The Last Bass Outpost
Gear Discussion Forums => Fender Basses => Topic started by: godofthunder on June 21, 2011, 01:14:46 PM
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Much modded a whole bunch of extra pups, everything but the kitchen sink. What the heck, looks pretty cool and the price was right ;D http://www.gbase.com/gear/fender-telecaster-bass-1978-sunburst#
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I think I need to order a Fender muddy bucker (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v102/godofthunder59/78Tele.jpg)(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v102/godofthunder59/78Tele2.jpg)(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v102/godofthunder59/78Tele3.jpg)
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Plenty of room by the neck... ;D
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Just what I was think'n bro ! I'm giddy about this bass :) it needs a home.
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Yupper, plenty of room for a mudbucker at the neck and a lipstick pickup just above the bridge. Then if you can find a 35-way-switch for all the pickup combinations, you'll be in great shape!
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The "plan" is to make a correct pg, remove the single coil 50's style pup (to bad I like those) leave the P and J and install a big 'ol Fender humbucker at the neck. I always have liked these bases from the 70's when the modding craze set in. For all the work done on the bass it has been well cared for, that or not a whole lot of playing time.
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I generally dislike post-72 Tele basses, but one of the better ones I ever played was a late one like this, with no string through. Peculiar mods there. But it has the big swimming pool rout under there for a mud pup.
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Congrats! Any reason why the single-coil P-bass pickup has to go?
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I want to install a correct pg and install the big Fender bucker at the neck. Four pickups is a bit much. Most likely the single coil route will be covered by the new pg.
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Yeah, the original pickguard has a nice slope to it - I had to do some minor adjustments to mine because of where the split-P was put (http://bassoutpost.com/index.php?topic=627.0).
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nice bass. i think Scott is becoming a closet fender fan ;D ;D
IMO the single coil pbass pup will be missed. they sound great especially with a nice tube growl like Ronnie Woods. Not sure you would use the bridge pup much and i didn't think you were a pbass sweet spot kinda guy. Is the p pup in the correct spot, looks slightly back but that could be an illusion because of the other pups
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I love the single coil pup, far better than the J or split P. I just can't see four pickups on this thing. The P and J pup are not going anywhere, I am not going to fill the routes and refin it. Besides I love the three color burst. The ideal configuration for me would be the Humbucker at the base of the neck and the single coil where it is. Who knows I might leave it as is but it really needs the Humbucker imho. I paid less than $700 for it I don't think I can loose no matter what I do to it. Closet Fender fan? It's a possibility, as long as I can make 'em sound like a Gibson. Lets see '74 fretless P, '73 black and maple P, '11 RW J, Squier Tele (VMP) and now the '78 Tele. ;D
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NIIIICCCEE!!!! Just to play devil's advocate, pull the split-P and bridge J, do a little routing and put in a Gibby mudbucker there with a Fender mudbucker at the neck, while leaving the single coil intact. Put in a five-way switch, wire to taste and cure constipation for hundreds of miles around you.
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What is the weight on that one? Larger nut width?
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NIIIICCCEE!!!! Just to play devil's advocate, pull the split-P and bridge J, do a little routing and put in a Gibby mudbucker there with a Fender mudbucker at the neck, while leaving the single coil intact. Put in a five-way switch, wire to taste and cure constipation for hundreds of miles around you.
gibson mudd won't work for string spacing mid body.. it would move mountains however :mrgreen:
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Anxiously awaiting the big brown truck.
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(Should have gone F*d*x) :mrgreen:
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I found out yesterday it did go Fed ex !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am like a little not happy. They told me it would go out last Thursday and they didn't ship it till Tue. grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
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(should have gone UPS)
It's not as if you haven't got enought to be playing (with) as it is...
(ducking) ;D
(I have a FdX pass for working on their sites here)
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Funny that's what the missus says ;)
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I know how that is. You may have 100 basses in the back room but your imagination and what you think it will sound, feel and be like is almost too much to bear. I have posed this dilemna to my wife more than a few times and usually she said I had my choices and I chose the bass!
