I was refering to the string retainer bar length, which exists in 42mm, 45mm, 55mm...
I think 45mm is the one closer to the nut width.
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Squier Vintage Modified Precision V: who's got one?
- Thread starter Chef
- Start date
I think 45mm is the one closer to the nut width.
As will these:
View attachment 2950396[/QUOTE]
I have the same string retainers on my Valenti bass. When I had Hipshot ultralite tuners installed on my VMP5, I wanted the same retainers installed as well but my tech said they wouldn’t fit. It’s good to see that they in fact DO fit and maybe I’ll install them sometime.
View attachment 2950396[/QUOTE]
I have the same string retainers on my Valenti bass. When I had Hipshot ultralite tuners installed on my VMP5, I wanted the same retainers installed as well but my tech said they wouldn’t fit. It’s good to see that they in fact DO fit and maybe I’ll install them sometime.
I have .045 to .130, Ghs
Hi Glazenn: My string bar measures 40 mm. I got two of them from either All-Parts or Warmoth.
Did it make any difference to the dead spot on the G string?THIS will get the B tighter and increase presenceView attachment 2950353
The rest of the parts for my P-J setup finally arrived today.
I miss the early 80’s, when I lived a few miles from a well-stocked electronic parts house...
I had to look pretty hard to find good pots to use for this project, and ended up spending $73 with shipping for three sealed Bourns pots, a mini-toggle switch and suitable knobs. At this point, I’ve thrown about $500 into what started out as a cheap, throwaway P-bass. That’s not counting labour.
Still, no regrets. I’m looking forward to shielding and wiring up the new electronics, and the refin on the body is nearly completed. Should be a fun weekend!
I miss the early 80’s, when I lived a few miles from a well-stocked electronic parts house...
I had to look pretty hard to find good pots to use for this project, and ended up spending $73 with shipping for three sealed Bourns pots, a mini-toggle switch and suitable knobs. At this point, I’ve thrown about $500 into what started out as a cheap, throwaway P-bass. That’s not counting labour.
Still, no regrets. I’m looking forward to shielding and wiring up the new electronics, and the refin on the body is nearly completed. Should be a fun weekend!
I have done the following on my CAR VMP5:
Next: installing a 5-string retainer bar and possibly upgrading the control panel components.
Finding a '57/'58 anodised pickguard is impossible, right?
- Chromes 45-132
- Sire Marcus Miller V7-5 bridge (heavy mass saddles)
- Soft foam bar next to the saddles
Next: installing a 5-string retainer bar and possibly upgrading the control panel components.
Finding a '57/'58 anodised pickguard is impossible, right?
Shielding in, ready for soldering the seams and adding a ground wire to the bridge pickup cavity.
As usual, I folded the top edges of the foil over to meet the ground plane on the back of the pickguard:
I opened up the area between the stock control and pickup cavities. If I ever add a preamp, there should be room for a circuit board and additional controls.
As usual, I folded the top edges of the foil over to meet the ground plane on the back of the pickguard:
I opened up the area between the stock control and pickup cavities. If I ever add a preamp, there should be room for a circuit board and additional controls.
Yes, if I can find a blank sheet of (brushed?) gold anodized aluminum (225 mm min. x 375 mm min., 1.5 mm thick), I can cut it using the existing PG as a template, no bevel is needed, but I don't know how to color the external side in gold. This (anodization) is generally done once the PG has been cut out, I believe.
I would simply cut the new guard out of unfinished aluminum, then send it out for anodizing.
If you live reasonably close to a medium-sized city, it should be no problem to find a shop with anodizing equipment. You could probably do it via mail order, for that matter.
No regrets here either - though mine is mostly my classroom bass that i keep at work - I’m doing some thinning of the herd and this one’s staying put!
Well, that was interesting!
Finished up the install this afternoon, started tweaking the setup after dinner, and then spent the rest of the evening enjoying my "new" bass!
Some photos along the way:
Factory "shielding" on the pick guard, is some sort of metallic film on a paper sticker. Pretty lame, and didn't cover the location for the new VVT layout anyway, so I did copper foil.
I went with Bourns sealed pots, and decided on 500KA for this build. More on that later...
The mini switch is currently wired for series Neck/Bridge. When it's active, the Neck volume control is bypassed. Wasn't wowed by it, so I think I'm going to stick with regular parallel operation, and re-purpose the switch as a tone control bypass...
Finished up the install this afternoon, started tweaking the setup after dinner, and then spent the rest of the evening enjoying my "new" bass!
Some photos along the way:
Factory "shielding" on the pick guard, is some sort of metallic film on a paper sticker. Pretty lame, and didn't cover the location for the new VVT layout anyway, so I did copper foil.
I went with Bourns sealed pots, and decided on 500KA for this build. More on that later...
The mini switch is currently wired for series Neck/Bridge. When it's active, the Neck volume control is bypassed. Wasn't wowed by it, so I think I'm going to stick with regular parallel operation, and re-purpose the switch as a tone control bypass...
Made a couple of interesting discoveries while I was wiring it up.
