son of frog

Ive been woking on this for a while now in my spare time, (and money)

Its my own interpretation of a Fender 1962 P Bass, The only things left to come in the mail are the Vintage type machine heads, the String tree, Neckplate "F" style, as im going for the 1965 onwards model, i think it was late 1965 they started to issue the F plates, but in 1965 they still had the 1st design of headstock type logo,

Dont worry people i'm not trying to fool anyone, and i'm not planning on selling it at all, it has no identification or serials and the skunk stripe gives it away, but thats how i like my basses with the skunk stripe, also considering photoshopping myself a "Frog Custom Shop" logo

Oh and the neck now fits perfect and snuggly in the pocket thanks to my handiwork with sandpaper.

I've given it Seymour duncan 1/4 pounders and a Badass II bridge.
This has all been done relatively cheaply, The body and neck together only set me back around £150.

Hope you like it, i hope to have it finished either this week or next depending on the shipping for some parts from the US.

Pics:







Any comments and / or opinions are welcomed!

cheers.
-Frog

[quote name='ikay' post='1241953' date='May 23 2011, 05:55 PM']Take a look at Fret Doctor fretboard treatment - [url="http://www.beafifer.com/boredoctor.htm"]http://www.beafifer.com/boredoctor.htm[/url]

Can only order online from the US but delivery is amazingly quick (mine was anyway). This is intended for nourishing and preserving natural wood instruments. It penetrates the wood and is much longer lasting than lemon oil. Use sparingly and wipe off any excess, it doesn't leave any oily residue. It's great stuff will bring up and enhance the natural depth of colour of your fretboard.

However, I suspect the only thing that really looks like a vintage slab of brazilian rosewood is exactly that![/quote]

That looks like great stuff, Will give Lemon oil a go first and if not dark enough after a few applications will go for this.

Edit: Just realised how good value that stuff is too... 10 USD shipped...!



[quote name='jonthebass' post='1241984' date='May 23 2011, 06:24 PM']If you want to go really dark try this:
[url="http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Fretting_supplies/Fingerboard_cleaner,_stain_and_oil/Black_Fingerboard_Stain.html?actn=100101&xst=3&xsr=6207"]http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Fretting_suppl...=3&xsr=6207[/url][/quote]

Maybe not that dark...

dont let anyone try and tell you how to hold the pick,

just experiment and do what feels more comfortable and works best for you.

But i would agree with what has been said and anchor your arm / hand somewhere on the bass,
some people have the back of their hand or their pinky resting just behind the saddles on the bridge which can work.

Remember to also take into consideration what angle you're striking the string with the pick, straight on will give you a mellow but clicky clean sound, whereas with a slightly twisted pick you'll attack at the string windings and give you a growly rock tone! Awesome!

and think about where along the string you play, I.e, near the bridge or a fuller sound nearer the pickup.


P.S. for me the dunlop Tortex .88mm picks are the best, (The green ones) but again experiment and see which you like and sounds best for what you're doing...

[quote name='LawrenceH' post='1239739' date='May 21 2011, 09:50 PM']Bit late to the party here but it really sounds to me like you had a duff set here if they went off that quick. I used to use EB hybrids all the time and although they go off quite quick with playing, just left strung up on the bass they stay bright for longer than a week. I've got a set on my 70s RI jazz that I put on a few months ago, but I've hardly played it in that time and the strings (fast-fretted) are still suprisingly zingy, nowhere near dead yet.[/quote]


I think you're right,

The pack i got weren't even in the usual Vacuum sealed foil packet either, just in a regular string pack, which is quite odd.

[quote name='silddx' post='1239104' date='May 21 2011, 10:57 AM']I use these guys, half the price of buying them here, about £18 including delivery from the States. [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/DR-Black-Beauty-BKB-45-Bass-Strings-45-105-/290564136077?pt=Guitar_Accessories&hash=item43a6f8dc8d#ht_720wt_1141"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/DR-Black-Beauty-BKB-...d#ht_720wt_1141[/url][/quote]


Thats an excellent price!

cheers!

Quick question.

Is there a product or polish / varnish etc. that i can use to darken the rosewood tone on my fretboard without making it glossy / slippery?

The kind of colour i'm looking for it that of the tone commonly found on the original 1962 P Bass fretboards... maybe just achieved through age or wear, but it looks really nice, almost an ebony colour!

see here...

[url="http://www.themusiczoo.com/images/4-07-10/American_Vintage_62_Precision_Bass_3_Tone_Sunburst_V191951_b.jpg"]http://www.themusiczoo.com/images/4-07-10/...t_V191951_b.jpg[/url]

and

[url="http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150190916347273&set=a.10150190916002273.305115.20355427272&type=1&theater"]http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=101...e=1&theater[/url]


Cheers.
-Frog!

one other thing i've wondered is...

