New build: how about a Precision this time?

[joeyl]

I was never really satisfied with the sound because it sounded more like the typical bridge Jazz pickup. So I got a new body from ebay, same color and it was super light, like 4-1/2 lbs. It is one of the Fender MIM 70's reissue bodies. This time the MM pickup will be in the proper original Musicman location

I had never routed a finished body before and I did not know how the poly finish would react to the router bit. Since I needed a preamp cavity in the new body, I decided to make it a Musicman shaped cavity so that I can practice and see if there is any paint chipping.

First hog out most of the material with drill press and forstner bit. Some people will do like a million passes each time increasing the depth by 1/8" instead, I like the forstner bit method better

Note to self: the sharpie ink for some reason bled into the clear coat, making the mark lines thicker than what they were. I need to use a ultra fine sharpie for the real rout since there won't be a pickguard to hide it

 

[joeyl]

No chipping whatsoever, just a nice clean line.

So as far as the router bit is sharp and spinning fast, no problem

 

[joeyl]

Well the neck pocket on this 70s reissue body is too small to accommodate the US Fender neck. Not only on the sides but it looks like the curvature of the pocket is also different. I would have to not only sand the sides of the pocket but also put Mickey Mouse ears on the pocket for the curved part of the neck to fit

 

[f.c.geil]

Aargh! Quick, someone send joey a neck that fits.

 

[elBandito]

What year and model US neck is it?

Well the neck pocket on this 70s reissue body is too small to accommodate the US Fender neck. Not only on the sides but it looks like the curvature of the pocket is also different. I would have to not only sand the sides of the pocket but also put Mickey Mouse ears on the pocket for the curved part of the neck to fit

 

[joeyl]

What year and model US neck is it?

2012 AM Standard

 

[joeyl]

Starting again:

True MM position (at least that's what TB says )
319mm (12.5625") from the edge of the pickup to the 12fret.

unfortunately my 10" drill press does not have the reach to hog out all of the wood inside the template

Starting

Let's clean those Forstner bit marks and give the rout a flat floor, shall we?

Done. Had one paint chip due to a minor router slip. That's when you get too confident and start loosening the grip on the router, the bit went into the empty P pickup space from under the template and scared the crap out of me.

Now I just need to do battery compartment and preamp routs.

 

[joeyl]

Preamp cavity

Done

 

[joeyl]

not a big fan of pearloid but that's what I have on hand so it will do for now

I screwed the pickguard into the body and lined the template with the existing pickup rout

Cutting plastic is fun, but the dust is static-y and clingy

And here it is all dressed up.

 

[aphexafx]

Awesome! The edge of the pg lands right down the center of the MM pocket perfectly.

 

[joeyl]

Awesome! The edge of the pg lands right down the center of the MM pocket perfectly.

yes! coincidence or does it show that these instruments share DNA?

 

[peledog]

You should be a video cam in the P pickup cavity.

 

[joeyl]

Cleaned up cavity to get it ready for shielding, put copper tabs to connect cavity shield to pickguard shield

I am excited to try this

 

[joeyl]

Here is what it looks like

first thin coat, starting to look like a regular coppery cavity

The stuff is a little bit thicker than I would like but I kept the brush strokes as minimal as possible, it is comparable to the graphite paint's viscosity. Then I went online and saw that I could have thinned it with plain water, doh I will do that for the next coats

 

[theNecatoR]

This project is looking awesome, I'm keeping an eye on it. I now want to coat my Jaguar's cavities after seeing this!

 

[joeyl]

I'm impressed by the conductivity...

 

[fnordlyone]

Looking great; thanks for all the detailed info. My question is about this "sweet spot" for the pick up… I've tested out a few MM's and the classic sounding Ray single pu always seems a bit closer to the bridge in the MM body. Would that have the same measurement you made from the neck doing this with the P body:
True MM position (at least that's what TB says )
319mm (12.5625") from the edge of the pickup to the 12fret.
I never measured and don't own a Ray. Just curious as the one's I've tried in stores with the sound I like look much closer to the bridge in the MM bodies.

fnord!

 

[joeyl]

Looking great; thanks for all the detailed info. My question is about this "sweet spot" for the pick up… I've tested out a few MM's and the classic sounding Ray single pu always seems a bit closer to the bridge in the MM body. Would that have the same measurement you made from the neck doing this with the P body:
True MM position (at least that's what TB says )
319mm (12.5625") from the edge of the pickup to the 12fret.
I never measured and don't own a Ray. Just curious as the one's I've tried in stores with the sound I like look much closer to the bridge in the MM bodies.

fnord!

yeah I hear you, it looks like it is farther away from the bridge on the P body and more central. But the distance measurement is the same from the 12th fret. Both instruments MM and Precision are both 34" scale so it should be the same.
Now the classic Stingray has the bridge mutes which makes the bridge look bigger and covers the empty space.
As for regular Stingrays it could be just an optical illusion, different body shape, 21 frets for the Ray etc. Don't know, I don't own a Stingray either

 

[joeyl]

well according to this picture that I stole from Jared, it may be a little bit too close to the neck the neck-side polepieces line with the edge of the P pickguard. Unless Stingray5 has a different pickup placement as compared to Stingray

Anyway, minimal difference looks like

 

[fnordlyone]

Right on. I do believe there is an optical illusion with the pick guard shape to the MM that make it look closer to bridge.
Your bass is looking great. How does it sound?

fnord!