Is this even possible?

So I know very little about electronics. Please filter the following through that little truth nugget.

I have a mid 80's Korean Squier P-bass - or should I call it a P-P-bass?? It has TWO P-pickups on it. Both pickups work fine and with no problems.

Now, this bass only has a volume control and a tone control, just like a regular P-bass. So getting the pickups separated isn't currently possible.

This is what I'd like to be able to do.

WITHOUT drilling a hole in the pickguard, or moving the jack.

I also don't want to give up the tone knob.

Is there even a way to do this, or am I stuck with the current configuration? Maybe a good concentric knob?... I know that doesn't always work...

 

And the issue with it being 2 humbucking pickups won't be a problem? I'm sure it's easier with J pickups....?

 

You're telling ME it's weird... truth be told, I've never seen another bass like it. It's a late 80's Squier, and the pickups and the routing are stock - I'd bet my right leg on it. I wonder what they had in mind for it, or what it's worth...?

Just got it back from my tech today. FINALLY getting to play it; BOY is it a killer little bass.

 

You know the trick about putting a washer inbetween the truss rod nut and the wood to get more purchase on the threads?

MY neck required a 1/8" BUSHING to straighten out. Or, imagine a washer as thick as a standard B string. But, straight it is, and plays wonderfully.

I have a Vega bass with the P-P config as well... but that one has the classic "two pickup" sound when both are on. I wonder why mine doesn't...? Maybe they're both wired in series or something...?

It's not the classic P-bass tone, so I know the bridge pickup is having AN effect, and I'm sure it's working properly. Would wiring them in parallel (as you would a two-humbucker guitar, maybe?) create that classic "two-pickup" scoop?

 

Would this also work upside down? Meaning, if I took my "workbench", put down two pieces of wood, placed the neck Frets Down upon the blocks, and applied the clamp?

Or is something stiff, like a level, better than the long piece of wood (plack in your picture)?

 

Hah - it's bending my crappy "workbench" more than it is the neck, but it IS bending the neck into a back bow, I'm sure of it. I'll leave it til tomorrow and give it a whirl.

(This is on a DIFFERENT bass than the one mentioned at the top of the thread, btw - like I said, that one plays great.)

 

Trying again. Found a 1.5" thick piece of poplar that's going to do a better job. I got the truss rod to turn at LEAST halfway around this time.

It's a really stout bass neck on this one. I hope it holds when I come back to it in the morning!

Didn't have chunks of wood, so I used two stacks of business cards, plus a few between the clamp and the back of the neck. Hoping for good things this time!


NOW... this thread went off on a bit of a hijack, so allow me to return it to its original place.

Talking about getting a concentric pot that will be Master Volume on top, and Pickup Blend on the bottom, and not really doing anything to the tone knob. What could I do there that would just be useful without being invasive (i.e., active EQ, new holes drilled, routing out for more room)?