Modding a P into a P-Tractor

[RaniBrandt]

I have a no-name P-Bass that I got from a pawn shop for $47 a couple of years ago. It's a great bass as it is, but I've always had a notion to tinker with it in some way. I picked up a bunch of J and P pickups last year for future projects, so I thought of just adding a J at the bridge, but then I got this:

So, with Dark Star in hand, I decided to go from this:

To this:

What?! It's a P-bass version of Berry Oakley's Tractor Bass!

And besides the obvious difference between mine and his, I'd also like it to be mono, so I got some help from TBers Stealth and Cadfael to work out the wiring plan:

And here's where we're at right now:

The tort pickguard from Warmoth will have to go back, unfortunately. It was a little too narrow at the end of the control cavity, so I'll have to order a blank and cut it myself. I was hoping to avoid that, but I don't seem to have any other option.

More to come later!

 

[RaniBrandt]

Got the DS routed out pretty good, and I just need to get a little more around the edges of the Js. Getting psyched!

 

[T-34]

Good stuff, subscribed

 

[Splods]

Looking cool man, I'm not the biggest fan of the headstock though.

Good luck.

 

[RaniBrandt]

Looking cool man, I'm not the biggest fan of the headstock though.

Good luck.

Yeah, I wasn't either at first, but it's grown on me.

 

[Hopkins]

I think I would have cut the mounting ears off of one side of each pickup cover and glued them together making a bucker, and just cut one cavity.

 

[RaniBrandt]

I think I would have cut the mounting ears off of one side of each pickup cover and glued them together making a bucker, and just cut one cavity.

There's a reason why I didn't.

See: http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f8/berry-oakleys-tractor-440045/

 

[Hopkins]

There's a reason why I didn't.

See: http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f8/berry-oakleys-tractor-440045/

Ahh I see

 

[RaniBrandt]

Got the Js routed, mostly:

They're a little shallow, but I'm almost there!

 

[Splods]

Looking cool!

 

[RaniBrandt]

I got the pickguard blank from Warmoth on Friday:

Traced out my not-exactly-Fender-shaped pickguard on the back of the blank:

And rough-cut it with the Dremel:

I also lowered the cavities for the Js, as you can see in the last picture.

 

[T-34]

This thing will be thunderous

 

[RaniBrandt]

This thing will be thunderous

That's the plan!

 

[T-34]

I am preparing somewhat similar project right now, involving Precision bass and huge humbucker replacing the P pickup

 

[RaniBrandt]

And I'm mulling this over for the headstock, now that Splods has gotten in my head:

 

[Splods]

*Insert evil laugh.

 

[RaniBrandt]

Well, here you go, Splods:

I also got the pickguard shaped a little closer:

It's starting to get Tractor-y in here!

 

[ctmullins]

Nice work!

 

[Stranger Danger]

That looks great! You'll have to post some clips once you get her all together. Very nice!

 

[Splods]

I have claimed my first victim.

Looking cool, that monster is going to have some serious output.