top end and possibly a slightly tighter attack (being ceramic). In all honesty, any direct comparison by me between the two pickups would be useless as it was a while ago (and in a different bass). Suffice to say that I was impressed with both pickups.

I can thoroughly recommend the Wilkinson P/J tuners, which are also of high quality. The MM neck holes need tweaking wider just a smidge to fit them in, something like 0.5mm. Easily done, even with a bit of sandpaper and something round like a dowel or a pen (personally I use a Dremel .... which is my favourite time-saving tool).

Oooh, that scratchplate's a bit flambouyant for most around here. Every time I post a pic with a colourful or pearloid pickguard it seems to stimulate almost unanimous disapproval on here. They're just a load of old stick-in-the-muds though. Ignore 'em ! I like it !

Maple board, black blocks. Classic ! I'd prefer no neck binding or white binding though, if there's a choice.

[quote name='winterfire666' timestamp='1390341304' post='2344358'] yeah, i did lots of experimenting of pickpup positions and found classic p position (neck position) and the position on my home made frenkenbass (bridge position) suited best for my playing, i dont like em too close to the fretboard or too near the bridge. it was a bit wierd when i relised they were so close together but im confident it will sound massive :^) [/quote] Your pickups are in my exact favourite pickup configuration. Blended, they are not impressive, but soloed .... ahhhh, it's awesome ! Both my basses are set up like that. I have SPB-3's in one of them, and they are very well suited to that setup IMO.

[quote name='Emanew' timestamp='1393457429' post='2380685'] Here what taught me my luthier : there must an real angle so you need to make rounds. Each string almost touchs the machine heads. I found this picture with a guitar. [/quote] Absolutely yes, on typical Fender J and P headstocks, this'll get much more punch out of your E (and maybe even A) strings. On any string that goes under any sort of string retainer before reaching the nut, this would be irrelevant of course, as the string retainer would govern the string break angle at the nut.

[quote name='HowieBass' timestamp='1393430710' post='2380223'] Looking this up it's Bocote wood, roughly as strong as Hard Maple but considerably heavier http://www.wood-database.com/lumber-identification/hardwoods/bocote/ Neck dive anyone? [/quote] For that, I'd cope with a bit of dive !

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Outragous-Bocate-Jazz-Bass-Neck-Replacement-Fender-Finished-Nitrocellulos-/171252334670?pt=Guitar&hash=item27df6f404e

As usual, I have been tinkering and swapping stuff around. Over the last few weeks I have bought a couple of items that I thought have been particularly excellent, especially when considering their very reasonable cost. Firstly, the Wilkinson MWPB ceramic precision pickup. I have a couple of these and I am so impressed. I have owned 20 or 30 different p bass pickups in recent years and these Wilkinsons stand up with any of them to be honest. Great attack, enough top and bottom end. Not mid-scooped. I prefer these to most alnico magnet P bass pickups I have tried to be honest. I have been swapping them in and out comparing them with SD quarterpounders (SPB-3) (my favourite P bass pickup) and the Wilkinson ones are different in character but not worse in any way. Thoroughly recommended if you are after a cheap upgrade P pickup ! Second I ordered a Probass Stinger preamp on a whim. Now there's only one or two reviews on these online but it was reasonably cheap and I wanted a preamp for a double P equipped bass which already had loads of mids but not quite enough bottom end grunt for me, so I ordered it. Fitted yesterday evening ..... what a great preamp ! As I said the bass I fitted it into already was extremely resonant and had great mids so I was not bothered having to do without a dedicated mids control. I have fitted a passive blend knob (MN500K) to blend the output of my two P pickups into this preamp and it works beautifully and very, very musically. The bass control adds just the right frequencies for me. No mud, just great deep body. the treble control was the biggest extra bonus. I have no idea of the frequencies but to my ear it has a fairly narrow Q (which I always like for musicality) and it's boosting somewhere in the upper mids/lower treble. It's VERY musical to my ears. Not giving any harshness but lots of fruity upper mid grunt right where I think I'll want it in a band mix. Can't wait to try it out with the band. This preamp has given the bass a completely new lease of life. It had become my definite number two, but it could become my favourite. We'll see.

Ah, my favourite P bass colour scheme !

An easy alternative to lacquering is to do an oil and wax finish on the neck. This produces a beautiful satin finish. Simply sand the neck smooth down to wood, doing the usual through the sandpaper grades up to about 600 or 1000. Then stain if you want , Then Colron Danish Oil (natural) - B&Q about £10 (applied with a piece of cloth, a couple of coats). Then finish with Briwax (available everywhere !, 3 or 4 coats). I have done a P neck with this method and it has a lovely, durable, easily playable finish. And the real beauty of it is that it was so easy and quick to do. The whole process only takes a couple of days.

