JohnDaBass

My next Bitsa build is a Fenderbird (sort of), I have looked at Thunderbird PUPs but I am not 100% sure. I have acquired an Epiphone Thunderbird bass body, Squier Classic Vibe Jazz neck , Fender MIM tuners, and Hi Mass bridge. My new direction is to fit a Gibson EBO Pup close to the neck and a Stingray style Pup at the bridge. So I am interested to hear from anyone who has used any of the after market Stingray style Pups successfully. Controls will be passive volume, tone and 3 position selector switch. Any views?

Great videos. @Elfrasho Could explain the steps and software you used to create the collaboration. I'm a complete newbie to recording and I would be grateful for any guidance.

Is that plectrum any good for METAL or just soft Rock

+1

This has turned out to be a joyous, enthralling thread. Well done to all contributors. (I know I need to get out more 🙁)

@Keis The donner body was a Squier 'Modern Player' Telecaster Bass. I purchased just the body. The original bass was a 32ins scale length where the neck extended quite a way into the body , the neck joined at the 14th fret. I believe the design thinking at the time was an attempt to retain the 'scale' of the Telecaster guitar in a bass configuration. The neck I used was a 34ins scale Jazz style which I modified to the shape of a '51P style. The neck pocket extended into the body much more than a normal neck pocket. So I sanded the sides of the neck heel to fit the existing pocket. The 34ins neck joined the body at 15th fret and by repositioning the bridge I was able to achieve the conversion from 32ins to 34ins. In effect grafting a 34ins scale onto a 32ins body "moved" the pickup position further away from the bridge producing a more mellow tone from the Pup. The Pup is not in the "sweet spot" position that Leo Fender had preferred on the '51P bass but I'm really happy with the outcome as it's a lovely Bass to play with its own tonal range and of course it's unique.

I had a Jazz neck & '51P neck and they turned out to be really, really good. I'm very pleased. https://www.basschat.co.uk/topic/424871-nbd-yob-52-p-bitsa/

Yes many Far Eastern OEM & ODM manufacturers produce products for rival companies with "segregated zones" within their manufacturing campuses. Just like phones, Foxconn manufacture for Apple and Samsung, it's just how it is nowadays.

Components would physically arrive at a "bonded" in Mexico while paperwork ownership would reside in the USA. The components would then be "free issued" over the border to be assembled in to finished instruments. The finished products would then be imported into the USA. Fender would only then pay import duty on the "Labour cost" value added in Mexico and NOT on the components value, reducing their overall cost base. There are many manufacturing facilities just inside Mexico close to the border with USA receiving "free issue " material, assembling into finished products and then exporting back into the USA where duty is only paid on the "value added" in Mexico. Jeans are another example where labels state "Assembled in Mexico from USA material " Mexican labour costs are much lower than in the USA

Excellent job, it's a really handsome bass. I wish I had seen and read this before starting my assembly.

Andy that's an absolute stunning body, sublime finish, and work of art, you are a real genius with the patience of Job😎 You are a beacon for us mortals to aspire.

@Markk that's a fantastic looking bass, I love the pickguard and the cool vibe the bass has. Well done great job.😎

To be honest Si, the standard of sanding finish from Guitar Build is very good indeed. I didn't do any further sanding as I wanted an "organic" feel to the finish and mahogany has quite a tight grain structure . Tru oil is very easy to use, I didn't use the "wet' n dry" slurry system that @honza992 & @Andyjr1515 I just applied numerous coats with a microfiber cloth. The Tru oil is very tough when fully dried, I left it to harden for a week before any assembly. One small bottle of Tru oil did the body with plenty left over. If you've got the time and funds it is a very satisfying experience, alright it's not a full build from scratch but it will be your own creation.

That's a real nice personal touch, love it. Yes your absolutely right that you never ever make you money back on a Bitsa bass, but I'm like you I build something I fancy which I know I would never be able to find in the real world. It's just a passion I suppose. Have you any experience of Herrick Pups? Originally I planned to use another Jess Loureiro split '51 P Pup simply wired in series, but I had trouble contacting Jess, no email response, no website response, I know he's a one-man-band and the Lockdown in Spain hasn't helped but it was just radio silence, so I just ordered the Lindy Fralin direct from USA and it arrived in 4 days😎. The duty and handling is a very expensive pain🤐.

