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RBD!!! (refurbished bass day)

hover

hover

Oct 4, 2008
4,833
1,276
Massachusetts
#1
Hey folks, just thought I'd share the rebirth of my late 90's MIM P-Special...it's been in the works for some time now, but finally got it rewired and setup the way I need it, so I can start gigging it again.

The truss rod had maxed out on the original neck, and there was a bit of twist, and no amount of washers behind the adjust nut would remedy the playability / action, and bummed as I was as it was my main gig bass for a decade+, I figured it was time to give it some TLC.

It originally had SD 1/4-pounders in it, and I a lot of times felt the mids were just neutered out of the tone...I had replaced the original bridge with a BadAssII in effort to focus the tone a bit an it did help a bit but still not *there*, so those had to go too (the pups).

Only things original left on the bass are the body, neck attach screws and the side jack receptacle. Maybe a couple pickguard screws...
The new:
Warmoth J neck in Goncalo Alves with a Pau Ferro fretboard, "vintage" frets.
Warmoth Brown Shell pickguard to carry the color theme of the neck.
Bill Lawrence P-46 pickup and full CTS pots /wiring.
Hipshot US Ultralites
Hipshot 3-string retainer
TUSQ nut.
Fender 9050's.

Thump for days. Super excited to start gigging it again...it's weird how even though it's practically a new bass, it feels so much like the old one originally did in how it sits (but a lot better playing). Odd? Anyway, thought you might like. Not flashy, not terribly modern, but everything I need in a bass. Perfect partner to my '66 J.
 

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#2
hover said:
Hey folks, just thought I'd share the rebirth of my late 90's MIM P-Special...it's been in the works for some time now, but finally got it rewired and setup the way I need it, so I can start gigging it again.

The truss rod had maxed out on the original neck, and there was a bit of twist, and no amount of washers behind the adjust nut would remedy the playability / action, and bummed as I was as it was my main gig bass for a decade+, I figured it was time to give it some TLC.

It originally had SD 1/4-pounders in it, and I a lot of times felt the mids were just neutered out of the tone...I had replaced the original bridge with a BadAssII in effort to focus the tone a bit an it did help a bit but still, so those had to go too.

Only thing original left on the bass are the body and the side jack receptacle.
The new:
Warmoth J neck in Goncalo Alves with a Pau Ferro fretboard.
Warmoth Brown Shell pickguard to carry the color theme of the neck.
Bill Lawrence P-46 pickup and full CTS pots /wiring.
Hipshot US Ultralites
Hipshot 3-string retainer
TUSQ nut.
Fender 9050's.

Thump for days. Super excited to start gigging it again...it's weird how even though it's practically a new bass, it feels so much like the old one. Odd? Anyway, thought you might like. Not flashy, not terribly modern, but everything I need in a bass.
Click to expand...
Sweet, nice job! You're good to go for another decade+ there :)
 
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#6
Daveypoo said:
So what do you think of the Bill Lawrence pickups compared to the Quarter Pounders?
Click to expand...

It's truly a really nice pickup. Where the 1/4 lbers were definitely a very pronounced / hyped lows/highs, they were a little *too* hot, whereas the Lawrence, even still with a *moderate* higher output than say a true vintage set, it seems real even across the frequency range to me (I'm sure the neck material is helping here), and yet the bottom end of the note is really strong and not at all blurry. I've played it with both my PF350 thru a 210AV, and my Aggie TH500 thru my 410HLF, and tho the 410 can get really woofy, it wasn't out of control and bloomed really well.

I'm sure it would stay true to this yet with more top end with a set of rounds on it, but the 9050's are already kinda bright flats already (moreso than chromes, imo, and I like that)...so it's just a really good P tone.
 
#16
hover said:
Hey folks, just thought I'd share the rebirth of my late 90's MIM P-Special...it's been in the works for some time now, but finally got it rewired and setup the way I need it, so I can start gigging it again.

The truss rod had maxed out on the original neck, and there was a bit of twist, and no amount of washers behind the adjust nut would remedy the playability / action, and bummed as I was as it was my main gig bass for a decade+, I figured it was time to give it some TLC.

It originally had SD 1/4-pounders in it, and I a lot of times felt the mids were just neutered out of the tone...I had replaced the original bridge with a BadAssII in effort to focus the tone a bit an it did help a bit but still not *there*, so those had to go too (the pups).

Only things original left on the bass are the body, neck attach screws and the side jack receptacle. Maybe a couple pickguard screws...
The new:
Warmoth J neck in Goncalo Alves with a Pau Ferro fretboard, "vintage" frets.
Warmoth Brown Shell pickguard to carry the color theme of the neck.
Bill Lawrence P-46 pickup and full CTS pots /wiring.
Hipshot US Ultralites
Hipshot 3-string retainer
TUSQ nut.
Fender 9050's.

Thump for days. Super excited to start gigging it again...it's weird how even though it's practically a new bass, it feels so much like the old one originally did in how it sits (but a lot better playing). Odd? Anyway, thought you might like. Not flashy, not terribly modern, but everything I need in a bass. Perfect partner to my '66 J.
Click to expand...

Outstanding! :)
 
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