I got inspired...

...to do a little more work on my Hamer. It's just the first of many steps to get the bass I want. I glued the new nut on. It's a little thinner than the other one, but it'll work. I just glued it in with a couple dabs of Elmer's wood glue.



So, I installed a 3-way toggle and another mini switch. They're just placeholders. I am going to install another DiMarzio on/on switch and a DiMarzio 3-way switch (with a chrome or creme cap...haven't decided). Right now, the P pickup is wired to a volume pot and series/parallel switch and the J pickup to just a volume pot, each pickup into its own output. I'm not sure exactly what I want to do from here on out. My goal is that before I put a new bridge on it, I want to do a complete electronics overhaul. New jacks, pickups, switches, knobs, shielding, everything. I want to have a completely new bass and I want it to use all of the knobs and switches and pickups and things that I have in it--this is the final setup, but how its wired is still undecided. I want it to be a real hot, hot rod (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=haRYEDIM26M ).



Carvin sells these cool jackplates that are interchangeable--the mono and stereo plates have the same footprint and mounting screw patterns.
http://www.carvinguitars.com/products/single.php?product=JP1C&cid=43
http://www.carvinguitars.com/products/single.php?product=JP2C&cid=43

I want to use one of these with mono Switchcraft jacks instead of the deep-panel jacks that are currently on my bass. That'll mean having to drill more wood out and mounting the plate perfectly because it'll just barely fit between the bevels.

If I go mono, I'll wire each pickup (DiMarzio P of some kind. I'd like to use a Mike Lull T-bird pickup and Will Power P. Unfortunately, the Will Poweer P aren't white/creme, which I prefer on a dark-colored bass, so maybe I'll keep the Model P that's in there or put in a Split P) into a coil tap, volume pots, the master tone (probably .47 uf), the three-way toggle switch, then to a mono jack.

If I go stereo, I don't know how I'll fit that 3-way switch into the equation. I know Rickenbacker does it between just two pickups, but their wiring harnesses are fuggin complicated and I don't think it's quite how I want to go about this. What I'm thinking is that I could add another pickup in the neck position, which could open up some interesting possibilities. This way, I could have two basses in one.

Here are my ideas.
a) Wire it mono, like I described above.
b) Get a mudbucker in the neck, then make it an EB-0+P/J bass with the mudbucker going into a coil tap going into a volume control going into an output. The P/J pickups would go into an in/out of phase switch (or I could just have the P pickup go to a series/parallel switch like it is now), into the 3-way, then to their own output. No tone pot, just a volume knob for each pickup. I would probably use DiMarzio Model One, Model P, and Model J for this setup. I might try an Area J.
c) Put T-bird pickups in it (or maybe a T-bird pickup in the bridge and a Rio Grande chrome Pitbull in the neck) and have the T-bird pickups go to their volumes, the 3-way, to an output and the P pickup will go to its volume pot and output jack. Also no tone pot in this setup. I'd use a Pitbull, a Mike Lull T-Bird pickup, and a DiMarzio Will Power P or maybe an Area J in P housings.
d) Put a Rickenbacker Hi-gain treble pickup and its assembly into the bridge position, a DiMarzio P pickup, and a Rickenbacker HB-1 in. The P pickup would go straight to its volume control, then to an output. The HB-1 would go to a coil tap switch and into its volume pot. The Hi-gain would go to a switch that does what the push/pull pot on the 4003 does--switch on or off a .47 uf cap, then it'll go to its volume knob. The HB-1 and Hi-gain will both go to the 3-way toggle and into the other output.
e)....? Do you have another suggestion? Tips? Ideas? Does this make any sense?

When possible, I'll use creme P/J pickups, as long as they match. I wish the Will Power Ps came in creme housings. In all cases, I want to retrofit the stock Hamer knobs with large J bass knobs, replace the pots with DiMarzio 500K pots, and use DiMarzio components wherever I can because I can.

Let me know what you think--I value your advice. I might post this on TalkBass and see how it goes. I'll let you know.

may i recommend, after tons of research looking for a good pickup to match the out put of my dimarzio split p, the rio grande line of pickups.

i'm going to match up a vintage powerbucker with the split p.

i like the idea of using the carvin jackplate parts. they make real interesting stuff for all kindsa applications.

madmike wrote:

may i recommend, after tons of research looking for a good pickup to match the out put of my dimarzio split p, the rio grande line of pickups.

i'm going to match up a vintage powerbucker with the split p.

i like the idea of using the carvin jackplate parts. they make real interesting stuff for all kindsa applications.

Thanks. Noted. I like the idea of having a lot of versatility with this instrument and having it all sound really unique and useable. Because man, this thing really plays well.

Is this for your blue Warmoth P? That'd be awesome. The Powerbuckers look rad, but I think the Pitbull would be a cool pickup for this bass. Nice and chrome!

Me, too. They look incredibly nifty, especially for my situation where regardless of how I decide to wire this bass, I can still cover up my poor wood working and give the bass a bit more class. It already has Dunlop straplocks on it, so why not put some more Carvin hardware on there?

Here is exactly what I'd do.




All mono. That would be the best versatility to ease setup, I think.




If I were to want stereo, I'd have the Model One, its volume, and coil tap sent to one jack, and the P/J, their selector, volume, tone, and toggle to the second.

Darkstrike wrote:

Here is exactly what I'd do.




All mono. That would be the best versatility to ease setup, I think.




If I were to want stereo, I'd have the Model One, its volume, and coil tap sent to one jack, and the P/J, their selector, volume, tone, and toggle to the second.

Thanks! Yeah, that's the kind of thing that I think I want to go for. Simplest, lots of options...lots of loud options. I like that setup. The P/J into vol, tone, and pickup selector is how my Roadster is wired and I'm comfortable with that. In any case, I think I'll try a setup similar to if not identical to what you're suggesting, Bill.

I want to try a couple more Jazz pickups on this bass to see if they give me the sound I want. If they don't cut it in the bridge, I'm going to put in a Thunderbird pickup because I'm dying to try one. The stock Jazz pickup is just a little anemic--I need something with a bit more character and clarity. And that's cool...Jazz pickups are a dime a dozen compared to the Mike Lull T-bird PUs. Last resort is the Rickenbacker idea because those pickups aren't cheap, either. My goal is to get a lot of sound from the bridge position. I kinda wish that J pickup wasn't there at all, but it is, so I need something to go in there or be able to cover up the route, which is why I'm contemplating T-bird/Rickenbacker pickups. An X2N-7 with a pickup ring would cover the route, but I don't want that sound on this bass. That's for the Charvel.