That looks great, how did you find the Lindy Fralin Pup? It that walnut, it's got lovely grain.

I have placed this Bitsa build here as I don't feel it warrants a place in Build Diaries as it is basically an "Assembly" with a bit of body finishing. I wanted a Year of Birth Bass but not a '51 P slab so I thought of a '54 P contoured body with a minimalist Pup and control panel with no pickguard or Pup covers, so here's how it went. Last year I bought a really lovely '51 P neck off a Chinese seller on Flea Bay. It had a Jazz width bound neck with block MoP inlays. Over the following few months I acquired all the other components for the build. I bought a mahogany '54 P body from Guitar Build and opted for the "view & select" option and selected a handsome 3 piece blank. The body arrived and thanks to the experience of @honza992 and @Andyjr1515 shared on this forum I started to finish the body with Tru oil. On a previous Bitsa build ( '51.75 P) I used, very successfully, a Jess Loureiro hand wound '51 P slit Pup with a @KiOgon loom which included a "series / parallel" switch. This time I bought direct from the USA a Lindy Fralin '51 P split Pup as I wanted something different and the various forums contained a number of positive reviews. It's a bit more expensive than the Jess Loureiro once you add on the shipping and duty but it does offer something different. The bridge had previously been taken from my 90's USA Fender P Deluxe which had installed a BADASS 3 thro body bridge. The Loom , as always , was supplied by @KiOgon CTS V & T, Switchcraft jack socket. The sound and tone of the Lindy Fralin is very bright and clean. It does not have an option for "series / parallel", it is wired in parallel. A number of years ago I had a new Fender '51 P Re-issue and the Fralin sounds very similar but much "cleaner" more powerful somehow and of course noiseless. The Fralin is not as mellow as the Loureiro when it's in it's series position but very similar when it's in it's parallel position, but the Fralin just seems brighter and cleaner ( not brittle at all). I really like the '51.75 P Loureiro darker tone but the Fralin seems to provide a fantastic starting point to use the amps EQ to tailor the final tone. All in all I am very pleased with the out come of a very handsome, sweet sounding easy to play, fast glossy neck and low action, YOB bass. As always, thanks to all the Forum contributors who generously share their Build expertise for novices like me to follow.

Well these look interesting. https://www.notreble.com/buzz/2020/04/25/sire-announces-the-u5-passive-short-scale-bass/ Seem to be a nice alternative.

Handsome, congratulations on finding such a good looking, sounding bass.😎

Yup, I am a DiMarzio Split P Fanboi. I find they have a wider more powerful response. They are effectively two humbucking pickups and consequently provide much higher gain but are easily controlled. Great sound. Very versatile can emulate from Fender CS 60s to 70s and right through to modern hi fi.

That looks great any chance of doing a build diary with some dimensions?

Yup , me too. During my time at Uni in Cardiff I had a part-time job in Sound Centre who happened to be the franchise dealer for HH. Started with a HH head driving 2 x Hiwatt 4x12 and a HH Slave driving a Marshall 1x18 sound bouncer. Absolutely awesome thunderous rig. When the HH 2x15 started shipping I replaced the Hiwatt & Marshall cabs with 2x HH 2x15 cabs. Huge sound and easily transported as the HH 2x15 cabs had clip-on protective front panels. Can't quite recall which speakers HH used but they had aluminium looking centre dust dome covers, similar in appearance to JBL K range drivers. Happy days 😎

But beware of the "crackerly pots". A bit frightening with headphones on. Early Rumble 500s had a noisey pot issue.

@Andyjr1515, @Bassassin, & @honza992, what sort of quantities of Tru Oil did you consume in achieving the finishes shown? I've just ordered a mahogany P body for a 51P build and I was planning to attempt to adopt your approach to the finish so do I buy the 3oz or 8oz size bottle of Birchwood Casey Tru-Oil for the project? I'm an avid fan of the projects you Guys have posted, they are a real joy to read & follow. Thanks for sharing your experiences with us mere mortals!!