Custom bass possible?

[crazybassist601]

Ok, I got this idea thats not fully worked out. I figure it would take me a few years to pull off, but I need a price guestamate, but before the guestamate, I would like to know if it is even possible.

I would have a MM sterling neck with maple fretboard. I would have a most likely custom body (because I dont think my idea will fit in a regular body).

I would have a music man sterling pickup (with phantom coil). It would be in its normal position.

I would have a Seymour duncan quarter pounder pickup (and I dont know if this is possible) a matching jazz pickup smack dab inbetween the 2 split P's.

I would also have a peizo bridge.

(you guys keeping up? if so how well is your picture drawn by now )

i would have seperate volumes for each the Musicman pup, the p bass pups, and the jazz pups, with the p and jazz having the s-1 switching. I would then have a main volume.

Underneath I would haev an active/passive switch. Active runs it through the music man preamp and passive sends the signal through the tone (meaning I would also have a tone nob)

I would have a peizo blend nob (all the way down is all magnetic, all the way up is all peizo, in between is a blend).

I would have the 3 way selector switch for the MM pickup as in a sterling and MM stingray 5.

then Musicman sterling preamp of corse, as I stated before.

Would it be possible to wire that? Would it fit in a body of a bass? Not really worried about weight as long as it dont break my back. Im young enough to stand up with a bass slung around me for an hour or 2 no problem.

Hit up ideas or help wiring or other ideas for it. I will talk to a Luthier tomorrow who will help me if it is humanly possible.

Hit it up.....

 

[Geoff St. Germaine]

It can be done, but I think that the controls would be too complicated to be practically useful. There's 8 knobs and 3 switches. It'll fit in a body, so long as the cavity is large enough.

 

[SundanceChile]

wow, thats up there with the bootsy space bass. you know, instead of popping in all those pickups, you could probably get more/less the same tone wise with a G&L L-2000. 2 humbuckers, 3 way selection, series/parallel(basically the s-1), active/passive. 3 knobs, 3 switches, pretty much the same you're asking for, at what will most likely be a MUCH cheaper price. and they have a neck thats ALMOST the same as a sterlings, 1 in. difference. not too shabby for ~1200 bucks.

 

[bongomania]

Well hell, if you're going to put all of those pickups in the body you might as well add one at the headstock like a Sustainiac .

 

[tplyons]

Wow. All I hav to say is wow.

Jaco only needed two pickups

 

[Funky Doctor]

Jamerson only needed one

 

[tplyons]

Jamerson only needed one

Touche

 

[bassteban]

Well, many of those double-bass playin' loonies don't need ANY pickups.

 

[JimmyM]

Yes they do.

 

[Jonki]

Wow. All I hav to say is wow.

Jaco only needed two pickups

and three knobs

 

[.matthew e wengerd.]

Yes they do.

He said many, not all.

I know a couple that don't around here. It's a dying art form....

 

[crazybassist601]

I think you guys are missing the whole thing here. This could PERFECTLY replicate a p, a j, and a MM.

 

[SundanceChile]

I think you guys are missing the whole thing here. This could PERFECTLY replicate a p, a j, and a MM.

A G&L could do pretty much the same thing. As well as a variax bass. Not to mention all the other stuff Line 6 comes out. Besides. if you were to go and do this, perhaps a few years down the line you'll realize you didn't need that much and it may just turn out to be another waste of money.

Edit: Also, NOTHING and i mean NOTHING will ever "perfectly" replicate a p, a j, or a MM except for the real thing.

 

[MultiScaleMale]

Don't forget to add MIDI.

Before I dropped the huge bucks on that bass, I'd try out a Line 6 Variax. It may give you what you want for a lot less.

 

[Geoff St. Germaine]

I think you guys are missing the whole thing here. This could PERFECTLY replicate a p, a j, and a MM.

I disagree that it could do that. The pickup locations will not be exactly the same from what you've described. Wouldn't this be more like some hybrid?

 

[elros]

No offense, but would it not be easier to get a Line6 Variax Bass? That would give you all that you mentioned, except a true passive mode.....

 

[Luis Fabara]

I disagree that it could do that. The pickup locations will not be exactly the same from what you've described.

+1

Its the pickup location what creates the tone.

On the other hand, you would have a lot of magnetic pull due to the ammount of pickups wich will influence the tone.

And I also say... nothing sounds like the real thing.
You can "aproach" the sound. But its never the same.

 

[Marcus Willett]

crazybassist601,

Honestly, as someone who has been there and spent WAY too many thousands of dollars experimenting with ideas like this, take my advice:

Get a V-Bass setup. Really.

You'll get more good useable tones from that than the scenario you're talking about. Those multi-pickup idea never seem to work as good as you think they're going to. There's a reason why they're not really made, and certainly not in any significant quantity.

Just my .02

 

[Marcus]

In response to the topic title... I hope not.

 

[Dave]

Yes, check out the V-Bass setup and Variax bass. Not only will the pickup positions be different, the construction will not be exactly like a J, P, or SR. Like others have said, you may get close, but IMO, it would be extremely impracticle. Another suggestion, now keep in mind I haven't played one amplified, but others own them, would be a Bongo with the Piezo bridge. Dont like the looks? Play one first. You can't knock something till you've tried it.