Are they active EMG's ? If so I'd go for one of the EMG preamps. This one is rather cheap, and good .... http://www.guitarandampshop.co.uk/cgi-bin/sh000001.pl?REFPAGE=http%3a%2f%2fwww%2eguitarandampshop%2eco%2euk%2f&WD=control%20bqc&PN=EMG%2dBQC_Bass_and_Treble_EQ_Control_for_Electric_Bass%2ehtml%23a1833#a1833 That Artec preamp will not work with active pickups, it is designed for passive pickups and, unfortunately, with passive and active pickups and preamps you cannot mix and match.

Personally I can really "feel" the difference between a J and a P neck. Although be aware that although Jazz necks almost universally have a 38mm nut and are slim in depth, P nut widths can vary from about 40-43mm. Personally, I can cope with a 41mm, but any more and I find myself being limited. My Mighty Mite P neck has these widths ... nut - 41mm 5th fret - 49mm 12t fret - 57mm neck depth ... 1st fret - 19mm 5th fret - 20.5mm 12th fret - 22.5mm

You will find a Jazz neck much more similar to your SR. If that's what you really want, then it's a question of finding one that fits nicely in your neck heel slot in the body. The Mighty Mite necks are really good. I have a Precision one currently. Heel width is bang on 63mm. To start I'd measure the exact width of your current neck heel at it's widest point (the height and length are more standard if it's a "made-for-fender" style neck). Then it's a question of getting a Jazz neck that fits the slot, as they do vary.

[quote name='jamiethecat' timestamp='1392985272' post='2374915'] Done it pulled the trigger. I'll let you know when I get it. [/quote] Nice one ! Enjoy.

[quote name='Ou7shined' timestamp='1392944674' post='2374643'] I'm sure that more than a few dogs got relegated to the uncle's loft in mint condish (or not for that matter) for not being that great in the first place. I mean we're talking mass produced commodities not a few choice gems. [/quote] Very good point, and I'm fully in agreement with uncle psychosis' general ideas. However, I also think that there are more guitars/basses made these days made of poor (read as "soft") wood. Basses of yesteryear tended to be made of better (ie. harder) woods, as people didn't seem so bothered about having a light bass back then. I'd rather take a bass made of a heavy piece of ply rather than Agathis or Basswood personally. I have never played an Agathis or Basswood-bodied bass that I liked the tone of (trying to avoid psychoacoustics and all that ... I didn't realise some of them were Agathis or Basswood until well after I'd decided I didn't like the tone).

[quote name='Mr Anthony' timestamp='1392934825' post='2374559'] I actually had a wander down there this evening and there wasn't actually anything that really stood out to me. Thanks for letting me know, I'll look into it. That pistachio bass looks great by the way! Edit: just looked up plastikote, and you can buy in B&Q. So avoid home brands, and try that you reckon? I ony want a glossy white, which they do, and it's not expensive at all. Actually picked the can up and read the info on it earlier. Only recognised it from the label, not that name! Haha! [/quote] If you go the Plastikote route go with the "Super" range only is my advice. I haven't used their cheaper stuff but internet wisdom is that it is, unsurprisingly, not as good. My only failure with the Plastikote Super was my very first attempt at a refin so it was probably my own fault. I have a couple of cans of satin black still in the cupboard. I think I'm going to refin my P bitsa with it sometime soon .... can't beat a black P & maple neck IMO !

Only just read the thread. Not quite my style, but a very impressive build ! How exactly did you do the bridge earthing with copper tape in the end ? Simply put tape on the rear of the body and then paint over it ?

[quote name='Mr Anthony' timestamp='1392917006' post='2374186'] There's a huge B&Q down the road from here, so I'll see what they've got in there. [/quote] DO not be tempted to buy anything at B&Q. All their spray paint is relatively rubbish. Get some of the Molotov stuff online is my advice. It's cheap and seems to work well. I have tried B&Q paints and they are all far too soft when dry and scratch very easily. I have managed to get a great and hardwearing finish with PLastikote Super .... http://basschat.co.uk/topic/217916-westone-thunder-re-finish-goodness/page__p__2221132__hl__paint__fromsearch__1#entry2221132 This green bass has been used well now for several months and the finish is proving to be very tough. However, I did a different bass with Plastikote super satin black and it never got hard enough even after several weeks drying. I think if I do another I will try Molotov premium paint