Maude

Gill-ty - Alice Cooper

It really is a great mod, as long as you like the series sound. But it's completely non invasive (bar a bit of soldering), you still have all your original tones, and reversible if you no longer want it for any reason. I think the best way of describing the series sound is rather than one of either pickup (call either p/u 100%) or a blend of the two (50% of each to get 100%), it's like taking the full sound of each p/u and stacking them to get 200%. Full, punchy and a slight volume boost. It works better with some pickups than others. I've found the wider the p/u spacing, the more the series tone is a distinct tone of it's own, and you get three completely different sounds (with a two p/u bass).

He literally played 'Metal' with Reznor live every night. Well if would've if they played it live every night. 😁

The Killing Moon - Echo and the Bunnymen

What Time Is It? Spin Doctors

Now I'm Feeling Zombified - Alien Sex Fiend

Stripper Vicar - Mansun

While I've got my inventors hat on. Couldn't the bridge be mounted on lateral roller bearings to provide an inbuilt 'slop' to negate the need for this plectrum? If that's too technical then maybe just drill a hole in your plectrum and tie a little string loop through it. Then holding the string, just swing the plectrum at the strings.

Yes, that would be the biggest difference between the two. The bridge, nut, body construction, etc must make a difference but the pickup is the biggy. I might record the 424, then fit the 1024 pickup in it a record again. If the difference is minimal then up goes the 1024 for sale. If there's a big enough difference then I'll see what I can get for the 424 and then carry out the reverse mod on the 1024. Whichever is the keeper gets the series switch mod. I actually prefer the look of my 424, the fretboard wood is far nicer and I think I prefer the less prominent neck laminates. I prefer the 1024's lacquered headstock face but that's easy to do. The 1024 bridge is nicer though. All first world problems I know.

My next invention, to solve the problem of where to put the fob so it doesn't rattle and slide around, is to fit it with a little metal blade and fit a receptacle to the side of the steering column to slot the blade into, leaving the fob hanging in a convenient, easy to hand location. Oh yeah, and the plectrum is stupid... ...and yes, I am a miserable bugger tonight 😁.

But think how much better a reverse P, series/parallel modded 1024 would be. 🙄 😁

I don't even know which BB I'm keeping, let alone what I'm doing to it 😄. But yeah, if I do it I'd use a push pull so the series is just an added option. The Longhorn and 4005 got a mini toggle switch added to switch between series and parallel as it suited them better, but a BB would want a push/pull pot.

I'm on it. 😁 It's actually a mod which I really like. I've done it to my Longhorn, Jazz, 4005 and Hofner Artist. It really gives them a kick up the jacksie, especially on a bass with a wide pickup spread like the 4005.

He's now added a price of £355. I'm out 🙂

Kumbaya - H. Wylie

My mistake. It's got twin rail pickups so humbuckers. I'm still interested to try it but the seller has just put offers, rather than an actual price. No idea what it's worth, but they are only £375. Although after looking on Retrovibe's website a plan might be developing. 🤔

My, completly stupid, fear is that guitarists will think I want to be in their gang. I'm a bassist and proud of it. 😉

Another thread reminded me that I never updated this thread. As I was doing this bass I decided I'd had enough of my job and left. I'm still panel beating, but in a smaller bodyshop half a mile from the home, rather than the 50 mile round commute I was doing. The money's not as good but it's a lot more relaxed and they appreciate what I do for them. Money isn't everything. Anyway, I hurriedly lacquered the bass before I left but as the lacquer is straight onto woodgrain, which had slightly raised from the waterbased ink, the finish isn't deep enough. I've flatted as much as I dare, as I don't want to break through, but there are still low spots in the grain. I want a completely flat finish. It just needs another couple of coats of lacquer but it's too cold now for me to do it at home, and I haven't been at the new job long enough to start borrowing the spray booth. 😁 It will be finished and it will be be lovely, but not just yet.

Thank you Andy. 🙂 You're indirectly responsible for the look though 😁. I thought I'd try some calligraphy ink after seeing you use it frequently, and very good it is too. Full thread here if it's of any interest. There is a reason it's not finished but I won't bore folks here with it.

Well this has just popped up for sale five minutes from me and I'm intrigued. I've never seen one before. It's a 30" scale, Stratocastor bass. Tele headstock rather than a Strat style strangely though. Most punters couldn't tell a guitar from a bass and this would really hammer the final nail in. I'm quite intrigued as to how it sounds with its three single coils.

If you were to put a veneer over the front and stain it teal, you could still mask the centre laminates on the rear to keep them visible, then lacquer or oil finish the whole thing. I did (I'm doing, still not finished) this to an old neck through Kay I was given. This is before lacquer.

The Chase Is Better Than The Catch - Motorhead

Ha, I bought a Variax years ago as that'll be the only bass I'll ever need. Why have I got two of them? 🤣🤣

It'll be a shame to cover up the lovely neck through laminates. It works for Rickenbacker though. Would a pair of large pickups with surrounds work? That bridge p/u route is a big old hole though. Keep us posted though, it'll be interesting to see what you come up with.

I saw that one on ebay. Lovely looking bass, but the pickups 😬. What are planning to do with the pickup routes?