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[Maiden69]

Well this is going to be my 1st bass. Like my first guitar, I will be using an existing bass as a donor for all the parts, and making a new body. I will like to make the neck, now that I got a bit more experience, but there is not enough time or money with a deployment right accross the corner.

This will be a Jazz bass, mahogany body with a drop top, either flame or quilt. I was going with the flame top but once I got the tops from Rich, I'm really undecided, both look amazing and I'm still undecided which to use. I'm waiting to receive the stains from stew mac and the bass just got here to texas but is in storage until I get my house.

Now the part that I will need help is in the electronics. I haven't opened the bass yet, I did hear it when my friend played it for me before letting it go... and the sound was good, but the pups are old and rusted, just like almost all the hardware. I will be upgrading everything while the build is done, but if I run out of time it will stay the same...

My question is, what pups can I use that would give me a nice tone? I think that Iwill go with passives because the actives will be bringing the price a little too high. I checked guitarpartsdepot.com and I can get 2 seymour duncans and save almost $50 over 2 EMGs J or $100 on a set of 35's. Is only 1 35 good enough? I'm clueless on bass, since I never played one in my life until now. If there is any other pup in a middle price let me know so I can take a look.

Here is a pic of both tops... let me know what you think... it will be almost an amber-orange color, but with the grain filled red since the neck is finish in vintage laquer (or atleast looks like this since it is very old) and my favorite color (blue) wont look good with it. I'm still debating refinishing the neck too, but the finish is good and I don't think I will be messing with it unless needed.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v195/Maiden69/07e888b4.jpg

[DanielM]

those tops are indeed awesome looking. as for pups I wouldn't know. I still don't know which to put in my project some Delano's or Fender CS ones, both are topnotch pups, I have no real exprience with EMG's so I can't help you. can we get any pics of the donor bass?

[radrobgray]

what do you plan to play? with a pick or without one? my bassist personal opinion is that one split single is best for finger playing and that a humbucker is better for a pick, but thats just what he likes as far as sound. he also has said that the emgs (split single) are too bright.

[Maiden69]

THe donor bass still in storage until sometime next week, as soon as I get it I will be posting pics, and progress should be next to follow. As for how I will be playing, I still don't know, I will certainly like to play finger style, and this is what I have been practicing, but for me I think it will be so much easier with a pick.

[Maurits]

Learning to play with fingers is worth all the trouble it will cause at first for tone. First of all, what is the sound you're aiming for? Any particular bassist's sound you have in mind?

[Setch]

Cool - I got a top from Rich, and it looks like it's from the same billet as your's - aint it gorgeous stuff!?

I know when I use mine it's going to be natural - it come up the most gorgeous honey colour when it's wiped with white spirit, and I'm not lettign a drop of dye anywhere near it!

[Maiden69]

Nice Setch... mine is a little more "yellow" than yours, I'm still debating if Iwill bleach it or not... but I think that once I work on scraps Iwill make up my mind.

And sound wise bassist, OMG, I don't know, I like from Geddy Lee sound to Steve Harris, Iknow that it is very difficult, but I will like an all around tone. I will like to give this bass to any player and tell them to try it, and have them say that it sounds nice, this is mainly one of the reasons I want to build it... this way it gets me some "work" to do...

[al heeley]

Wow, those bits of maple are stunning, will look forward to seeing this project develop.

[radrobgray]

if you want steve harris, just get one split coil single (passive) for the middle and play wiht fingers. geddy lee uses jazz bass singles and plays wiht his fingers. i guess you could put a jazz single bridge side and a slpit coil single for the middle, then you could have the best of both worlds. refer to pic if i didnt make any sense.

pups likes so

i think a Precision Bass and no pickguard with that setup would look sweet, but thats just me.

[Maurits]

I'm with RobG on this one. A P-J combo might be the way to go. I have the same on my bass and I can get a wide variety of tones out of it. The Geddy Lee Signature Jazz Bass has something like vintage spec J-bass pups in it IIRC. And if this is the tone you're after definatly shy away from using a pick, just keep on fingerpickin' close to the bridge.

[Maiden69]

Thanks guys, and yes I was playing with the idea of a P-J bass, I like the Jazz shape tough, better than the precision, so I will moch it once i get the template made... well, I guess it is to the drawing board this week, I might get the house tomorrow, so this weekend starts building time!

[skibum5545]

Ditto on the PJ set. I've got the EMG P-J set in my bass--it's the same pickups Victor Wooten uses; also in a mahogany and maple bass IIRC-- and I get a great sound from it. Some people think EMGs are brittle and sterile, but I've never really gotten that impression. The only other issue, then, is the cost, and EMGs aren't the cheapest option. The only Seymour Duncans I've heard struck me as completely uninteresting, but they did at least sound solid.

Something I've always wanted to try was Bill Lawrence's bass pickups. I love the sound of his guitar humbuckers, and he makes both a P and a J pickup that could sound just spectacular.

The last pipe dream of mine is to use the 7-string versions of EMG's 81 and 85, which are just the same pickups rebuilt in a 35 size box. It'd be expensive, but the world would finally have an answer to what the 81-85 combo sounded like in a bass.

[mikhailgtrski]

just keep on fingerpickin' close to the bridge.

Actually, for the most part Geddy tends to play over the neck p/u quite a bit, sometimes between the pickups.

