Will this bass work?

[hyakis]

Hey guys. I'm building my first bass this year, and I want to make sure that my build will actually work before I buy everything. I'm going to be using a J bass body, and I want a J pickup in the neck slot with a MM pickup for the bridge.

Bridge pickup: http://www.warmoth.com/Music-Man-ceramic-SMB-4D-P1449C807.aspx
Neck pickup: http://www.warmoth.com/Quarter-Pound-Jazz-Bass-neck-SJB-3n-P1443C805.aspx or http://www.warmoth.com/Hot-Jazz-Bass-neck-SJB-2n-P1441C805.aspx (I'm not decided on which one yet).

Then, I'm thinking of using this tone circuit for the internal electronics: http://www.warmoth.com/Active-Bass-Preamp-active-voiced-3band-STC-3A-P1461.aspx

Will those three bits all play nicely together, or am I doing something dumb like using the wrong kind of pickup for an active preamp or something? Again, I'm not at all experience with this so any advice would be appreciated.

 

[stratamania]

Perhaps it might work better with a Music Man tone circuit.

http://www.warmoth.com/Music-Man-Tone-Circuits-C808.aspx

The tone circuit you linked to is designed for active pickups, but the pickups you selected are passive.

Note: I am not a bass player so if one of the members who are more versed in bass stuff chips in it might be they have some direct experience of the choices.

 

[chapogrelo]

The preamp you selected do exists too for passive pickups http://www.warmoth.com/Active-Bass-Preamp-passive-voiced-3band-STC-3P-P1462C810.aspx.

It seems better to me as it's meant to 2pickups basses. It as a blend volume control that the music man preamp doesn't have.

 

[TBurst Std]

Take a look at the Hanson LH3 preamp/ tone circuit.  It is what they use in Lakland 55-02s which use passive J in the neck and passive MM in the bridge. 

 

[hyakis]

So I should either be looking for a tone circuit for passive pickups, or else I should be looking for active pickups to match that tone circuit?

Having blend control as well as EQ is what I'm after, I suppose I could do that myself if I used the SD MM premade circuit but I'm not sure if it'd work.

 

[ghotiphry]

I can whole-heartedly recommend Audere.  You can basically customize everything in an active system you want.  And it's built for passive pups.

https://www.audereaudio.com/

Here is a J bass I have built with an Audere.  It is configured as volume/blend, treb/bass, low mid/high mid, and a passive control in case the battery dies.  You can get it with a plate mounted or side mounted jack.  You can also get it modular, if you're doing a rear rout.

 

[TBurst Std]

When I was looking to build a bass, I was looking at Audere, as well as John East.

The Hanson (they have a site) I mentioned is for passive pups and is an active/passive circuit.  It has V, pup blend, and T/M/B.  It has a dip switch that allows a number of different mid Freq Qs to be targeted for the Mid knob.  A pull on the V pot puts the whole thing into a passive mode.
http://www.hansonpickups.com/products.htm

 

[ghotiphry]

Yes, I have a John East preamp as well.  I like both just about equally, just that the John East was twice the price.  I don't know the Hanson you mentioned.

 

[TBurst Std]

Yes, I have a John East preamp as well.  I like both just about equally, just that the John East was twice the price.  I don't know the Hanson you mentioned.

They supplied Lakland and now sell separately

 

[hyakis]

That Audere thing looks perfect! Thanks for the recommendation, this is getting bookmarked.

That bass is lovely btw. How do you find the Babicz bridge compared to a Gotoh or whatever else they put on jazz bases?

 

[ghotiphry]

Personally?  For the money?  Omega.  I had an intonation issue with the Babicz, probably because of my preferred strings (flatwounds) that I found either the BadAss II or Omega didn't have because of the longer travel lengths available to the saddles.  Plus they can be had for under $80 $50.  And they fit the standard Fender (Gotoh 201) 5 screw pattern.  (I prefer the model with the slotted saddles, also.)

This is a BadAss II i got for a good price on ebay.  The BadAsses are discontinued, and resurrected with the Omega name.

 

[Cagey]

That thing is too pretty.

 

[ghotiphry]

Aw shucks, guys, thanks.  I know I haul that pic out all the time, it just represents what I learned about building basses over time.

 

[Cagey]

Hey, if you got it, flaunt it. A good example is a good example. Can't take that away.