Your input wanted - upgrading my bass!

[Funky Dunky]

This merits a thread, and I welcome everyone's input.

I'll begin with a small anecdote....

On the 12th of September, 2012, my bass journey began. A girl at my work and I were chatting and she mentioned that she used to play bass. I told her that I'd played guitar, but bass was always the instrument I'd felt drawn to - the rhythm/groove aspect really matched my musical style and sensibilities. She offered me the old bass, I gleefully accepted and the next night she brought in a filthy old pink Jim Deacon Precision copy, covered in stickers. It was love at first plunk, fellas. Within half an hour I felt like I'd met the woman of my dreams, as even my earliest fumblings brought me an incredible new kind of joy. I was determined to get good, and quick.

Anyway...every year around the 12th of September, on my annibassary, I buy myself a piece of gear as a present. This year money's a little tight, so instead I'm going to begin work on a project, and that project is to turn the old Deacon into a Motown Monster - my very own funk machine. I'm not going to do much to the looks of it - it's pink, and believe it or not, I like it. So what do I want to change?

Well.....

The tuners are loose
The tone knob is loose
The bridge is crappy
The pickup is surprisingly usable, but I fancy dropping a corker of a vintage P-Style pup in there. I fancy a Fender Custom Shop 62, but I'm open to suggestions. Looking for an authentic vintage P-with-flats sound.

Open to any suggestions to help turn this sow's ear into a silk purse....or, polish a turd, if you'd rather.

So, what do you all recommend? Anything else? What has worked for you, or what would you do if it was your project?

I tried to post pics of the ol' girl but I'm having trouble - I just keep getting an error message

Edited August 19, 2016 by Funky Dunky

[kodiakblair]

Got good pots from this eBayer.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1-2-5-10-20-50-100-200-500-K-M-Ohm-Potentiometers-Lin-Log-Switched-Single-Dual-/110857852314?var=&hash=item5f7c1832d4

Well it's a start

[anzoid]

Wilkinson brand hardware is generally a pretty safe and cheapish bet for upgrades from stuff that is usually worse. They do a Precision bass bridge with brass saddles which is pretty solid. The tuners are also decent enough quality. Anyway, worth a look if budget is a little tight. You can get most of their kit on eBay - around £12 for the bridge and £30ish for a set of tuners.

[anzoid]

Oh yeah, additional thought - if you use eBay I've found Black Dog Music Supplies to be very helpful and reliable - their stock does seem to change quite a lot though... so would be a matter of timing to get the bits you want.

[Paul S]

If it were mine... I'd get a new wiring loom from our very own KiOgon, the pickup you have your eye on or (my favourite for vintage tone) a Fender Original, Wilkinson tuners and a Gotoh 201 bridge, which I find more comfortable than a BBOT.

[JapanAxe]

[quote name='Funky Dunky' timestamp='1471555728' post='3114051']
... even my earliest fumblings brought me an incredible new kind of joy...
[/quote]

Let's just hope Discreet doesn't find this thread

[Funky Dunky]

Thanks guys, I'll do some surfing and check some prices.

Now....what else is there to know? Any considerations when it comes to a bridge, or tuners etc? "Ah you don't want one of those because xxxxx" etc.

I see a lot of talk about Badass bridges, but are they hard to come by now? What else is good for sustain? Bear in mind this bass will be strung with flats for the rest of its life, if it makes any difference. I'd also considered a Hipshot D-tuner, but this is a Jim Deacon bass, so not sure if they do one which would fit without additional jiggery-pokery.

[Funky Dunky]

I've set a budget for the project, and I'm thinking of saving money on the bridge in order to allow me a better pickup. To that end, I think it'll be a Wilkinson bridge, and this here pickup, which is about £30 more expensive than the Fender I had considered - but when I heard this beast in action I knew right away I had found the sound I'm after:

http://youtu.be/Bd1vBVU5suU

Edited August 19, 2016 by Funky Dunky

[BassBunny]

Wilkinson Vintage bridges are cracking and great value for money. Have used them on a few basses. They are very well made, substantial and the brass saddles do it for me. Wilkinson tuners are also great. There is an online site in China, www.eyguitarmusic.com, that I tend to use for hardware. Good prices, (well pre the Brexit vote they were), and quick delivery
Changing the Pots/Jack to CTS/Switchcraft will make a big difference for not much money. If you aren't handy with a soldering iron, then Ki0gon is your man.
Will a standard pickup fit? If not what about speaking to Aaron Armstrong. the UK arm of Kent Armstrong, who could re-build your existing pickup to sound however you want or if standard size, look at what he can do for you. Prices are more than reasonable.
This guy can also make whatever you want in a pickup and is apparently the man. http://jlguitars.eu/shop/index.php

[Funky Dunky]

[quote name='BassBunny' timestamp='1471686264' post='3114995']
Wilkinson Vintage bridges are cracking and great value for money. Have used them on a few basses. They are very well made, substantial and the brass saddles do it for me. Wilkinson tuners are also great. There is an online site in China, www.eyguitarmusic.com, that I tend to use for hardware. Good prices, (well pre the Brexit vote they were), and quick delivery
Changing the Pots/Jack to CTS/Switchcraft will make a big difference for not much money. If you aren't handy with a soldering iron, then Ki0gon is your man.
Will a standard pickup fit? If not what about speaking to Aaron Armstrong. the UK arm of Kent Armstrong, who could re-build your existing pickup to sound however you want or if standard size, look at what he can do for you. Prices are more than reasonable.
This guy can also make whatever you want in a pickup and is apparently the man. http://jlguitars.eu/shop/index.php
[/quote]

Thank you, this is exactly the type of input I've been craving. Soldering isn't my thing, and I spoke to Ki0gon a while back about his kits and it's my best option I think.

