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Post subject: Hybrid Combo P/J Bass
Posted: Fri Feb 25, 2011 5:50 am
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Current project is mounting a Jazz neck on a P-style body (old Johnson) to make a "poor boy's" P-Special (minus the bridge pup) to use for practice/back up. Neck in VGC, string nut was missing...question is which to replace it with for proper string spacing for this combo ? Have P nut on it for now but really puts strings too close to edge, would using J nut be an issue with P-style bridge spacing or should bridge be swapped out for J-style ? Also have to shim neck to fit tightly in pocket, slight gap between the two w/ screws fully tightened. I know it sounds like a goofy project, but it's what I have to work with, and the slimmer J neck is a blessing to those of us with stubby fingers !!! :lol: Thanks for the feedback- no pun intended !!! :lol:


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Post subject: Re: Hybrid Combo P/J Bass
Posted: Fri Feb 25, 2011 8:14 am
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Usually people use the Jazz nut when doing this. You should not have to change out the bridge. It actually is a more common modification than you might think.


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Post subject: Re: Hybrid Combo P/J Bass
Posted: Sat Feb 26, 2011 11:03 am
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Thanks brotherdave ! Got a graphite Jazz nut and new pots/jack to fix this thing, both of mine use the same bridge (upon measuring), was considering a HMV or Badass bridge as an upgrade. Have a good one !


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Post subject: Re: Hybrid Combo P/J Bass
Posted: Sat Feb 26, 2011 3:41 pm
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speedy01 wrote:
Thanks brotherdave ! Got a graphite Jazz nut and new pots/jack to fix this thing, both of mine use the same bridge (upon measuring), was considering a HMV or Badass bridge as an upgrade. Have a good one !



You done it now, brotherdave not gonna help you anymore! You can't get that BadAss bridge! I'm kidding brotherdave :P

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Post subject: Re: Hybrid Combo P/J Bass
Posted: Sat Feb 26, 2011 4:27 pm
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I like the new Fender high mass bridges better. Also the GOTOH high mass bridge is good. The Leo Quan's BA's make it harder than it should be to get a good setup, even with the pre-slotted ones which seem to work best with a 12 inch neck radius...and Leo Quan support is non-existent.

Didn't Jaco Pastorius, Duck Dunn, James L. Jamerson, Carol Kaye, John Entwhistle and Noel Redding get by pretty good with a Fender stock bridge?

What tone cap are you using? What do you want it to sound like?


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Post subject: Re: Hybrid Combo P/J Bass
Posted: Sun Feb 27, 2011 9:12 am
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Gotta get my magnifying glass out to read the markings on the stock cap (gettin' old) to use as a baseline. Has EMG pups from factory, considering an aftermarket pup (16k ) but don't want to burn up an amp ! As far as sound goes, would like HEAVY bottom end without being too distorted and some midrange tone reminiscent of 70's funk style...might sound goofy but should add a new twist to the Southern style my guys are playing, if it doesn't go over well then it's back to the drawing board ! BTW, sounds like some nice ones are in your collection ! Thanks for your patience with new modders like myself !


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Post subject: Re: Hybrid Combo P/J Bass
Posted: Sun Feb 27, 2011 11:38 am
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Sorry, read your original post, that is a Johnson body so likely it is a poly cap unless someone changed it.

Getting a Funk tone from a P-bass is tricky. If you want early to mid 70's FUNK then it might work better to replace it with a ceramic disc, 0.05 or close to that value. When you set the tone to full treble it will have a bite to it which sounds good on solos.

Overwound pickups will not give you that Funk sound even with the period correct cap. It will be all lower end bass with lots of thump but very little mids, which are vital to the 70's Funk tone. Actually a slightly underwound pickup will make it easier to get that midrange snap. You'll be surprised how little the tone control does after installing a severely overwound pickup.

If you are unhappy with the EMG pickup, the Seymour Duncan Quarter Pounder works well with a .05 ceramic disc cap to open up the mids and is economical. They have a slightly higher output but not because they are severely overwound. It is because of the oversized pole pieces. A few custom pickup shops like Lindy Fralin have begun offering oversized pole pieces on custom orders.

I like having the tone control actually do something, so that when I crank it wide open you can tell and you can get up front in the mix. I prefer brighter sounding pickups, which is why I favor single coil P-Basses for most things, and never have found an overwound pickup I liked as an all around player. With the instrument's tone control and amp EQ you can always dial out the mids and highs when you don't need them, but if they are not delivered by the pickup in the first place, then there is no way to elicit them from your rig when you do need them. Hope that makes sense.


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Post subject: Re: Hybrid Combo P/J Bass
Posted: Sun Feb 27, 2011 1:29 pm
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ALSO, check that it has 250K pots. I see some Asian basses with 500K pots and a P-Bass sounds better with 250k pots.


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Post subject: Re: Hybrid Combo P/J Bass
Posted: Mon Feb 28, 2011 10:18 am
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Thanks lots for pointing me in the right direction on this one! Yeah, 500k pots on it now, got another set as replacements because this one cuts in & out when amped, but will go w/ your suggestion on the 250's. Wasn't aware of the issues w/overwound pups(still learning!) but it does make sense for sure. Will ck. on that disc cap when getting new pots this wk. I really do appreciate the info, will save a lot of "backyard R&D" !!!


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Post subject: Re: Hybrid Combo P/J Bass
Posted: Mon Feb 28, 2011 2:17 pm
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As long as you are going to put in new pots and since it has been cutting out, I'd also suggest replacing the jack with a new Switchcraft. You'll be "in the neighborhood" and might as well do that at the same time. They do wear out and since you are pretty much overhauling the electronics, even if it isn't the source of the audio drop outs, it is preventative maintenance. The 0.05 ceramics were obsolete until Fender got an OEM source to reproduce them, but sometimes you can find one at a TV/RADIO repair shop.