For pickups, the SD/Basslines vintage jazz are nice - I have a set in my 5-stringer and I'm pretty happy with the tone. Lindy Fralins are supposed to be "it" if you want a dead-on accurate early 60's jazz tone. Nordstrands are good too. Check out the talkbass.com forum if you really want a lot of bass-centric info.

[Maurits]

Really? I have only seen that one YYZ video, and if I remember correctly he played over the bridge pickup. Of course I could be mistaken. Playing close to the bridge does make it easier to playing faster, for some of those Harris-songs.

[tophski]

Actually you're both right, he plays both positions. I popped in the R30 dvd and noticed he plays alot over the neck pu or between the neck and neck pu on his jazz bass. On his Ricky he used to play alot over the bridge pu, but he's all over and uses the full area to achieve different tones.

Over the bridge pickup you get a more tight treble tone, and over the neck pu you get a more full rounded bass tone.

I own a Geddy Lee jazz and I must say its a very nice sounding bass indeed, and a pleasure to play. I've been playing bass in a disco/funk band and it sounds awesome. I can also get that grinding dirty sound on my original recordings as well (straight in and it sounds awesome).

As far as the finger/pick debate, I'd definately go for fingers..you might not get the tone at first, but after you work at it through the painful experience of building up your callouses, you can get a wide variety of tones from your fingers. Definately more versitile.

Can't wait to see your bass man, you're starting with some gorgeous wood.

c.

[Maurits]

If you don't mind me asking, do you know what pickups the Geddy Lee bass has in it? Thanks

[tophski]

If you don't mind me asking, do you know what pickups the Geddy Lee bass has in it? Thanks

according to the fender site "2 Vintage Jazz Bass Single-Coil Pickups"

I took a couple pictures for ya here.

(sorry for the grunge...just got back from practice)

c.

[Maurits]

Thanks. The grunge is good, at least the bass is being played like it should.

[Maiden69]

Ok, one small update. I finaly got a house!!! And I got my house things delivered next friday so it's time to get ready to build. I'm still undecided on the shape right now but after weeks of research and browsing over bass pictures I came up to this page in the fender site.

http://www.fender.com/products/search.php?partno=0254507570

This is the exact color Iwill be staining my bass, but Ithink that I will give it a bit of black sand back before the blue to have a little more definition on the figure.

As for the pups, I'm still undecided. I think that at the end it will either be a MM from Seymour Duncan or a PJ set up. I'm still willing o settle for the Jazz set up for the sake of saving money and re-using the old pups.

I get my bass friday too so as soon as I get internet on the house I will post pictures, since they have the site (photobucket) blocked from work.

On the back, I think that I will go with the natural color of mahogany or give it a cherry stain. OF couse with faux binding.

Edited August 26, 2006 by Maiden69

[De Trepagny]

As for the pups, I'm still undecided. I think that at the end it will either be a MM from Seymour Duncan or a PJ set up. I'm still willing o settle for the Jazz set up for the sake of saving money and re-using the old pups.

If you want to keep the J-J set-up, you can't go wrong with Dimarzio j-set (the one with the black allen-screw) They are splitable humbucker. I can get the fat sound of my p-bass on my jazz (neck p-u soloed).

[radrobgray]

thatll look sweet.

[Maiden69]

A lot going on, and bad!!! I hate to say that I messed up the bass, but I will finish it anyway! I think that the sound will be worth it and that it will be yet another what not to do when I look at it!.

I will post pics once I get my cable instaled tomorrow!

My problem was not measuring! And taking for granted the "middle" line of the donor bass! it was almost 1/4" off but I think that just because of the shape of the jazz bass unless you look close to the bookmatch it will be a bit difficult to notice and if I get a nice pickguard then it will be almost un-noticiable! The color scheme has changed, since I'm dissapointed with it at this moment, I plan on making it close to amber-tyger eye finish to match with the vintage amber on the neck.

I'm glad I decided to go with the quilt on this one, since I love the lines on the flamed, that one will be on a better project once i get back from the desert or at least as soon as I can muster some cash for parts!

[Maiden69]

Not much done today, just the tummy carve, no pic yet, and rounded the back edge. Yesterday I drilled for the ferrules and the bridge. I'm waiting right now for a delivery from Stew Mac to have my pup templates and the stain to start playing on what color it will have. I'm receiving yellow and cherry stain. I thought about a cherry back for the mahogany, but after cleaning the back and getting it damp to raise the "fuzz" to sand it I think that the natural color will look good with the neck. But then again the cherry color will look great too! If I go red, I might grain fill in black, if natural, I will use CA clear.

Here is a shot of the top damp with water, there are some (spalt or mineral streaks) I thought about bleaching, but now I think that they will be OK there!

And this is the back and front before I glue the top on.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v195/Maiden69/DSC02710.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v195/Maiden69/DSC02712.jpg

And here is a close up shot of the top where you can see that the bookmatch is off about 1/8" to the right

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v195/Maiden69/DSC02723.jpg

Also were I messed up and plunge the router a bit too deep when routing for the truss rod access. This is the first time I use a plunge router, and advantage, but I forget to switch back from those 3 pins that are presets and went a bit too deep. Not a big deal for me but if this was for somebody else I would have been very angry!!!

Edited September 13, 2006 by Maiden69

[!!METAL MATT!!]

MAN THAT MAPLE IS SOOOOO SEXY

!!METAL MATT!!

[Maiden69]

Small update, pups routed, back grain filled, stains are here!!! Now to test on some scrap! Pups on order should be here anytime now! I got the EMGs J set, Almost bought the PJ, but I like the J look some what better!