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My take on a custom "P-Bass"

#81
phillipmorephil said:
Yeah, I knew you were going for the quadcoil thing, I like that idea. I was thinking of an almost identical bass, passive and all, but with a strat-style five-way switch for the quad. From positions 1-5, it'd go: 1, both neckside coils, j-style; 2, regular p-style; 3, full humbucker; 4, reverse p-style; and 5, both bridgeside coils, j-style. I'm not sure if that's at all possible, but it'd be an interesting addition IMO.
Click to expand...

Hmmmmm... that is indeed a very interesting suggestion!
 
#82
I'm not sure if it's even doable, but I know very little about wiring, so you never know.

Edit: I forgot to mention, feel free to use my little idea there. I doubt I'll be able to get a custom bass any time soon, and I'd love to see it on a bass somewhere.
 
#83
The bass on the extreme right is a great example of the ultimate custom PBass... PBass and JBass pickups, optional ashley preamp built-in and a special cap on the neck pickup to roll off the highs. Body's Kali Koa and the neck a Godin... I've had this bass since 1980!

PICT0294-all31024.jpg


Jb
 
#84
GrapeBass said:
The bass on the extreme right is a great example of the ultimate custom PBass... PBass and JBass pickups, optional ashley preamp built-in and a special cap on the neck pickup to roll off the highs. Body's Kali Koa and the neck a Godin... I've had this bass since 1980!

PICT0294-all31024.jpg


Jb
Click to expand...

Wow, that baby looks beautiful as well! How does it sound? Do you use it as either a J or a P, or as a mix of both? All of the above?

Tom.
 
#87
phillipmorephil said:
Yeah, I knew you were going for the quadcoil thing, I like that idea. I was thinking of an almost identical bass, passive and all, but with a strat-style five-way switch for the quad. From positions 1-5, it'd go: both neckside coils, j-style, regular p-style, full humbucker, reverse p-style and both bridgeside coils, j-style, respectively. I'm not sure if that's at all possible, but it'd be an interesting addition IMO.

I'm not sure if it's even doable, but I know very little about wiring, so you never know.
Click to expand...
It should be totally do-able since there's literally four pickup elements in there... as long as all the wires are run out of the pickup casing, anyway, which I'd bet they are.

I also think this is a COOL idea, except I'd go rotary switch so it fit in with the rest of the knobs.

My choice would be:

1.) Bridge "J" (both bridge side - Bass with bite, baby! :))
2.) Reverse "P"
3.) Normal "P"
4.) Everything, with the bridge side in parallel with the neck side... like a J bass in full blend.
5.) Same as 4, but series mode. Otherwise, Neck "J".
 
#90
I'm an Ash/Maple guy, but the pickup array and switching sounds like a great plan. It has me wondering though... if the pickups are in such close proximity of each other, would the difference in tone really be that discernible? I'm mainly asking due to lack of experience with P-basses.
 
#91
AJ Brown said:
I'm an Ash/Maple guy, but the pickup array and switching sounds like a great plan. It has me wondering though... if the pickups are in such close proximity of each other, would the difference in tone really be that discernible? I'm mainly asking due to lack of experience with P-basses.
Click to expand...

Have you ever played similar basses in 'regular P' and 'reverse P' configurations? The difference is subtle, but noticeable, I believe.

Tom.
 
#98
Hey Tom - just found this thread and it looks like your "P variant" is going to be a beauty. When I started reading this I was struck by our similar tastes regarding woods and such. I decided to make a Warmoth P variant myself 2 years ago and came up with this.
Carved Dinky J Mahogany body (but with a Maple cap), all Macassar Ebony neck with abalone dots, Fralin reverse P, Duncan CS alnico MM going through an OBP-3 @18v. I love Mahogany and it really warms up the snap of the Ebony neck. I would say the tone is "traditional modern", very focused. I am very happy with it, one reason being it has its own voice.

Good luck with your build - I'll be watching this with great interest.

Will
 
#99
Must have missed this thread when it first appeared...

Here's my take on a custom P, built for me by Mike Kinal. Light alder body, Brazilian rosewood board, Hipshot hardware, Bartolini Classic pup with two-band boost/cut pre-amp. Ebony knobs. I wanted to go passive but Kinal insisted on the Bart pre-amp. He was probably right. Pop the front knob and the bass is passive. Sounds better with the preamp on, though I never boost or cut.

Sound with DR Highbeams is kinda modern but very P-like, wide, complex, rich. Cuts through in the upper mids. You get a sense of the tone here:

Perhaps the key virtue of this bass is its light weight. Has a very flat, wide neck and is a pleasure to play.
 
#100
bassclef112 said:
Hey Tom - just found this thread and it looks like your "P variant" is going to be a beauty. When I started reading this I was struck by our similar tastes regarding woods and such. I decided to make a Warmoth P variant myself 2 years ago and came up with this.
Carved Dinky J Mahogany body (but with a Maple cap), all Macassar Ebony neck with abalone dots, Fralin reverse P, Duncan CS alnico MM going through an OBP-3 @18v. I love Mahogany and it really warms up the snap of the Ebony neck. I would say the tone is "traditional modern", very focused. I am very happy with it, one reason being it has its own voice.

Good luck with your build - I'll be watching this with great interest.

Will
Click to expand...

Always nice to find a kindred spirit! Your bass looks great, too! :cool:

Tom.
 

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