Unveiling VII: 2-Dimension Projekt

[Malak the Mad]

and for what it's worth I am looking at buying an Orange bass... (I can do orange but not red...or green) lol

Orange is a pretty bold statement. Green can be nice if you find the right color. I briefly had this American Standard in Jade Pearl Metallic which, unlike many other greens, is a milder and warmer color than most bold & brash emerald finishes one sees.

It's that splash of gold in the finish that really gives it warmth and depth. Sure, it may not be everyone's favorite, but I dig it…almost as much as my wife did.

Aww, crap…I forgot to count that one, as well as one other. Make that TWENTY-FIVE JAZZES!!

 

[Snakeman1066]

Orange is a pretty bold statement. Green can be nice if you find the right color. I briefly had this American Standard in Jade Pearl Metallic which, unlike many other greens, is a milder and warmer color than most bold & brash emerald finishes one sees.

It's that splash of gold in the finish that really gives it warmth and depth. Sure, it may not be everyone's favorite, but I dig it…almost as much as my wife did.

Aww, crap…I forgot to count that one, as well as one other. Make that TWENTY-FIVE JAZZES!!

Can't do red or green I have a serious aversion to both colors on anything

and I i had kept every bass I ever bought over the years i would now own over 50 basses...lol

again no such thing as too many...lol

 

[hypercarrots]

im far behind you. i've had 13 jazzes and 3 jazz style jaguars. still own 6 jazzes and 2 jaguars.

 

[Malak the Mad]

im far behind you. i've had 13 jazzes and 3 jazz style jaguars. still own 6 jazzes and 2 jaguars.

That's pretty impressive!

The tough thing for me to countenance is "Which one(s) would I keep if I have to perform a near-total fire sale?". Not counting a Squier VM Jaguar Special I just put up on the Classifieds, I have five Jazz/Jazz-style basses and this here Dimension projekt. And that's just fully-finished and ready-to-play basses. That's not counting the three or four other projekts that I've been slowly acquiring parts for and tossing around ideas of how they'll finally be finished. Each has their own story and occupy a special place in my mind, but I've had to face the hard reality that they're just "stuff" before. I think I'd have to be truly desperate to sell all but one.

And since I mentioned other projekts, I may as well lay out some of the other ideas I have for public consumption. I mean, it is my thread and all.

1. The closest one to completion is pretty much a straight-up Jazz bass with a teensy twist to the electronics. All it needs is a little routing to widen the neck pocket, a bridge installed, some strings and it's done.



For obvious reasons, this one will be titled "Projekt Amber", especially when I pair it up with the neck I've selected. I grabbed an overstock neck from Gamma Basses' @Joe Milstein. Like this "2D Projekt", it's all maple with binding and blocks, but a much deeper amber tint. I've already installed a set of beefy Fender Super 55's and had a push-pull pot installed to switch between series and parallel wiring. I've also got it set up with black hardware to keep the dark visual tones consistent.

Ultimately, I'll likely put this one up for sale once it's done. Not because I'm not liking what's coming together, but more like creating a functional art-piece with the intent on selling it at-cost. The hands-on experience and learning opportunities are my profits.

2. My long-stalled "Jazz-Ray Projekt". Geez, will I ever finish this beast?! I just need to work up the guts to attack it with some stain, a handful o' coats of wipe-on polyurethane and wire the damn thing up. I mean, I already have all the parts, but the staining and clear-coating part is a bit daunting.

3 & 4. I have two more Jazz bodies to play with…one finished and another without any finish. The finished one is another Gamma body I bought from Joe Milstein. (Thanks again, Joe! )

The other is a lightweight, paulownia Jazz body acquired courtesy of Guitar Fetish.

I'm still kicking around ideas for both of them in my head, but the urge to re-route one of them into either a J/HH or HH/HH is quite strong. Since the Gamma doesn't need a pickguard, it's top in the running to get the dual-humbucker treatment.

Honestly, I have almost all the parts I need already, so it'd just be a matter of doing the measuring and routing, grabbing the last bits I need, then handing it off my local GC guitar tech to wire it all up.

Who knows? I may end up creating a couple more "Unveiling" threads before too long.

 

[eastcoasteddie]

¡Like!
Really awesome product you got there!

Choosing a preamp was the next hurdle. On one hand, I'm not very well-versed in active basses. On the other, finding a preamp for a single-pickup bass that isn't prohibitively expensive is a bit of a challenge in of itself.

