The Hoppus Projects - My Build Thread

[goldenglory18]

Today starts the beginning of my next, and hopefully last two basses. This thread is to document and share the building and shaping of my Hoppus Customs.

Back story: I'm a 28 year old guy that grew up listening to one of the great (IMHO) rock bands of my generation, Blink-182. The style, tone, and overall being of Mark Hoppus can directly be held responsible for the beginning of my love for music and playing style. Even after I learned how to play and moved on to more developed and mature influences, Hoppus still remained my #1 artist. His tone was the basis for my tone foundation and ever since I have followed it closely.

When Fender built the Hoppus Sig prototype, I was instantly in love. Fender quality with Hoppus style. *Sea Foam Green Jazz body* with P pickup route, SD Quarter Pound pickup, string through bridge, rosewood boarded American standard neck. When Fender released the production model, I was inherently left so close to bass perfection. I love the body, the pickup selection and string through bridge. I never liked that one piece guard, nor the bass/guard color selection and my hands just like a smooth Jazz neck better. So I took his ideas and applied it to my needs. When I finally had the financial budget to go to Fender Custom Shop and place an order, the band split and funding disappeared. I was >< this close to bass perfection and it vanished.

*(Lettuce, the aptly named prototype is Sea Foam, unlike the production models. Mark also had a Lake Placid Blue and CAR one made shortly thereafter) *

Throughout my playing years I have always enjoyed toying with Fender instruments and building my own. I have put together a few basses and a couple strats. Not sure why, but I never considered building a Hoppus clone or a custom. BAM, why the heck not??????? So fast forward a few weeks ago...

I purchased two bodies off the forums here with the plan to FINALLY build my dream basses. Thanks to the generosity of PBnJBassist, this laid the foundation for my builds.




With a little past inspiration (details as it becomes relevant) and artistic freedom, this is the plan as it stands now...

Bass One (the pink body) Setup in DADG
Fender Hoppus Body - Candy Apple Red
Fender American Standard Jazz Neck - Maple/Maple
Warmoth pickguard - Solid Black
Seymour Duncan SPB-3 pickup w/volume and tone.
Fender hardware (control, neck plate and knob)
Fender open gear tuning pegs

Bass Two (the green body) setup in EbAbDbGb
Fender Hoppus Body - Arctic White
Fender American Standard Jazz Neck - Maple/Maple or Rosewood board (I'm undecided)
Warmoth pickguard - Solid Black or Brown Tort (again, undecided)
Seymour Duncan SPB-3 pickup w/volume and tone.
Fender hardware (control, neck plate and knob)
Hipshot d-tuner and Fender open style pegs

I would love to share this build with everyone. PBnJBassist wanted to see completed pics, but I figured this would be more fun. The fun starts tonight and will complete as funding allows. If anyone has input, ideas or suggestions, shoot them my way. All I ask is for you to be respectful of the process and my ideas. Again, these are my DREAM basses at work from concept to reality (and hopefully sound samples at completion.)

So, here we go!!!!!

[Figjam]

Well,Im stoked.

[RCCollins]

I still can't believe this is the closest thing Fender makes to a Jazz body P-bass. Dangit.

[goldenglory18]

Tonight started the tear down to bare bodies.

The bodies came to me loaded (thanks again PBnJ...) but unfortunately, only the electronics are going to be reused. First was the Green...




....then the Pink.....




I learned a few things after the bodies were nothing but paint. One, Fender is MESSY when they spray these. Finish is really thick in some areas and damn near bare in others. Bad show, guys. Second, I think these bodies might have been milled out of MIA blanks. The stamping is UNDER the first spraying of paint on both bodies.....???

Now that these are nekkid, I'll be getting with our TB friend "Syco_bass" over at Arizona Bass Company to get these girls colored up proper. As I described earlier, my plan is to get them refinished in Candy Apple Red and Arctic White. Nitro paints from ReRanch will be used and I couldn't be more pleased with my initial experiences with both ABC and ReRanch.

The CAR is a sentimental color for me. It's my wifes favorite color and the scheme is the same as a parts strat I built a few years back. She bought me the parts for a B-day gift one year and because of a monetary reason, I unfortunately had to sell it off shortly thereafter. I've never forgiven myself since. This is the one and only parts instrument that I have liked the final outcome so much that I took pics....Her name was Ginger and I hope the bass comes out even half as beautiful as this girl....





