hooky_lowdown

Anyone know any online resources to learn basic Ska bass - rhythm, patterns, progressions? Primary interested in 60s/70s Ska, and early reggae. 😎

PA speakers not good for bass you say, don't tell Jesse Keeler this! The loudest bass I've ever heard, literally a wall of low end, all through cabs loaded with PA speakers...

Have you asked the person who sold you the bass?

I don't know if it's me, but I think there maybe, just maybe a concensus here?!?! 😉

Don't buy a cheap kit, even from Thomann, the quality is much lower. Thomann's own brand - Harley Benton basses are highly regarded for the low, low price. However, the kits (which costs about the same as a finished HB bass) is much lower quality all round, and definitely not made from the same parts as a fully finished HB bass.

Fender were well known to use mix and match parts, bodies, necks etc, from all different years. It's not uncommon to have a genuine 60s fender bass with a 63 neck and 67 body, with 66 pickups. This went on through the 70s as well. So having miss matched parts is totally normal. In the 70s many people refinished fender basses, remember they weren't as expensive back then as old ones are now. Refinishing the bass will lower its value, the more original it is the more value. Refretting won't affect the value, may add if anything. I'd keep your bass as original as possible, blood and all. It all adds to it's authenticity. 😎

If you've played any standard P bass made in the last 20-25 years, it'll feel like that, that's basically a modern C neck. 50s and 70s style bass necks will be chunky. No P bass necks are slim - jazz necks are slim. 😀

Calling @KiOgon

I had a 1989 Korean Samick P bass - same as OP (only year earlier), replaced pickguard with a 2001 MIM Fender one, fitted fine. Japanese pickguards are different, these won't fit Squier or US/MIM basses. Maybe jazz basses are different, but OP is enquiry about their P bass.

For the Mick Karn sound you need soapbar pickups, no jazz pickup will cut it. The p maybe ok with the tone rolled off 40%. If you want roundwounds, I'd go for Fender pure nickel 7150, they are fairly high tension, but sound big and warm straight out of the packet. Also, you'll need to play fairly heavy, and slightly out of tune to get that wobbly effect.

Any Squier or Fender (US or MIM) will fit. Lots on wdmusic website.

Is there a specific band or players sound you want to sound like? May be able to direct you to which strings to use, I've tried most brands and guages. 😀

PBXN are not alnico. They're nickel with neo magnets. They won't sound vintage!

Wilkinson alnico if you want a vintage tone. Entwhistle if you want a more modern sound.

Wilkinson alnico pickups will be a big improvement on the sound, you'll definitely notice a difference if you do change them. As for the tuners, a little vaseline on the spindle/cogs and they'll turn much better. Cheap tuners don't get lubricated, so it's metal rubbing on metal, which is why they're tough to turn.

The biggest affect on your tone is the strings. Before you change pickups it may be an idea to look into the strings you use. I spent years and years thinking I needed the right pickups to get me sound I want. Turns out finding the right strings got me pretty much there. For pickups you need to decide vintage or modern sounding, that's pretty much it. 😎

Numerous threads on TB.

Experimenting with flatwounds can be expensive, sets can cost £50+. Old school flats are dull sounding, lack some definition, are thumpy. Modern or hybrid flats have better definition, are generally higher in tension. If you've never used flats before, I'd advise some cheap Olympia flatwounds, they are medium tension, not as smooth or thumpy sounding as old school flats, and not as defined as hybrid flats, none-the-less Olympia flats do the job, and do it reasonably well. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Flatwound-guitar-strings-stainless-Olympia/dp/B005CD2F62 Video of these flats in action, although on a fretted bass...

Take it to Ashdown, they'll fix it for free. Excellent customer service. 😀

Pretty much yes, the spec says 63-64mm heel, 63mm is Fender, 64mm is Squier. The only issue you'll have is the tuner holes, they're 18mm, and most tuner bushings need a 19mm hole, which doesn't sound like much difference, but you will need to enlarge each hole ever so slightly. No idea why these Chinese made necks don't have 19mm holes?!?

A pic may help?!?

This is another drop in replacement (link below), again a little pricey, but you'll not going to get a cheap bass drop in pickup for the bronco. An option is to buy a cheap 51 style single coil pickup, you will need to enlarge the pickguard pickup hole a little for it to fit. I have a Wilkinson alnico 51 pickup in my parts box, DM me if interested. www.aeroinstrument.com/musicmasterer.html