Matt P

blimey judging by the number of reply's since i started typing my last post, Howard is going to spend the whole year building P/J's for basschatters.

I would ask (i've got his phone number somewhere as well i think) but i've also got most of a p/j in bits lying around waiting for me to assemble it and i've been telling myself that i don't need another bass repeatedly for the last 6 months, maybe once i've bought a new amp (which is actually needed and getting more urgent as time wears on) i'll have a quiet word about having a copy of my 77 built that doesn't give me backache. I did actually enquire many years ago about a custom build (back when he ruled his little emporium on Nun Street) and the price quoted was very reasonable, even allowing for inflation i'd guess that it was still reasonable especially considering the quality and the fact that it would be exactly what i wanted. Matt

[quote name='Chatty' timestamp='1325350521' post='1482429'] How much are the stock PJ's going for these days? [/quote] the real question should be "how much does the Bass Doc charge for one of his masterpieces" Matt

i've seen this in the flesh too (was being carried by a very proud small boy) and it's an absolute stunner. Matt

i got a polytune which was exactly what i wanted, also permission to get a new head in the new year so i'm watching the classifieds carefully. Matt

i'm a big fan of Kenwood for in car audio, i've got a couple (older models though) any of these would seem to fit the spec; http://www.kenwood-electronics.co.uk/products/car/cd_receivers/usb/ Matt

mmm that's very nice, let me know if the black olp needs a new home, i've really been enjoying the one i have on loan, wouldn't mind one for myself. matt

it can happen, i have a few basses but my '77 p-bass is the one that gets pulled out of the rack the most often, it originally belonged to a friend and i played it just after ge bought it, it totally sold me on p/j equipped p-basses, i spent the next 6 months playing loads looking for one that felt right, in the end i found a perfect 78 and did a swap (with money my way) i've played a few more since then but the 77 is the one for me (even though it's heavier than the moon and gives me backache after 30 minutes) the only thing i ever miss is a low B but i'm working on a copy of it that's slightly lighter (not hard!) and strung BEAD. (don't often use the G) Matt

welcome to basschat Zac, you've picked a pretty difficult project there, as icastle said you're going to have to cut that front board into sections and then re-connect all the joints, i doubt that you can just disconnect the features that you don't want unless you have a [i]very[/i] advanced knowledge of the circuitry, i'd also say that having (accidentally) snapped a board myself it was a nightmare to repair and that was a very simple board with just a handfull of connections. judging by the pictures i'd guess that the big board would need to be cut into 3 to re-configure it better and this would give you loads of connections to make. i'd also have a think about heat, there's already a fan and some vents on the back, if you put this into a smaller box there's a chance that it could suffer from overheating due to bad airflow. (i imagine that Ashdown modelled up the airflow around the components when they designed it to prevent overheating.) have you priced up how much the materials are going to cost for the new cabinets? from a quick check on the for sale forum here this amp would be worth about 140 quid, if you add in what the materials are going to cost i'd say you could pick up a 2x10 and a head from the classifieds for the same amount. Matt [size=2](Edited for spelling)[/size]

[quote name='V4lve' timestamp='1322740473' post='1455089'] I replaced the electronics in my mm3 with an Artec SE2A Active EQ. Big improvement. [/quote] I looked at those artec preamps, they look the business and are very affordable, i'm going to keep this bass passive but i'm considering fitting an artec to my precision bitsa. Matt

ooh i llike that, have real GAS for a sonic blue precision now. Matt

ahh thanks for that mcnach, i thought you'd be along at some point, looks like this is an early one then, i think i'll keep the wiring as it is and swap out the whole plate, is it the same as the musicman ones or do i need to find an olp one? and can anyone point me towards a 3 position rotary switch? Matt

try catswhisker http://www.catswhiskerpickups.co.uk/index.html he has made one off designs before, not that expensive either , check out the specials page matt

