BRY jazz bass

[ghotiphry]

Hi guys.  Haven't been feeling all that well recently, huge allergy attack.  I've been working on it when I can.  It's almost done.

Specs:
Warmoth body and paint: solid swamp ash with flame maple top.
Warmoth neck, pau ferro with pau ferro fretboard, standard contour
Lace alumitone pickups in P/J configuration
John East j-retro 01 deluxe preamp
Babicz bridge
Hipshot ultralight tuning machines
Mastery Industries string tree
Custom neck plate

I'm trying something a little different on the wiring.  I found these polarized latching connectors and housings from Hansen Hobbies, and I'm doing a "quick change" wiring harness.  I'm soldering the wires into the terminals.

By the way, those aren't scratches in the body in the last pic, at least one is an errant strand of wire.

 

[Cagey]

Sorry to hear you aren't feeling well. Makes it tough to do anything. Hope it passes soon.

By the way, those aren't scratches in the body in the last pic, at least one is an errant strand of wire.

I work on a lot of other people's stuff and I'm always terrified I'm going to scuff/scratch an otherwise perfectly good new finish. So, I use what some call "anti-molestation film"...

...which you'll find on clear screens for new computer monitors, TVs,  pickguards, phones, cars, etc. These guys just call it "masking", which is another good use for it.

Anyway, it's a low-tack clear film that protects or masks an area off without risking damage to the underlying finish or material. Works great, and eases the mind about handling new bodies. While that particular film at the link is thicker than what you may recall from pickguards and whatnot, you can still hurt things if you really lay into them. But, it beats the hell out of nothing.

 

[stratamania]

I have often thought of using some kind of connectors like that. On a top mounted Strat its not really worth it, but on Teles and anything where wires get routed through wood to get to a control cavity I could see them being useful for changes down the road.

What does the pre-amp do?

I have toyed with the idea of building a J bass but when I start looking at pickups and controls and things bassists are using  I am out of my comfort zone with what to look for.

 

[ghotiphry]

Cagey, I didn't even know that stuff existed in nature.  I'll check it out, thank you.

Stratmania, it does lots of stuff.  I'm an admitted control junkie, I like to have lots of stuff at my fingertips, so to say.  A lot of stuff it does one can also usually effect with amp tone controls.  But I also think it looks cool as hell, even if it is overkill.

ctrl 1: volume/blend
ctrl 2: bass (boost only)/treble (boost/cut) pull for brightness
ctrl 3: mid level (boost/cut)/mid frequency
ctrl 4: passive tone (operates in active too)

switch 1: active mode: blend mix/both PUs equal
              passive mode: bridge PU only/both PUs in equal mix
switch 2: active/passive modes

I've built two other basses with Audere systems, which I like very much.  The East preamp has a few more novelties.

 

[ghotiphry]

Not much to post for work in progress, I think it's ready.  When I drilled the pickguard holes it seems I wasn't feeling well or seeing straight.  A bunch of them are just a little off, so that when you look at them from an angle they seem crooked.  And I'm not overly fond of the little gap I ended up with between the control plate and the pickguard.  I haven't resolved myself to filling/redrilling on all the holes that are wrong, yet.

 

[stratamania]

Looks cool. And thanks for the info on the pre-amp.

 

[rgand]

Beautiful. Impressive electronics, there. Overall a great job on this one. I wouldn't worry about the slight gap between the control plate and p/g. You're the only one who will see it. Of course, that's the guy you have to satisfy. :glasses10:

 

[BigSteve22]

Very nice look, all clean and shiny!

Gotta agree with Rgand, if you hadn't of pointed it out, I wouldn't have noticed anything either.

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

Looks great.  If that gap bothers you, put a little electrical tape under it.  It won't fill the gap but it will keep the color of the body from jumping out at you.  I've never had 2 that matched up perfectly, just some better than others. 

I've used a Lace Alumitone p bass pickup on a build.  I like a little more high end, and the typical p bass sound and location has akways been a little thuddy for my tastes.  I've heard them described as Ric sounding.  I don't know what to think of it yet.

 

[BigSteve22]

If that gap bothers you, put a little electrical tape under it.

I like that! Sorta like moulding. To quite myself: "Moulding doth cover a multitude of sins...)

:icon_jokercolor:

 

[ghotiphry]

Thanks, guys.  Black tape, huh.  Not a bad idea.  And while it's not needed for noise reduction, I may want to paint the inside of the pickup routs, so you don't see the raw wood.

