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Convert pbass to pj


mumra
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Hello to all. I have a westone thunder 1A bass that i've convert in into fretless.
I think about to add a j pickup and convert it to pj. I was wondering what i have to do with the electronics cause they are active.
If you have any sudjestions let me know.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Could you also consider making the bass passive? - Just wondering whether that might be easier? Just a thought
I've now got 2 P/J basses, and I really love the tonal options the arrangement gives you. I've fitted Entwistle PBXN and JBXN pickups to both mine (NB the PBXN has higher output than the PBX, and the JBXN has higher output than the JBX)

Entwistle pickups are relatively cheap, and pack a heck of a punch for a passive pickup

Alternatively, Kiogon of this forum, produces some great wiring kits. Really easy to fit - he can supply you with solderless versions to most kits I think. You could try messaging him - see what he says. He's incredibly helpful, even if you're not buying one of his kits - drop him a PM

Cheers and best of luck with it
PS. I once owned a Westone Thunder Jet, when they first came out. Not an active bass, but a great bass
Westones are under-rated IMO

Edited by Marc S
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+1

I'd look at the passive option.

Also a good P bass pickup would improve the tone without having the hassle of trying to route a J pickup, which IMO will give you less than a top of the range Nordy or Lindy Fralin, Bart, SD etc. The uprated P pickup will cost a lot less than all the other work.

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I'd do this in stages.

My feelings towards modding is coloured by my experience. I replaced the P pickups in my Fender and liked the sound so much I jumped right in, adding a J and going active at the same time. Of course this was going to make a great sound even better? Wrong!! Neither of those mods made the difference I was hoping for. And I preferred the previous sound when P was upgraded. I could have saved myself a couple of hundred pounds by stopping there!

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[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1490004862' post='3261327']
I'd do this in stages......
[/quote]

Yes, I'd agree with chris_b on this one
Change the current pickup to a passive one first, before you make any further modifiactions - one stage at a time

It may only be 30euros for those Squier pickups - but I don't think an Entwistle PBXN will be much more expensive...
Honestly, they are superb pickups for the money - and having considerably larger magnets, they produce a BIG sound

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I did exactly the same things to my Thunder 1-A about 30 years ago. Defretted then put a cheap J pickup in. I added a three way switch and connected everything up before the pre-amp and everything worked fine. There's an active/passive switch so you can simply bypass the pre-amp anyway if that's what you want.

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[quote name='pineweasel' timestamp='1490032131' post='3261601']
I did exactly the same things to my Thunder 1-A about 30 years ago. Defretted then put a cheap J pickup in. I added a three way switch and connected everything up before the pre-amp and everything worked fine. There's an active/passive switch so you can simply bypass the pre-amp anyway if that's what you want.
[/quote]

I was thinking something like that but I dont know. Do you have any photos of the wires and pickup?
Cheers

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Thunders fetch a nice price these days. Are you sure you want to do this?

I don't know where in Greece you live, so we don't know how easily you can get to try others basses. Have you actually played a pj?

I have had a few PJs and can tell you that 75%,or more, of the sound comes from the P pickup. To be honest the j doesn't actually do a massive amount.

If I were you I wouldn't do it. But if you do, good luck. I hope it gives you what you are looking for.

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I live in athens. The problem always is the money. I can't spend much of them. I always prefer the j pickups. The westone is from a project. I have it, convert it to fretless. As a fretless bass I think that is better to have a j pup on it.This is my first fretless so i'm not sure for this.

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[quote name='mumra' timestamp='1490076537' post='3261910']
I was thinking something like that but I dont know. Do you have any photos of the wires and pickup?
[/quote]
I don't I'm afraid; I still have it but it's in storage elsewhere. It was the first guitar I ever modified and I remember finding it straightforward, even with the limited information available to me back then.

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[quote name='mumra' timestamp='1490078652' post='3261917']
I live in athens. The problem always is the money. I can't spend much of them. I always prefer the j pickups. The westone is from a project. I have it, convert it to fretless. As a fretless bass I think that is better to have a j pup on it.This is my first fretless so i'm not sure for this.
[/quote]
This is a good video. It's promoting a Sony software library, but Tony Franklin's playing is cool - and it's a PJ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxZukx-Drw0

Here's a fretless P
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTpU56pv2wk

and another
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nY3CGzSLuuI

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