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Show us your 3 pickup basses!

#281
OK, I wasn't going to post in this thread because my bass actually a 2 pup, but the way it's wired makes it kinda like a 3 pup.

Here it is, an SX Ursa 2 HUM. Short answer is, it's a beautiful one off J copy:

IMGP3281.jpg


Now for the rest of the story, I AM a J kinda guy. When this bass first appeared on Rondo's site, I thought it interesting, but I already had a 4 and 5 string with MM style HBs. Then another TBer (I think it was on here) got one and found out that the HB was a 4 wire! This got the brain to thinking (a dangerous thing).

Long story short, I put switch pots on the bridge volume control and the tone control that allow me to activate either coil of the HB, or both in either series OR parallel ( using basically half of this diagram [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]). Then I put a switch pot on the Neck volume control that allows it to either be in series or parallel with whatever I have chosen on the bridge HB, using a diagram like this http://www.guitarelectronics.com/pr...agram-1-Humbucker1-VolumeSeries-Parallel.html but with the output from my bridge pup as the second coil. Swiss army J!!

The range of tones I can get out of this thing is A-MA-ZING!!!! So far, the HB in series mode in series with the neck pup is a little dark for my tastes, and I think that I will mostly be using the HB in SC mode... I'm really surprised about the tonal difference between the 2 HB coils.

IMGP3282.jpg
 
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#284
dabbler said:
Ill think about it, but even I'd I show it, well it ain't pretty. I'm not a neat modder.
Click to expand...

I think I've seen exactly two guitars modded "neatly" in my whole life. I wouldn't worry about it being not very neat looking, I'm sure everyone here is used to seeing birds' nest wiring inside of the cramped quarters of a J-bass control cavity. It would just be nice to see what the actual setup looks like. :)
 
#285
Thanks dabbler. With the mods it counts. :-)

Does a single coil from the MM hum cancel with the J (completely) like a matched set of pickups would?

By the way, you got some really nice wood grain going there for a $100 bass - I'm sure its not one slab of wood but it looks like it is!!


dabbler said:
OK, I wasn't going to post in this thread because my bass actually a 2 pup, but the way it's wired makes it kinda like a 3 pup.

Here it is, an SX Ursa 2 HUM. Short answer is, it's a beautiful one off J copy:

IMGP3281.jpg


Now for the rest of the story, I AM a J kinda guy. When this bass first appeared on Rondo's site, I thought it interesting, but I already had a 4 and 5 string with MM style HBs. Then another TBer (I think it was on here) got one and found out that the HB was a 4 wire! This got the brain to thinking (a dangerous thing).

Long story short, I put switch pots on the bridge volume control and the tone control that allow me to activate either coil of the HB, or both in either series OR parallel ( using basically half of this diagram [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]). Then I put a switch pot on the Neck volume control that allows it to either be in series or parallel with whatever I have chosen on the bridge HB, using a diagram like this http://www.guitarelectronics.com/pr...agram-1-Humbucker1-VolumeSeries-Parallel.html but with the output from my bridge pup as the second coil. Swiss army J!!

The range of tones I can get out of this thing is A-MA-ZING!!!! So far, the HB in series mode in series with the neck pup is a little dark for my tastes, and I think that I will mostly be using the HB in SC mode... I'm really surprised about the tonal difference between the 2 HB coils.

IMGP3282.jpg
Click to expand...
 
#287
Flux Jetson said:
I think I've seen exactly two guitars modded "neatly" in my whole life. I wouldn't worry about it being not very neat looking, I'm sure everyone here is used to seeing birds' nest wiring inside of the cramped quarters of a J-bass control cavity. It would just be nice to see what the actual setup looks like. :)
Click to expand...

Gee, you guys are twisting my arm! :( OK, here it is:

IMGP3707a.jpg


IMGP3705a.jpg
 
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#288
Doner Designs said:
Thanks dabbler. With the mods it counts. :-)

Does a single coil from the MM hum cancel with the J (completely) like a matched set of pickups would?

By the way, you got some really nice wood grain going there for a $100 bass - I'm sure its not one slab of wood but it looks like it is!!
Click to expand...

1. Yes, the neck pup and the neckmost coil of the HB are very quiet when played together. Quieter in fact than the neck pup and the HB (both coils) together.

2. As a matter of fact, it took me a while to convince myself that it WASN'T 1 piece. The join is very well matched/hidden. :hyper:
 
#292
Thanks dwagner! I think it all comes down to patient attention to detail and having the right tools. The better the tools the less patience required. Of course coverage from a pickguard makes a world of difference - it's kinda scary routing at the bridge.

I did my first rectangular mudbucker route using a drill and a chisel. I cut the PG hole with a hacksaw blade.

For the second one I bought a dremel which made it a lot easier to cut the PG and was great for smoothing the edges of the cavity. Wood putty works great for smoothing out the bottom of the cavity.

I bought a router to cut the bridge pickup cavities on the AFB and an earlier prototype. Did both freehand after scoring the outline with a dremel (to avoid chipped laquer at the edges).

I can be pretty klutzy and impatient, so I think it comes down to, like I said, patience, tools and maybe most of all a desire to do it and ability to find some enjoyment in the process.

You can probably get a local luthier to do it for you for $50 to $75 if you take everything apart and just bring them the body and PG with the location clearly marked.

Good luck, have fun and consider experimenting first on a cheap bass body or hunk of scrap wood. :-)

Btw, I am thinking about doing the same thing with a J bass. Let us know how it goes and send pics! :-)

One other thing - chisels and routers can both do a lot of damage to flesh...be careful!!

dwagner said:
That Air Force bass is amazingly awesome...

How difficult was it to rout the spaces for the new pickups? I want to put a P in my Jazz.
Click to expand...
 
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#296
jbybj said:
This puppy has a 5 position switch, like a strat. Lace Sensor pups with V/B/T controls. Switch positions 1-3-5 give the individual pups, with a single coil character, and positions 2-4 give the neck and middle or the bridge and middle, with a humbucking character. It's a very fun bass to play, narrow slim neck.
DSCF4613.jpg

DSCF4612.jpg

DSCF4598.jpg
Click to expand...

This tuners RULES dude ! Where did you got them ? Were they expensive ?
 
#298
Doner Designs said:
Anyone done a triple on a Mustang (or even a double)?

I'm thinkin about adding J rails at the neck and bridge of my Mustang.

Joe Bardens are too expensive. Not sure who else makes rails (need rails for string spacing).
Click to expand...

I'm going to answer my own question thanks to some talkbass followup and discussion with Best Bass Gear..

- EMG are rails under the cover and are stacks
- Barts are rails but are split EA+DG, so string spacing might be an issue
- Barden and (I think) SGD are the only ones making rails that are split lengthwise
-Barden are the only ones with exposed rails
-Most without exposed poles are rails

If I take the plunge with the router on this bass it will probably be EMG. Bardens too expensive. I might go SGD if the backlog isnt too bad. Their pickups are awesome.
 

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