'51 Style Simple JP Bass

[dawhatthevid]

so my next project will be a 'modern' and simple 5-string version of the classic 51 p bass design with simple hardware and not too much knobs and stuff to concentrate on my playing style rather than tweaking my sound all the time. so i decided to keep it simple and classic...

i love that one-button-look:

...there are various attempts to recreate that classic 50s tele/p look:

...but i want to stick close to the fender origins in terms of shape and hardware, so here we go:


- a mixed-shape body somewhere between jazz and precision bass, slightly slimmer than the originals
- 51 p-bass style hardware and pickguard
- one single jazz bass single coil in the position of the lower part of a p-splitcoil.
- only one volume pot plus 3-way tone switch, input jack up on the plate instead of the tone pot
- ash body from a swamp near my hometown
- maple/rosewood neck from a Harley Benton PJ-5 Bass, 5-String, 20 frets, 45mm nut, 18mm string spacing
- matching headstock shape, also somewhere in between 51p and jb
- finish will be oil, dont know which one but i want to retain the pale look of the ash and dont want it to look like honey...maybe i'll also try a slight vinegar-steel-acid stain

first step: body shape. this took me some time, hard to decide on the details, but here it is:

and here next to the original p-bass outline:

it hard to explain the reasons, all in all it's mostly based on balance, ergonomics fitting my style of playing and the classic/timeless look. i did not want it to have that 50s kidney-like offset design of the jazz bass, and also wanted to avoid the chunky 51p oldschool look.

next step: wood selection and rough cut

 

[Will_White]

so my next project will be a 'modern' and simple 5-string version of the classic 51 p bass design with simple hardware and not too much knobs and stuff to concentrate on my playing style rather than tweaking my sound all the time. so i decided to keep it simple and classic...

i love that one-button-look:

...there are various attempts to recreate that classic 50s tele/p look:

...but i want to stick close to the fender origins in terms of shape and hardware, so here we go:


- a mixed-shape body somewhere between jazz and precision bass, slightly slimmer than the originals
- 51 p-bass style hardware and pickguard
- one single jazz bass single coil in the position of the lower part of a p-splitcoil.
- only one volume pot plus 3-way tone switch, input jack up on the plate instead of the tone pot
- ash body from a swamp near my hometown
- maple/rosewood neck from a Harley Benton PJ-5 Bass, 5-String, 20 frets, 45mm nut, 18mm string spacing
- matching headstock shape, also somewhere in between 51p and jb
- finish will be oil, dont know which one but i want to retain the pale look of the ash and dont want it to look like honey...maybe i'll also try a slight vinegar-steel-acid stain

first step: body shape. this took me some time, hard to decide on the details, but here it is:
View attachment 954101

and here next to the original p-bass outline:
View attachment 954102

it hard to explain the reasons, all in all it's mostly based on balance, ergonomics fitting my style of playing and the classic/timeless look. i did not want it to have that 50s kidney-like offset design of the jazz bass, and also wanted to avoid the chunky 51p oldschool look.

next step: wood selection and rough cut

I like that design looks very comfortable, and I like the use of a J style pickup for a 5 string 51p style rather then a split P, but what's your reasoning behind using J pickup in the split P position rather then the 51p position?

 

[dawhatthevid]

I like that design looks very comfortable, and I like the use of a J style pickup for a 5 string 51p style rather then a split P, but what's your reasoning behind using J pickup in the split P position rather then the 51p position?

well i already own a short scale EB bass with its pickup in the 'boomy' position up the neck. did not want another old school sounding bass and by imitating the original position all i can do is loose when it comes to comparison in sound. the position i chose is about my sweetspot when i play a jazz bass, like 20% bridge and 80% neck pickup. in short: my favourite fixed custom jazz bass setting without the two-pickup phasing issues

 

[Will_White]

well i already own a short scale EB bass with its pickup in the 'boomy' position up the neck. did not want another old school sounding bass and by imitating the original position all i can do is loose when it comes to comparison in sound. the position i chose is about my sweetspot when i play a jazz bass, like 20% bridge and 80% neck pickup. in short: my favourite fixed custom jazz bass setting without the two-pickup phasing issues

I can understand that, I personally like a pickup closer the neck, one of my favorite basses has a split P a little north of the 51p location and also a split P at the bridge J location.

 

[dawhatthevid]

news...i started the build some time ago, here are the first pictures:


thickness is only about 1 1/3" so it will not be too heavy and bulky.



i decided on a belly cut with transistion from round to a more "classic" edge.
maybe i will round it all in the end,...but for now i like the looks of this little edge



classic fender style arm cut on the front.


the headstock of the harley benton pj-5 htr had just the right size to shape it the way a wanted..


i decided to sand the whole neck, shape the backside of the fingerboard a little to my taste and apply oil finish in the end

next will up be the pickup cavity...

 

[JLW]

I see you carved the headstock a bit. How do you intend to match the finish to the neck on the parts that you sanded back? Or are you going to sand the finish all the way back and refinish with a material of your choice?

 

[dawhatthevid]

I see you carved the headstock a bit. How do you intend to match the finish to the neck on the parts that you sanded back? Or are you going to sand the finish all the way back and refinish with a material of your choice?

i sanded the whole neck and head and i finished it with "Osmo Hartwachsöl", which is close to a linseed oil finish.



so now the pickup route and shielding is done. i managed to drill a long hole for the wiring without destroying the front. but i plan to build a pickguard anyway...so unfortunately nobody will ever see my tunnelwork of art



the headstock is also finished. i did not use a decal but i tried a method called "toner transfer print", it worked out great. altough the blacks are not that deep and the lines are not super accurate, it's very durable and an easy way for custom decals. together with the oil finish i can also easily change it. sand it off, put on a new one and oil it again. i'm not very sure with the naming of my bass, so this is a good option if i ever find a better name

next up: drilling the holes for the two tone switches. and experiment with wiring. i have two dpdt switches. i will do some tests if a passive bass cut sounds good in this configuration. if not, i will use both for different combinations of caps and resistors for various passive high/mid cuts...

 

[dawhatthevid]

final update: i installed and wired the switches. they are three-way-switches...
switch one is tone control for treble: 100% / 30% / 0%
switch two switches the tone capacitors: 5nf (cuts off clanky highs only) / 22nf / 100nf

the pickguard was hard work with my coping saw and sand paper...


but now the bass is finally done, it came out just like i wanted it to be.
classic looks but a more modern, slender shape and great tone...first rehearsal test passed!

sound is nice, beefier than a jazz bass with neck pickup only, but more open and less massive than a split p.
the highs are way more pronounced, than with a tone pot wired in. even with the flatwound chromes there's plenty of highs in the mix. that's where the 5nf setting of the switch is useful, so i can dial in some resistance for compensation.
the fender noiseless pickup does just what it's named after, no hum at all.


here are some more final pictures, hope you like it:



cheers!

 

[D-Smith]

Nice job!

 

[Jisch]

very clean looking, nicely done.

 

[cdlynch]

I love how you research and implement your custom features. You remind me of me, except that you have real talent.

And that sweet, delicious grain put to wonderfully creative use. Outstanding work!

 

[Beej]

Really nice, but deserves a better name, as it's much better than a fender...