Plug n spray? (Rerouting a rear routed body)

[swarfrat]

Just bought me a Rondo sale 5-string bass. I was looking for a super tight string spacing 5-string P, and instead its routed for a MM bridge and a jazz neck. The Ibanez Talman TMB 105 was tempting, but they broke with ibanez tradition and used an 18mm spacing, and i wanted a narrow spacing for a hard rock flat picking machine for a guitar player who dabbles in bass.

If i route, block it, reroute for a P, and paint, how deep do i want to go? Just deep enough to hold pickup screws?

 

[Cagey]

I'm confused. What are you routing, and why?

 

[swarfrat]

Cause it's a got funky shaped pickups in the wrong places, and it's rear routed.

 

[AirCap]

Pictures, or it didn't happen!

(what we have here, is failure to communicate)

 

[swarfrat]

It currently looks like so:

I was after a tight spaced flatpicker's 5-string P-bass. None of which seem to exist. The Rondo has a 16.5mm spacing at the bridge. The MM pickup isn't an easily replaced size (it's not a standard MM5). Neither is the 5J. Was thinking about plugging them both and dropping a quarter pound P right where God told Leo to put it. (It's a shame he got the bridge spacing wrong. Leo must've converted from metric wrong when he made it 1.65 inches between strings instead of 16.5mm on the P-bass)

 

[Cagey]

Without a pickguard, you've got a long row to hoe changing pickups around. Maybe that's something to consider. Put a 'guard on it, and you wouldn't have to do any filling or painting. Just route what you need for whatever pickup(s) you choose and call it a love story.

 

[stratamania]

Or why not leave it as it is, or use pickups that will fit.

The funky pickups seem to fit the design of the bass.

 

[swarfrat]

Because you can't fit a P-bass sound in a j-bass slot. It requires a large aperture split coil. It'll fit in a big soapbar route, but not in a skinny j-route.

 

[stratamania]

Because you can't fit a P-bass sound in a j-bass slot. It requires a large aperture split coil. It'll fit in a big soapbar route, but not in a skinny j-route.

Well yes, but just curious why not get a P bass style to begin with if that was what you wanted or something that had a P bass style pickup rout ?

 

[swarfrat]

Because 5-string pbasses have a couple yards between their strings. This is the mechanical platform i was after to a T, just not the pickups i wanted. I think i'll have to explore the pickguard route, but custom cut would likely be the only way.

Actually the simplest route (heh) is probably to route a 2nd MM route and then explore pickup options. That makes too much sense, so its probably what I'll do.

 

[stratamania]

Ah ok, so you have a narrower string spacing and narrower than standard pickups, and now replacement options are a challenge.

I suppose if you rout for standard type MM and J pickups and use something with a blade type pickup or EMGs or the like then you wont have to be concerned then about polepiece alignment.

 

[swarfrat]

4-string P works just fine from what I've heard. The biggest drawback is musicians are notoriously OCD particularly if MOJO is involved. Worst case, I'l route for something bigger than what's in there and see if Ken can help me out, send him the carcass if need be.

 

[stratamania]

Good luck with the Mojo quest...  :icon_thumright: