'80s MIJ "Boxer" Inspired Projekt…

[eastcoasteddie]

That's almost exactly the one I was looking at. My only concern is can the switch be adapted to fit a standard size control hole. With that in mind, I'd probably just go for the simple V/V/Mid/Treb-Bass setup.

Should be a 1/4" hole for the switch. I believe the Les Paul style switch in the original Boxer uses either a 3/8" or 1/2" hole.
In order to build up the 1/4" switch to a standard 3/8" console hole, you can try to build up the outer diameter of the threaded shaft in a similar fashion to what I did with a pair of metric pots with small shafts to fit a Jazz control plate.

I cut some really thin slivers of copper tubing and then cut the ring to fit over the shafts. I'm pretty sure the inner ring was 1/4" and the outer ring was 3/8" tubing. (1/4" and 3/8" being Refrigeration copper sizes, measuring OD. In more common Plumbing sizes, ID is measured). I believe the pot threaded shaft is 1/4", looks to be the same size as the 1/4" solid shaft for the knob.

I take it you are planning a rear-route body? I'd just drill the 1/4" hole.

 

[Malak the Mad]

I take it you are planning a rear-route body? I'd just drill the 1/4" hole.

I was considering that for a moment. It would allow me to get the size I want and I could place it around the same spot the Boxer's switch resides. Later, though, I decided against that. In this case, I'd rather leave all that kind of work to the professionals. Besides, I know how fickle I am and that I might eventually decide to sell the body, so I'd rather not spoil it with my ham-fisted DIY work. Better for it to remain in as close to stock condition as possible. That, and I'd like to be able to start loading it up once I take it out of the box.

I cut some really thin slivers of copper tubing and then cut the ring to fit over the shafts. I'm pretty sure the inner ring was 1/4" and the outer ring was 3/8" tubing. (1/4" and 3/8" being Refrigeration copper sizes, measuring OD. In more common Plumbing sizes, ID is measured). I believe the pot threaded shaft is 1/4", looks to be the same size as the 1/4" solid shaft for the knob.

This gives me an idea, one which plays off a trick I use when installing Hipshot Ultralites. The Ultralites invariably have a little gap between the peg and headstock holes, so I wrap layers of specialized "artist's tape" around the peg to ensure a snug fit. In this case, I could wrap a narrow strip of adhesive copper slug tape around the base of the threads. That would be eat up the excess space nicely. Thanks for the inspiration, Eddie! (This is one of the many reasons I love TalkBass…inspiration abound! )

 

[Malak the Mad]

I think I might be overthinking the whole "pickup" sitch. I have a set of hum-cancelling Bartolini B-Axis pickups in another Projekt bass that I can transplant into this. They sound great, in a very growly, modern way…very much in the ballpark of Fender Custom Shop '60s pups. But until the body is cut, finished, delivered and has a neck mounted, nothing is set in stone, so please keep the suggestions coming…especially if there's a demo for comparisons sake.

 

[eastcoasteddie]

Since you mention the CS 60's, here is a comparison I found between CS and Apollo's



Maybe I'm tone deaf, but I can barely hear a difference...

I'm actually pretty curious about the B-Axis pickups. I can only find like one video with crappy audio...

 

[Malak the Mad]

Maybe I'm tone deaf, but I can barely hear a difference...

I watched that demo the other day and the difference is miniscule. If I had to put it into words, I'd say the Duncans are a bit more "up front and present", but only by a little bit.

What I really notice through my headphones* is a faint, high-ish buzz in the background when he's rockin' the Apollo pups. To be fair, I don't know if it's a higher degree of EM noise while he was recording those particular lines or if it's indicative of a higher pickup output. Whatever it is, it's definitely more prominent on the Duncan side of the demo.

(*: Sennheiser HD 4.50 running wired, not wireless, directly to my MacBook Pro's headphone jack with Noise Cancellation 'ON'. For the record, they're possibly the best headphones I've ever owned. Better still, they're incredibly versatile and do not cost a fortune! )

I'm actually pretty curious about the B-Axis pickups. I can only find like one video with crappy audio...

This demo is pretty decent. It's been a while, but it may have been the one that convinced me to get a set.

 

[eastcoasteddie]

What I really notice through my headphones* is a faint, high-ish buzz in the background when he's rockin' the Apollo pups. To be fair, I don't know if it's a higher degree of EM noise while he was recording those particular lines or if it's indicative of a higher pickup output. Whatever it is, it's definitely more prominent on the Duncan side of the demo.