However, this really isn’t a hurdle. Any preamp can be used in a single pickup bass...just get rid of the blend pot and wire the preamp input straight to the pickup hot wire.
But as far as dedicated single-pickup preamps are concerned, I really like the Seymour Duncan STC-MM 3-band (comes in 3- or 4-knob versions, and I think it would have gone great in that bass. (And it can be wired for 18v, too...).
But in all, great job, man!!!

 

[Fishheadjoe]

Love the colour of the bass, I think it looks fantastic! Congrats OP, you done good!
Fishheadjoe

 

[Malak the Mad]

¡Like!
Really awesome product you got there!

Thanks, Eddie!

However, this really isn’t a hurdle. Any preamp can be used in a single pickup bass...just get rid of the blend pot and wire the preamp input straight to the pickup hot wire.
But as far as dedicated single-pickup preamps are concerned, I really like the Seymour Duncan STC-MM 3-band (comes in 3- or 4-knob versions, and I think it would have gone great in that bass. (And it can be wired for 18v, too...).
But in all, great job, man!!!

Yeah, I thought about all that. I was strongly considering an Audere preamp, as well as several others, but part of the challenge I set for myself was to find something that required minimal work (electronics aren't my strong suit…that's why I hand certain tasks off to the guitar tech ) and was effective as well as inexpensive. That SD preamp you mentioned cost three times what I paid for the Jackson preamp. Plus, it's so discreet in it's size, I didn't have to worry about doing additional routing.

 

[Malak the Mad]

Love the colour of the bass, I think it looks fantastic! Congrats OP, you done good!
Fishheadjoe

Many thanks, Joe! That finish is superb. I really lucked-out finding it. drool

The Stratosphere had two like it, but between them, I thought this one's grain was a bit more interesting, even if it wasn't a perfect book-match. Invalid Link Removed but I certainly don't regret my choice in the least. I even ran the choices through my wife, professional artist that she is, to see which one she'd choose. Fortunately, we both agreed on this one!

 

[Bass V]

Greetings and Salutations, Y'all!
Malak the Mad here submitting yet another parts-bass projekts for review and discussion. This time, I've concocted something quite a bit different than my previous works. Rather than assembling another Jazz-centric instrument, I wanted to try something with a Fender Dimension bass at it's core. A week after it's completion and shakedown trials, I give you my "2-Dimension Projekt". (…or just "2D" or short)
First, a whole bunch o' pictures!
Now, on to the "nuts & bolts"…

• Fender Deluxe Dimension Body (Cherryburst Finish)
• Squier Vintage Modified '70s Jazz Neck
• High-Mass Bridge w/. Threaded Saddles
• Jackson JE-2000 Low Impedence Active Preamp
• Invalid Link Removed
• Large Ultra Toggle Switch (DPDT, 2-WAY, ON-ON)
• Proline Knobs
• Gotoh Dual-Battery Box
• D'Addario FlexSteels (.100-.045)

I started this projekt back in August of 2018 when I snapped up the body from The Stratosphere. The Dimension's offset body shape always intrigued me, even though neck was not to my preference, so when I saw a good price on a minty-fresh body I got the ball rolling. Also, I really dig a nice, transparent Cherryburst finish drool, so that was an extra bit of incentive.

Most of my projekts come with their own fresh set of challenges and learning experiences and this one was no exception. Fortunately, what I thought was going to be the biggest hurdle turned out to be only a minor one.

Fender Dimension necks have 21-frets, not the more commonplace 20-frets. Luckily, the neck pocket had the same size and shape as most standard Fenders, so the Squier neck I installed was a perfect fit. Plus, the factory-installed pilot holes for the bridge weren't too far out of tolerance when combined with the slightly shorter neck, so the only "adaptational adjustment" I had to make was to push the bridge saddles back a little bit further to get proper intonation. So far, it seems to be working fine, but if push ever comes to shove, I can always move the bridge back a half an inch or so.

The second challenge was to find a pickup that would fit the Dimension's unique routing. Since finding one of it's pickups for sale on it's own is next to impossible, I had to find something that would fit a 39mm x 90mm space. After some research, I settled upon a Bartolini BB-style soapbar pickup. Specifically, I liked the sound samples I found of the "Classic Bass" version. It, too, fits just fine, even if there's a small amount of empty space around it…so-not a big deal!