That P bass thumpy sound is actually what I wanted.  The Lace P pickup is certainly high output.  And it is that P sound, just more so.  Hard to really describe, although I've seen that people either really like it or really don't.  I really like it so far.  The J pickup seems less because of it, and I'm not sure what to do about that.  It seems lower output for starters, and next to the P it sounds tinny.  I'm not sure about that one.  It's still an experiment in progress.  They are easily swapped, and I may just do that.  I'm thinking I just might try toward the more inexpensive side and throw in some Seymour Duncan Quarter Pounders and see what sticks.

The Lace P/J was, for me, almost an impulse buy.  To me they look cool as hell, all that chrome, and almost no copper.  An expensive experiment.

 

[ghotiphry]

I'm reading what I want to hear about the Aguilar P/J set.  Good sound, and well balanced.  The experiment continues.

 

[AndyG]

That is a fantastic looking instrument.  Nice work!

If you are conisdering changing pickups you've gotta check out Nordstrand.  I have a pair of nj5s jazz pickups in my Deluxe 5, and they sound amazing.

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

They're high output, but there's not the treble loss associated with other high output pickups.  In fact, looking at them, I can't understand how they even work.

The thinness with J, does it sound out of phase?  Every P pickup I've ever shared with another, the P was always out of phase, including my Lace Alumitone.

 

[Great Ape]

Tasty...Tasty...very pretty!

 

[ghotiphry]

Thank you, guys.

I should have read up a bit more about P/J basses before building one.  To my ear, it doesn't sound out of phase, it's just that the P pickup is so much more powerful than the J.  Things that I'm reading are that many times people will custom wind the J pup 10% over to compensate.  Of course you can't do that with the Lace pickups.  I wanted to play last night, but didn't get to.  I want to re-listen to things before deciding to replace the pickups.  I'm not necessarily planning to get rid of the Lace pups, just add to my arsenal.  I do like the sound, it's just that I'm not sure I picked the best combination for a P/J.

I have a set of Nordstrand NJ4SEs in this bass below.  (older pic, I've changed a few things, always tinkering.  :help: )  Love that bass, it's become my favorite.  And yes, it does sound amazing.  I'm just not sold yet on their P/J offerings, although a set of theirs is not out of the running since I like the NJ4SEs so much.  I'm possibly on the lookout for Sadowsky also, they seem difficult to obtain.  I'm also reading good things about combining the DiMarzio Ultra J with a standard USA Fender P.  I might just try that DiMarzio with the Lace P.  Of course the Lace P is going to be higher output than the Fender P, so it probably won't work...

I'm still eyeing a set of Aguilars.

I also have a bass with a set of Fralin pups (single coils).  They offer a P/J set that has the J at 5% overwound.  A bit more expensive...  Possibly worth it.

Of course it could be as simple as adjusting the pup heights...

Too...many...choices...

 

[rgand]

Of course it could be as simple as adjusting the pup heights...

This could do the trick. i had a guitar with one pickup that overpowered the other one. I adjusted the weak one considerably closer to the strings than the other and it worked great. Fortunately the bridge pickup was the weak one and the strings didn't move so far there.

 

[BigSteve22]

Nice bass! I see you have good good taste in guitars brother....

:icon_thumright:

 

[ghotiphry]

Thanks again, you guys.  I'm blushing.

So, after lowering the P pup a full quarter inch, I'm keeping them.  The P still has more than the J, especially in the bass range, but they do complement each other nicely, and they sound like they belong there.  I take back my "tinny" comment.  The P sounds like a P, only more so.  And the J sounds like a J, only more so.  Especially when soloing the pups.  Combined at 50/50, they work well together, with the P providing the bulk of the sonic signature and the J adding mid.

I'm very happy with the way everything turned out, even discounting what I consider sloppy workmanship on my part.

 

[rgand]

Thanks again, you guys.  I'm blushing.

So, after lowering the P pup a full quarter inch, I'm keeping them.  The P still has more than the J, especially in the bass range, but they do complement each other nicely, and they sound like they belong there.  I take back my "tinny" comment.  The P sounds like a P, only more so.  And the J sounds like a J, only more so.  Especially when soloing the pups.  Combined at 50/50, they work well together, with the P providing the bulk of the sonic signature and the J adding mid.

Glad to hear it. A friend of mine wants to build a bass someday and I'm paying attention to this because I know he'll want me to help him with it. :icon_thumright: