Heres a thread resurrection.
I got a (right handed) Bass Collection SB301 in pieces in a box from a drummer about 16 years ago. It took about 5 years to do anything with it. The Body ws sanded back to bare wood. the electronics were rattling around the box loose, the neck still had tuners and paint on it.
Im a lefty, so what I did was kinda drastic to most of you. I made a paper trace outline of the body, then I flipped it face down and re-traced it, as if it were a lefty. I transferred the outline of the cutaway to the horn, and the horn over the cutaway. I use that to make a template on the bass, if I cut the horn off in the shape of the cutaway (best I could) and re attach it to the other side of the bass. I stuck the horn on the cutaway. I drilled a installed 2 two 3" screws through them. did alot of sanding and shaping. Made filler from sawdust and glue, and infilled the sugery. Sanded, primed painted. I tood a router and freehanded a new control cavity on the opposite side on the back. I always meant to make a cover for the new cavity, but 16 years later still havent gotten around to doing.
The electronics were loose in the box, and I played with it for a few days and came up with a 3 knob system, with 2 "extra" wires that I just tied together.
So its active/passive, with the tone knob being push/pull, then a VOL for each PUP. 3 knobs.... maybe someday Ill figure what those other leads did. I use the original control cavity for a battery holder. I had another bridge lying around so I used that one. My Jazz needed a pickup while this was going on, so I put the SGC J PUP in the jazz, and slammed a Samick J from parts bin in the SB301.
Interestingly, its fretless. Ive always suspected the person who disassembled it and sanded it had pulled the frets themselves, but never had corroboration. Looking at the info here, it wouldnt have been a 301 if it were factory fretless.
Its been in a case for 10 or more years. Pulled it out today, still in tune, and battery still works (its weak). How the battery isnt flat and corroded is beyond me.
I put Fender nylon Tapewound strings on it all those years ago, and theyre nice on it.. Overall, I dont like its passive sound as much as I LOVE its active sound, especially with the Tapewounds. real present mmmmwwahhh
I was just starting to learn how to slap when I "built" it, so I never gave it any real consideration, and tucked it away. Let me tell you, now that Im a bit older, and have gone through loads of gear and instruments, I am sooo happy I still have it. Looking foreword years to come with it.
Ive attached a few photos of it in its case. Ill have to take one with it hanging from my neck to see how different, or not, it looks.
