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I have an old Johnson

gary mitchell

gary mitchell

Jul 14, 2008
2,020
1,671
austin texas
#1
I have a P bass gave to me, it was made by a company called Johnson. I put it on the same level as a Squire maybe. Junk pickups and someone took the frets out to make it fretless, done a half way decent job. I took the neck off wasn't the cleanest pocket i have ever seen. So I thought what the heck I am retired I will sand it down re finish some cool color, and put another neck like an SX neck maybe. Also maybe put some SD 1/4 pound pickups in it. The question is my fellow bassist do you think its worth it or not. And would you you tell me your reasons why you would are not. Oh I forgot to say the body is not plywood.
 
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#5
Retired with an old Johnson? They have blue pills for that @gary mitchell ! :laugh:

On a serious note, if the cost of parts and materials won't do you any financial harm and you won't be fussed if it doesn't play any better then go for it. It'll be a fun project.

For me, I'd definitely want to do it but with the price of bass strings and my new found love of a fresh set of rounds, it'd be a non-starter.

If you do go ahead, it is mandatory to post progress pictures.
 
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#7
Microbass said:
If you do go ahead, it is mandatory to post progress pictures
Click to expand...

In this particular case, I feel a before pic is mandatory so we know what we're talkin' about.:rolleyes:

gary mitchell said:
The question is my fellow bassist do you think its worth it or not. And would you you tell me your reasons why you would are not
Click to expand...

Absolutely, without doubt, I would do it. Main reasons? A: It's fun. B: You're retired and have time. C: End up with a bass that has the finish you want. Heck, the price was right, so no fear in making a costly mistake. I've Used ReRanch rattle cans on a few projects. Easy to work with, and looks nice.
And....as I'm sure you know, the way guys around here mod their basses, used parts are are inexpensive and plentiful. You can usually snag a good P pickup right around the $30 - $50 range. Actually, I was looking in the classifieds earlier here on TB, and saw a American standard Fender, a Seymour Duncan, and a Bartolini right in that price range. (no affiliation with any). Necks are had inexpensively all over the net. You mentioned SX neck. They seem to be pretty reliable. I used one for a parts bass I put together a few years back, and it played very well with no issues at all. I sold it last year. Too heavy, wasn't getting the play time it deserved, and wanted to fund another project.

With that said, for little out of pocket cash, you might just end up with a new killer P.
 

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