Installing a Jazz Pup.

[BassIsFun17]

I have been thinking of installing a jazz pick up in the bridge of my Fender MIM standard p bass. I was wondering if it is possible and how much it would cost.

heres a pic of my bass for refference.

http://photobucket.com/albums/f318/BassIsFun17/Bass Stuff/?action=view&current=basseffects.jpg

It has the thumbrest that installed on it, im sure if i wanted a jazz pup installed that would have to be taken of. If that has to be removed could i fill the holes that were made by the screws.

thanks in advance.

-rory

 

[BassIsFun17]

bump

 

[TheBrad]

It would probably cost $30 to route the cavity for the pickup and then $10-20 for install. That's what they charge at my local shop.
Personally, I would just have them route it and solder it myself.

 

[orlfl]

It is certainly possible, but you will also need to make some electroincs changes unless you want the P and J pups to always be at the same volume. You will need to add a blend pot or another volume to be able to mix the pups at all. You could put a third knob where the jack is and move the jack to the edge, but that is another route.

Just something to consider.

 

[BassIsFun17]

thanks guys,

about adding another volume,

could i just get a stacked volume pot so i wont have to do any other routing?

and also im just thinking about doing this, i might, i might not.

and also would i have to remove the thumbrest and if i do can i fill those holes up?

and one more question,

what kind of tone will a jp configuration give me.
will it keep the nice p tone or will it change it and give me more of the jazz tone.

thanks.

 

[TheBrad]

I think you could pull it off with a concentric volume knob.

You could remove the thumbrest and fill it by glueing in some toothpicks, then somehow level it and then cover it with a Sharpie. Probably a better way to do it, but that's all that comes to mind.

I would think the configuration would give you the best of both worlds. Punchy and growly, muddy and defined... It's obviously gotta sound pretty good since a lot of basses tend to incorporate it.

 

[BassIsFun17]

I think you could pull it off with a concentric volume knob.

You could remove the thumbrest and fill it by glueing in some toothpicks, then somehow level it and then cover it with a Sharpie. Probably a better way to do it, but that's all that comes to mind.

I would think the configuration would give you the best of both worlds. Punchy and growly, muddy and defined... It's obviously gotta sound pretty good since a lot of basses tend to incorporate it.

hey thanks,

ill probably ask a proffesional what the best idea is to fill the holes where the thumbrest is. maybe i could just put black screws in place of the tumbrest or somthing. but im sure the person doing the routing would know what to do.

and the tone that you describe sounds like i would like it.

 

[TheBrad]

Your best bet is to try a PJ bass, before you mod your baby.

 

[BassIsFun17]

^^yea im deffinatly gonna do that.
for sure with out a doubt.

but id probably like anyway.

because i like both the sound of a p bass and a jazz bass
so together id prolly like em allot.

 

[BassIsFun17]

update,
i just took off the thumbrest to see how big the holes were and they were pretty dang small so i dont think filling those up will be a problem.

 

[BassIsFun17]

ok here is my next question.

if i do decide to do this pup installation i wana do the stacked volume if that is possible.

the only problem is i cant find stacked volume pots just stacked eq pots.

would stacked eq pots work as stacked volumes?

here is a link to pots

http://bestbassgear.com/pots.htm

look till you see the stacked eq pot.

thanks again everyone.

-rory

 

[TheBrad]

Invalid Link Removed

 

[BassIsFun17]

^^
My brother showed me those,
they look a little small to me.
are you sure those are the right ones.

 

[TheBrad]

Just swap the knobs if they aren't high enough for you?

They look to be the same size as the pots in my basses.

 

[BassIsFun17]

alright guys well im gonna try out a jp bass sometime soon. and if i like the sound ill do this mod. but if i do the mod it will be sometime in july or agaust maybe later.

 

[Captain_joe6]

BassPartsResource.com sells stacked knobs in a couple different values, so does AllParts.com. What you'll want to do is look at the bottom of the vlume pot that's already in there and then find a stacked knob of the same value for both knobs. It's going to be important to get the same value so that your output stays the same. So if you've got a 500K pot right now, get a 500K/500K (top & bottom, or bottom & top, whatever) pot, or a 250K/250K if you've got a 250K in there right now.

If you really wanted to get creative, you could go with dual stacked knobs and end up with a volume and a tone for each pickup like the '62 Jazz Basses had.

 

[BassIsFun17]

If you really wanted to get creative, you could go with dual stacked knobs and end up with a volume and a tone for each pickup like the '62 Jazz Basses had.

Yea i was thinking about doing that.
can i buy the same posts and everything that is used in the 62jazz?

or do i just buy pots of the same configuration?

 

[Captain_joe6]

Nope, you can buy the same pots as the 62, or you can use a split pot, if you've got, say, a 500K volume pot and a 250K tone pot already. Come to think og it, I don't know if I've ever seen 250K/250K stacked pots, but I doubt you'd have a need for something like that. 250K/500K is probably what you'll need. It's a little confusing to look at the Fender '62 Jazz bass wiring diagram (drawing a 3-D object in a 2-D outline schematic doesn't work out too well), what really helped me was looking at each stacked pot as sepearte volume and tone (which they technically are), and then looking at a P-bass wiring diagram. Each stack is still volume/tone.

Hopefully that all makes sense!

 

[BassIsFun17]

^^yea it makes a little sense.

LOL