Ouch...looking at that bass today, it looks a lot worse than it ever has. It might partially be the mismatched switches and poorly-mounted extra jack or it might be that huge scratch I put on the front (that's called using a 1/2" bit with no masking tape ), but I'm starting to think I shouldn't be allowed to handle power tools. My chisel-work on the inside is fine, but everything that's visible looks shitty. Maybe some day, it'll get a refinish since the paint that's on there is checked, chipping, and starting to crack a bit. And hopefully that'll cover up the last of my clumsiness. I don't like an all-black bass with a rosewood fretboard with plain Jane inlays and stuff. It looks like a toy. I don't know if the wood grain looks good enough to do a transparent/burst finish and the only other solid color I might want it to be would be white. If you have any suggestions on the color, let me know. I'm open to ideas.

Sorry to take up so much space rambling, but hopefully it's interesting. The reason I want to think about this long and hard and could use some input is because this bass is my favorite instrument I've ever played and when I can finally get another bridge for it, I want it to work better than it ever has. It was never grounded properly and I've changed the wiring so much that I feel like its time to do it all from the start.

Well, the J, thats tricky, there's lots of ways you could go, a powerhouse DiMarzio might be an idea, a Joe Barden would give you tonnes of volume and clarity.

If you could swing it, a Lull TBird at the bridge, the P and a Model One, with the wiring similar, or the same as to how I described would be insane. In a good way!

Honestly, I'd avoid the Rickenbacker setup, I know they sound fantastic, but, its gonna be a real b**** to set up, they're made for 17mm spacing, which means you'd have to close your saddles in, which would mess with the setup for the P, and you'd have a lot of space either side of the neck, between strings and neck edge, on the high frets. Added to the price, its too much work and cash, IMO, for a non ideal situation.

As for the finish, I'd say white too, or maybe something metallic, make it pop! I agree with the black/rosewood thing, unless you're aming pure dark, gothy style.

And never apologise for rambling, its what we do here!



Oh, you might be interested in my next project, my Fender/Explorer's getting done, with a new twist, I'm not making the body myself, I've come across a Jackson Kelly guitar, thats gonna supply the body, FenderKelly, I think I know that guy...

Darkstrike wrote:

Well, the J, thats tricky, there's lots of ways you could go, a powerhouse DiMarzio might be an idea, a Joe Barden would give you tonnes of volume and clarity.

If you could swing it, a Lull TBird at the bridge, the P and a Model One, with the wiring similar, or the same as to how I described would be insane. In a good way!

Honestly, I'd avoid the Rickenbacker setup, I know they sound fantastic, but, its gonna be a real b**** to set up, they're made for 17mm spacing, which means you'd have to close your saddles in, which would mess with the setup for the P, and you'd have a lot of space either side of the neck, between strings and neck edge, on the high frets. Added to the price, its too much work and cash, IMO, for a non ideal situation.

As for the finish, I'd say white too, or maybe something metallic, make it pop! I agree with the black/rosewood thing, unless you're aming pure dark, gothy style.

And never apologise for rambling, its what we do here!



Oh, you might be interested in my next project, my Fender/Explorer's getting done, with a new twist, I'm not making the body myself, I've come across a Jackson Kelly guitar, thats gonna supply the body, FenderKelly, I think I know that guy...

I plan on testing a Model J and an Area J to see how I like them. If they don't do what I want, I can use them in other basses or just keep them around to have on hand. If they don't fit this bass, that's my excuse to get a Lullbird pickup.

Bingo--that's what I think sounds best--H/S/H. I want this to have humbuckers on it because it's already a set-neck mahogany Explorer. It's the closest that I'm going to get to a Gibson for a little while, that's for sure. I would like to milk that idea as much as possible. If I have a Lull pickup in the bridge and a Model One or a Pitbull in the neck, what if I wired them to the 3-way switch? That way, I could have a Gibson-y bass with dual humbuckers and a tone control and a hot rod P bass all in one package. Between that setup and my Jackson Kelly, I could have just about every John Entwistle bass sound right at my fingertips (the Kelly with a fresh pack of Rotos can almost nail John's Alembic tone to a T)!

The Rickenbacker idea is the very last thing I would try. In the rare event that everything else falls through, it's going to be the most labor-intensive, expensive, and complicated setup. I'd rather not go there, but it's still a distinct possibility. The pickups would be really tricky to adjust and I'd probably be a little out of my comfort zone with the wiring and setup and stuff. If the pickups are too tall for the bass, I wouldn't have the know-how to fix it and I'd probably get frustrated at great expense.

Ah, so the Ric string spacing is 17mm. Cool. I had the string spacing on my Hamer at about 18mm, measuring from how the Schaller Roller bridge is still set up. I like this bass because the string spacing is really comfortable the whole way from the nut to the bridge--really natural. It's narrow, but not so narrow that my fingers get tangled up in the strings.

I agree! I like interesting colors on my guitars. I think white's the way to go. It makes the headstock look a whole lot nicer. That way, I could replace the old chrome tuners with black ones...and I could use a Will Power P and have contrast between it and the body! Rad...




And hell yes I would be interested in your project! What kinda bridge did the body come with? As far as I know, they're all TOM or Floyd Rose. I have neck dive like nobody's business on my Kelly. I'd suggest using a light neck, if possible, but maybe that won't be an issue for you. What kinda pickups are you going to use for it? Do you still have those TB plus humbuckers or are those for a different project?

I'd love to hear one of those Area J's, supposed to be fantastic pickups.

I like your idea of using the toggle for the Gibsoney(its a word, now! ) pickups, and keeping the P seperate, like a T brid and a P bass, sweet idea!
I'm really suprised that your Jackson with the EMG's can do Johns Alembic tone, thats just great!

Yeah, its gonna be a tricky job to do the Ricky thing, but, it would sound good, that's the other side of the coin, Ricky bridge pickup, fresh set of Rotos, rawkin!

Yup, 17mm, and really comfy, though, 18mm is my fave, my Roscoe Beck has it now(or close), and my Roscoes do too, like you said, natural, tight but not too tight.

Definatly digging that white Hamer, if you done that, and the black hardware pickups, would look incredible.


Tuneomatic, so there'll be no gaping hole for me to cover up, unless I decide to move the pickups. If I do get to routing and such, I'll probably paint it, metallic purple, or green.
The neck dive, I'll get over, my 8 dives like its training for the Olympics, so I'm used to it, I'd prefer to use a shortscale neck, but I have a P neck, so it'll have to do(actually, its a Squier neck, and lovely, a shortie would prevent dive though).
I do still have the TB+ pickups, and plan on using them, or at least one.

I'm sure Amimbari is shivering at the thought of a Jackson with a Fender headstock...

Darkstrike wrote:

Here is exactly what I'd do.




All mono. That would be the best versatility to ease setup, I think.

I'd do this, but with a no load tone pot (best way to reconcile the tone knob vs no tone knob debate) and a Rio Grande Powerbucker in the bridge (if you're willing to shell out that much for one, otherwise either keep the J or use a X2N or X2N-7)

whatchya dooin with the green star in the backround? what is it? interested in a deal?

Lots of interesting possibilities listed here. But I think you already know what I'd recommend.

Darkstrike wrote:

I'd love to hear one of those Area J's, supposed to be fantastic pickups.

I like your idea of using the toggle for the Gibsoney(its a word, now! ) pickups, and keeping the P seperate, like a T brid and a P bass, sweet idea!
I'm really suprised that your Jackson with the EMG's can do Johns Alembic tone, thats just great!

Yeah, its gonna be a tricky job to do the Ricky thing, but, it would sound good, that's the other side of the coin, Ricky bridge pickup, fresh set of Rotos, rawkin!

Yup, 17mm, and really comfy, though, 18mm is my fave, my Roscoe Beck has it now(or close), and my Roscoes do too, like you said, natural, tight but not too tight.

Definatly digging that white Hamer, if you done that, and the black hardware pickups, would look incredible.


Tuneomatic, so there'll be no gaping hole for me to cover up, unless I decide to move the pickups. If I do get to routing and such, I'll probably paint it, metallic purple, or green.
The neck dive, I'll get over, my 8 dives like its training for the Olympics, so I'm used to it, I'd prefer to use a shortscale neck, but I have a P neck, so it'll have to do(actually, its a Squier neck, and lovely, a shortie would prevent dive though).
I do still have the TB+ pickups, and plan on using them, or at least one.

I'm sure Amimbari is shivering at the thought of a Jackson with a Fender headstock...

Me, too. They sound like real tone monsters. I'm expecting it to be an excellent counterpart to the DiMarzio Strat pickups. Pretty high hopes.

Thanks. I hope that exploiting the Gibson factor on this instrument could yield some jaw-dropping results.

Meh, it's as close as I can get. Of course, that was playing by myself through a couple cabs with my 400+...quite a different setup from "Little Chicago". The only thing that the Kelly has in common with an Alembic is the fact that it's got a really flat-out sounding preamp with low/hi pass filters which adds a lot of beef. It also had twangy Rotos on it (still has the same strings, but since they're Rotosound 66s, they aren't so twangy anymore), which is the heart of that sound. I decided to see what I could remember from the Kids Are Alright Version of Won't Get Fooled Again and the sound of the Kelly fit in pretty well and sliced and roared in the same way that John's Alembic did. I remember spending ages learning that note for note a couple years ago. I still remember...a bit.

The best idea would definitely be to just get a Rickenbacker. I have the patience, I think. I just love that sound so much!

After what seems like endless tweaking to the bridge, I measured what I feel is most comfortable string spacing on my Kelly and lo and behold--18mm. Not only is that the most comfortable for me to play, but that's the widest that I can set the strings without the E and G strings not getting picked up by the bridge pickup, which has intense growl and punch (it's one of those Steainberger P pickups, so it's non-reverse and the neck pickup is reverse, similar to the mirrored P setup on John's Warwick basses, which might be another reason why its sound makes me think of his).

I've been lusting after a white Explorer for a little while. I was thinking of building one out of Warmoth parts with a maple P bass neck, but I think that I'd rather refinish this one white and get a white P bass with a maple neck to boot. I'd really love a Fender '57 RI (Dear Santa, I've been a good boy! Kinda...). Can you say Ventures?

Hmm cool idea!! Let me know how it pans out. What kind of bridge are you going to put on it? Any ideas on how you want to wire it? I'm a fan of metallic green.



That's my friend's Xyphos that I'm borrowing for a little bit. It's rad that he has it because it matches my Kelly really well, both in appearance and sound. That chameleon blue finish is TRIPPY! You look at it one moment and the bevels and body are contrasting blue and green then you shift slightly and the headstock's a totally different color from the body. It's got DiMarzio D-Activators in it right now and they scream! I've offered to give him an F-spaced Super Distortion bridge pickup and install it for him. He's going to get another Super Distortion for the neck (he's a big Paul Gilbert and Adrian Smith fan), so I might give a push/pull pot for in/out of phase switching a try so he has the Gilbert and Smith sounds at the flick of a switch. And I'll wire one of the pickups to a coil tap if he wants it that way.

Kugelspot wrote:

I'd do this, but with a no load tone pot (best way to reconcile the tone knob vs no tone knob debate) and a Rio Grande Powerbucker in the bridge (if you're willing to shell out that much for one, otherwise either keep the J or use a X2N or X2N-7)

If I go with a dual humbucker setup, I want it to sound as Gibsony as possible and I believe Gibson uses 500K pots, which is what came stock on this bass anyway. An X2N would cover up the Jazz bass route for sure, but that's not the sound I want out of this bass. It is a metal machine, but it can do anything I want it to. I dig a more traditional sound and medium output out of it. I do, however, plan on putting an X2N-7 in my Charvel and an X2N in my Destroyer, so fear not! I will have an X2N-ed Explorer!

A Powerbucker's a great idea, but the only problem is that they don't come in chrome and I want this bass to be flashy and shiny, including the pickups. And I think it would be rad to have a bass with Tbird pickups, so I think that's the direction I'm gonna go. It sounds too cool!

What does a no load tone pot do? I like not having a tone knob on certain basses, but sometimes having a tone pot sounds right and this is one of them, so I'd rather have basses with and without 'em. In fact, this bass will both have one and not have one since I plan on only connecting the Tbird/Pitbull pickups to a tone pot, the P pickup will still go straight from the volume pot to the output.

madmike wrote:

whatchya dooin with the green star in the backround? what is it? interested in a deal?

That's not mine, although I wish it was. I just searched "white hamer blitz bass" into Google images to see what it'd look like with that color combination and I'm sold. If I had that Star, I'd consider selling it to you because I could really use the money to get a Kahler for my Blitz (or to have some cash on hand in case a deal goes through which involves trading my 400+ for a 1982 D-18 ), but I'd probably be busy hashing out plans to mod it to high heaven.

