Hollow Swamp Ash J-Bass

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Got it all finished and setup. Here’s the specs.

Neck:
-J Bass reverse headstock
-thin contour
-10" radius
-6150 frets
-maple neck/rosewood fretboard
-abalone dots
-Corian nut
-21 frets
-vintage tint w/satin matte finish

Body:
-hollow (chambered) swamp ash
-tobacco burst w/satin matte finish
-3-ply mint/black/mint pickguard
-routed for double battery box
-jack on side of body

Electronics:
-EMG JV set pickups (vintage sounding versions of their normal J-Bass pickups)
-neck volume, bridge volume, 3-way toggle, master tone
-tone knob is pull/push for series/parallel making it 18v/9v

Hardware:
-Warmoth "W" neckplate fom Dangerous R6
-Gotoh bridge modified to accomodate string-thru routing
-Hipshot Ultralite 3/8" tuning machines
-Schaller strap locks
-Q-parts dome knobs, chrome w/green abalone cap

JBass07.jpg


JBass10.jpg


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P1040910.jpg


P1040918.jpg
 
-tone knob is pull/push for series/parallel making it 18v/9v

I'm confused. how do you wire batteries in series or parallel.

I understand switching from 18v to 9v,
and switching from series to parallel, but what.
Is it 18v while the pups are in series or 9v, and why?

Or is it just a typo?
 
»$¡r ¤ §¢hmøøþ¥« said:
-tone knob is pull/push for series/parallel making it 18v/9v

I'm confused. how do you wire batteries in series or parallel.

I understand switching from 18v to 9v,
and switching from series to parallel, but what.
Is it 18v while the pups are in series or 9v, and why?

Or is it just a typo?

Two 9v batteries in series are 18v.  Two 9v batteries in parallel are 9v.  The series/parallel pull/push is just for the battery output.  The pickups are switched with the 3-way toggle.  I think you're confusing the pickup switching with the battery switching.
 
Thanks for clarifying, like I said I was confuse.  :icon_scratch:


How did you do it?
Did you use two 9v boxes or an 18?


 
I guess the real question is WHY you would want to switch battery voltages? I cannot fathom a justifiable reason to do something like this, so please help enlighten us. I understand the how portion of the battery series/parallel

I've played (and built) a load of 9v and 18v basses and have never encountered an instance where a quality pre-amp needed the added headroom that 18v brings to the table (unless you enjoy slapping with the bass frequencies fully boosted and somehow find this 'sound' musical)

That said, I do mostly 18v systems when I use a pre-amp because that's what clients ask for. I've never been asked for a 9v/18v switchable system, and I've never had anyone inquire about such a switching option.

all the best,

R
 
SkuttleFunk said:
I guess the real question is WHY you would want to switch battery voltages? I cannot fathom a justifiable reason to do something like this, so please help enlighten us. I understand the how portion of the battery series/parallel

R

I don't think I could enlighten anyone, but on a custom piece, why not have superfluous custom wiring?

You're right.  It doesn't need it, and the differences between the 9v and 18v are noticeable, but probably won't find their way into my bag of tricks.  Here is the why.  It was easy, and didn't change the appearance, unless you count the differance between a single and double battery box.  The tone knob is the push/pull.  After the setup and play of it, I can already tell that I will use the 9v more than the 18v.  The bridge pickup sounds identical at both voltages, but the neck has more of a rounded contour at 18v, if that makes sense.  Why did I do it?  The short answer is because I can.  It's there if I want to do it without a major re-wire, I just flip a switch.  EMG also said that there systems were designed for 18v and could handle 27v, but the gains were neglible with 27v.
 
Hey, man, I really dig the reverse headstock on the J-Bass.  The whole thing just looks more, I don't know, swoopy.  Cool!
 
guitlouie said:
Hey, man, I really dig the reverse headstock on the J-Bass.  The whole thing just looks more, I don't know, swoopy.  Cool!
I kinda thawt the same thing, it gives it that certain...... je ne sais ce qui
 
I am genuinely really really glad you did the switchable battery thing just for the hell of it. That's so awesome, absolutely hillarious. Props to you, my friend.
 
I gigged with it Saturday night (a few hours ago).  This goes to show how preferences are.  One guy told me I should've put tuners with the big clover-leaf keys on it.  Five minutes later, another guy told me he was glad it didn't have big clover-leaf tuning keys.  Do what you like, F___ everybody else...within reason I guess.
 
»$¡r ¤ §¢hmøøþ¥« said:
How did you do it?
Did you use two 9v boxes or an 18?

Here's how I did it.  There are two 9v batteries on board.  It's just like doing a pickup series/parallel but with the poles of a battery rather than coils of a pickup.  To understand the switch, there are six prongs, it's really two switches.  The left side is isolated from the right side.  When the switch is up, the four prongs on top are on, kind of (it's confusing to try an explain this on a forum).  That is, the top is continuous to the middle, with the two sides isolated (the jumper connects them).  When the switch is down, the bottom is continuous with the middle, with the two sides isolated.

DPDTSeriesParallel.gif


Follow it like this.  This is in series with the switch up.  The battery starts at A+, it goes through the battery back to the middle prong of the left side of the switch as A-.  It travels to through the switch to the top left, takes the jumper to the top right of the switch.  It travel in the switch to B+, goes through the other battery and goes out B-.  I'll let you follow the parallel path with the switch down.
 
I did some more fine tuning on it today.  I did some filing to seat the strings lower in the nut.  I put some more foam under the pickups and got a final adjustment on the pickup height, voicing them together better.  I've got a football sidejack on it, and I never fully contoured it to match the body, so I did that too.     
 
Min@cious D. said:
Beautiful!
Classic though different  :icon_thumright:
How's it sound with the EMG's?

That's what I was going for.  A different twist on a classic look.  I had wanted the neck blocked and bound too, but those are showcase only items for now.  The closest thing I could find was a lefty that pops up in there every now and then, but they usually have Pearloid binding, which ain't for me.  In the long run, I wanted the reverse headstock more than the blocked and bound neck.  I'll keep my eye on the showcase from time to time for a blocked and bound righty with reverse heastock for my next build.

The EMGs?  Let's just say they love to be slapped.  It's a very aggressive sounding bass.  It does the J-Bass growl with the best of 'em.  Lots of highs and mids if you want 'em.
 
I really like blocks & binding. Am hoping to see a high grade birdseye maple Deluxe 5 neck with b&b in the showcase. Fingers crossed 4 the both of us then...
I've had EMG's on my Warmoth Streamer LX 5. I like a bit of slappin' around too...(basses for that matter :laughing3:).  EMG's will do the job!!!
:eek:ccasion14:
 
Wow, that's really nice, how do you like the reversed string tension?
 
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