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Fender should issue a Chris Squire Signature model
- Thread starter Ric5
- Start date
Hey man, that looks fantastic! Do you have any sound samples?
I love Squire's Telecaster bass sound. He used it more often than many think. "Southside Of The Sky" is my favourite.
Because of Chris and his Tele I had my Telecaster bass (which was built by a friend) modded with a bridge pickup (built by the same friend). The bridge pickup is more in the Jazz Bass position than on your bass but it still does not sound like a Jazz Bass.
When both pickups are on they are wired in series.
I don't have any sound samples, or any good way of recording any unfortunately.
Assuming your bass is wired with a single volume and tone control, you'll get a mid scoop that will definitely keep the bass from sounding like a Jazz bass. Backing off one or the other volume in a Jazz gives a much fuller tone than you can get this way....unless you have two separate volume controls. I always liked the look of the stock first gen Precision bridge, so I got one from Retrovibe that has four saddles.
It has a volume and tone and a pickup switch in the middle. When both pickups are on they are wired in series so I get a slight boost and plenty of mids.
I'm not sure if you misunderstood me but I'm not after a Jazz Bass sound with this bass and like you said the neck pickup is in a different location anyway.
Oh, no misunderstanding. Ever since I figued out that a master volume with multiple pickups meant scooped mids, I've felt the need to alert players to that fact. The knowledge made a huge difference to myself and others when it came to revising the wiring in Rickenbacker 4004 basses. As for the Jazz tone, I've always favored the neck pickup on these because when the bridge pickup is favored, I need to boost its volume, and then I get a tone that only seems to work with fusion. YMMV of course.
When you have both pickups full on it shouldn't matter if you have a master volume or individual volumes or a blend.
Yes, the sound is more scooped in Jazz Bass when both pickups are on but that is the classic sound. Rather than backing off either pickup I solo them if I find the sound too scooped.
With my 4003 I usually back off the neck pickup a bit as with that bass it seems to work more effienctly (there's more range before the full-on pickup drowns out the backed-off one).
But how's your Squire Squier is wired, stereo or mono? And could you measure the location of the bridge pickup?
My Squire Squier, which will eventually get a pearl white refin with a matching headstock and repop "Fender Telecaster Bass" decal, is wired just like a 4001S to a mono jack screwed into a Fender electrosocket. The bridge pickup is 13 3/4" from the middle of the pickup to the 12th fret. I came up with the location after scaling up a pic of Chris' bass.
I don’t know if that’s the reason, but I LOVE the sound of the fully blended pickups on my Laredo and Cheyenne, that both sport your MV/Panpot/Tone harnesses.
The Ci actually has a modern higain in the neck, and I typically coil short the neck hb1 in the Laredo.
According to Chris he played the Tele on this song too:
Sounds (to me at least) that he has both pickups on and switches to the bridge pickup at the end section.
[QUOTE="Aceonbass, post: 25935691, member: 41143" ] The bridge pickup is 13 3/4" from the middle of the pickup to the 12th fret. I came up with the location after scaling up a pic of Chris' bass.[/QUOTE]
How close the bridge pickup is to the Rickenbacker bridge pickup location? Is it somewhere between that and the Jazz Bass bridge PU?
Sounds (to me at least) that he has both pickups on and switches to the bridge pickup at the end section.
[QUOTE="Aceonbass, post: 25935691, member: 41143" ] The bridge pickup is 13 3/4" from the middle of the pickup to the 12th fret. I came up with the location after scaling up a pic of Chris' bass.[/QUOTE]
How close the bridge pickup is to the Rickenbacker bridge pickup location? Is it somewhere between that and the Jazz Bass bridge PU?
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Just measured the location with my Jazz Bass and it's a bit more closer to the neck than a 60's JB bridge pickup, about the same amount that the Tele's neckpickup is in relation to Jazz Bass' neck pickup). Not saying that these things don't matter (they do) but I'm relieved that my Tele's bridge pickup isn't too far away from that location (it has the 60's JB placement). Might save me some money. On the other hand who says I shouldn't put together a proper Squire tribute Tele? There's no such thing as too many Telecaster basses...
If I may resurrect a thread from a few years ago, I’m interested in doing this with my P Bass. I have the same one and I’m interested to know how you completed yours. What parts did you use? Did you put the Jazz pickup in the bridge position? Which one? If not the Jazz, what did you use? Did you replace the stock pickup? Where did you get the additional control plate?
Most importantly, how does it sound? It looks phenomenal. It’s a dead ringer for Chris’ bass.
The bridge pickup is a Seymour Duncan Quarter Pounder that balances very well with the stock front pickup. The Tele style control plate was an Ebay find, and was a blank plate that I drilled out. The bridge pickup cover is a stock P-bass cover. I used CTS pots with splined shafts and aftermarket Rickenbacker style knobs that are split shaft style knobs. The pickup switch is Switchcraft Les Paul spec switch. I wired the bass like a Rickenbacker 4001, which is probably what Chris would have done. I replaced the vintage style output jack with an aluminum Fender style Electrosocket, and Switchcraft jack. I also replaced the original tuners with Gotoh vintage style Fender tuners.
Thanks for the info. I'm trying to decide if I want to go for a straight up copy like you have done, or a hybrid "inspired by" version. I'm thinking Jazz bass style stacked pots and knobs instead of an extra control plate and switch. It would look similar to PhR75's bass but without the switch and pickguard. Do you think that would work?
Does your bass buzz like crazy, or is it minimal. I don't believe the two single coil P style pickups hum cancel like a Jazz bass if I'm not mistaken. I have a Ric 4003s that buzzes like mad, but that's a Ric for you. I can't imagine the Squire could be worse.
How would you describe the sound of your build?
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Between the fact that I've rewired most of my passive basses, the wiring in my house is not that old and has no fluorescent lighting, and I don't stand right in front of my amp when I play, I don't have buzzing/humming issues with any of my basses. There's always room for personalization in any tribute, and I'd like to eventually fill the pickguard holes, and have the body and face of the headstock finished in antique white with repro Fender Telecaster bass decals on the headstock.
They don't hum cancel but you can always have a custom built RWRP pickup like I did for my bass. It's also slightly longer than the standard for the bridge position.
Mine sounds like a mix of Ric and Jazz when both pickups are on. Here's an old clip I did when I had the bridge pickup installed. Can't remember the signal path but I think I used a Rotosphere pedal as an amp/cab simulator.
RWRP stands for reverse wound reverse polarity. It's the same thing as with stock Jazz pickups: when both are on they act as a humbucker.
I'm sure any pickup maker could make one for you or (maybe even better) a complete set of pickups. Not sure if they are available commercially since the original '51 P basses are single pickup instruments.
The bass is wired: master volume, master tone and a 3-way pickup selector switch. When both pickups are on they are in series.