Here's the thread that it's posted in on TalkBass. Post #84. http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=584480&page=5

EricHaven wrote:

Lots of interesting possibilities listed here. But I think you already know what I'd recommend.

Lemme guess....does it begin with X and are there two of them?

Chowderboots wrote:

What does a no load tone pot do?

A no load tone pot is a normal tone pot, except when you turn it up all the way, it sort of "clicks," like what an the knobs in an active EQ do when they're in the exact center. When that happens, the tone pot is disengaged, so it will sound like it isn't there. Its great if you want to be able to get the added brightness and volume from not having a tone pot, but feel like you'll miss having one if you take it out

Kugelspot wrote:

Chowderboots wrote:

What does a no load tone pot do?

A no load tone pot is a normal tone pot, except when you turn it up all the way, it sort of "clicks," like what an the knobs in an active EQ do when they're in the exact center. When that happens, the tone pot is disengaged, so it will sound like it isn't there. Its great if you want to be able to get the added brightness and volume from not having a tone pot, but feel like you'll miss having one if you take it out

Aah okay. Huh. That is a good idea. You might be able to achieve a similar setup with a push/pull pot or an on/off mini switch and the tone pot of your choice. Thanks for telling me about that. Food for thought.

if you were interested in having an explorer, i have 3 things to tell you.

epiphone has reissued its explorer bass. i was extatic at first as someone who loves this body style ... these basses start new @ $300 or so.
then i went and played one last week.
ugg.

i'de much rather have that hamer you got.

and 3 ....

warmoth is the best way to go (so i've seen by the specs and options available on this model and my past awesome experience with the warmoth p project). i'm patient too. i'll wait till i have the $1700 to build the one i want illustrated below.

i asked about the star ... just looking for the next project to work on.

geeze ... i still gotta refret the ibanez.

more kahlers.

more pickups.

more speakers.

aaaaaaaaaaah!

madmike wrote:

if you were interested in having an explorer, i have 3 things to tell you.

epiphone has reissued its explorer bass. i was extatic at first as someone who loves this body style ... these basses start new @ $300 or so.
then i went and played one last week.
ugg.

i'de much rather have that hamer you got.

and 3 ....

warmoth is the best way to go (so i've seen by the specs and options available on this model and my past awesome experience with the warmoth p project). i'm patient too. i'll wait till i have the $1700 to build the one i want illustrated below.

I've wondered about those Epi basses since I have a soft spot for Gibsons and I love those classic shapes. It's a pity it's so hard to find a cool looking classic-style V or Explorer bass. I saw a V and an Explorer at the local Guitar Satan, but I didn't feel like seeing how they felt. How was the build quality on the one you tried out? I'm assuming the electronics weren't anything to rave about.

Yeah, those Hamer Blitz basses really are the most. I'm thankful every day that I snagged the one I got when I did! It had sat at America Music for months on end and I went in a couple times a couple months apart and thought about how rad it was, but never thought about actually getting it because it's kinda a weird bass when you think about it. It wasn't until I was looking for a bass that would work well with a Kahler that I remembered seeing it. A couple days later, I rushed over there and it was still there. It was $600 or something. Worth every penny. It's the only bass I can play while I'm standing without straining my left wrist--it's so comfortable and so well balanced. I've already put a lot of money into it and right now, I haven't got a lot to show for it, but maybe if I throw another $500 or so at it, it'll be ship shape in no time.

Ah, Warmoth. Now, it'd be cool to get a Tbird body from them. I like how they make bolt-on Thunderbird bodies with the option of the raised center and they can make a pickguard that'll fit it for you. Pity they don't offer any headstocks that I would really want on a Thunderbird (no, I would't want to make it a Fenderbird. It's been done before).

What kinda pickups/electronics do you want to put on your dream Warmoth?

madmike wrote:

i asked about the star ... just looking for the next project to work on.

geeze ... i still gotta refret the ibanez.

more kahlers.

more pickups.

more speakers.

aaaaaaaaaaah!

Yeah, man--that's the spirit of this thread and this entire forum. Looking for that next crazy idea to bring to fruition.

i think its just cause i'm a pedal on the floor guy, but i really dont go for too much on board electronics on my basses. i prefer passive and the higher the pickup output the better. the only x-tra on board option i really go for is the pick up pan pot. master / pan / master tone.

i'm really digging the rio grande pickups right now. outside of dimarzio (they dont make a bridge position humbucker) the rg's have the highest output i've found for the price. i'm gonna replace the crappo economy with a powerbucker on the p bass when i got a few bucks to see if they sound as good as they look.

other than that ... for a few bucks more, its worth it to get the q tuners. super quiet on the f bass i played with em.

Chowderboots wrote:

Me, too. They sound like real tone monsters. I'm expecting it to be an excellent counterpart to the DiMarzio Strat pickups. Pretty high hopes.

Thanks. I hope that exploiting the Gibson factor on this instrument could yield some jaw-dropping results.

Meh, it's as close as I can get. Of course, that was playing by myself through a couple cabs with my 400+...quite a different setup from "Little Chicago". The only thing that the Kelly has in common with an Alembic is the fact that it's got a really flat-out sounding preamp with low/hi pass filters which adds a lot of beef. It also had twangy Rotos on it (still has the same strings, but since they're Rotosound 66s, they aren't so twangy anymore), which is the heart of that sound. I decided to see what I could remember from the Kids Are Alright Version of Won't Get Fooled Again and the sound of the Kelly fit in pretty well and sliced and roared in the same way that John's Alembic did. I remember spending ages learning that note for note a couple years ago. I still remember...a bit.

The best idea would definitely be to just get a Rickenbacker. I have the patience, I think. I just love that sound so much!

After what seems like endless tweaking to the bridge, I measured what I feel is most comfortable string spacing on my Kelly and lo and behold--18mm. Not only is that the most comfortable for me to play, but that's the widest that I can set the strings without the E and G strings not getting picked up by the bridge pickup, which has intense growl and punch (it's one of those Steainberger P pickups, so it's non-reverse and the neck pickup is reverse, similar to the mirrored P setup on John's Warwick basses, which might be another reason why its sound makes me think of his).

I've been lusting after a white Explorer for a little while. I was thinking of building one out of Warmoth parts with a maple P bass neck, but I think that I'd rather refinish this one white and get a white P bass with a maple neck to boot. I'd really love a Fender '57 RI (Dear Santa, I've been a good boy! Kinda...). Can you say Ventures?

Hmm cool idea!! Let me know how it pans out. What kind of bridge are you going to put on it? Any ideas on how you want to wire it? I'm a fan of metallic green.