Can you buy bass string sets in bulk anywhere in the UK, not cheapo brands though,

Was looking to get Roto's / EB's / Fender strings, but if i can get a box of 10 / 20 sets maybe save some money?

hmm all these sets are expensive... like £30 and up, i'm sure they're good, but i'm literally playing all week long...

so chances are i'll kill them, i'm still yet to get some fast fret, but next time i'm in the music store i will.


I need to hurry up and get a string endorsement.

I would say get a High end instrument and youll hopefully never need / want anything else...

But... Spend some extra dosh and get it insured, against damage theft etc.



After all you cant play all the other 3 basses at once...

[quote name='The Bass Doc' post='1234796' date='May 17 2011, 08:01 PM']I had the priviledge of meeting Leo Fender in 1979.

So here's the (rather modest) view from the man himself.......

Simply because the Fender was the first mass-produced bass guitar to 'catch on', it became the sound that folks assumed the electric bass should be.
In other words, he thought that if Rickenbacker, Gibson (insert any other make) had beaten him to it [i]they[/i] would probably have claimed the prominent position and others would, as likely as not, always be playing catch-up.

OK, troll on...... [/quote]

Very modest indeed,

I agree 100% with this statement... and yes i believe that Fender Basses are the "sound to have"

a lot of this is because of the amazing sounds that so many bassists have managed to achieve from them over the years...
Just look at Motown, Funk, Jazz, Reggae etc... so much of it has an iconic sound that can be reproduced on a Fender instrument,

Affordable even today £400 - 500 (personally believe is to much) but thats not the point, in todays standards that is affordable and plenty of young people can afford one can afford to get one for a birthday gift or save up from your paper round.

[quote name='chipmunk_jr' post='1234504' date='May 17 2011, 04:20 PM']Every band you seem to see live, there bass players seem to play fenders. I've played a couple and I cant see what all the fuss is about???? I've played much nicer basses for a lot less money.[/quote]

Every band you se live (Exaggeration)

seem to play Fenders (Because they are the industry standard and arguably the most reliable combination of wood and electronics in the world)

and the fuss is about the quality of sound, something for everyone, you could live with only having a Jazz and a Precision and nothing else... they will most likely outlive you.

True there are some Fenders that are poorly crafted, but considering they've manufactured millions its fair to say there will be some bad ones, Im not particularly a fan of MIM standards, but have played some absolutely amazing ones... more than i have bad ones.

roughly the ratio i've worked out is about 10:1 (ten being the chance of getting a decent one)

I have for sale a Peavey hard-case for most types of bass,

Stores my precision in it really well and fits jazz and many others, also boss pedals fit really well conveniently in the side pocket, great for practicing if you have a headphone amp etc.
I'm only selling because I will soon be getting a Fender USA Jazz which will come with its own hard-case, so will be using that.


I'll put a link as i cant take photos right now the light is pretty bad, but the case is as new, so a picture isn't 100% necessary its just like the one in the picture.

Im looking for just £40 for this great case, Please collection only though, being a large item,
Im just outside Guildford, near Godalming.

[url="http://www.nevadamusic.co.uk/Bass_Guitars/Bass_Guitar_Accessories/Cases,_Gigbags_and_Stands/sc1634/p8797.aspx?utm_source=google&utm_medium=GoogleShopping&utm_campaign=googlebase&utm_term=%7Bkeyword%7D"]http://www.nevadamusic.co.uk/Bass_Guitars/...m=%7Bkeyword%7D[/url]

All those MIJ reissues, The 57 P bass and 62 P basses and J basses
have those slightly larger tuning pegs, like on that one,

Looks very nice!

well done on a fab purchase.

[size=5]BUMP![/size]


Now only looking for [size=4] £50[/size]

as i haven't got the space to keep it around.
PM me for details etc.

-Tom

i've had a mate tell me he's going to give me his EHX switchblade if it works for what i want.

Cheers for all the helpful answers!

[quote name='Doddy' post='1229551' date='May 13 2011, 01:56 AM']Try this then

[url="http://www.artproaudio.com/products.asp?type=90&cat=13&id=78"]http://www.artproaudio.com/products.asp?ty...at=13&id=78[/url][/quote]


yeah ive seen these, but they also require a powere source,

I think the Andertons website may just have it wrong, I may just pop in and give one a go with two basses.

Thats why i wanted a mass produced one mainly so i can go and physically try it out, a lot of the manufacterers are very vague on their product description, even more so the big companies...