The misses worked so hard at researching exactly what I wanted and I'll never forget that. This one goes out to her.

Details on the Green soon-to-be White one tomorrow.

[goldenglory18]

So I'm still trying to decide on either Olympic White or Arctic White for the second body. I'm pretty certain I'm going Maple/Maple for the neck.

Here are the two descriptions from ReRanch's site.....

Arctic White

Arctic White is a "whiter" white than Olympic White and lacks the light bluish cast of Olympic White. It is the truest white of the Fender Colors. It is a relatively new color in the Fender color basket. Can be applied with or without a clear coat.

Olympic White

While very white the color has a slight blue component in the mix. It can be clear coated to give an aged yellow appearance although it is believed that Fender did not clear coat the color because of this very reason. A white primer coat will serve well to prevent any natural color in the wood from bleeding through. It is a great color for use with gold components such as seen on the SG Les Paul Custom.

To me, these colors look identical. I've never seen a "blue" hue in a Olympic finish. I have however seen Arctic fade to a yellow pretty quickly.

Arctic:




Olympic:




Either way, I'm pretty certain if I go Maple/Maple it's going to be a black guard. If Maple/Rosewood, I'll go with the tort.

Thoughts?

[Fresh Eddie]

Can't wait to see how they turn out!

Originally Posted by RCCollins

I still can't believe this is the closest thing Fender makes to a Jazz body P-bass. Dangit.

The Blacktop Jazz has two P-bass pickups in a Jazz body/neck... and I think the Reggie Hamilton is a Jazz P/J setup.

[A-Step-Towards]

I will be watching , I have had 3 hoppus basses and have always wanted to build one up with an American P neck and paint it Graffiti Yellow like his bass on teh AOL sessions.

[goldenglory18]

Originally Posted by Fresh Eddie

Can't wait to see how they turn out!

Awesome, stay tuned and hopefully it wont take TOO long...

Originally Posted by A-Step-Towards

I will be watching , I have had 3 hoppus basses and have always wanted to build one up with an American P neck and paint it Graffiti Yellow like his bass on teh AOL sessions.

It's amazing just how close these are to his actual CS orders. All I can see as different between the production and CS units is the CS units have a MIA standard based neck (pretty sure with the boat anchor tuners) with custom inlays and different color schemes. Now, the recent revision seems to be even closer, with the truss adjustment at the neck pocket and a stripeless neck (MIA blank?) with accurate headstock logo and pickup placement. Pretty cool if you ask me!

[goldenglory18]

I just spent the last hour researching and finding all the little odds and ends I need for this build. I now have a few questions for the masses...

Are the pot hole sizes different between the three and four hole jazz control plates?

Does anyone have a good lead on where to find the old style G&G cases? Ideally I'd like to not spend a fortune on these.

Lastly, I knew they were going to be expensive, but these MIA necks on ebay are CRAZY expensive. Ebay seller "thestratosphere" is the only guy I've found that has them consistently and he is just gouging the public with those prices. Is it really possible for brands like mighty mite and warmoth to have quality on par with the MIA Standard units? I'm gonna talk to Rob at ABC (AZ Bass Company) and see what he can do and if it will be less than these silly prices...

[spaz21387]

love it!

[F-Clef-Jef]

Originally Posted by goldenglory18

I just spent the last hour researching and finding all the little odds and ends I need for this build. I now have a few questions for the masses...

Are the pot hole sizes different between the three and four hole jazz control plates?

Does anyone have a good lead on where to find the old style G&G cases? Ideally I'd like to not spend a fortune on these.

Lastly, I knew they were going to be expensive, but these MIA necks on ebay are CRAZY expensive. Ebay seller "thestratosphere" is the only guy I've found that has them consistently and he is just gouging the public with those prices. Is it really possible for brands like mighty mite and warmoth to have quality on par with the MIA Standard units? I'm gonna talk to Rob at ABC (AZ Bass Company) and see what he can do and if it will be less than these silly prices...

