All I can say is that I've put inserts on all my SX and always seem to find a difference for the better. Maybe it's my imagination, but I've also put inserts in a couple of basses that started with excellent neck joints and I didn't notice any improvement at all!
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All I can say is that I've put inserts on all my SX and always seem to find a difference for the better. Maybe it's my imagination, but I've also put inserts in a couple of basses that started with excellent neck joints and I didn't notice any improvement at all!
Yeah, the sound seems a tiny bit better. But, it's hard to say, since I didn't do any recordings to compare.
But, you reminded me to mention, the neck pocket fit is okay, but definitely not what I would call tight. With the neck screws out, the neck can definitely be twisted from side to side a quite noticeable amount. Maybe that is why the inserts seem to make more difference than on a more expensive bass.
But, you reminded me to mention, the neck pocket fit is okay, but definitely not what I would call tight. With the neck screws out, the neck can definitely be twisted from side to side a quite noticeable amount. Maybe that is why the inserts seem to make more difference than on a more expensive bass.
Good stuff, Stu. I haven't checked your thread for quite a few days and it looks like a lot has happened. It's coming along really nice.
Off topic, I still haven't had an opportunity to play the L-2500 at anything other than at can't-hear-it-outside-of-the-basement volume, but so far I'm liking it. The tonal options with the three switches are almost intimidating so right now I'm mostly trying just to familiarize myself with how each setting changes things and how the settings interact with each other. Can't wait for some time when I have the house to myself and can turn up the volume and really hear it, but I'm really enjoying it so far.
Off topic, I still haven't had an opportunity to play the L-2500 at anything other than at can't-hear-it-outside-of-the-basement volume, but so far I'm liking it. The tonal options with the three switches are almost intimidating so right now I'm mostly trying just to familiarize myself with how each setting changes things and how the settings interact with each other. Can't wait for some time when I have the house to myself and can turn up the volume and really hear it, but I'm really enjoying it so far.
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Well, the project is now in a holding pattern.
I screwed up. The Aguilar P pickup is 5" wide. I don't know what string spacing it is intended for, but it must be at least 19mm. Spacing on the SX is 17mm and the stock pickup is 4" wide. I'm not going to try and use these Aguilar pickups. They are just too wide. I'm trying to return them for a refund. Otherwise, I guess I'll take it in the shorts and sell them in the Classifieds.
The Aguilar product page does not give the width of the pickups and does not say what string spacing they are intended to be used with. I thought 17mm was pretty normal for a 6-string, so it didn't even occur to me to dig further on the Aguilar specs. I just assumed they would fit. My bad.
So, now I have to find new pickups to use. Then send the pickups plus the stock pick guard off to Pickguard Heaven to get a new one made with the correct pickup hole in it. Then take the new pickguard to the luthier to use as a template for the pickup routing.
I'm waiting on email back from Carey Nordstrand and Curt Novak about pickups. Who knew that finding a 6-string P pickup would be such a hassle?
I considered Bill Lawrence, but his J pickup (for the bridge location) is only 3.71" wide and the stock one is at least 4" (I didn't measure to see if it's wider than the neck pickup, but I'm guessing they are the same). I don't want a gap, so his pickups are out.
*sigh*
Fortunately, it plays nicely and sounds good as it is. Except for the single coil hum (I prefer a soloed neck pickup, when I'm playing a J). And the fact that it doesn't sound as good as a P bass....
I screwed up. The Aguilar P pickup is 5" wide. I don't know what string spacing it is intended for, but it must be at least 19mm. Spacing on the SX is 17mm and the stock pickup is 4" wide. I'm not going to try and use these Aguilar pickups. They are just too wide. I'm trying to return them for a refund. Otherwise, I guess I'll take it in the shorts and sell them in the Classifieds.
The Aguilar product page does not give the width of the pickups and does not say what string spacing they are intended to be used with. I thought 17mm was pretty normal for a 6-string, so it didn't even occur to me to dig further on the Aguilar specs. I just assumed they would fit. My bad.
So, now I have to find new pickups to use. Then send the pickups plus the stock pick guard off to Pickguard Heaven to get a new one made with the correct pickup hole in it. Then take the new pickguard to the luthier to use as a template for the pickup routing.
I'm waiting on email back from Carey Nordstrand and Curt Novak about pickups. Who knew that finding a 6-string P pickup would be such a hassle?
I considered Bill Lawrence, but his J pickup (for the bridge location) is only 3.71" wide and the stock one is at least 4" (I didn't measure to see if it's wider than the neck pickup, but I'm guessing they are the same). I don't want a gap, so his pickups are out.
*sigh*
Fortunately, it plays nicely and sounds good as it is. Except for the single coil hum (I prefer a soloed neck pickup, when I'm playing a J). And the fact that it doesn't sound as good as a P bass....
Well, the project is now in a holding pattern.
I screwed up. The Aguilar P pickup is 5" wide. I don't know what string spacing it is intended for, but it must be at least 19mm. Spacing on the SX is 17mm and the stock pickup is 4" wide. I'm not going to try and use these Aguilar pickups. They are just too wide. I'm trying to return them for a refund. Otherwise, I guess I'll take it in the shorts and sell them in the Classifieds.
The Aguilar product page does not give the width of the pickups and does not say what string spacing they are intended to be used with. I thought 17mm was pretty normal for a 6-string, so it didn't even occur to me to dig further on the Aguilar specs. I just assumed they would fit. My bad.
So, now I have to find new pickups to use. Then send the pickups plus the stock pick guard off to Pickguard Heaven to get a new one made with the correct pickup hole in it. Then take the new pickguard to the luthier to use as a template for the pickup routing.
I'm waiting on email back from Carey Nordstrand and Curt Novak about pickups. Who knew that finding a 6-string P pickup would be such a hassle?
I considered Bill Lawrence, but his J pickup (for the bridge location) is only 3.71" wide and the stock one is at least 4" (I didn't measure to see if it's wider than the neck pickup, but I'm guessing they are the same). I don't want a gap, so his pickups are out.
*sigh*
Fortunately, it plays nicely and sounds good as it is. Except for the single coil hum (I prefer a soloed neck pickup, when I'm playing a J). And the fact that it doesn't sound as good as a P bass....
If you do plan to refin for sure Im guessing that can be fixed/filled in a bit.
I know. I had looked at it before. I just didn't measure the stock pickup or pay attention to the measurements on that PDF. I just assumed (foolishly, I know) that the pickups were the right size and that those measurements would be useful to the luthier.
I effed up.
A translucent refin would not hide a filled-in gap like that, I don't think. Anyway, I'm not too worried about it. I'm pretty confident I can get a J or soapbar pickup that is the right size to not leave a gap. The real issue right now is finding a suitable P pickup.
Well, the project is now in a holding pattern.
...
Fortunately, it plays nicely and sounds good as it is. Except for the single coil hum (I prefer a soloed neck pickup, when I'm playing a J). And the fact that it doesn't sound as good as a P bass....
While you're waiting, go ahead and do a series/parallel mod. I think you might like it... and it will not have the single coil hum.
Ha! I think that might be rather a PITA to incorporate in when I already have the East J-Retro preamp installed. I don't really think I want to do that much work for a totally temporary solution. 
I love the way Aguilar has every measurement known to man on the drawing and then leaves off the string spacing as if nobody gives a crap if the pickups actually fit your bass! ( I also noted this same effect with tuners where they have tons of measurements, but then they leave off the mounting hole size as if it doesn't matter where you mount it.)
By the way my SX 6ers measure 14.6 mm string spacing at neck pickup, 15.5 mm spacing at bridge pickup and 16 mm at bridge. These days 6ers seem to come in either wide (19 mm like Yamaha) or narrow ( 15-16 mm like SX etc.) spacing. You had me excited that you found a nice narrow 6 string p-bass pickups (I'd love to put together a nice Frankenbass 6 string P/J setup) All my 6 string basses are narrow spacing. Here's wishing you luck in finding pickups!
I didn't measure my SX with the stock bridge. But, the Rondo page says it is 17mm spacing. The Hipshot bridge I put on is definitely 17mm (0.669").
I'm still waiting to hear back from Nordstrand and Novak.
I ordered custom pickups from Nordstrand. They said it would take about 8 weeks. It has been just under 4 weeks, so far, so I'm just not-so-patiently waiting....
Lastly will be deciding what to do with the body. The least I'll do is strip it and paint it gloss black. But, I may go as far as sending it off to have the top shaved off, the body chambered, a nice flame maple (or something) top laminated on, and then given a really nice translucent/burst paint job. That will partly depend on how much the weight bothers me. The grain is so nice that if it wasn't so heavy I wouldn't even think about chambering and laminating a new top on. But, if I can knock somewhere between 0.5 and 1 pounds off with chambering and back routing a control cavity (to accommodate possible future preamp upgrades), I will consider it. We'll see.
A rear rout and a dual battery box ought to give you that lb. you want to lose.
Did you have to fill and redrill holes for the mounting the new bridge? I just got an SX 6-er.
The bridge needed to be about 3/8" closer to the neck. Where it was located before caused the taper of the strings at the head end to be in a spot the resulted in my first Kalium B string breaking at the tuning peg. So, I drilled all new holes for the new bridge. But, the new bridge covers the original holes, so I did not attempt to fill them.
Beautiful! I had a 4 string version SX with pre- lawsuit Fender Jazz headstock, natural like yours. I don't know if Kurt ordered it the way I got it but it had the high mass bridge and upgraded tuners. It was like $179.
Sadly, I have no real progress to report.
The next step is getting a custom pickguard done to fit the Nordstrand P pickup. I gave the whole thing to a local luthier who was supposed to make the pickguard and then use it as a template to route the cavity for the pickup. He had it for a couple of months and proved unable to make a decent pickguard. So, he never even got to the point of routing the body. I got the whole thing back from him (in pieces). My plan was and still is to send the stock pickguard and the P pickup to Pickguard Heaven and have them make the pickguard I need. Then there's a different local luthier that (based on reputation) I believe will be able to do a good job on the routing. But, in the meantime (professional) life changes happened and this project has just been sitting. Fortunately, other recent life changes mean I should have the time and money to pick this back up after New Years and finally git 'er done!
In the meantime, I acquired a couple more Peavey TL6s (I have 3 now...) and those are all I have been gigging since I gave the SX to the first luthier. So, still having plenty of 6-string P bass goodness! (which may partly explain why I haven't gotten my shtuff together to finish this...)