Choosing a preamp was the next hurdle. On one hand, I'm not very well-versed in active basses. On the other, finding a preamp for a single-pickup bass that isn't prohibitively expensive is a bit of a challenge in of itself. But, since I wasn't in a huge rush, I was able to take my time and thoroughly research my options. Ultimately, I discovered an eBay seller who had a whole bunch of early-90s-era Jackson JE-2000 preamps.
(Think "Nick Menza/Marty Friedman-era Megadeth"…their best lineup, in my opinion.View attachment 3356425 Also, fun fact if you're thinking of grabbing one; there is no center detent on the EQ pots. That's why I chose knobs with a visible, white dot. )


Armed with my findings, I went to discuss my options with Mike, my local GC guitar tech. After some discussion, we both agreed the pickup and preamp would work well together and that the inclusion of a Series/Parallel switch was possible, so as to take full advantage of the Bart's capabilities. We also agreed to only wire it up to a single 9-volt battery. We didn't know if 18-volts would burn out the electronics, so better to play it safe. (The Dimension body is routed for a dual-battery box. Fortunately, the Gotoh box could be wired-up to run with only one battery.)

Once I did all the shopping, assembling and installing I could do on my own, I handed it over to Mike to perform the electronics work I'm not comfortable doing…and violá! She is finished and ready to play…all 8lb. 11oz. of her!

Overall, I am very happy with the results. The BB "Classic" Bartolini sounds super-sweet, especially in Series mode. It's has a nice and thick sound to it, but the FlexSteels preserve a good bit o' growl, especially when I really dig into them. Despite my lack of familiarity with active basses, the simplicity of the single-pickup, Treble/Bass config is not difficult for me to wrap my brain around. Considering how much I'm used to passive, two-pickup, V/V/T systems, that's saying something.

Lastly, there's the name I chose for this projekt, "2D". Over the course of assembling this beastie, I noticed all the "twos" contained within and without…two pickup modes, two EQ adjustments, two finish tones, Fender (Dimension) & Squier (Jazz) parts from two distinct product lines…so, the name seemed quite proper and fitting.

Thanks for checking out the newest results of my never-ending tinkering, doubly-so if you actually managed to read all this. Please feel free to comment and critique. All I ask is to keep it constructive.

I gotta do something similar to mine, it's the worst sounding bass ever but feels worthy of salvaging.
in reading, you seem to have gotten it to not sound bad, but are you thrilled or merely accepting of it?

 

[Malak the Mad]

I gotta do something similar to mine, it's the worst sounding bass ever but feels worthy of salvaging.
in reading, you seem to have gotten it to not sound bad, but are you thrilled or merely accepting of it?

Hardly "merely accepting it". I'm actually surprised I'm diggin' it as much as I am, what with my preference for two-pickup systems. Then again, having it wired for series/parallel configuration is almost like having two pickups to choose from, so it's still in that ballpark. Also, up until now my experience with Bartolini pickups was exactly "zilch", so I'm glad there were enough demo-vids for me to make an informed purchase decision. If I ever get another, I'll most likely stick with their "Classic Bass" style pups over their "Original" series. It's not that the latter sounded bad, but I thought the Classics sounded noticeably "thicker" to my ears.

In case you decide to try out some Barts in yours, here's something I learned…while the BB's fit just fine, it might be possible to fit an M3 pup in the Dimension's ovoid pickup route. At the time, I didn't want to chance it not fitting, so I went with the most compact model. That being said, I rather prefer the BB's rounded corners, so I call that a win/win, but it's good to know another should fit.

Just out of curiosity, which model and configuration do you have? One or two pickups, knob controls with or without a lever-switch, etc…? If you ever do a pickup swap, I'd love to know what you went with and how they sound with the factory preamp, assuming you keep that part intact.

 

[Bass V]

Hardly "merely accepting it". I'm actually surprised I'm diggin' it as much as I am, what with my preference for two-pickup systems. Then again, having it wired for series/parallel configuration is almost like having two pickups to choose from, so it's still in that ballpark. Also, up until now my experience with Bartolini pickups was exactly "zilch", so I'm glad there were enough demo-vids for me to make an informed purchase decision. If I ever get another, I'll most likely stick with their "Classic Bass" style pups over their "Original" series. It's not that the latter sounded bad, but I thought the Classics sounded noticeably "thicker" to my ears.