I mean it wasn't on the main product page the quote... that took some finding, and im sure i would have bought one a lot sooner and this whole confusion could have been avoided.

[size=7]AHA![/size]


breakthrough... for my dumb self! from the EHX website itself...

[size=4]"The fully passive Switchblade is perfect for making dual devices chains, whether you need to switch between two effects chains, two amps or two guitars, the Switchblade gives you true bypass switchability"[/size]

Now i just feel like a fool...

[url="http://www.ehx.com/browse/foot-switches-controllers"]http://www.ehx.com/browse/foot-switches-controllers[/url]

[size=7]WHAT!!!?[/size]

the EHX website claims the pedal is passive and requires no power source,

But this store claims otherwise??? and says it is a "compact battery- operated device" & "You can power your Switchblade stompbox with a 9V battery (included), or an optional 9V power supply"



[url="http://www.andertons.co.uk/electric-guitar-fx/pid13206/cid579/electro-harmonix-nano-switchblade-pedal.asp"]http://www.andertons.co.uk/electric-guitar...blade-pedal.asp[/url]

[quote name='topo morto' post='1229516' date='May 13 2011, 12:06 AM']The switch to switch one input to two outputs is the same as the one to switch between two inputs to a common output, isn't it? At the end of the day it's just connecting one socket to one of two other sockets... no components in there, just a switch.[/quote]



Does this mean that potentially the EHX switchblade can be reversed? as its just passive?


And thanks all for the replies, my tech skills aren't brilliant so if i can get something cheap pre-built it would be a better option.

and i have got an LS-2 but i use it for other things, and its all a bit fiddly, I really want something passive that can just sit in the corner with the amp and 2nd Bass, and i can just stomp on as hard as humanly possible and not worry too much about damaging any of the knobs, sliders etc...

I am a neanderthal like that... i buy simple instruments, simple amps and simple FX.

Hi

I cant find any simple passive Y pedals for connecting two guitars / basses to one amp and switching between,
Im only looking to spend up to £20 - 30...

I want something like the EHX switchblade, but in reverse... i mean why didnt they do that instead? would have sold a lot better... who uses two amps? (rhetorical question)

Im looking to build a reverse switchblade anyway unless someone can find one in that price range...

I'm alright with electronics, but i don't suppose someone could whip up a simple diagram and list of components?
i know you can get really cheap EHX copy diecast boxes and i was planning on using the same switch type.


---

one other thing ive always wondered, could i build a passive pedal such as this have LED's on it, but run off of the power coming from the lead? Like those fender amps with the footswitch, they don't have batteries in them so i'm just sort of assuming theres a low amount of current going through the mono jack cable... ?

im sure someone will say i'm completely wrong,

if it is possible, does someone know how to rig this up, with 2 LED's, one for each channel.

if not then would be good if someone could put up a diagram including the LED's but with a 9V adaptor / battery option.


Thanks

Thread Revival!

Okay so i went ahead and the results speak for themselves,
I'll post the pictures and Method for anyone interested out there...

So basically its really simple, I just removed the saddles and the saddle screws, and
Rubbed at it with the Brasso, with an old pair of pants (clean)

At first it turns grubby with the excess gold being removed, but i did this all in one evening, and trust me it looks a lot better in real life, and looks like new, which is great considering its a 30 year old bridge.

Also whats good with getting in those saddle slots, the awkward angles on the saddles themselves and the imprinted writing is cotton buds, although buy a large pack because i think i went through about 30 - 40 of them.

Heres the bridge after a small amount of brasso rubbed on.





And the finished Product,







hopes this helps some people out there, i dunno about anyone else, but i just find gold hardware unsightly, especially on a P or J bass.

-Tom

I never liked the look of these,

Correct me if i'm wrong, but isn't it just a more compact bass for traveling etc.

Seems like sort of a pointless design, and it has like a built in speaker...

Very ugly, I dont see the smile though...

[quote name='Doctor J' post='1220281' date='May 4 2011, 08:59 PM']Nice bass, a mate of mine has a couple of FGN guitars, very good quality.

Reserved for Attack Attack - this is you guys?

[/quote]

Thats the second time i've had to endure sitting through watching that video and hearing that song, Just to see if it was as bad as i remember...

...i stand corrected, It was worse.

As for the bass, Love it, colour matching headstock, and a very interesting Bridge type, any close up photos of the hardware etc,
Im sure it plays even better than it looks though.

thats pretty useful

But it seems only if you play Acoustic Guitar,

I can't see anything but acoustics on that site...

it would be useful if anyone knows where you can get the same screws actually...

I've been looking for a set for ages, but never really committed in case i got the wrong ones,
As a result i've just had my Badass II sitting around not on a bass, which is a shame.