You can for sure still find 0.047's which are so close to 0.05's that it doesn't make any difference. Actually the tolerance factor on ceramic caps is so large that they are virtually identical. If the shop has a digital capacitance meter I suggest you have them go through several before you find one that is closer to the stated value than the rest.

Here is sort of what they look like: http://www.shop.axegrinderz.com/New-Old-Stock-Ceramic-Tone-Capacitors-CerGen.htm

The 0.050 ones are tan in color. It should not be over a dollar at the radio/tv shop for the part but they might charge you for testing a few to give you one closer to the stated value. That is money well spent.

Also Fender's reproduction 0.05 is depicted here: http://www.guitarpartsresource.com/electrical_capsgenfen.htm

There is no valid reason to pay 250% more for the Fender cap if you can find a generic one labeled 0.05 or 0.047 which reads close to stated value. Usually these caps have a 20% tolerance factor, meaning that when tested they will read between .04 and .06 and still pass inspection.

No matter what type cap you use, ceramic, poly, mylar, wax or Vitamin-Q type paper in oil, it is best to get one as close to the stated value as possible. The differences in cap types can make a lot of difference in the tone and more so if you have a horn or tweeter in your speaker cab.

If you don't like the edgy sound of the ceramic you can replace it with a smoother sounding MYLAR or Paper In Oil. You could also put the original poly back in.


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Post subject: Re: Hybrid Combo P/J Bass
Posted: Mon Feb 28, 2011 7:24 pm
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Yep, got new jack when getting the 250k pots,definitely agree on the whole P/M concept. Got 0.047 ceramic caps @ local Shack,$1.99 a pair,after you suggested the 0.05's. Going to keep the EMG's for now,gotta find time to put it all together then try to get some pics up after road-testing it !!! Thanks and take care !!!


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Post subject: Re: Hybrid Combo P/J Bass
Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2011 11:57 pm
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Agreed with B.D.,bridges rarely have any issues,though my buddy whom I do bass work for was having a good'ol time setting his intonation,either the open true note was in perfect(as close as)but the fretted notes in many area's were flat or off a bit to go un-noticed,well come to find ot when I called apoun my bass repair teacher he said check bridge position,we did and it was not centered properly and not straight across,this combonation of miscues made getting good intonation impossible on BOTH the fretted and open notes(just a note picked anywhere,without a depressed string).
After the bridge was centered & leveled we re-checked it, and am happy to say it was as close to perfect as possible,thats my only bridge nitemare I have seen or heard of,I personally love the Badass line of bridges(tuners & bridges and other hardware parts)if I did'nt have the string thru type I would absolutely purchase a badass bridge) and have it installed before it even came "home",the first design badass was made to be sitting flush on the guitar,they are'nt always straight across so they suggested using a tool that levels the face of the body to be recessed in it,another reason for the body mod was the badass bridge was a higher profile if you mounted it flush it would never tune/intonate correctely.I would have one on even before I left the store,the B.A. 2 is a great bridge and its not that hard to file in string slots,a few Med-Lt passes at a time stops overduing it before its checked(hard to add filings back on).

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Post subject: Re: Hybrid Combo P/J Bass
Posted: Tue Apr 19, 2011 5:39 am
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Thanks for the reply on B/A bridges ! I lucked out and got a B/A II "takeoff" in VGC at local shop for $25.00, couldn't pass that up ! I will definitely heed your suggestion on bridge alignment when setting it up. Don't have it put together yet (outside projects first!) but current "innards" include: GFS Pro P pups (10.2k advertised), 250k quarter-size pots, .047 ceramic disc cap as per BrotherDave. If it doesn't get the Funk-tone, I can drop back to an 8.6k Dragonfire pup set, not as "hot" as the GFS set. Not sure what the pup ratings are on Fender O/E pups, and haven't had the EMG's that were O/E in this particular project checked yet. MAN, aren't I a mess this morning? !!! Thanks again for the support from everyone here !!! :P


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Post subject: Re: Hybrid Combo P/J Bass
Posted: Sun May 27, 2012 10:43 pm
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Years ago, in the eighties, I slapped a fender jazz bass neck on a precision body that had been in a fire which burned the neck beyond repair. Using a Jazz bass neck and nut with active EMG pickups shaler keys and a baddass bridge, we were in business. I went to the local guitar store when fender announced that they were having an official fender guitar tune-up clinic where a fender technician would set up your guitar for a nominal donation to the local food bank. Well I met a fellow named Sholtz who said he was the Fender shop forman and he agreed to set up my bass even though it was a guitar clinic. He wanted to see what I had built with all these official Fender and after market parts. He told me he was very impressed and that he would add this model to the next years line up and call it a Fender P/J Hybrid model or Fender Hybrid. Sure enough, there it was up there with all the rest of the Fender Basses and I was so proud. Too bad I'm nobody though, I believe it was taken out of the regular line up as it probably wasn't a big seller. If it was played by somebody famous and they could have marketed it as a signature model it may have made a go. It has a really sweet sound. It took me about 7 or 8 years of collecting parts to even build my "poor-boy" bass but I'm really really happy with the action and the sound of it. Its a really special bass and everyone around me loves it. I think that because it was only in the line-up for a very short time, if one were to come across a Hybrid bass it may be quite a collectable instrument. And its a really nice instrument, that big P bass plank with that smaller nimbler jazz bass action. Nice sustain. I hope you're enjoying your project as much as I did, That bass is like an old friend to me. Beege


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