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FenderBird Build, it all started with a spare bridge.


AngelDeVille
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When I was assembling my fretless PBass, I ended up with a spare bridge.

 

I can’t just have a spare bridge laying about, so I gathered a few other parts.

 

My neck choices are a one piece maple tele, or a rosewood Pbass, I think a TeleBird might even confuse me, so I’m leaning toward the rosewood.  Either neck works well on my fretted Pbass.

BC31044-B-F986-4-FD1-8-CB4-E4-FA738419-E

EMG JV pickups, and a cheesy Chinese gold neck plate...

E87-B228-A-5770-418-D-83-F0-18-F7055-CAD

I had to wait a while for this body, but I should have it within the week.  I’m going for a lighter blue than LPB, not certain on the shade...

312-C991-D-9-F81-4-B85-A6-F0-13-AA2038-F


For the next build, I’m starting with only a Pbass pickup and wiring harness.... I’m thinking double Pbass pickups and a non reverse body and a full rosewood neck...

Edited by AngelDeVille
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Good news is this is a Holiday week in the US, and starting tomorrow afternoon, I should have everything in motion.

Maybe a Cotton Candy Blue acrylic with a shellac topcoat....

 

I just need foam and screws for the pickups, everything but that and the strings are on hand.  I think I have pickup springs in my stash of spares, maybe I'll get lucky and find screws too.

 

I should be playing to thunderous applause by Sunday...

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42 minutes ago, SpondonBassed said:

I agree re: the pickguard.  My eye keeps going to the lower right hand corner of the unfinished body as seen in the image above.  It's different to the bass on the left.


I’m not certain but I’m thinking a black scratch plate will look good.

 

If I was fully committed to using this neck I would match the headstock too.

The neck is from my MIM Prescision, and while its not super valuable I would like to be able to restore it.

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On 19/11/2019 at 07:57, SpondonBassed said:

That's the spirit!

Looking forward to the development of this project and your next.


I'm sorting the electronics for that one right now.

I'm searching for an explorer body, double Pbass pickups and will probably get a full rosewood tele neck. Not sure if she will be fretless.

https://www.basschat.co.uk/topic/382718-2-pickup-control-suggestions/

 

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SO......

 

My bridge pickup was the only thing working.... NO neck pickup, No tone....

I had run through the wiring from the back panel and saw no issues.

 

I took the Neck pickup out last night, and flipped the plug to the CORRECT orientation....🤩 now I have a neck pickup.... kinda feel stupid since it has an arrow that shows how it fits....😂

 

Tone issue... now that the neck is sorted, I think there is an almost imperceptable difference between 1-11, I'm thinking it has the wrong capacitor. (got the set used)

Should be a 0.1mf vs a .022-.047. It will take longer to look up the current value than it will to switch to the correct one.  I'm pretty sure i have some in the spares drawer.

 

This Bass is beyond awesome, I think I'll be selling my NEW Geddy Lee to offset the cost and to finance the next build.

 

I have decided I am not a Jazz Bass guy, and I don't feel bad about it.  Offset bodies don't feel right, but goofy Gibson shapes do... go figure...

 

I did add a thumbrest as well, even with pilot holes I broke 3 screws installing it. Cheap screws or hard wood?

 

 

 

 

Edited by AngelDeVille
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She plays incredibly well, I’m for sure selling my Geddy Lee, maybe even my MIM Pbass...

I have to hunt down my stash of capacitors for the tone fix, and I’m seriously considering replacing one of the volume pots with a blend knob.

I did find my thicker Kydex for the pickguard, but I don’t think I need it.

 

789973-C8-285-D-48-A5-B027-9-C48-A24-EBE

 

The next project is starting with 2 sets of Pbass pickups....  

 

6-A80-EE32-1-C99-48-F6-891-D-AEC1-A705-B

 

Edited by AngelDeVille
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this weeks changes...

 

Both necks work equally well except for the gotoh “vintage reverse tuners” on the one piece maple tele neck. I’ll get used to them eventually.or trade them for a gold set.

I switched the bridge to a gold gotoh as well as the tele neck. I thought she deserved a new strap.

I guess she’s a TeleBird now.

 

79-D6-C933-5851-456-F-AE9-E-93-E149-C52-

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 03/12/2019 at 01:39, AngelDeVille said:

She plays incredibly well, I’m for sure selling my Geddy Lee, maybe even my MIM Pbass...

I have to hunt down my stash of capacitors for the tone fix, and I’m seriously considering replacing one of the volume pots with a blend knob.

I did find my thicker Kydex for the pickguard, but I don’t think I need it.

 

789973-C8-285-D-48-A5-B027-9-C48-A24-EBE

 

The next project is starting with 2 sets of Pbass pickups....  

 

6-A80-EE32-1-C99-48-F6-891-D-AEC1-A705-B

 

Looks great.  That pickguard really does set the colour off well :)

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On 05/12/2019 at 00:29, AngelDeVille said:

this weeks changes...

 

Both necks work equally well except for the gotoh “vintage reverse tuners” on the one piece maple tele neck. I’ll get used to them eventually.or trade them for a gold set.

I switched the bridge to a gold gotoh as well as the tele neck. I thought she deserved a new strap.

I guess she’s a TeleBird now.

 

79-D6-C933-5851-456-F-AE9-E-93-E149-C52-

And yes, the maple goes really well.  While in general terms I'm not a great fan of tele headstocks, that adds to the quirky vibe of the bass.

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  • 3 weeks later...

I still haven't heard back from a guy that can make an explorer body, if it takes too long I'll just get a non-reverse, and be done with it.  I'll have reversed pickups as well.

 

So besides the pickups, I also found a chrome hipshot bridge, so the next one is going all chrome hardware.  I can't find the tiger neckplate in silver and I really like it, so it may get a gold tiger neckplate.  Maybe white pickguard and pickup covers?

I think I'll order a warmoth neck, reverse tele headstock, 21 frets, purpleheart neck and fretboard. I'll semi match the color of the purpleheart for the body.

I'm seriously considering a rosewood/rosewood reverse tele neck for the blue one.

 

The baked maple reverse on my fretless pbass

 

FC716-D79-0326-48-A7-9132-F059-F090-D737

 

 

Edited by AngelDeVille
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I got the chrome Hipshot bridge for a decent price, so other than the neck plate and the string tree, most everything else will be chrome.

 

the non-reverse body has been purchased.

reverse double p pickups

Fiesta Red, with a white pickguard is the plan.

 

I’m enjoying playing fretless quite a bit, so I’m considering a purpleheart fretless neck.

 

 

 

6B2D763D-30C8-4C31-A91E-EC7EFE830243.jpeg

Edited by AngelDeVille
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