Frankenstein Bass Builders Club.

Isn't that just a parts bass? I thought a Frankenstein was a bass made from parts of previous basses (Precision bass body, with a neck yanked from a Fender Jazz, and the guts unloaded from a G&L 1000)

 

Around here a Frankenbass is made up of sundry collected parts no matter what the source and a "Parter" is specifically made up of a single maker's parts such as all Fender parts.

Parters also have a somewhat nefarious connotation 'round here when made of "vintage components" in that they are often seen as an attempt to pass off an instrument built up of components from several different basses (or even periods of construction) to give the impression of a factory built instrument.

However, the terms seem to be very interchangeable.

 

Ok,
Fender MIM Body,
Mighty Mite Neck,
OBL Bill Lawrence Pickups,
Kahler Bass Trem,
StewMac Adjustable Tension Tuners,
StewMac Pearl Top Black Control Knobs,
StewMac Roller String Tree,
Some random electronics(can't remember from where I got them),

 

Mine...



I bought it as a pile of parts. Someone else's unfinished project.
It was in 3 pieces and had a ziplock baggie full of smallparts w/ it.

Specs:
"Walnut" Body - Probably homemade, walnut veneer on poplar (?).
32" scale neck - 21 fret, de-fretted - Arrowhead shaped stamp
where it fit in the pocket
1 Humbucker - had 2...but only 1 coil in each housing.
Allparts pots - the original wiring was undecipherable, I started
over from scratch.
Chrome knobs - I put black knobs on my black pbass a long time ago.
bone nut - plastic one was broken
bridge - ??? , smallest bass bridge I've ever seen

Still a work in progress.


Matt

 

It's great, stays in tune perfectly, take's longer to get into tune if you take all your strings off to put on a new set though.

As for worth it, it cost me around 100euros, definatly worth it to me, but it is not something thats really gonna be abused, I use it every day when practicin' but in a band situation, I would guess it would get just a little use, depends on what kind of bassist you are really. I like to pitch shift powerchords with it, or bend harmonics.

 

Its not finished yet, I gotta wait and sort out the mess the post office made with my money order (they lost it). All it needs now are the tuners.



Specs:

Squier body refinished
SX lefty neck
SD Basslines 1/4er pickups
Badass bridge
JD straplocks
Black knobs, pickguard, string tree, jackplate

Hopefully in the next month or so I'll get my Hipshot Xtender and Ultralites.

 

Will an Xtender work on the other side of the headstock?

 

Yep, I discussed this with Hipshot already. I just need to get an Xtender with a raised lever.

 

Cool, I actually love the look of a lefty neck on a righty bass, and with no loss of function, even better!

 

My latest ...



SX SPJ62 FR for the body.

SX White Pearloid 'guard.

Mighty Mite neck.

DiMarzio DP126 pickups.

Wilkinson Black tuners.

Black aftermarket bridge ... I call it a FatAss.

Black 'guard screws.

Black Tree.

Black Oversize 'buttons.

Black HipShot O-Ring knobs.

Orange Drop 0.1uf Tone Cap ... you know, the one the size of a Chapstik.

'66 - '68 P-Bass decal.

Super Slinky's.

This thing sounds HUGE !!!

 

SX lefty neck
p/j body via ebay.plywood verneer and heavy
carvin j /SD 1/4lb'er P pups
series/ parallel pull up pot.
custom paint by me ala. rustoleum

 

It slid right in.

The SX corner radii are are smaller than Fender-spec, but not enough to be a problem. Width / depth were fine.

 

Here's one of my Frankensteins:



PV Gbass neck (35" scale)
Hipshot Ultralight Tuners
USACG P body
Fender '62 RI pickguard
Fender threaded saddle RI bridge
'72 Fender pickups and controls/knobs

No neckplate, just a couple of neck bolts...hence it's classification as a "Frankenstein" :

 

Is that a Burns, or at least the neck?