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Oh come on... tell me its turned up by now... :o
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Shows up tomorrow :)
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Shows up tomorrow :)
You're lucky it went FedEx. If it was UPS, you'd have to wait til Tues. (UPS doesn't deliver on Sat. and monday's a holiday). ;)
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:popcorn:
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It arrived Saturday :) I have not had much time with it because of the 4th of July weekend. Overall the bass is in very nice condition, the neck looks almost brand new! There are a few light dings on the body but they are minor. The three tone sunburst is pretty cool, very vibrant colors. The bass has a grounding issue I am going to have to track that down. I gave it a quck clean and set up, the bass plays great, love the neck. The bass suffers from the usual late '70s Fender quality issues, sloppy neck pocket etc. The wood selection isn't that great on the back there are all kinds of marks in the wood that are clearly under the finish not in it. The qc on my Squier is Much Much better. I ordered up a new Fender Humbucker to install and Harry is providing me with a new correct pg. Pics to come.
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The route for the original humbucker has been filled with a big block of oak so I am going to remove that today in anticipation of the pg that Harry is sending me. I used a hand chisel to gently remove the block, took maybe 10 min. Turns out the bass is a '79! I am going to leave all four pickups in the bass and have four vol. controls, no tone.(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v102/godofthunder59/geneseoairshow201179tele001.jpg)(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v102/godofthunder59/geneseoairshow201179tele003.jpg)(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v102/godofthunder59/geneseoairshow201179tele004.jpg)
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That is just soooooo over the top... neat Bro...!!!
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That could easily be one of the last ones shipped.
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got lots of tones covered there i reckon. 8)
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I am going to leave all four pickups in the bass and have four vol. controls, no tone.
I'd go with master volume, master tone, and either a 5-position lever switch or some kind of varitone. Or maybe start with 5 switches, experiment for a couple of weeks, see what combinations work for you, then wire the varitone or lever switch with the best ones.
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That could easily be one of the last ones shipped.
I thought they ended production in '78, I guess a few shipped out in early '79. It is a shame about all the mods but then I wouldn't have gotten it so cheap ;D Anyway lots of vintage fum for very little dough. Beats having some kid buy it and plaster it with stickers. I might someday fill the routes, do a ash veneer over the top and re-shoot the three tone sunburst, don't know though sounds like awful lot of work for little gain.......................besides it's cool as is.
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I'd go with master volume, master tone, and either a 5-position lever switch or some kind of varitone. Or maybe start with 5 switches, experiment for a couple of weeks, see what combinations work you, then wire the varitone or lever switch with the best ones.
Hmmmmmmmmmmm a rotary switch might work, I could put a Fender knob on it, rotary, vol, tone. I could keep it to three controls..............................I like simple. any ideas on what kind of rotary swith ?
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I thought they ended production in '78, I guess a few shipped out in early '79. It is a shame about all the mods but then I wouldn't have gotten it so cheap ;D Anyway lots of vintage fum for very little dough. Beats having some kid buy it and plaster it with stickers. I might someday fill the routes, do a ash veneer over the top and re-shoot the three tone sunburst, don't know though sounds like awful lot of work for little gain.......................besides it's cool as is.
Hard to know when production officially ended. Other Fender models have shown up with 78 serial numbers and 79 pots or date stickers.
If it's ever important to you to get it close to the original look, you can deal with it. I don't see the point though, unless you wanted to get an original pickup.
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I bought a new Squier pup to put in it, they sound very close to the original. Not only is it engraved Fender on the top cover but it is also stamped Fender on the bottom, no Squier markings.
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Got the pg :) Thanks Harry (hermonyious)! I won't be able to use it but is is great for a pattern. Having the guard really shows me the best way to approach this project.
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I bought a new Squier pup to put in it, they sound very close to the original. Not only is it engraved Fender on the top cover but it is also stamped Fender on the bottom, no Squier markings.
The innards aren't the same, though. That's why I don't see the need to restore it to where it's original otherwise.
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Well for me I like the big humbucker, so for me putting even the Squier one in makes sense. I also love the looks of the original pg so I want to do that. As of right now with pg in on hand I am going to do Humbucker, P and J. I am back down to three vol. controls, no tone. I'd love to keep the single coil but 4 pups is way to much for me.