In case you decide to try out some Barts in yours, here's something I learned…while the BB's fit just fine, it might be possible to fit an M3 pup in the Dimension's ovoid pickup route. At the time, I didn't want to chance it not fitting, so I went with the most compact model. That being said, I rather prefer the BB's rounded corners, so I call that a win/win, but it's good to know another should fit.

Just out of curiosity, which model and configuration do you have? One or two pickups, knob controls with or without a lever-switch, etc…? If you ever do a pickup swap, I'd love to know what you went with and how they sound with the factory preamp, assuming you keep that part intact.

I got the bottom level Squier and am guessing the factory pre (if there is one lol) is a big part of the problem, but who knows... I prefer old school thump from mid & neck PUs but a nice woody bridge tone as well just as long as they have 'personality', willing to add a PU or 2, but really want the single to cut some thick mustard on it's own. may be asking too much but I'm betting the fix is out there, it'll take time to suss out and will update as it happens. thx for your input. ps, the fretboard isn't as barfy as it looks in the pic, it's actually rather decent.

 

[Malak the Mad]

I got the bottom level Squier and am guessing the factory pre (if there is one lol) is a big part of the problem, but who knows... I prefer old school thump from mid & neck PUs but a nice woody bridge tone as well just as long as they have 'personality', willing to add a PU or 2, but really want the single to cut some thick mustard on it's own. may be asking too much but I'm betting the fix is out there, it'll take time to suss out and will update as it happens. thx for your input. ps, the fretboard isn't as barfy as it looks in the pic, it's actually rather decent.
View attachment 3374983

All I see is a fretboard that could possibly use a little oil. What I'm wondering is if the Squier models have the same asymmetrical neck profile of it's American counterparts. (That profile was the big selling point for a friend's wife.) If not, then I'm guessing it's a straight-up Precision neck with a Dimension decal.

As for the pickup, it's quite possible it's one of Fender's twin-single-coil pickups, same as they used on the Fender Modern Players, only with an ovoid casing. If so, I can see where you're coming from. I tried out a couple of the MP's when they first game out and they felt nice, but the sound was okay. Not bad, just kinda "there". So, if you're considering a pickup upgrade (a "puppy-upper", if you will? ), the aforementioned Barts should fit. Just make sure you take some measurements first. For all I know, the Squier pickup isn't the same size as the MIM's.

 

[Bass V]

All I see is a fretboard that could possibly use a little oil. What I'm wondering is if the Squier models have the same asymmetrical neck profile of it's American counterparts. (That profile was the big selling point for a friend's wife.) If not, then I'm guessing it's a straight-up Precision neck with a Dimension decal.

As for the pickup, it's quite possible it's one of Fender's twin-single-coil pickups, same as they used on the Fender Modern Players, only with an ovoid casing. If so, I can see where you're coming from. I tried out a couple of the MP's when they first game out and they felt nice, but the sound was okay. Not bad, just kinda "there". So, if you're considering a pickup upgrade (a "puppy-upper", if you will? ), the aforementioned Barts should fit. Just make sure you take some measurements first. For all I know, the Squier pickup isn't the same size as the MIM's.

omg, I hope they aren't the same as the MP Jazz PU, I've been wanting a Modern Player JB...
the neck feels just like my sweet VM P/J, which is half the reason I kept this bass, that the fretboard isn't ugloid as it seems in the pic kept it from being instantly given away lol I always hold out hope when a bass turns out to be a dog, and there's a ton of potential with this one.

 

[Lil Mo]

I love it! But you know my affinity for the dimension. Would love to know how it sounds

Greetings and Salutations, Y'all!

Malak the Mad here submitting yet another parts-bass projekts for review and discussion. This time, I've concocted something quite a bit different than my previous works. Rather than assembling another Jazz-centric instrument, I wanted to try something with a Fender Dimension bass at it's core. A week after it's completion and shakedown trials, I give you my "2-Dimension Projekt". (…or just "2D" or short)

First, a whole bunch o' pictures!

View attachment 3621886
View attachment 3621887
View attachment 3621888
View attachment 3621889
View attachment 3621890
View attachment 3621891
View attachment 3621892
View attachment 3621893


Now, on to the "nuts & bolts"…

• Fender Deluxe Dimension Body (Cherryburst Finish)
• Squier Vintage Modified '70s Jazz Neck
• Bartolini BB4CBC "Classic Bass" Soapbar Neck Pickup
• Jackson JE-2000 Low Impedence Active Preamp
• High-Mass Bridge w/. Threaded Saddles
• Large Ultra Toggle Switch (DPDT, 2-WAY, ON-ON)
• Proline Knobs
• Gotoh Dual-Battery Box
• D'Addario FlexSteels (.100-.045)

I started this projekt back in August of 2018 when I snapped up the body from The Stratosphere. The Dimension's offset body shape always intrigued me, even though neck was not to my preference, so when I saw a good price on a minty-fresh body I got the ball rolling. Also, I really dig a nice, transparent Cherryburst finish drool, so that was an extra bit of incentive.

