All-
I did a project earlier this year where I bought all very high quality parts and put a bass together. The result was a REALLY nice player that was also very unique. I documented the whole build process right here on TB in this thread (more pictures there too) --> Click Me! (the bridge has been moved down towards the lower part of the body about 1/2" since these shots were taken).
To sum it up, this bass has the following:
Vaccaro new (not used) Bass Body - made in USA originally for the famed, $2400 Hartke XL-4 bass with pickguard
AXS Neck (made in Japan, VERY nice) with tuners. The frett job on this neck is excellent. It's really a great neck and it's perfectly straight and fast. Same quality as the Fender Japanese necks.
Pickups - DiMarzio P/J Pup kit
Various other parts:
Pot kit with CTS pots and input jack (by far the best pots I've used)
9v battery box (not running active now, but hole was already in body so I needed to fill it with something)
Neck mounting screws and washers
NIce strap buttons
Pickup mounting screws (pups came w black and I wanted chrome)
Pickguard mounting screws
Circuit wire
Switchcraft long reach 1/4" input jack
Very nice heavy duty no-name brass (chrome plated) bridge
Chrome, machined knobs (nice and heavy)
The DiMarzio pups sound AWESOME. Very high output for a passive. The P pup has a crazy P growl and the J, well is one of the best J pups I've ever heard (as confirmed by Smash's J pickup shootout in the pickups forum and from many other reviews on DiMarzio J pups). I've only used this bass for at home and practice (never gigged). Since being built, it does have one or two VERY minor scratches on the lower part of the body near the strap button and I also moved the bridge down just a hair for proper intonation adjustments. While no bridge drill holes show, you can see just a wee small hint of the edge of the ground wire hole which I filled in with wood putty and painted to match the body. It's really hardly noticible, but I feel that I should disclose everything 100%.
The bass setup professionally by a local luthier. At first, he did not believe that I did this project myself, commenting on how nice the bass looked, played and sounded. Believe me, this bass blows away just about anything you would get elsewhere for this kind of cash. Again, the body was originally for a $2400 bass (MSRP of course). All of other other parts are top notch also right down to the pots and wire (you can't say this about other $350 basses)!
I need to sell this because of my other recent purchases and the wife is about to KILL me! I'll sell it for what I have into it (not counting the 40+ hours I had into customizing everything and putting it together). $350 + $25 shipping in the lower 48 states. Check my feedback, I've done lots of successful transactions here on TB.
Thanks all!