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Well for me I like the big humbucker, so for me putting even the Squier one in makes sense weather or not it is a exact duplicat of the original or not. I also love the looks of the original pg so I want to do that. As of right now with pg in on hand I am going to do Humbucker, P and J. I am back down to three vol. controls, no tone. I'd love to keep the single coil but 4 pups is way to much for me.
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i think you should keep all 4. since it's already routed and otherwise the finish is mint,plus you have every fender pup in one bass.
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All or nothing! For the time being I am using the pg Harry supplied but I will make a new one at some point. For now I am thinkin vol tone and a six way varitone. (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v102/godofthunder59/79Telebass4pups002.jpg)
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bet it sounds great just like that. I have had a yearning to do a lotto bass but with a either scpb or standard p bass in between the HB and some S/s/p switching. My guess it will sound very similar to what you have right now as the second HB would be right about where the j and p are closest together. Are the scpb and the jbass reverse wound to get rid of some of the hum???
I agree about the sunburst. nice color
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I may just go 4 vol. controls not sure yet. I am really happy with the look of the big pick guard it really ties everything in.
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Glad I could help - that pickguard has just been sitting around, so I'm glad it's going to some use. Looks good to me! Does it not quite fit or something?
My Tele lives near Boston now - would be cool to get together but Rochester is pretty far away!
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Harry, thanks so much again! At the end of the pg the control cavity was routed out a bit so there is a screw hole from the metal 50's style plate that the pg doesn't cover, also the holes for the control spacing might not work out. I am just happy to have it looking like something, it HAD to have the guard and a humbucker. Still not sure on wiring. I hate lots of knobs so i am thinking vol. and a 6 position varitone or 4 vol. Time will tell !
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Why not two stacked vol. knobs so you get 4 volumes in less room and you can try all kind of diiferent pickup combinations.
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G.O.T.T. ;D
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Why not two stacked vol. knobs so you get 4 volumes in less room and you can try all kind of diiferent pickup combinations.
Good idea, I don't like the look of stacked knobs but it might be the best solution.
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Two push pull knobs look like 2 single ones, limits your options though. Or how about 2 pan pots with center detent, you can get all 4 pups at once and all the variations.
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G.O.T.T. ;D
When Uwe saw all the pickups he said Mein Gott!
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I vote volumes only, with separate outputs jacks for each pickup! ;D
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When Uwe saw all the pickups he said Mein Gott!
I thought of just putting the GOTT but it might have lost the OTTness of it... ;)
I vote volumes only, with separate outputs jacks for each pickup! ;D
GOTtrophenia...! Welllll, he certainly has enough gear to... ;D
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GOTtrophenia..........................oh I like the sound of that !
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I'm the king of the name changes thank you, but you may useth that one with my blessing of bass-bretheren... ;)
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G.O.T.T. ;D
G.O.T.T.= Go Over The Top ;D
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eeeewwwww! that's a really bad Sylvester Stallone movie.
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eeeewwwww! that's a really bad Sylvester Stallone movie.
I had no idea......................
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eeeewwwww! that's a really bad Sylvester Stallone movie.
Are there any other kinds of Sylvester Stallone movies?
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Are there any other kinds of Sylvester Stallone movies?
It may be bad, but Demolition Man is one of my daughter's favorites.
I won't forget Wesly Snipes blowing up something with a weapon he just discovered, then gleefully shouting "I have GOT to get me one of THESE!"
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I finally got the controls sorted out! It came out great, good idea those concentric pots. :) Glad I bought his bass it's a beast.(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v102/godofthunder59/79Teleconcentricpots002.jpg)
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You still have plenty of room for a lipstick pickup by the bridge.
Seriously, it does look nice with the concentric knobs.
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It may be bad, but Demolition Man is one of my daughter's favorites.
I won't forget Wesly Snipes blowing up something with a weapon he just discovered, then gleefully shouting "I have GOT to get me one of THESE!"
actually entertaining movie.. less roids
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nice job. i like that you have every Fender pup on one bass.
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Looks awesome.
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I missed this thread. What a great bass!
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And what combination of p.u's sounds best?
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I like Humbucker with the single coil best thought the Humbucker with the Jazz sounds really good to.
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How's the split coil in that position?
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nice job. i like that you have every Fender pup on one bass.
Well, not exactly, you should add two Coronado bass pickups ;)