That's my friend's Xyphos that I'm borrowing for a little bit. It's rad that he has it because it matches my Kelly really well, both in appearance and sound. That chameleon blue finish is TRIPPY! You look at it one moment and the bevels and body are contrasting blue and green then you shift slightly and the headstock's a totally different color from the body. It's got DiMarzio D-Activators in it right now and they scream! I've offered to give him an F-spaced Super Distortion bridge pickup and install it for him. He's going to get another Super Distortion for the neck (he's a big Paul Gilbert and Adrian Smith fan), so I might give a push/pull pot for in/out of phase switching a try so he has the Gilbert and Smith sounds at the flick of a switch. And I'll wire one of the pickups to a coil tap if he wants it that way.

Yeah, if I was you I'd just wait it out, a Rickenbacker with your name on it will pop up.

I've really wanted to try one of those EMG Steinberger pickups for a long time, I'd love to hear one in a guitar, lol, a guitar with a p pickup!

Defianly digging white explorers, something very cool about them...... and it would look swanky next to a '57 RI......

I will do, soon as I can, the guitar'll be here tonight, thinking of a Telecaster headstock, like the Squier VM Telebass.
The bridge, for now, will be a Fender bent plate, its a case of assembling it with whatever crap I have handy(and the tuners *are* crappy), and I'll put some nice stuff on order asap.
As for wiring and paint, in the up and running fast spirit, paint stays black for now, and the wiring stays stock, luckily the wiring is to my liking toggle-volume-tone, though I'll swap for a bass friendly cap, and a treble bleed mod like my fretless P.
Later I'll re finish it, been running Gimp all week making up mockups in every colour in the rainbow, purple, pink, yellow or green are tops so far.

That Xyphos is insane looking! Super Distortions and phase swithcing would take it over the top!

I have a question for you guys. You know how mini toggle switches come with that little washer with a little curved prong on the outside and another one on the inside that fits in the groove that runs perpendicular to the threads on the switch's housing? Do you put that in between the nut on the outside of the guitar or inside the cavity? In the past, I've taken them off entirely because I wasn't sure quite what to do with them. I thought that little prong was a little unsightly, but since some of the finish on my Blitz chipped away around the holes I drilled (I did it carefully and with masking tape, but the finish seems to be really prone to chipping) and if I used that washer on the outside, it'd probably cover up the wood that was exposed, but I'm not sure if that's the way they're normally installed and I don't have any guitars with factory-installed mini toggle switches to reference at the moment (my Roadster has a mini switch with the washer on the outside, but the washer doesn't have that little prong that is on the washers from the aftermarket switches that I've bought).

madmike wrote:

i think its just cause i'm a pedal on the floor guy, but i really dont go for too much on board electronics on my basses. i prefer passive and the higher the pickup output the better. the only x-tra on board option i really go for is the pick up pan pot. master / pan / master tone.

i'm really digging the rio grande pickups right now. outside of dimarzio (they dont make a bridge position humbucker) the rg's have the highest output i've found for the price. i'm gonna replace the crappo economy with a powerbucker on the p bass when i got a few bucks to see if they sound as good as they look.

other than that ... for a few bucks more, its worth it to get the q tuners. super quiet on the f bass i played with em.

Same here, man. Hence, our interests in DiMarzio/Rio Grande pickups. For the most part, I am content with just a volume knob, but I also like having some variety. I want a bass or two with some fancy stuff to play with, but as far as my meat and potatoes sound is concerned, a simple setup is the most effective. I tend to be far more creative on a run-of-the-mill P bass than on a bass with a 3-band EQ and what have you. I'd rather have most of the tone-shaping come from my amp and pedals. In the case of my Hamer, however, I kinda feel like exploring different ways to wire passive pickups (not to mention the fact that I really like switches. I think they're cool and I would like to have lots of them on it) so that no other bass will have to suffer these modifications.

Do you have any Rio Grandes on any of your basses currently?

Darkstrike wrote:

Yeah, if I was you I'd just wait it out, a Rickenbacker with your name on it will pop up.

I've really wanted to try one of those EMG Steinberger pickups for a long time, I'd love to hear one in a guitar, lol, a guitar with a p pickup!

Defianly digging white explorers, something very cool about them...... and it would look swanky next to a '57 RI...... Very Happy

I will do, soon as I can, the guitar'll be here tonight, thinking of a Telecaster headstock, like the Squier VM Telebass.
The bridge, for now, will be a Fender bent plate, its a case of assembling it with whatever crap I have handy(and the tuners *are* crappy), and I'll put some nice stuff on order asap.
As for wiring and paint, in the up and running fast spirit, paint stays black for now, and the wiring stays stock, luckily the wiring is to my liking toggle-volume-tone, though I'll swap for a bass friendly cap, and a treble bleed mod like my fretless P.
Later I'll re finish it, been running Gimp all week making up mockups in every colour in the rainbow, purple, pink, yellow or green are tops so far.

That Xyphos is insane looking! Super Distortions and phase swithcing would take it over the top!

It's a cool pickup. The top two strings can sound really bright, but it might just be in contrast to the other pickup (since it's a reverse P, the D and G strings sound a lot deeper than I'm used what to hearing from a P). What I like about the EMG P pickups is how slicey/edgy and percussive they can get and the HB is no exception. That grind makes up for how alien EMGs sound to me.

A guitar with a P pickup? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYI08tRJuco

Hahahahaha a Kellycaster!!



I love having an excuse to post that picture.

So, will the Fender bridge cover up the TOM holes or will you have to fill them before refinishing? If you were to ask for my opinion, I'd say green. I like green Kellys. Jackson makes these beautiful trans green Kellys, but nothing sparkly.

I've had them little switches on a bunch of basses, the little ring goes on the outside, under the nut.
They're so you don't scratch the finish while installing them, the nub tells you where the top is, for orentating it.
I usually grind the nub out afterwards.


Hahaha, forgot about the Tele Deluxe!

The Kelly is done, *for now*, standard Fender 'stock, though that awesome pic makes me want to get the tele template out and start hacking.

The Fender bridge is well behind the TOM holes, but I just left all the lugs in, hahaha. Until I get to refinishing.

Neckdives like a bitch, don't much care though, one of the most comfy basses to sit with, ever, as for tone, I'll tell you tomorrow when I plug it in.

Darkstrike wrote:

I've had them little switches on a bunch of basses, the little ring goes on the outside, under the nut.
They're so you don't scratch the finish while installing them, the nub tells you where the top is, for orentating it.
I usually grind the nub out afterwards.


