Fender Frankensteins

[Diddywah]

Nice bass and all, but I am super-intrigued by that pickguard! Please, what is it's story? (I love maps, especially ones with some serious artistic flair! )

OK I love sailing and have been a man of the sea all my life. I found a guy who makes leather pick guards and sent him my design with the compass rose (made in photoshop by me) and he crafted this beauty. The back is covered with a metal foil of some kind, and it fits perfect. I can give you his details if you like ; he´s on ETSY and his name is BODZI

 

[Killing Floor]

I have a P neck, fretless, all maple from '72. Body is original J with 3-bolt neck (1974 I think) so there is a visible hole behind the 4-bolt plate from the J neck that was removed. Cigarette burns on the pick guard. Schaller roller bridge. I bought this from a player who was a needle user who needed money and when he sold it to me I told him I was never going to sell it back. Electronics were trashed, original neck PU was damaged so I replaced with EMG in 1987. Still sounds amazing. The neck is still silky smooth and plays amazing. It weighs a ton, well, 12 lbs, but the tone is amazing. I recorded with this for years and sometimes played out but it's too heavy to do a lot of shows. Thinking of dropping some cash for a John East kit with some retro pickups just for fun. I know it's not worth much but I would never get rid of it because it plays great and has resonance for days. The black line on the neck near the body? That junkie painted some fret lines with model airplane paint and I couldn't get that one without pitting the fingerboard. I think I paid $150 plus the cost of the pickups.

 

[God's Favorite Bass]

I have a P neck, fretless, all maple from '72. Body is original J with 3-bolt neck (1974 I think) so there is a visible hole behind the 4-bolt plate from the J neck that was removed. Cigarette burns on the pick guard. Schaller roller bridge. I bought this from a player who was a needle user who needed money and when he sold it to me I told him I was never going to sell it back. Electronics were trashed, original neck PU was damaged so I replaced with EMG in 1987. Still sounds amazing. The neck is still silky smooth and plays amazing. It weighs a ton, well, 12 lbs, but the tone is amazing. I recorded with this for years and sometimes played out but it's too heavy to do a lot of shows. Thinking of dropping some cash for a John East kit with some retro pickups just for fun. I know it's not worth much but I would never get rid of it because it plays great and has resonance for days. The black line on the neck near the body? That junkie painted some fret lines with model airplane paint and I couldn't get that one without pitting the fingerboard. I think I paid $150 plus the cost of the pickups.
View attachment 3727968 View attachment 3727969

That is exquisite. Weight be darned, the cool factor is way more than 12 pounds.

 

[BAG]

Here's my Franken P and Franken Fretless..... both have thin Warmoth J necks, Bill Lawrence Wilde Pickups and Gotoh bridges. The fretless now wears black tapes.

 

[Killing Floor]

That is exquisite. Weight be darned, the cool factor is way more than 12 pounds.

Thanks, man. I love it, it is the go-to. So much mass it rings like a piano around the middle of the register.

 

[God's Favorite Bass]

Did these about a month ago. 50s RW neck, tuners, bridge, and anodized guard on a 3TSB 70s Classic body and pickups. The other is a FSR 70s Antigua Jazz neck on a StewMac Precision body, mint guard, vintage bridge, and Duncan QPs.

 

[Gianni "Orlandez" Orlati]

My contribution:

Am. Pro. P body with EMG passive control electronics (passive) and SD SPB-1 pickup with added distressed aluminium pickguard and thumbrest plus bridge ashtray cover.
Am. Std. J neck with last gen. Fender light-weight tuners and A-string string-retainer.
TI JF344 strings.

 

[vdub75]

Roadworn Body routed for pj, fender roasted p neck
Dimarzios

 

[FunkHead]

My Road Worn '58 Clone.

Link to Media build page;
'58 RoadWorn Clone

 

[Bass4ThePublic]

Here is my frankenbass. It is a fender 62 ri body with Antiquity II's and is currently strung up with LaBella 760FL's. It has a Musikraft neck that will be replaced by a dot and bound neck from Dan Ransom in 2-3 weeks. If the neck fits too loose in the body, I'll get an MJT body in closet classic sunburst.

 

[Thegrandwazoo]

1988 E-serial Japanese Jazz Bass Special neck, defretted with maple fretline inlays, Warmoth flame maple over alder Dinky J body, EMG GZR-P pickup/electronics, Hipshot A style bridge. Stay tuned, as it'll soon enough have a fretted P/J sister, probably white blonde on ash.

 

[Gianni "Orlandez" Orlati]

Did these about a month ago. 50s RW neck, tuners, bridge, and anodized guard on a 3TSB 70s Classic body and pickups. The other is a FSR 70s Antigua Jazz neck on a StewMac Precision body, mint guard, vintage bridge, and Duncan QPs.View attachment 3728039 View attachment 3728040

Neat & nice

 

[God's Favorite Bass]

Here's a couple of others I have. I just like doing mad scientist stuff.

This is a LPB CV 50's body with a MIM Cabronita neck and reverse tuners, Fender hi-mass, a Duncan SCPB3 and pearly bits. It's super fun.

This was a see thru white RW Dirnt body, with more MIM Cabronita parts (neck, tuners, bridge) and some DiMarzio pickups. Again, chunky necked fun time.

And this is a 60's Classic with CS pickups and a '10 US neck I acquired along the way.

 

[God's Favorite Bass]

Neat & nice

Thanks good sir.

 

[_Obra_]

I think my last creation belongs mostly here

-Original Fender 78' maple neck/relic with new frets and nut width reduced to 39mm
-Fender 70' new/relic bass Machine Heads + Hipshot BT3 Xtender
-Custom two piece Alder body (according to my 1968 original specs) with custom paint and relic job
-Fender CS'62 pickup with white relic cover
-Allparts Vintage P-Style Bass Wiring Kit (CTS, Switchcraft and Orange Drop .047mfd capacitor)
-Fender Vintage USA bridge/relic
-La Bella Flats

 

[Rod Barchetta]

Meet Leo. A 1970 Fender Jazz that got it's neck broken by a truck. Resurrected in 1983

with a G&L L-1000 crazy maple neck, EMG active pick-ups, with a P pup in the rear, and a Kahler wah-wah bridge. The neck got cut away due to damage sustained and then repainted the original Lake Placid Blue. I new custom pickguard and Bartolini HR3.3 918 preamp will soon be added. But here's Leo in current form. Definitely a true FrankenFender.

 

[mapleglo]

Started as an MIM 4 string, added a Roger Waters Neck and added a tuner and a cheap bridge.

Made the body from ash with a couple of walnut stringers, side mounted volume control and output jack, Lace Alumitone pickup, and a Squire neck.

 

[bassclef112]

Made the body from ash with a couple of walnut stringers, side mounted volume control and output jack, Lace Alumitone pickup, and a Squire neck.

How do like the Alumitone pickup? I have a couple that I traded for but have yet to install. Can you describe it a bit?

 

[CallMeAl]

Squier P body. MIM J neck. Duncan SPB1. Chromes.

 

[mapleglo]

How do like the Alumitone pickup? I have a couple that I traded for but have yet to install. Can you describe it a bit?

It's my favorite pickup. It's very hot, clean, and accurate. I feel it adds nothing in the way of color to the tone of the bass, just what goes into it. Some people might say it's "hifi", but I find it is very full range and pure. I have one on this bass too: