And so it goes. In 2014 I was lucky to land a spot with some really fine players, lots of variety of material, good band, rehearse in guitarist's recording studio. But I was not cutting thru on early gigs. My P and the piano left hand and the drummer's big foot were always in the same sonic space, tone and volume. During 2015 I was trying to find a sound and bass with more tone options. Love the J sound but not a fan of J necks and close string spacing.
So I started my J bass with P neck projects and built three.
Love solid color basses in nice colors, attractive pick guards, P string spacing, but most of all it's the J tone options that helps me get over in my own tonal space.
Here's the three:
Agave blue MIM body, everything else totally redone. Total copper foil shielding. New pickups, electronics, control plate, pots, bridge, pearloid pick guard and MIA P neck. Pups are Fender Super 55 which sound great live and recorded; totally noise free no matter where the volume knobs are positioned. This has become the bass I gig most often.
MIJ Olympic white body and MIJ P neck. Pickups sound great and pots work fine so no other upgrades on this one. Sounds fab. On one gig I played this for a set and my Stingray Hs for a set and the J got over just as well, plus had vintage tone when needed.
Midnight wine MIM body and all electronics redone with MIA parts. Did shielding and replaced everything but the body paint. Installed SD SJB-1 pups which sound great. Vintage tone, warm rich sound. Somehow though, I like the Super 55s in the blue bass better. This deep wine color and dressy pick guard look elegant. Fine playing bass. I snagged a MIM neck that is just as nice as MIA.
Most of the parts I put on these basses came from good guys here on TB. Put new Chromes on all three.
Now it's time to change gears and pickup a 5 string tone monster. Plan to sell two of the J with P neck basses and likely get a Lakland fiver, 55-02 or 55-14. Keep my P, keep my Ray Hs, keep the blue J. Learn to play five string in 2016.
Cheers
So I started my J bass with P neck projects and built three.
Love solid color basses in nice colors, attractive pick guards, P string spacing, but most of all it's the J tone options that helps me get over in my own tonal space.
Here's the three:
Agave blue MIM body, everything else totally redone. Total copper foil shielding. New pickups, electronics, control plate, pots, bridge, pearloid pick guard and MIA P neck. Pups are Fender Super 55 which sound great live and recorded; totally noise free no matter where the volume knobs are positioned. This has become the bass I gig most often.
MIJ Olympic white body and MIJ P neck. Pickups sound great and pots work fine so no other upgrades on this one. Sounds fab. On one gig I played this for a set and my Stingray Hs for a set and the J got over just as well, plus had vintage tone when needed.
Midnight wine MIM body and all electronics redone with MIA parts. Did shielding and replaced everything but the body paint. Installed SD SJB-1 pups which sound great. Vintage tone, warm rich sound. Somehow though, I like the Super 55s in the blue bass better. This deep wine color and dressy pick guard look elegant. Fine playing bass. I snagged a MIM neck that is just as nice as MIA.
Most of the parts I put on these basses came from good guys here on TB. Put new Chromes on all three.
Now it's time to change gears and pickup a 5 string tone monster. Plan to sell two of the J with P neck basses and likely get a Lakland fiver, 55-02 or 55-14. Keep my P, keep my Ray Hs, keep the blue J. Learn to play five string in 2016.
Cheers