I foolishly assumed a standard P-replacement pickup would fit, this is something I'll need to investigate. I'll have a good look at that site and see if there's anything I could use.

Pots and caps? Well sir.....I know nothing, so I had better get studying!

Many thanks for this, very very helpful

[dannybuoy]

Ask Kiogon for a solderless kit and you can just screw the pickup and bridge earth in place without having to solder a thing!

[BassBunny]

[quote name='Funky Dunky' timestamp='1471702451' post='3115198']

Pots and caps? Well sir.....I know nothing, so I had better get studying!

[/quote]

Happy to help. If you are going the KI0gon route then you needn't worry about Pots/Caps/Jacks, that's all taken care of in his looms.

[Funky Dunky]

[quote name='dannybuoy' timestamp='1471702731' post='3115200']
Ask Kiogon for a solderless kit and you can just screw the pickup and bridge earth in place without having to solder a thing!
[/quote]

I swear I don't even have the ability to do this without ruining something

I've just learned that I'm receiving a tidy sum in vouchers for the music store of my choice. I will use these towards getting the work done. Looks like I'm going with Wilkinson bridge and tuners, the pickup is still very much up in the air. I fancied a Bareknuckle but I just heard Andy Irvine's 1976 Stagg P with a Nordstrand in it and wet my pants. Unfortunately that would put me over budget, so it's back to the drawing board in a bid to find a vintage sounding Precision pickup under £80. New or used doesn't matter...

[HowieBass]

The Tonerider TRP1 is supposed to be exactly the same as the pickups fitted to the Squier Classic Vibe P basses https://www.amazon.co.uk/Tonerider-TRP1-Precision-Plus-Pickup/dp/B0050YRJXW

[dlloyd]

Jim Deacon is essentially the same as SX... great instruments for the price

[Lozz196]

For a vintage sounding Precision pickup I`d recommend the Fender Custom Shop 62, which comes as standard in US models. Within budget, just, and worth it imo.

[discreet]

[quote name='JapanAxe' timestamp='1471600913' post='3114320']
Let's just hope Discreet doesn't find this thread
[/quote]

Too late! *Emerges from wardrobe wearing Batman costume*

[Funky Dunky]

[quote name='HowieBass' timestamp='1473278674' post='3128700']
The Tonerider TRP1 is supposed to be exactly the same as the pickups fitted to the Squier Classic Vibe P basses https://www.amazon.co.uk/Tonerider-TRP1-Precision-Plus-Pickup/dp/B0050YRJXW
[/quote]

I've written to them twice and asked them to make a demo vid with this pickup but they're totally blanking me. They only have videos of the guitar pickups. The pickup in the CV Precision sounds reeeeally good - the general consensus is that the Squier CV Precison is a fabulous bass and the demos of that bass certainly back that up. It sounds better than some Fenders! I can't get verification that it is the Tonerider pup, but yes, that pickup is on my shortlist. It's crazy cheap.

[Funky Dunky]

[quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1473283640' post='3128772']
For a vintage sounding Precision pickup I`d recommend the Fender Custom Shop 62, which comes as standard in US models. Within budget, just, and worth it imo.
[/quote]

I have Custom Shop pickups in my Jazz and I'm very impressed. The 62 was the leading candidate until I heard the Bareknuckle, but I would have absolutely no qualms about putting the CS 62 in my bass. Talk about a Rolls Royce engine in a Kia!

[Funky Dunky]

I also need to get someone in the know to look at/measure my Jim Deacon and tell me if a standard Fender Precision style bridge, pots, tuners etc will just plop straight in nicely or whether additional jiggery pokery will be required. I hopes not.

[HowieBass]

[quote name='Funky Dunky' timestamp='1473290570' post='3128856']
I've written to them twice and asked them to make a demo vid with this pickup but they're totally blanking me. They only have videos of the guitar pickups. The pickup in the CV Precision sounds reeeeally good - the general consensus is that the Squier CV Precison is a fabulous bass and the demos of that bass certainly back that up. It sounds better than some Fenders! I can't get verification that it is the Tonerider pup, but yes, that pickup is on my shortlist. It's crazy cheap.
[/quote]

Tonerider refuse to confirm they make the pickups in CV guitars and basses... most probably due to a non-disclosure agreement with Fender but many others have confirmed that they even use the same part numbers for the units. Apparently the only difference is the Toneriders have vintage cloth cable, the CV only have plastic covered cable.

[barneyg42]

[quote name='JapanAxe' timestamp='1471600913' post='3114320']


Let's just hope Discreet doesn't find this thread
[/quote]

The loose knob worries me!!!

[Funky Dunky]

[quote name='HowieBass' timestamp='1473323132' post='3128989']


Tonerider refuse to confirm they make the pickups in CV guitars and basses... most probably due to a non-disclosure agreement with Fender but many others have confirmed that they even use the same part numbers for the units. Apparently the only difference is the Toneriders have vintage cloth cable, the CV only have plastic covered cable.
[/quote]

Aha! That is quite telling. £35 for that pickup is a damn bargain. They do a really nice, authentic-sounding Precision tone - some will question the balance etc but for £35 it wipes out a few competitors at double the price imo.

Edited September 8, 2016 by Funky Dunky

[EliasMooseblaster]

[quote name='Funky Dunky' timestamp='1473325130' post='3129026']
Aha! That is quite telling. £35 for that pickup is a damn bargain. They do a really nice, authentic-sounding Precision tone - some will question the balance etc but for £35 it wipes out a few competitors at double the price imo.
[/quote]

If it's any reassurance, I put a Tonerider Jazz pickup in one of my own projects and was amazed by how good it sounded for just thirty bob!

[Funky Dunky]

Leaning towards the TR now, purely as it would open up m'budget.