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Fender Frankensteins

#42
My second parts-bass project…: Projekt Blue II! (updated!)

Here's a list of the parts I've assembled and what I've subjected some of them to;
  • Mighty Mite BlueBurst Jazz body. I had it routed into a P/J configuration using as a guide a……
  • Fender Blacktop Jazz pickguard (+black screws). Originally, it was black/white/black. That blue/purple scarab effect along the edge comes from a trick I developed using a simple Sharpie permanent marker, same as I did to my Blacktop Jazz bass.
  • Black Allparts Control Plate (+Fender Jazz Knobs).
  • Squier Vintage Modified Jaguar neck (love the painted headstock+rosewood+blocks!) and Fender "F-Style" neck plate.
  • MIJ Precision pickup.
  • Fender Super 55's Split-Coil Jazz pickup.
  • Santellan Sounds wiring harness (solder-less connections, variable capacitance, series/parallel switchable)
  • Black Hipshot aluminum bridge, Ultralite tuners and Drop-D tuner.
  • Ernie Ball Cobalt Strings (45 to 100).
  • Black Planet Waves Elliptical End Pin strap buttons.
  • Black vintage style string retainer.

Once I had all the parts, I assembled what I could on my own. Then I handed it off to the tech at my local Guitar Center who did the routing, wiring and installed the last of the pieces I didn't trust myself to get right. As always, he did a great job!

Speaking of electronics, I love P/J configurations, but what makes this stand apart from the others I own is the wiring. I decided I wanted to try out a Volume/Blend/Tone(styler) config. (changed…see wiring harness above) So far, it, along with my choice of pickups and strings, have yielded some interesting results. But in the long run, I got what I wanted; a sound that's "beefy" with the extra "bite" from the extra bridge pickup. As an extra, unforeseen bonus, the whole package weighs in at exactly eight pounds.

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#45
bass_case said:
I'm afraid your bass may be too pretty to be called Frankenstein, though. Maybe you can drive a spike through the neck.
Click to expand...

Hmm…I think I'd like to test that first. I'm certain you've got a suitable "volunteer" to try it out on, yes? :D

Andii Syckz said:
One hell of a bass. Loos great. Only thing i would've done different (if it was mine) is use black come knobs. But to each their own and it does look absolutely gorgeous.
Click to expand...

I thought about the dome knobs, but construction-wise I prefer the shape of the Jazz knobs. That and, much like how the fretboard blocks "pop out" of the ocean of darker colors, I like how the indicators stand out, kinda like spotting a distant lighthouse when out to sea.

But enough of the magniloquent maritime metaphors (not to mention audacious alliterations), thank you all so much for the positive feedback.

Now that I know this "concept" works, someday I may do a similar, but less expensive, job on a CV Jazz. Specifically, get a CV Precision pickup and another Blacktop Jazz pickguard to create the closest thing to a true Classic Vibe P/J.
 
#49
Ok, So I have two. they are two of my favorites and baring something really crazy, will not move

First up is my Black MIM Fenderbody, Warmoth birdseye neck with pearloid inlays and block. The neck is super sweet. D'Marzio Ultra Js, BAII bridge. American made pots, Schaller tuning pegs, strung with TL Flats...SWEET playing baby.

Next is my Fender..not really, Warmoth Body and Neck the Neck is maple in black block and inlays. Natural body with with black pickguard, Bartolini PJ pickups with Bartolini NTMB Pre-passive active switch Gotoh bridge, Scaller tunning pegs, you get the idea. Also very sweet a player.
 

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#52
What started as a stock MIM Jazz is now this:

MIM Jazz body refin'd in fiesta red nitro, MIM bridge and control plate
Mighty Mite Precision neck in tinted nitro and repro Jazz decal
Schaller tuners
Fender JVRI pups
CTS pots, Switchcraft jack
Allparts pickguard and knobs

ImageUploadedByTalkBass1397364887.272134.jpg
 
#57
buldog5151bass said:
Not fair - now you have me wanting to build one - something I haven't done in decades.
Click to expand...

Mine was less of a build and more of an evolution. I'd bought a MIM Jazz that someone had replaced the stock pickups with some Model J's. It was the era when the MIMs had the shorter bridge pickup, and the prior owner had poorly expanded the bridge pickup route.
I played it "as is" for a while. Hated the skinny neck, so I put a P neck on and upgraded the tuners at that time.
Eventually got tired of the naked neck, so I added the decal and finished in tinted nitro.
Then a while later, I decided to go for a more traditional J sound, so I swapped the pups and all electronics. Added a series/parallel switch while I was at it.
Eventually I got tired of the bad pickup routes as we as the color combo, so I did the refin on the body, new pickguard, knobs (stock had the Strat style knobs).
Whole evolution took about 5 years.
 
#60
Just finished this one yesterday.

Korean Squier body & electronics.
Bridge & tuners from an SX
Neck from EY Parts - that's an extremely good bang for the buck, BTW.
Chickenhead knobs from ebay.
I spraypainted the pickguard, flipped and filed the nut, and drew the robot myself.

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