Hahaha, forgot about the Tele Deluxe!

The Kelly is done, *for now*, standard Fender 'stock, though that awesome pic makes me want to get the tele template out and start hacking.

The Fender bridge is well behind the TOM holes, but I just left all the lugs in, hahaha. Until I get to refinishing.

Neckdives like a bitch, don't much care though, one of the most comfy basses to sit with, ever, as for tone, I'll tell you tomorrow when I plug it in.

Alright. Thanks, dude. The only time that I can remember seeing washers with the nubs on mini toggles were in the pictures that Lorne posted here of his BC Riches with all those switches. I'm going to start using them from now on because I cringe every time I tighten up that nut on the bare finish! My basses will thank you. I mean...I'll grind your nub out!

I forgot about them, too, until I was thinking about how awesome a guitar with split pickups would be. The only reason I remembered that guitar is because I was reading about some early Fender 12 strings with split coil pickups on them (my mom found this book about the history of Fender when we lived in Germany and it's an awesome book for anyone who digs looking at old slabs of wood with funny names!). I think G&L also makes a guitar with three split coil pickups! I think it's called the Comanche--it's like a Strat with P pickups. Super rad.

I'd love to see how that thing looks, man, even (especially) in its unfinished stage!

Mhmm that's exactly how my Kelly is--can't play it standing up for the life of me, but when it's on my thigh, it's quite natural to play.

Hey man, you be careful around my nub!

Here's how it looks as is, sorry for the crummy pic, its late.

Woah dude! That looks fuggin incredible!! That picture's fine, dude--couldn't ask for anything more!

So, did the neck fit in the pocket perfectly? Interestingly, when that neck is mounted onto that body, it looks like it's exactly the same size as my Jackson. They must not have redesigned the body at all for the Kelly basses.

And I think those pickups look great like that. I hope this works out well for ya!

Thanks dude!

Nah, the neck pocket was too small, and at too much of a slope, for the TOM, but since the body is made of cedar(Indian Cedro Jackson call it), it was easily widend by a half hour of careful work with a chisel, as for the slope, a quick shim.

The body, I doubt the resized it for bass, you'd be suprised, most guitars turn basses keep the same dimensions, Gibson V, Explorer, Dean Z, ML, all keep standard guitar bodys.

The pickups hopefully will be good, they're pretty much in the Sheehan P/Woofer positions, they sound pretty decent through my laptop and headphones.

Darkstrike wrote:

Thanks dude!

Nah, the neck pocket was too small, and at too much of a slope, for the TOM, but since the body is made of cedar(Indian Cedro Jackson call it), it was easily widend by a half hour of careful work with a chisel, as for the slope, a quick shim.

The body, I doubt the resized it for bass, you'd be suprised, most guitars turn basses keep the same dimensions, Gibson V, Explorer, Dean Z, ML, all keep standard guitar bodys.

The pickups hopefully will be good, they're pretty much in the Sheehan P/Woofer positions, they sound pretty decent through my laptop and headphones.

Uh huh. That's cool that it was an easy part of the project. Getting that joint right can take a while...at least for me.

That makes perfect sense. Most of the companies that produce those kinds of basses are more concerned with their guitars, the basses being a bit of an afterthought.

That's what I was thinking. Looks like that neck pickup is right under where the 24th fret would be, which is one of my favorite places for a pickup to be.

Yeah, I'm used to chisel work you see, spent a few years doing joinery, so it was simply mark the pocket, double check, hack away and test fit every now and then.

For sure, but who can blame them, the guitar is where like 90% of the cash is for them, then again, I actually love guitar body sizes anyway, very comfy.

Yeah, through the headphones its nice and deep, once I get to blast it, should roar nicely, ang give me a huge sound, hopefully!

that one quote above sez ...

madmike wrote.
and sum stuff about waiting to get a rick with your name on it.

i didnt type that?!?!?!?

hmm.

i played a p bass with a gio grande split humbucker. good quality pickup, sounded good, nice high output. i just like the sound of the dimarzio split p better. its cheaper too.

i dont think its about one pickup being better than another ... its about who manufactures what i want. i've only found 4 passive humbuckers for the bridge spot on the market. the economy, semour duncan basslines phase 2, the rio grande models and the q tuner. the economy and s / d are too low output for me. the economy sounds fuzzy.

for the price, the gio grande looks like what i need. when i install it, i'll post a review.

yeah i know ... darkstar. i cant afford that.

if anyone knows of any others, i'm open to chek em out.

Darkstrike wrote:

Yeah, I'm used to chisel work you see, spent a few years doing joinery, so it was simply mark the pocket, double check, hack away and test fit every now and then.

For sure, but who can blame them, the guitar is where like 90% of the cash is for them, then again, I actually love guitar body sizes anyway, very comfy.

Yeah, through the headphones its nice and deep, once I get to blast it, should roar nicely, ang give me a huge sound, hopefully!

Still, I gotta say, I'm envious of and have great respect for people who can work well with wood and who do that kind of craft. What a great skill to have.

Oh, I'm not saying they shouldn't. There are only so many people on the planet who want a bright green pointy four string shred machine. You can't sell those by the handful like basses that were meant to be basses from the ground up. As for guitar bodies being comfy, my three Explorers are the comfiest basses I've ever picked up. In the case of my Destroyer and Blitz, they balance as good if not better than the guitar versions sitting down and standing up.

I bet it will! If only you had another one, then you could mount the pickups in similar positions as they are on the Lemmy sig Rickenbacker.

madmike wrote:

that one quote above sez ...

madmike wrote.
and sum stuff about waiting to get a rick with your name on it.

i didnt type that?!?!?!?

hmm.

i played a p bass with a gio grande split humbucker. good quality pickup, sounded good, nice high output. i just like the sound of the dimarzio split p better. its cheaper too.

i dont think its about one pickup being better than another ... its about who manufactures what i want. i've only found 4 passive humbuckers for the bridge spot on the market. the economy, semour duncan basslines phase 2, the rio grande models and the q tuner. the economy and s / d are too low output for me. the economy sounds fuzzy.

for the price, the gio grande looks like what i need. when i install it, i'll post a review.

yeah i know ... darkstar. i cant afford that.

if anyone knows of any others, i'm open to chek em out.

Great minds think alike.

I have to give one of those Split Ps a try, man! I want to put one on my Destroyer. Because of the shorter 32" scale, the pole pieces are farther apart relative to the strings' lengths, so it doesn't sound like a normal P pickup. Even though it's mounted in the same place as it would be on a long scale instrument, the bridge coil is a little brighter and the neck coil a little brighter than they would normally be. To me, it sounds a little unbalanced, although the stock pickup has a lot of volume and clarity. Since the Split P's pole pieces are exactly where a normal P's pole pieces are not, it's probably the best pickup for what I'm looking to do--change the pickup's sound by changing its placement without changing the fact that it's still a P pickup.

Good luck getting a Powerbucker. I'd recommend the Muy Grande PB for maximum output.

You could try a DiMarzio X2N7. If you can keep it from pushing your preamp into clipping, it sounds really clear and deep, but I know that sound isn't always what you're looking for. And they are priced well, like all DiMarzios--you can get one for about $80.

Somehow I missed this?

No surprise I voted for the mudbucker / Pitbull. It will give you a very Billy Sheehan woofy but pllunky P bass on steriods sound.

This combo also is great in combo with the kahler & Effects.

Mudbucker demo-https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5iK9rH0Ftc&feature=player_embedded

Everything must of been rattling in the store

Too many great ideas going on here, my head is spinning.

Quote :

ou could try a DiMarzio X2N7

I am dying to try one of these with a kahler & effects.

Chowderboots wrote:

Darkstrike wrote:

Yeah, I'm used to chisel work you see, spent a few years doing joinery, so it was simply mark the pocket, double check, hack away and test fit every now and then.

For sure, but who can blame them, the guitar is where like 90% of the cash is for them, then again, I actually love guitar body sizes anyway, very comfy.

Yeah, through the headphones its nice and deep, once I get to blast it, should roar nicely, ang give me a huge sound, hopefully!

Still, I gotta say, I'm envious of and have great respect for people who can work well with wood and who do that kind of craft. What a great skill to have.

Oh, I'm not saying they shouldn't. There are only so many people on the planet who want a bright green pointy four string shred machine. You can't sell those by the handful like basses that were meant to be basses from the ground up. As for guitar bodies being comfy, my three Explorers are the comfiest basses I've ever picked up. In the case of my Destroyer and Blitz, they balance as good if not better than the guitar versions sitting down and standing up.

I bet it will! If only you had another one, then you could mount the pickups in similar positions as they are on the Lemmy sig Rickenbacker.

Yeah, its a great skill, and career, wish I stuck with it, and got real good.

That idea with the third pickup has been running through my head all day, but they come in twos, and I'd be left with an odd pickup, as is I got a bunch of unused pickups floating about....

Thing sounds fantastic, suprised the one in the mudbucker position dosen't sound muddy.

Barklessdog wrote:

Somehow I missed this?

No surprise I voted for the mudbucker / Pitbull. It will give you a very Billy Sheehan woofy but pllunky P bass on steriods sound.

This combo also is great in combo with the kahler & Effects.

Mudbucker demo-https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5iK9rH0Ftc&feature=player_embedded

Everything must of been rattling in the store

Too many great ideas going on here, my head is spinning.

And that's the sound that I'm going for. Gotta have a little plunk with all that smoke.

Wow! Muddy...

A lot of ideas have been floating around in my head lately and I wanted to get them out. Hopefully that'll allow me to take one clear course of action with this bass and save the best of the rest of my ideas for other projects.

Barklessdog wrote:

Quote :

You could try a DiMarzio X2N7

I am dying to try one of these with a kahler & effects.

Oh, you'd have a ball with an X2N-7 wired up to a series/coil tap/parallel switch.

Darkstrike wrote:

Yeah, its a great skill, and career, wish I stuck with it, and got real good. Neutral

That idea with the third pickup has been running through my head all day, but they come in twos, and I'd be left with an odd pickup, as is I got a bunch of unused pickups floating about....

Thing sounds fantastic, suprised the one in the mudbucker position dosen't sound muddy.

Dude--if you get another set of those TB pickups, I would want one for one of my basses! Maybe I could use it in the neck on my Hamer instead of a Pitbull. I'm serious. If you find another pair, I'll buy the neck pickup off of you.

Sweet! Happy noodles.

They're easy to find, on ebay all day long for 125 dollars per set.

I love hearing about the creativity that everyone here explores.

I'm sure you ment to say insanity, rather than creativity......

Darkstrike wrote:

They're easy to find, on ebay all day long for 125 dollars per set.

Just sayin'...if you decide to get a set so you can have three pickups on that Kellycaster, I'll gladly buy the other one from you.

Eric Haven wrote:

I love hearing about the creativity that everyone here explores.

Glad you're enjoying it!

Chowderboots wrote:

Darkstrike wrote:

They're easy to find, on ebay all day long for 125 dollars per set.

Just sayin'...if you decide to get a set so you can have three pickups on that Kellycaster, I'll gladly buy the other one from you.

I'm definatly looking into it buddy, I don't have an eBay account, so I have to rely on the good nature of others, you see.

I even have a pretty nifty wiring plan in my head, only need two mini switches.

If I do, I'll have to find a flat bottom black pickup ring in bridge size too. And at the same time, I'd add some ultralight tuners(with a drop lever), and a heavy bridge, and probably do the telecaster headstock, maybe even painting it black.

Darkstrike wrote:

Chowderboots wrote:

Darkstrike wrote:

They're easy to find, on ebay all day long for 125 dollars per set.

Just sayin'...if you decide to get a set so you can have three pickups on that Kellycaster, I'll gladly buy the other one from you.

I'm definatly looking into it buddy, I don't have an eBay account, so I have to rely on the good nature of others, you see.

I even have a pretty nifty wiring plan in my head, only need two mini switches.

If I do, I'll have to find a flat bottom black pickup ring in bridge size too. And at the same time, I'd add some ultralight tuners(with a drop lever), and a heavy bridge, and probably do the telecaster headstock, maybe even painting it black.

Mhmm. I've got an eBay account but no money.

Ooh rad. What are you thinking? I like the sound of it already.

That sounds killer. I can't wait to see how it looks once you're done with its new finish and everything. It's going to be quite a looker! Approximately how much has it cost you so far, altogether?

The wiring?

Pretty much an on/off switch for the third pickup, and an on/off for however the neck/middle are set by the big switch, that gives me neck, neck/middle, middle, neck/middle/bridge, neck/bridge, middle/bridge, and finally bridge alone as options.

As for refinishing it, black is starting to grow on me, half due to my super laziness, hahaha!

Thinking that looks pretty bitching right there.
Maybe dye the fingerboard black, and get some nicer pearl dots.

As for cost,
Jackson Guitar = 250€,
Pickups = 89€,
Everything else = free leftovers from previous mods.

Oooohhh!!!! Purty!

What if, instead of the pearl dots, you had some wicked custom inlays made, Bill? For some reason, while looking at your picture of the bass, the thought of having something like some wicked Z pattern in black would go really well with that bass. I dunno. Just my two-cents.

The only thing about custom inlays is, the amount of work/cost,

I'd have to de fret it, buy material, rout the whole fingerboard, sand and polish them flush, re-fret it, and then level the frets.
Not to mention having to learn half them skills.

Dots are easy to swap, drillhole through the middle, pop them out with a pin or super thin screwdriver, and pop the new one in with a dab of glue.

I do get what you mean though, it would look killer, or Jackson sharkfins would.


More to think about, though its looking like its gonna be hard to get the extra TB+ pickup anyway.

That looks sick! It looks a little bit like how my Blitz might turn out. I really like the black peghead and the rosewood board. If you keep the back of it just a clear finish, it really sets off the Telekelly vibe. If you popped in abalone dots, it'd look very snazzy!

What would you think about moving the bridge pickup closer to the bridge? It'd probably sound a little fatter with the equal pickup spacing, but if you scooted it back, maybe one of those Gibson pickups could get pretty snarly. And I think it'd look cool, too--it'd kinda be a tip of the hat to the Rick LK basses. But do whatever you want--I don't want to sound like a doucebag 'cos it's your bass and whatever you decide to do, it'll turn out really cool.

Awesome that you pieced it together for that much! It's a sick project. What's up with the TB plus pickups? There was a set on eBay when I checked the other day. You could use a Rio Grande Pitbull instead. They look the same. Or you could fit something else into a chrome humbucker shell?

Yeah, the black seemed boring to me at first, as I even said earlier in this thread, but I'm liking it more, and more.

Well yeah, the back would be clear, and you're right, abalone would be sexy!

Well, the reason I was keeping equal spacing was, later if I wanted, there would be room for a Kahler. It would be in about the spot my X2N is in.
I do get what you mean with the LK vibe, thats also a sweet idea, but heck, there ain't even a trace of them yet.

You see them on eBay by a seller named empireinstruments? Thats where I got mine, they have a stock of them.
Truthfully, there were a lot of problems with the deal, I ended up waiting months for them, when the guy that runs the place got involved, I had them in a week, though.

The Pitbull would get the look, and probably sound bitchin' too, not to mention, much easier to get, and coil tapping would be an option.

Darkstrike wrote:

Yeah, the black seemed boring to me at first, as I even said earlier in this thread, but I'm liking it more, and more.

Well yeah, the back would be clear, and you're right, abalone would be sexy!

Well, the reason I was keeping equal spacing was, later if I wanted, there would be room for a Kahler. It would be in about the spot my X2N is in.
I do get what you mean with the LK vibe, thats also a sweet idea, but heck, there ain't even a trace of them yet.

You see them on eBay by a seller named empireinstruments? Thats where I got mine, they have a stock of them.
Truthfully, there were a lot of problems with the deal, I ended up waiting months for them, when the guy that runs the place got involved, I had them in a week, though.

The Pitbull would get the look, and probably sound bitchin' too, not to mention, much easier to get, and coil tapping would be an option.

It really grows on you. I guess with the headstock and the body shape and all the chrome, there's enough going on to keep you interested without a flashy color. But a metallic green would really bring it over the top.

Aah yeah I figured as much. And that's a just cause indeed.

Yep, they are under empireinstruments for $130. That sucks about having problems with them 'cos the price isn't too bad.

And you wouldn't have to deal with empireinstruments.

Chowderboots wrote:

It really grows on you. I guess with the headstock and the body shape and all the chrome, there's enough going on to keep you interested without a flashy color. But a metallic green would really bring it over the top.

Aah yeah I figured as much. And that's a just cause indeed.

Yep, they are under empireinstruments for $130. That sucks about having problems with them 'cos the price isn't too bad.

And you wouldn't have to deal with empireinstruments.

Yeah, I'd love to go metallic green, emerald, would look sharp with the shape, and carved sides, rather than the Fender rollover.
I'm still debating it. would give me a chance to cover the old TOM bolts too.

It would also add me some heft to the body, might help balance!

Yeah, $130 worked out at 89€ or so, it is a shame, as they're the only guys with them, and they are nice!

I'm really interested in the Pitbull now, I'm wondering will it handle a bridge position, surely it would, I'm betting it would sound, in a word, epic.

I said it on TB, so I'll say it here also...totally slick ( should have made it a 5 stringer ), but if it plays the way you want...there you go

Cheers man, but the neck I had was a four, and anyway, my Roscoes cover my 5er needs quite nicely.

Darkstrike wrote:

Yeah, I'd love to go metallic green, emerald, would look sharp with the shape, and carved sides, rather than the Fender rollover.
I'm still debating it. would give me a chance to cover the old TOM bolts too.

It would also add me some heft to the body, might help balance!

Yeah, $130 worked out at 89€ or so, it is a shame, as they're the only guys with them, and they are nice!

I'm really interested in the Pitbull now, I'm wondering will it handle a bridge position, surely it would, I'm betting it would sound, in a word, epic.

I say go for it, if you feel like devoting the time to making it a really nice finish. Or you could just stick a pickup cover over the TOM stud holes and call it done.

If you're actually on the fence about getting a Pitbull, I'd recommend sending them an email or giving them a call--they are really helpful.

Chowderboots wrote:

I say go for it, if you feel like devoting the time to making it a really nice finish. Or you could just stick a pickup cover over the TOM stud holes and call it done.

If you're actually on the fence about getting a Pitbull, I'd recommend sending them an email or giving them a call--they are really helpful.

Hmm, I'll have to think the re-finish over more.

I'm not as on the fence as I was, in fact, I'm practically decided, heck, if it dosen't suit at the bridge, easy to pop it into the middle, and have a Gibson at the bridge.

I'm having difficultys working out how I want it wired, though, here's a thread I started on TB, http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=606153

Of course, any ideas would be greatly appriciated, here or there.

I'll let you know if I come up with any, but I like the way you are thinking of doing it because that's not something that would occur to me at all. If it were me, I'd use the three-way only to select the pickups and make the rest coil taps or series/parallel switches. But it clearly isn't me and that's a good thing because I like all the flexibility that your wiring design can achieve!

Sweet. You gotta tell me how you like it because I really want to put a Pitbull in my Destroyer in the bridge position.

I'd go that way, but the bridge pickup would be always on.

I think I'll just go with how I had it originally outlined to.

I'll let you know for sure, dude, definatly.