Unveiling ~ Part Two: Projekt Blue II

[Malak the Mad]

NEWS FLASH! MAD COMPULSIVE TINKERER HAS RADICALLY MODIFIED HIS BASS ONCE AGAIN! ENTIRE BASS-PLAYING WORLD IS TOTALLY-NOT-SURPRISED! FILM AT ELEVEN!!

Now that my never-ending remodeling is nearing completion, I finally have some workspace to mod and/or assemble the Projekt basses I've been mentally chewing on for a year or more! Two things of note, though...

1. I'm not going to say anything like, "This is THE LAST TIME I'll modify this bass!". I probably told myself exactly that five or six years ago. I simply have to accept the fact that my fickle restless soul may compel me to do something drastic again.
   
2. That being said, I'm surprised I went six years before building a new iteration around this lovely Mighty Mite body.

So, without further ado, I submit to all my TalkBass kin, Projekt Blue version 2.3!

First, some "vanity shots", then the technical specs on the following post.

 

[Malak the Mad]

Neck: A gorgeous Squier Classic Vibe '70s Jazz neck from 2019, the year the second generation hit the market. I fell in love with it the moment I saw it on the wall at my local Guitar Center, what with that amazing grain complemented by the amber tinting. I bought it brand-new with a trade-in discount and originally mounted it on my 2020 Lockdown Build, The Sienna Projekt.

More and more, though, I thought it would look pretty damn sweet on my Transparent Blueburst Might Mite body and personally, I think it kicks ass just as much as the original neck did. Not better, but simply a different variation on the theme.

And of course, the obligatory "Hipshot Ultralites with Drop-D Tuner" mod.

 

[Malak the Mad]

Pickups and Wiring: Ever since I tried my first Bartolini pickup in yet another parts-bass Projekt, I've become rather fond of them, especially their "Classic Bass" pups. So, after some patient online shopping, I scored good deals on two, separate purchases...

1. Bartolini BRP8CBP Classic Precision Bass Pickup
2. Bartolini 9CBJD-L3 Classic "Bright-Voice" Dual-Coil Jazz Bass Bridge Pickup

Having run into issues with an imbalance between the neck and bridge pups, I wanted to make sure the bridge pickup could hold it's own when mixed with the neck pickup or when flying solo. So far, I'm liking what I hear, but I will probably have to drop the height on the P-pup, 'cuz it kicks like a freakin' mule! It's powerful, but neither too harsh nor muddy.

As for the controls, I went with a hardwired, push-pull series/parallel wiring job...again, courtesy of my local Guitar Center. (Thanks again, guys! ) Add in some Thomastik-Infeld POWERBASS roundwound strings and she's ready to rock! (Some TB'er referred to these TI's as "the Rolls Royce of Strings" and I gotta agree. They feel as good as they sound.)