Yes, the Warmoth necks are as good or better... no experience with Mighty Mite.
And one question... are you going to be reversing the pickups like the original Hoppus basses? (sorry if I missed that)

[Mossiebass]

Originally Posted by F-Clef-Jef

Yes, the Warmoth necks are as good or better... no experience with Mighty Mite.
And one question... are you going to be reversing the pickups like the original Hoppus basses? (sorry if I missed that)

Original Hoppus basses didn't have reversed pups

[goldenglory18]

Originally Posted by F-Clef-Jef

Yes, the Warmoth necks are as good or better... no experience with Mighty Mite.

Interesting. I know the Warmoth products are good, but it just feels weird getting a off-brand neck (or two...:sad in this situation. Although, the more I think about it, the more I come to realize that no matter how many genuine Fender pieces I use in this build, it's never going to be a FENDER bass. Not that there is anything wrong with that, it's just not what I would do if money wasn't an object.

Originally Posted by F-Clef-Jef

And one question...are you going to be reversing the pickups like the original Hoppus basses? (sorry if I missed that)

Hey, no problem. No, I will be leaving them in stock Precision orientation.

[hdracer]

Originally Posted by goldenglory18

Lastly, I knew they were going to be expensive, but these MIA necks on ebay are CRAZY expensive. Ebay seller "thestratosphere" is the only guy I've found that has them consistently and he is just gouging the public with those prices.

Gouging????
I have bought 2 neck from them. I find the prices great for what you are getting
I paid $395 for a new MIA Fender P5 neck with tuners and string trees and $380 for a Roadworn P neck with tuners and tree.

If that is gouging go and but a MM neck for $100 add tuners, level the frets, put a decent nut on it and end up with a pos neck is what I call wasting money.

Here is a new MIA neck and tuners for $440.00
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1998-America...item2ec34da486

Put it in your watch list and wait for a sale. They will have it on sale about every other weekend for 10-20% off. That puts it at $350-395

[Fresh Eddie]

Originally Posted by goldenglory18

Are the pot hole sizes different between the three and four hole jazz control plates?

I have a frankenhoppus with a three hole plate, and I am pretty sure the holes were the same size as on the pickguard, and on four hole plates.

[goldenglory18]

Originally Posted by hdracer

Gouging????
I have bought 2 neck from them. I find the prices great for what you are getting
I paid $395 for a new MIA Fender P5 neck with tuners and string trees and $380 for a Roadworn P neck with tuners and tree.

If that is gouging go and but a MM neck for $100 add tuners, level the frets, put a decent nut on it and end up with a pos neck is what I call wasting money.

Ok, the word Gouging was a bit overstated and apparently it struck a chord with you, let me rephrase...

If the licensed replacement neck companies can get their products REALLY close to MIA Standard quality with a little work from a professional, then I think the resale market prices on a takeoff MIA neck are too high for a comparable product.

In all honesty, it's a bit silly to think the only two options are a junky $100 MIM neck and a $400 MIA new stock takeoff, eh?

Talk about exaggerated statements....

[goldenglory18]

Originally Posted by hdracer

Here is a new MIA neck and tuners for $440.00

Thanks for the link, but I'm looking for two maple/maple units. That might be part of my pricing problem...

Originally Posted by Fresh Eddie

I have a frankenhoppus with a three hole plate, and I am pretty sure the holes were the same size as on the pickguard, and on four hole plates.

Beautiful! And great choice on the neck!

Thanks for the info on the plate. I'm still unsure if I'm going control plate vs Hoppus one piece, but it's nice to have the option if I want to go the original Jazz style route.

[goldenglory18]

Today I'm picking up some of the required parts for the build. It's about to get REAL...

Fender American Deluxe bass bridge assembly - P/N 005-8396-000. I was able to sell my hipshots for just enough to cover the cost of these units. It's not the new hi-mass version, but it's a lot better than the cheaper plain bent plate version I'm familiar with.

Three Warmoth custom jazz pickguards. Two black, one brown tort. I ordered these "custom" without a pickup route holes. One black is definitely going on the CAR body. The other black and tort I'll be able to see which color fits the build best in the end and after all is said and done, I'll be able to sell whichever extra I won't end up using.

I also need to get a few CTS pots for the added tone controls. Should I order 250, or 500k's? Anyone have experience with these on a SPB-3 set-up?

Next week the body refins start.....:giddy: