Winter Build Off 2022: P/J/MM hybrid

[truand85]

Finally received all the parts for my winter "build".

This is just me and a screwdriver putting things together.

Features:

CIJ Fender Precision body, modified to add a MM pickup at the bridge and stacked pots for volume + tone. Passive electronics.

CIJ Fender Jazz neck, maple, pearl blocks, bound. Original tuners.

P + MM Seymour Duncan pickups

Customized plate with FENDER etched (came with the body)

Pearl white Fender Precision pickguard

Here's the pile o parts:

 

[truand85]

It'll be a short thread considering. Had to take a soldering iron to it for cleanup, but it is done, plays great, sounds even better. Hell of loud for a passive bass. Here's the finished product:

 

[Beej]

 

[truand85]

Forgot to add: it weighs in at a nice 9.3lbs on a pretty accurate kitchen scale

 

[Gsnorgathon]

Looks tasty! What are the controls? Can you run the MM pickup as a single coil?

 

[truand85]

Looks tasty! What are the controls? Can you run the MM pickup as a single coil?

Stacked volume (for each pickup) and a tone knob, but you're giving me ideas...

 

[Flamingo21]

I won't deny it: I like the fact that I've now made 14% of all the posts in this thread.


That's one sweet looking bass! Tell us about the sound possibilities it offers.

 

[truand85]

Sound wise it's very versatile, the SD P singled out will sound how you'd expect and give you that typical P thump, while the MM singled out gives a lot of gritty zing, this bass sounds awesome when slapped though I'm definitely not much of a slap bass player.

Combining the two pickups is interesting but not straightforward, the MM pickup tends to be much louder so it's pretty versatile tone wise when blending, I haven't yet settled on a favorite blend level and I'm also entertaining adding a switch to run the MM as a single coil which should open up options even further.

After building it with the Jazz neck I also acquired a very nice 1972 Precision neck, also maple with pearloid blocks and bound white so I've been switching back and forth and experimenting. The Jazz neck with smaller spacing at the nut feels quicker but I'm more comfortable with a P nut width and seem to get less zing but extra thump, so I'm still on the fence as to which neck will end up on this one.

 

[patrickhowell]

Did you use the albino SMB-4A or ceramic SMB-4D? I just bought the alnico version for this bass to replace the Jazz pickup and pair with the Quarter Pound P pickup. I have the P pickup wired in parallel with a push-pull pot to switch it to series. I’m planning to do the same thing with the MM.

 

[Flamingo21]

@patrickhowell
Any particular reason for the strat jack?

 

[truand85]

Did you use the albino SMB-4A or ceramic SMB-4D? I just bought the alnico version for this bass to replace the Jazz pickup and pair with the Quarter Pound P pickup. I have the P pickup wired in parallel with a push-pull pot to switch it to series. I’m planning to do the same thing with the MM.

View attachment 4569216

It's an SMB-4D

 

[patrickhowell]

@patrickhowell
Any particular reason for the strat jack?

I don’t know, I just prefer them. I use them on all my builds.

 

[Flamingo21]

Cool!
Lately I've come across some negativity on strat jacks, and seeing someone who "just prefers them" cheers me up.

 

[truand85]

So I ended up taking off the Jazz neck and put on a 1972 Fender P neck that was refretted/blocked/bound by Fender Custom Shop. I'm holding out trying to find a 72 P body but couldn't wait to play this neck and as expected it's amazing.

Now the problem was what to do with the Jazz neck so... I built a Jazz bass.

Body came from the classifieds here, made by tripledguitars it is swamp ash with a birdseye top, the pickups are Fralins, electronics a high quality prewired kit found on Reverb. It's strung with Sunbeams and is a great bass!!

If you're gonna build one might as well build two right?

 

[Matt Liebenau]

I’m genuinely curious, not asking to be a jerk. That’s an actual 72 neck that was modded or a reissue? Either way both basses look good.

 

[truand85]

I’m genuinely curious, not asking to be a jerk. That’s an actual 72 neck that was modded or a reissue? Either way both basses look good.

No problem. It's a genuine 72 neck, refretted/bound/blocks done by Fender Custom Shop as a one off, with modern tuners though the string tree is original.