[quote name='LukeFRC' timestamp='1322513137' post='1451988'] make a copy of the original 2eq musicman preamp and stick that in that is what I would do [/quote] that's a fine idea, but i might save that for when i get myself an olp ( really fancy one having played this one a fair bit) i might just put in a vol-tone switch setup for this one, i don't think my friend's a fan of batteries in basses, thanks for all the help Matt

hmm i'm thinking that a new control setup might be in order then, it's a single pickup but with 4 conductor wiring so each coil can be seperate, just need to decide which control setup to go for, a popular one seems to be volume-tone-series/parallel switch, anyone know of a good supplier for ready wired control plates (thinking of simply removing the current one and putting aside so it can be easily returned to it's current state. another option would be a musicman pre, one up for sale on evilbay at the moment, worth a punt? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/120816706573?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649 failing that i'll just pick up the correct pots and get out my soldering iron. Matt

Afternoon, i'm currently guardian of my friends OLP while he's working away, i've got full permission to use/modify/improve it but i'm not sure what's going on with the wiring, it doesn't look like anything i've seen before, the controls seem to be volume, tone tone but i can't find any real info on what's in there and only the volume seems to do anything. it's had a kent armstrong pup fitted (he claims i fitted it but i don't remember doing it) i've taken some pics (sorry they're only phone pics, the wife's gone away for the weekend and taken the camera) [attachment=93919:26112011008.jpg] there's also a diagram that i've made of the wiring [attachment=93920:26112011012.jpg] can anyone shed any light on this for me? should i re-wire as per the seymour duncan vol-vol-tone diagram or maybe a series parallel switch or a vol-blend-tone (i've got a blend pot here doing nothing) Thanks Matt

there's a few good places, check out the cumberland, the cluny, the tyne, and possibly the head of steam. I'm sure some other guys will be along soon with more suggestions, Matt

I had this exact problem, i've just downloaded opera mini from the ovi store for free and it let me sign in straight away. Matt

gosh there are a few of us on here, i'm a Christian and play regularly at Heaton Baptist Church, i guess if i wasn't a Christian then i'd still be a guitarist, I only made the transition to bass because of that church, started there when I moved to newcastle for uni, and volunteered for an all-age service for electric guitar duties (which i'd done for many years at my old church), turned up to the practice with my custom super-strat and my marshall all valve 2x12, turned out that the bassist was actually a seriously good guitarist too (much better than me on guitar and bass), and within 5 minutes he had my guitar round his neck and i was holding his mex precision special, so come the sunday service everyone saw me with a bass and assumed that i was a bassist, i would get regualrly asked to play bass and would have to borrow a bass most weeks to play, i even made an "i am not a bassist" t-shirt, in the end i aquired an aria bass and then my yamaha rbx765a but i didn't consider myself a bassist till i bought my precision last year. we're lucky enough to have a nice rig owned by the church (donated by a old member who moved away), Trace Elliot gp11 ah250 with a peavey 4x10 and a modded behringer 1x15, sounds ace when it's cranked up, i'd have to say that playing in a worship band really helps when it comes to seat of the pants playing, especially when the leader starts in the wrong key and you have to wing it. Matt

i always keep bits of old strings for fettling nuts, tensioned in an old hacksaw frame they're perfect for lowering the action a tiny bit or just to smooth out rough spots on the grooves..

bought a bass neck from Jose, another top deal, trade with confidence. Matt

thanks for that, yes measuring from the nut is much better, (you'd never guess i was an engineer would you!) it seems that my j-pup is in the 70's position, and the p-pup is at 712/740mm to the centre of the polepieces if it's useful info for anyone. would still love to have positions for other classic bass pickups, (stingray etc) Matt

hello, I did a search but couldn't find anything, I apologise if I was just being a dolt and missed something, I hear a lot about standard positions for pickups and about 60's/70's spacing for jazz pickups but what are the actual dimensions, (from 12th fret to centre of polepieces in millimetres would be the most useful fo most i guess) I have a couple of basses but no idea what the positions actually are, especialy my beloved 77 precision that had a j-pup added at some point, I love the tone but have no idea if it's in a 70's position or a 60's or just thrown in any old place, it certainly isn't in the same position as the p/j body I bought off here. I thought that some kind of record would come in handy for those building new basses, so i guess measurements of all kinds of basses would be useful, (have a hankering for a Pingray and just saw an ibanez roadstar on here that looked rather tasty) I guess I should start the ball rolling, Fender P-bass (1977) 280mm from centre of 12th fret to centre of polepieces E-A half of pup, 309mm to the D-G polepieces. Matt

mmmmm, what are the pickups in those? they look great and i love a straightforward bass. matt