Most of my projekts come with their own fresh set of challenges and learning experiences and this one was no exception. Fortunately, what I thought was going to be the biggest hurdle turned out to be only a minor one.

Fender Dimension necks have 21-frets, not the more commonplace 20-frets. Luckily, the neck pocket had the same size and shape as most standard Fenders, so the Squier neck I installed was a perfect fit. Plus, the factory-installed pilot holes for the bridge weren't too far out of tolerance when combined with the slightly shorter neck, so the only "adaptational adjustment" I had to make was to push the bridge saddles back a little bit further to get proper intonation. So far, it seems to be working fine, but if push ever comes to shove, I can always move the bridge back a half an inch or so.

The second challenge was to find a pickup that would fit the Dimension's unique routing. Since finding one of it's pickups for sale on it's own is next to impossible, I had to find something that would fit a 39mm x 90mm space. After some research, I settled upon a Bartolini BB-style soapbar pickup. Specifically, I liked the sound samples I found of the "Classic Bass" version. It, too, fits just fine, even if there's a small amount of empty space around it…so-not a big deal!

Choosing a preamp was the next hurdle. On one hand, I'm not very well-versed in active basses. On the other, finding a preamp for a single-pickup bass that isn't prohibitively expensive is a bit of a challenge in of itself. But, since I wasn't in a huge rush, I was able to take my time and thoroughly research my options. Ultimately, I discovered an eBay seller who had a whole bunch of early-90s-era Jackson JE-2000 preamps.
(Think "Nick Menza/Marty Friedman-era Megadeth"…their best lineup, in my opinion.View attachment 3356425 Also, fun fact if you're thinking of grabbing one; there is no center detent on the EQ pots. That's why I chose knobs with a visible, white dot. )


Armed with my findings, I went to discuss my options with Mike, my local GC guitar tech. After some discussion, we both agreed the pickup and preamp would work well together and that the inclusion of a Series/Parallel switch was possible, so as to take full advantage of the Bart's capabilities. We also agreed to only wire it up to a single 9-volt battery. We didn't know if 18-volts would burn out the electronics, so better to play it safe. (The Dimension body is routed for a dual-battery box. Fortunately, the Gotoh box could be wired-up to run with only one battery.)

Once I did all the shopping, assembling and installing I could do on my own, I handed it over to Mike to perform the electronics work I'm not comfortable doing…and violá! She is finished and ready to play…all 8lb. 11oz. of her!

Overall, I am very happy with the results. The BB "Classic" Bartolini sounds super-sweet, especially in Series mode. It's has a nice and thick sound to it, but the FlexSteels preserve a good bit o' growl, especially when I really dig into them. Despite my lack of familiarity with active basses, the simplicity of the single-pickup, Treble/Bass config is not difficult for me to wrap my brain around. Considering how much I'm used to passive, two-pickup, V/V/T systems, that's saying something.

Lastly, there's the name I chose for this projekt, "2D". Over the course of assembling this beastie, I noticed all the "twos" contained within and without…two pickup modes, two EQ adjustments, two finish tones, Fender (Dimension) & Squier (Jazz) parts from two distinct product lines…so, the name seemed quite proper and fitting.

Thanks for checking out the newest results of my never-ending tinkering, doubly-so if you actually managed to read all this. Please feel free to comment and critique. All I ask is to keep it constructive.View attachment 3356446

View attachment 3356447

 

[Malak the Mad]

I love it! But you know my affinity for the dimension. Would love to know how it sounds

Thanks, Mo! Given the radically different electronics and neck, it's really only a Dimension-in-name-only. That being said, I really like the end results. The "Classic" Bartolini pickup has a very rich texture, but is responsive enough to the EQ controls to be versatile as hell. Maybe someday I'll get a preamp that has more than just bass and treble controls to see what some mid-boost/cut brings to the table. For now, though, I'm plenty happy with what I've got.

If I still have it, I'll be sure to bring it next time I'm in the area so you can get your own impressions. I'm always up for getting feedback from actually gigging musicians.

Speaking of pickups, I was told how much you liked the sound of the Fender Performer's "Yosemite" pickups, so I got a set to drop into one of my '70s-style parts-basses. I'll let you know how they work out.

 

[Malak the Mad]

Well, I've gone and done it again…or, at the very least, got the ball rolling again! Stratosphere Parts had a stoopid-deal that I could not resist! Brand-new and unloaded Dimension bodies to 50% off their already marked down price. And by "brand-new and unloaded", I mean don't even have pilot holes for the pickguard.

(Just a guess, but I'm betting they got all their Dimension bodies wholesale and direct from Fender's factory.

)

This time around, it's an American Deluxe Dimension IV HH body. The specs say it has an ash body underneath the glossy black finish. Given the somewhat feathery 3lb.14oz., I'm inclined to believe them.

This new "2-Dimension Projekt" is still in the planning stages, but at this point, I might mount a Fender Aerodyne neck on it that I have lying around here. That, or I might go with an all-maple neck with blocks & binding, just like another Projekt o' mine…

I'm still up in the air over which pickups to go with, but I am leaning towards a set of Seymour Duncan NYC's. I liked what I heard on their website's demo and am intrigued by the idea of some kind of coil-switching configuration. Whichever direction I take this, my options are slightly limited by the size of the pickup routes. I'll go ahead and say right now that I'm not interested in routing out larger spots, so that idea is right off the table. Besides, as long as the pickup is no wider than 89mm, it'll fit just fine.

I don't think I'm going to go with a blade-switch, though. Instead, I might have my local guitar tech wire each pickup to it's own three-way, ON/ON/ON switch. I'll have to discuss options with him when life gets back to something more like normal.

Thoughts? Comments? Suggestions? (Large sums of untraceable cash? ) Feel free to send them my way! The worse I can do is say, "Hell, no! ", right?

 

[Malak the Mad]

After a few years, I finally got to show off my Projekt to @Lil Mo just before this past Christmas. For those who don't know already, she's easily the biggest fan of Fender Dimension basses I know. (As in, "She managed to score herself a Dimension prototype!" level of fan. )

What really stood out in my mind during the conversation was her telling me, "It sounds like a Dimension!" even though it's not loaded with a stock pickup, so it seems I unintentionally nailed it. And coming from her, that's one helluva compliment!

Since Fender doesn't sell OEM Dimension pickups, I figured I should mention this in case someone either needs to replace a faulty pup or they want to assemble something that sounds pretty damn close to one.

 

[CletusMarley]

Greetings and Salutations, Y'all!

Malak the Mad here submitting yet another parts-bass projekts for review and discussion. This time, I've concocted something quite a bit different than my previous works. Rather than assembling another Jazz-centric instrument, I wanted to try something with a Fender Dimension bass at it's core. A week after it's completion and shakedown trials, I give you my "2-Dimension Projekt". (…or just "2D" or short)

First, a whole bunch o' pictures!

View attachment 3621886
View attachment 3621887
View attachment 3621888
View attachment 3621889
View attachment 3621890
View attachment 3621891
View attachment 3621892
View attachment 3621893


Now, on to the "nuts & bolts"…

• Fender Deluxe Dimension Body (Cherryburst Finish)
• Squier Vintage Modified '70s Jazz Neck
• Bartolini BB4CBC "Classic Bass" Soapbar Neck Pickup
• Jackson JE-2000 Low Impedence Active Preamp
• High-Mass Bridge w/. Threaded Saddles
• Large Ultra Toggle Switch (DPDT, 2-WAY, ON-ON)
• Proline Knobs
• Gotoh Dual-Battery Box
• D'Addario FlexSteels (.100-.045)

I started this projekt back in August of 2018 when I snapped up the body from The Stratosphere. The Dimension's offset body shape always intrigued me, even though neck was not to my preference, so when I saw a good price on a minty-fresh body I got the ball rolling. Also, I really dig a nice, transparent Cherryburst finish drool, so that was an extra bit of incentive.

Most of my projekts come with their own fresh set of challenges and learning experiences and this one was no exception. Fortunately, what I thought was going to be the biggest hurdle turned out to be only a minor one.

Fender Dimension necks have 21-frets, not the more commonplace 20-frets. Luckily, the neck pocket had the same size and shape as most standard Fenders, so the Squier neck I installed was a perfect fit. Plus, the factory-installed pilot holes for the bridge weren't too far out of tolerance when combined with the slightly shorter neck, so the only "adaptational adjustment" I had to make was to push the bridge saddles back a little bit further to get proper intonation. So far, it seems to be working fine, but if push ever comes to shove, I can always move the bridge back a half an inch or so.

The second challenge was to find a pickup that would fit the Dimension's unique routing. Since finding one of it's pickups for sale on it's own is next to impossible, I had to find something that would fit a 39mm x 90mm space. After some research, I settled upon a Bartolini BB-style soapbar pickup. Specifically, I liked the sound samples I found of the "Classic Bass" version. It, too, fits just fine, even if there's a small amount of empty space around it…so-not a big deal!

Choosing a preamp was the next hurdle. On one hand, I'm not very well-versed in active basses. On the other, finding a preamp for a single-pickup bass that isn't prohibitively expensive is a bit of a challenge in of itself. But, since I wasn't in a huge rush, I was able to take my time and thoroughly research my options. Ultimately, I discovered an eBay seller who had a whole bunch of early-90s-era Jackson JE-2000 preamps.
(Think "Nick Menza/Marty Friedman-era Megadeth"…their best lineup, in my opinion.View attachment 3356425 Also, fun fact if you're thinking of grabbing one; there is no center detent on the EQ pots. That's why I chose knobs with a visible, white dot. )


Armed with my findings, I went to discuss my options with Mike, my local GC guitar tech. After some discussion, we both agreed the pickup and preamp would work well together and that the inclusion of a Series/Parallel switch was possible, so as to take full advantage of the Bart's capabilities. We also agreed to only wire it up to a single 9-volt battery. We didn't know if 18-volts would burn out the electronics, so better to play it safe. (The Dimension body is routed for a dual-battery box. Fortunately, the Gotoh box could be wired-up to run with only one battery.)

Once I did all the shopping, assembling and installing I could do on my own, I handed it over to Mike to perform the electronics work I'm not comfortable doing…and violá! She is finished and ready to play…all 8lb. 11oz. of her!

Overall, I am very happy with the results. The BB "Classic" Bartolini sounds super-sweet, especially in Series mode. It's has a nice and thick sound to it, but the FlexSteels preserve a good bit o' growl, especially when I really dig into them. Despite my lack of familiarity with active basses, the simplicity of the single-pickup, Treble/Bass config is not difficult for me to wrap my brain around. Considering how much I'm used to passive, two-pickup, V/V/T systems, that's saying something.

Lastly, there's the name I chose for this projekt, "2D". Over the course of assembling this beastie, I noticed all the "twos" contained within and without…two pickup modes, two EQ adjustments, two finish tones, Fender (Dimension) & Squier (Jazz) parts from two distinct product lines…so, the name seemed quite proper and fitting.

Thanks for checking out the newest results of my never-ending tinkering, doubly-so if you actually managed to read all this. Please feel free to comment and critique. All I ask is to keep it constructive.View attachment 3356446

View attachment 3356447

Very cool!!

 

[InstantEctobass]

Hello @Malak the Mad ! Beautiful body and project! I'm myself doing a project with a Modern Player Dimension; should I make a thread about it?

A small suggestion, since you went from 21 to 20 frets, what about unscrewing the bridge and screwing it back a little further away from the neck to accommodate for the scale length?

 

[Malak the Mad]

Hello @Malak the Mad ! Beautiful body and project! I'm myself doing a project with a Modern Player Dimension; should I make a thread about it?

Sure! Go for it!

A small suggestion, since you went from 21 to 20 frets, what about unscrewing the bridge and screwing it back a little further away from the neck to accommodate for the scale length?

Like I said in the original post...

Plus, the factory-installed pilot holes for the bridge weren't too far out of tolerance when combined with the slightly shorter neck, so the only "adaptational adjustment" I had to make was to push the bridge saddles back a little bit further to get proper intonation. So far, it seems to be working fine, but if push ever comes to shove, I can always move the bridge back a half an inch or so.

The couple of times I've tried to install a bridge myself, it always seems to be slightly askew. Maybe by only a little bit, but enough that it bothers me. The bridge is a perfect, drop-in replacement for most Fender Standard/Player/Squier bridges and it allows me to compensate for the 21-fret/20-fret conversion without drilling new holes. No fuss...no muss!

Different bass, but it has the same model bridge. Note how much "wiggle room" it gives you for intonation...