The Last Bass Outpost

Gear Discussion Forums => Bill's Shop: Projects, Mods & Repairs => Topic started by: Alanko on October 02, 2020, 02:35:13 PM

Title: Hacking my P Bass into a P-rick.
Post by: Alanko on October 02, 2020, 02:35:13 PM
I've been working from home for 28 weeks now, and starting to hatch bad ideas.

My P Bass has sort of 'split in two'. The neck on it is now on my Jazz Bass, and I replaced the body with a white P Bass body.... so that leaves this sunburst body looking for a purpose in life:

(https://i.imgur.com/JochDGz.jpg)

I've been messing around with neck pickups in basses for years. I've chopped up a fair few basses to add extra pickups. My plan is to install a Roswell-branded mini humbucker in the neck position on this P Bass.

(https://images.musicstore.de/images/1600/roswell-pickups-rk-vintage-toaster-pickup-bridge-chrome_1_GIT0051191-000.jpg)

They've cheekily made it look just like a Rickenbacker Toaster pickup. I already have one of these pickups in my 4003 and it sounds pretty good! Darker than a normal Rick pickup, but in such a tonal 'dead zone' this isn't really a problem. It delivers lots of low end.

I'm sticking one of these in the bridge position:

(https://images.musicstore.de/images/1600/roswell-pickups-qpa-split-coil-alnico-v_1_BAS0009307-000.jpg)

Its a Roswell 'QPA' pickup, which looks like a SD Quarter Pounder copy, with chunky alnico poles.

I'm going to wire it like a Jazz Bass, with three controls. I will use a 4.7 nF capacitor as a treble bleed on the bridge pickup volume control. This means that if I roll back the volume to 8 I should get a tone that is like the 'vintage' setting on a 4003 bass.

I will update this thread with photos when I get round to doing anything.

Title: Re: Hacking my P Bass into a P-rick.
Post by: Alanko on October 29, 2020, 02:56:07 PM
So for once I actually did exactly what I said I would do.

(https://i.imgur.com/R0y1y42.jpg)

I carved out my P Bass body and then shielded liberally with copper tape.

This gave me enough room to implement this:

(https://i.imgur.com/clr8sjo.jpg)

And this is what it sounds like:

https://youtu.be/9vZLvF2jZSs
Title: Re: Hacking my P Bass into a P-rick.
Post by: Dave W on October 29, 2020, 11:20:15 PM
That came out nice!  :toast:
Title: Re: Hacking my P Bass into a P-rick.
Post by: OldManC on October 30, 2020, 12:35:51 AM
Very nice!
Title: Re: Hacking my P Bass into a P-rick.
Post by: amptech on October 30, 2020, 01:19:23 AM
Not bad! Now put a bar bridge on it and you're done 8)
Title: Re: Hacking my P Bass into a P-rick.
Post by: Basvarken on October 30, 2020, 04:51:57 AM
Nice.
A little bit Sheehan-esque.
Title: Re: Hacking my P Bass into a P-rick.
Post by: morrow on October 30, 2020, 07:01:18 AM
Nice , but there should be a big gaping hole around the bridge pickup .
Title: Re: Hacking my P Bass into a P-rick.
Post by: gearHed289 on October 30, 2020, 08:15:08 AM
That looks great. Every P bass could use a neck pickup.  :-X  ;D
Title: Re: Hacking my P Bass into a P-rick.
Post by: BTL on October 30, 2020, 09:30:24 AM
That looks and sounds great!
Title: Re: Hacking my P Bass into a P-rick.
Post by: Rob on October 30, 2020, 11:07:46 AM
Fender should use that!
Title: Re: Hacking my P Bass into a P-rick.
Post by: Alanko on October 30, 2020, 03:19:50 PM
Quote from: morrow on October 30, 2020, 07:01:18 AM
Nice , but there should be a big gaping hole around the bridge pickup .

Time to fire up the Forstner bits!


There is a certain oomph you get from a true neck pickup that you can't really fake with cunning EQ'ing, shelving etc.
Title: Re: Hacking my P Bass into a P-rick.
Post by: Highlander on October 30, 2020, 04:23:28 PM
 :mrgreen:
Title: Re: Hacking my P Bass into a P-rick.
Post by: clankenstein on October 30, 2020, 08:47:49 PM
Very Cool. Lots of useable tones on tap!
Title: Re: Hacking my P Bass into a P-rick.
Post by: slinkp on November 01, 2020, 09:47:21 AM
Oh I like that. What are the settings on the different parts of the video? Sounds like the pickups combine pretty well!
Title: Re: Hacking my P Bass into a P-rick.
Post by: slinkp on November 01, 2020, 09:50:04 AM
Looks like you also changed the bridge. And bought a maple neck for it?
Title: Re: Hacking my P Bass into a P-rick.
Post by: gearHed289 on November 02, 2020, 08:23:01 AM
Totally missed the video. That thing sounds great! My favorite was the first setting, which I'm assuming is both pickups wide open?
Title: Re: Hacking my P Bass into a P-rick.
Post by: Alanko on November 02, 2020, 02:09:11 PM
Quote from: slinkp on November 01, 2020, 09:47:21 AM
Oh I like that. What are the settings on the different parts of the video? Sounds like the pickups combine pretty well!

Quote from: gearHed289 on November 02, 2020, 08:23:01 AM
Totally missed the video. That thing sounds great! My favorite was the first setting, which I'm assuming is both pickups wide open?

The settings are, as far as I remember.

0:00 - 0:16 P pickup 100%, Neck pickup 0%, Tone 100%.

0:16 - 0:28 - P pickup 100%, Neck pickup 100%, Tone 100%.

0:28 - 0:40 - P pickup 80%, Neck pickup 100%, Tone 100%.

0:40 - 0:50 - P pickup 50%, Neck pickup 100%, Tone 100%.

*point at Rickenbacker behind me*

0:50 - 1:01 - P pickup  0%, Neck pickup 100%, Tone 100%.

1:01 - 1:06 - P pickup  0%, Neck pickup 100%, Tone 0%.

1:06 - 1:10 - P pickup  0%, Neck pickup 100%, Tone 100%.

*grabs pick and plays same riff*

1:10 - 1:16 - P pickup  0%, Neck pickup 100%, Tone 100%.

1:16 - 1:23 - P pickup  30%, Neck pickup 100%, Tone 100%.

1:23 - 1:28 - P pickup  70%, Neck pickup 100%, Tone 100%.

1:28 - 1:32 - P pickup  70%, Neck pickup 0%, Tone 100%. This shows you the solo'd P pickup with the bass being cut by the 4.7 nF cap on the volume pot.

1:32 - 1:36 - P pickup  100%, Neck pickup 0%, Tone 100%. - Full P pickup

1:36 - 1:41 - P pickup  100%, Neck pickup 100%, Tone 100% - Both pickups turned up full, with a mids scoop.

1:41 -> - P pickup  80%, Neck pickup 100%, Tone 100%.


From here on out I'm not sure what precise combinations I used!  :rolleyes:
Title: Re: Hacking my P Bass into a P-rick.
Post by: godofthunder on December 03, 2020, 04:26:10 PM
   What a great idea! That came out really well! Looks good, sounds good. Nice to see something a but different.
Title: Re: Hacking my P Bass into a P-rick.
Post by: rockinrayduke on December 16, 2020, 06:15:15 PM
That sounds amazing! Nice job!
Title: Re: Hacking my P Bass into a P-rick.
Post by: D.M.N. on December 19, 2020, 10:29:42 AM
It sounds so much better than a traditional PJ setup!