I will have to take a listen through headphones again. All I can say is that when I first plugged in with my Apollo's (even with the fact that the 5's have uneven-sized coils) it was really freaky how quiet they are...being that I was so used to single coil hum in that bass.
I've been using a Vox headphone amp 99% of the time these days, and there is more hiss and noise coming out of the amp circuitry than the pickups for sure.

 

[Malak the Mad]

I've been using a Vox headphone amp 99% of the time these days, and there is more hiss and noise coming out of the amp circuitry than the pickups for sure.

I have one of those. They are quite convenient for traveling and such, but, in my opinion, they're far from the best.

Given my particular home situation, I'm all about headphone amps. The first I ever owned was a Pocket Rockit S1b. They're a bit chunky, but I get much cleaner sound out of them.

The best I've found so far is the Boss TU-88. It's a combination monitor (complete with a 1/8" jack to mix in outside audio), tuner (guitar, bass and chromatic) and metronome. So, when I go traveling, it covers a lot of basses. Sadly/insanely, Boss has long since discontinued them, so finding one at a reasonable price is an iffy prospect at best. But, given all the features it packs, one might consider it worth the extra coin.

 

[Malak the Mad]

Some intriguing possibilities have caught my attention;

1. Fender CIJ Jaguar single-coil pickups (used…very good price)
2. Fender Custom Shop '60s (open box…also a great price)
3. Fender American Vintage '74s (new)
4. Fender American Vintage '75s (new)

The '75s are catching my interest, both from the sound demos I've found and they're going for less than $100. Plus, it looks like they have the raised A and D-string pole pieces, so there's that. I tried a set of Fender Pure Vintage '74s a ways back and I found them to be a bit too soft and understated for my taste.

Any thoughts or perspectives?

 

[Malak the Mad]

That open box set of Custom Shop '60s was too good to resist…like, $70 below street price kinds of "good"…so I pulled the trigger on them. After all, they make my '70s-style Jazz (alder body, all-maple neck, '70s-era pickup placement) sound great, so why should't they do the same with this upcoming Projekt? Better still, with this one's specs (alder body, maple & rosewood neck, '60s-era pickup placement) it should sound just different enough for it to stand out on it's own and not simply be a sonic carbon copy of the other.

All that being said, I'd still love to hear other people's observations and keep the conversation going.

 

[Malak the Mad]

D'oh! I can't believe I forgot to update my own thread when I place the order with Warmoth!! What reminded me to blow the dust of the thread was the shipping confirmation from UPS, which was a fantastic present for the Powers-That-Be to give me on the day of my fiftieth birthday! Wahoo!!

Actual scene from earlier today…

Back in the end of May, I reached out to Warmoth to see if they could omit the truss-rod adjustment trench at the neck pocket. I was expecting a somewhat outrageous price for that wee lil' mod, but in only turned out to bump the price $15, so what was a relief. Here's the specs I ultimately decided to get…

• Model: J Bass®
• Orientation: Right handed
• Scale: 34"
• Wood: Alder
• Rout: Rear Rout
• Pickup Rout: J Bass® (Neck, 3 5/8"), J Bass® (Bridge, 3 3/4")
• Controls: V-V-T-I (JBass)
• Bridge: Gotoh 201
• Jack Rout: 3/4" (19mm) Side Jack Hole
• Neck Pocket: Standard Bass Pocket
• Mounting Holes: Standard 4 Bolt
• Contours: Tummy Cut / Forearm Contour
• F-Holes: None
• Battery Box: No Battery Box Rout
• Top Finish: White Pearl
• Back Finish: White Pearl
• Finish Type: Gloss Finish

I debated a while if I was going to have a battery box installed or not. I decided to go with "NOT". Mainly, I didn't want to paint myself into a corner when it comes to how many batteries I'll need for the preamp. A single-battery box mounted on the back wouldn't make the back look as "cluttered" as a double-box, but if I ever decided to upgrade to a preamp that requires 18v, I'd be kinda stuck or have to kit-bash some kind of solution. Better to go with "NOT" than futz around with all that potential nonsense.

And yes, I know the rear-route cover will be black, but that's fine. It's full of curves, so that doesn't bother me as much as a big, black, chunky box placed right next to it against a white finish.

What I plan on doing is to construct a cage of sorts out of some lightweight closed-cell foam I have lying around. Once I install everything, I'll take some measurements, cut some pieces to size, then glue them together to form individual "cells" for the preamp and batteries. Everything should fit safe and snugly with practically no additional weight.

I'll post some pics of the body's unboxing when it arrives next week.

Ciao for now!