henry norton

Allot of 5 string P pickups are actually 4 string size but with different internals and fitted with more offset (take a close look at the EMG website to see what I'm talking about), so you might be able to find a 5 string P pickup and swap the covers for white ones. The woodwork for these kind of projects is usually fairly straightforward but have you got a particular neck profile in mind because 'asymmetric' can mean allot of different things Oh yes, forgot to say of course I can do it - piece of p#ss

My 1982 JV Precision, especially since I added a Jazz pickup it's now worth fek-all

[quote name='neepheid' post='1152354' date='Mar 7 2011, 12:33 PM']I must confess that I look at the front markers from time to time when playing, I probably shouldn't. But it's also an aesthetic thing for me - guitars without markers don't seem completed to me. It's like someone couldn't be bothered putting them in. It doesn't look clean to me, it looks lazy [/quote] What about those stick on dots and blocks - it'll be somewhat easier than finding a neck to suit and allot cheaper than getting a custom neck made. I can't remember the name of them but someone on here made a Chris Squire tribute bass using a Warwick neck fitted with some stick on block markers and I have to admit (despite being a luthier and all), they looked pretty good in the pictures.

Fair enough. Hyperbole asides, what do you actually think of the finish now you have the neck in your hands, close up? Looking at the pictures it looks like you went for a satin finish. From the publicity shots his boards look like glass, clear and flawless. Are they as good in the flesh (or the wood & epoxy???)

Thing is, if you gave a luthier 2k to build you an identical bass it probably wouldn't sound or more importantly feel the same to you as they can't put in that connection you've made whilst building and developing it. The best basses come about this way. Nice neck plate by the way, is it etched stainless?

[quote name='The Burpster' post='1147620' date='Mar 2 2011, 09:14 PM']To some degree I agree with the above sentiments, if you buy your basses and label them with a value. I don't, never once have I thought "ooooh that bass is a £1k note" like a lot of folks would/might/actually do. Besides while your arguments hold some water, please tell me where on gods earth I will find the odd spare PRS EBIV neck floating around for sale....? Sorry they don't exist, plus Stevensville won't make a one off I asked that. Before you shout at the monitor but you could put an 'X' brand neck on, WTF would I do that? I want a PRS fretless not a mongrel. Yes it was fairly rare PRS bass. Is it worth less now its been Thor'd and Bob'd..? I very much doubt it, before it was rare, now its UNIQUE. (even the PR dept at Stevensville want pics!) Aaaah also a definitive update for the " oooooo it'll cost you when it comes back in" observers - Sent FedEX - ZERO import duty and tax. Harris has dealt with the UK before and puts a wonderful diatribe on the export form that makes it perfectly clear this is was a repair. Up to date - delivered today pics. Complete pics in a few days time when its been set up and had time to settle....[/quote] Steady on chap or I'll have to report you to the moderators!!! Ahh, I see you are one..... I would actually have no problem epoxying a PRS bass neck (or a Wal, Pedulla, Fodera etc.) but I still won't do a 60's Jazz or Precision as they have historical value as well as being quite valuable in the classic sense. It does depend on what you value in an instrument I suppose and although PRS basses aren't made any more I personally don't consider them to be particularly historically valuable.

[quote name='EdwardHimself' post='1141650' date='Feb 25 2011, 09:38 PM']+1. I mean it just takes 4 bolts if you want to have a fretless sound. Seems like a no-brainer to me.[/quote] Yeah, well 4 bolts and a few quid, (a few hundred in the case of Thor). Epoxy is worth considering if either you want a maple fretless (which usually needs a tough coating of some sort or another) or you like and want an epoxy fretless board for the smooth, glassy feel in which case it won't matter what your board is made of. For what Thor charges you can buy quite a nice fretless bass guitar full stop so you need to be certain before you lay your cash on the table, but there's nothing else quite like it and some players are willing to spend whatever it takes to get that feel and look. But I still think it's too big a change to make on vintage gear as it's pretty much like giving trhe bass a new neck. Proceed with caution...

Love the radical offset on the (P)Ric pickup. Are you going to be duplicating it on this new project or will you be giving the poor old split coil a more traditional positioning?

a couple of dots of superglue - no more. Don't use Araldite or anything too permanent.

[quote name='Earbrass' post='1128062' date='Feb 15 2011, 11:23 AM']I had one yesterday - for about £29. Still, can't complain, as this month I also received two £25 premium bond prizes - first time I've won anything from them in years. So it's been quite a good month so far. Must remember to renew my lottery ticket for Wednesday, as I seem to be on a roll![/quote] Keep this up and you might just scrape the magic hundred! That's about one tuning key on a US Standard isn't it?

I wouldn't concern yourself too much about the minor differences between one nut material and another - allot of it is marketing bulls##t. You might pay near enough a tenner for a Tusq nut whereas a Corian blank will cost 99p. I can't tell the difference and I do it for a living! What you should concern yourself with is getting it fitted properly. Spending an extra few quid on a proper fitting will benefit you much more than spending a few extra quid on a fancy nut.

I decided the opposite a while ago - I thought I didn't have enough time to concentrate on both electric and upright so decided to leave the DB alone and concentrate on playing and building electrics. Over the past year though I've found myself moving back to the DB again. I think once you've played double bass that's it, it's kind of the ultimate string instrument and everything else feels a bit like playing with toys.

[quote name='Beedster' post='1127201' date='Feb 14 2011, 04:57 PM']I'm not sure what you mean by 2-pickup sound Russ, but if you need greater tonal variety, I'd install a P-Retro. There are several advantages over the classic J-PUP mod, not least of which is that it's a drop-in unit and entirely reversible, meaning you can return the bass to stock if you sell it. The tonal options are also impressive to say the least, far better than was the case with my Sadowsky Precision for example. I could get tones varying from Telebass neck humbucking thump through to something very close to a Jazz bridge pickup bark. It takes some time to get used to the controls, but once you do, especially combining the passive and active components of the preamp, it's extremely user-friendly and powerful. Chris[/quote] When you take into account paying a luthier to cut the J hole, buying the pickup and having it installed you might find the price won't be that much different to a P-Retro anyway. That said, if you're definite you want two pickups or don't want active why not install a double coil bridge pickup like a Delano Hybrid or a Wizard Combo? Don't be scared off modding your bass if you reckon it's a keeper. I don't have any regrets installing a Schaller Jazz pickup in my JV Precision even though I get daggers from the classic crowd It's a way to make it totally personalised but I'd give the P retro a try too - it's not much money considering the difference it can make.

If it's rosewood I'd leave it as it is. Oil it like you would a fretted and just 'play tha damn thang'. If it's maple then there are, eh.... options.

I [i]did[/i] have quality issues with my pre EB Ray - it didn't stop it sounding and feeling fantastic but when I px'd it for one of the first SR5's (EBMM obviously), the 5 [i]was[/i] better fit and finish wise. Owning a Stingray is something all bass players should do at least once - it's a rite of passage...

Maybe they're trying to emulate the late 70s/early 80s quality issues just to make the play as authentic as possible. Look out also for straight truss rods and cracking/crazing body finishes

[quote name='Stockholm Syndrome' post='1122940' date='Feb 10 2011, 06:44 PM']That's what she said? Thanks![/quote] Ayyyy Missus!!!!!!!

Looks really nice in a (dare I say it) an Alembic-esque kinda way. It's always refreshing to see basses that aren't Fender clones, especially when they're shorter scale. It's quite surprising what a difference a couple less inches makes.

Looks good so far - I especially like the aluminium one. Rapid prototyping machines are brilliant for this kind of stuff, your bass will be unique. Let's see some more

[quote name='ThomBassmonkey' post='1120389' date='Feb 8 2011, 07:27 PM']If you don't mind me asking, in what ballpark is it going to cost? I've put up a thread elsewhere about buying a cheap-ish bass and doing some customising on it. Ordering the parts from somewhere like Warmoth is the other option but I don't realistically know how much it'd be. [/quote] The prices of Warmoth stuff varies massively depending on what you want - if you're prepared to finish a body and neck yourself for instance you could save a couple of hundred quid when you take into account what they charge, special finishes and the dreaded VAT/Import Duty. Stuff like bound fingerboards and block inlays add allot to the price as do fancy facings on bodies. They have a pretty good 'neck & body builder' section so you will know exactly what the basic price will be for what you want, then add on shipping and duty etc (about 40 percent according to someone on the forum). One thing is certain though, they're NOT a cheap option but they are very nicely made and you can have pretty much anything you want.

[quote name='ead' post='1119753' date='Feb 8 2011, 09:37 AM']Is there a material difference between an MM and a Humbucker?[/quote] Well, a MM pickup [i]is[/i] a humbucker but so are the soap bars you see fitted to allot of basses and also pickups like the double Jazz and the G&L. A precision split coil pickup is technically a humbucker too. Even forgetting the Precision pickup, they all sound fairly different so if you want a MM sound you'd best go for a MM humbucker or one specifically designed to imitate it. You can still mess around with coil switching but be sure of that classic Ray sound.

You can't get much more to basics than with a P - cooler than cool and of course an American Standard is ice cold. Edit: Dammit, I can't shake off this JAS (Jazz acquisition syndrome) and your casual acquisition of a very nice Precision isn't helping! My daydreams are filled with ashtrays, big block bound necks and pyramid golds nowadays. Oh and tort scratchplates against faded coral. That said, your tobacco burst is kinda nice against the tort too

[quote name='waynepunkdude' post='1118785' date='Feb 7 2011, 01:22 PM']White Stripes, awesome band.[/quote] Ahh yes, how could I forget them - talk about not seeing the wood for the trees [quote name='silddx' post='1118795' date='Feb 7 2011, 01:28 PM']We shared a dressing room with Anna Calvi and her band last year. She was quiet as a mouse and wouldn't really engage in any conversation. Her drummer was a really nice guy though had a decent chat with him.[/quote] I was half expecting her to be some bolshi diva but yeah, she seems really shy in interviews. It would be nice if she stayed that way and didn't become some car-crash tabloid darling. I could add bands like, The Doors and The Dandy Warhols but they all used Moogs and stuff for bass lines so they don't really count.

I 'discovered' The Lovely Eggs and Anna Calvi over the weekend and thought they were both brilliant! This got me thinking about all the bands I never really got into in the past because they 'didn't have a bass player'. Blurt and Jon Spencer Blues Explosion come to mind but there must be loads more bands who simply don't do low frequencies.

[quote name='lojo' post='1117438' date='Feb 6 2011, 11:38 AM']ive owned both a VMJ and a MIM, and either bass as standard is fine I suggested playing out before spending out on upgrades, upgrading is great, but I sometimes feel we talk ourselves into it being a must[/quote] I agree although I think modding guitars with new pickups, hardware etc. is a bit like modding cars with performance parts - the difference in the real world is pretty much zilch, but modifying is an end to itself in making the player (or driver) happier with what they've got, which hopefully makes them play better (although I don't know whether tuning a car up makes a better driver )