As much as I've enjoyed the VMP5, I've always found it a bit mellower than I would like. The '64 Precision I had in college had a lot more grind.
Swapping in an Am Std pickup didn't help. Stripping, lightening and refinishing it helped, but not enough.
It turns out that I should have tested the OEM volume and tone pots before I committed to the PJ conversion. I checked them when I took them out, and they measured 227 and 200K. That's low enough to affect the volume and treble...
Anyhoo, the body was already routed, so on with the job.
I had already purchased 500KA pots for the new setup, and all three were between 520 and 540K. Boy, did that ever wake it up. With the neck pickup full up and the bridge off, I have to roll the tone back a bit for fingerstyle, just like my Dingwall. It's always better to have to roll off a little bit of bite, than to not have enough...
Other observations:
An out-of-spec component can throw you off your game, even if it doesn't crackle or display other obvious faults.
As much as I've enjoyed the VMP5, I've always found it a bit mellower than I would like. The '64 Precision I had in college had a lot more grind.
Swapping in an Am Std pickup didn't help. Stripping, lightening and refinishing it helped, but not enough.
It turns out that I should have tested the OEM volume and tone pots before I committed to the PJ conversion. I checked them when I took them out, and they measured 227 and 200K. That's low enough to affect the volume and treble...
Anyhoo, the body was already routed, so on with the job.
I had already purchased 500KA pots for the new setup, and all three were between 520 and 540K. Boy, did that ever wake it up. With the neck pickup full up and the bridge off, I have to roll the tone back a bit for fingerstyle, just like my Dingwall. It's always better to have to roll off a little bit of bite, than to not have enough...
Other observations:
- The Am Std pickup is about 10K ohms, and the Area J is about 9.5K.
- The P is rounder and louder than the J, so I lowered the P a bit from Fender spec.
- I used the DiMarzio PJ wiring diagram, but the blended tones lacked low end. There was also an odd cocked-wah effect partway through the volume sweep.
- The Dimarzio appears to be reverse polarity. Reversing the neck pickup leads improved the blended tones, so I'm leaving it that way.
- The sealed Bourns 95 pots stay where you put them, and feel very smooth.
- Audio taper is perfect for the tone control, but I should have gone Linear for the volume pots. Audio taper for volume, makes the top part of the sweep too abrupt for fine blend adjustments.
- The Area J (DP551) works very well with a Fender Am Standard or the stock Squier pickup at the neck. It's loud enough to balance well, as long as you have it far enough away from the bridge. Both pickups are very resistant to noise and interference.
- If I was doing a PJ using the conventional 60's or '70's bridge position, I'd choose something hotter, maybe a Duncan QP or an Ultra J. But for burpy fingerstyle with this setup, I like the Area J just as it is.
An out-of-spec component can throw you off your game, even if it doesn't crackle or display other obvious faults.
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Here’s my PJ offering, finally done!
When I bought this bass for $180 Cdn a few years back, it was already converted to a PJ setup with a DiMarzio Ultra Jazz added to the stock pickup. I put in a new pickguard, Hipshot hardware and an Audere Classic preamp.
I’m very happy with how it plays and sounds. The Audere has a reputation of being very transparent, and I find it is. Not every tone is a gem, but there are certainly enough of them. I find it very easy to quickly dial in different sounds to fit the particular song. It’s my only five string, and my 8 other electric bass guitars all have jazz width necks, but because of the thinness of the neck front to back, it doesn’t feel so out of place with the rest of them.
My only other fiver was Mexican Jazz from a decade ago that had a neck that just couldn’t be set up well. So this is my second kick at the can, as it were. I don’t think this bass will convert me it a real five string player (I’m too old to change!), but it is handy to have a fiver in the stable!
When I bought this bass for $180 Cdn a few years back, it was already converted to a PJ setup with a DiMarzio Ultra Jazz added to the stock pickup. I put in a new pickguard, Hipshot hardware and an Audere Classic preamp.
I’m very happy with how it plays and sounds. The Audere has a reputation of being very transparent, and I find it is. Not every tone is a gem, but there are certainly enough of them. I find it very easy to quickly dial in different sounds to fit the particular song. It’s my only five string, and my 8 other electric bass guitars all have jazz width necks, but because of the thinness of the neck front to back, it doesn’t feel so out of place with the rest of them.
My only other fiver was Mexican Jazz from a decade ago that had a neck that just couldn’t be set up well. So this is my second kick at the can, as it were. I don’t think this bass will convert me it a real five string player (I’m too old to change!), but it is handy to have a fiver in the stable!
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I have a Squier VM P5 - I bought it from the TB classified section. The seller was awesome and I eneded up getting a really good instrument. There are some really nice upgrades (Hipshot USA tuners, American Standard PU with CTS pots & jack - all the essential improvements). Unfortunately the bass is Candy Apple Red which I am not a fan of so I am thinking of buying another body (nothing on Stratosphere) and reselling mine - or maybe trading it. I think there are only three colour options: CAR, Oly White & Sunburst - is this correct? I like the sunburst but I rarely see them available.
