JohnDaBass

Having decided to abort my FenderBird project I'm looking at HB PB-50 as a donor for a combo 51'P Pup plus a MM Pup project. Could anyone provide some guidance on the differences between the Basswood and Lime wood bodies currently offered? I fancy the red one but it says it's "Lime wood". Any idea of weight difference , tone, hardness?

That's a lovely looking bass, and I am sure you will enjoy the experience. I really like the colour matched headstock and the nicer logo. Congratulations, put some recordings up when you have time.

I seem to recall that the Thumpinator is 24db/octave @ 30Hz. So would you need two of these to equate to the Thumpinator? So Mini Vong x2 = Thumpinator. Asking for a friend 😎

That's the way to do it 😎

Interested in this, looking forward to read the response from some experienced members.

There are quite a number of '51P style bass fans on the Forum and I wondered if it would be helpfull to share opinions and experiences of Pups we have used on Bitsa builds and upgrades? I have used , very successfully, Jess Loureiro split P and the Lindy Fralin split P pickups and would recommend both to anyone thinking of using either one. I read on the TB forum a comparison of a $12 Pup with other famous brands and it was very revealing. So I just thought perhaps we could compile here some experiences for others to absorb.

Yup , I have a 1972 all original Telecaster Bass, same as yours. Huge sound with a great range of tones. I see yours has the customary crack in the pickguard between the Pup and neck. What's the third hole in the control section of the pickguard?

Wow, following this sounds interesting.

My next Bitsa build is a Fenderbird (sort of), I have looked at Thunderbird PUPs but I am not 100% sure. I have acquired an Epiphone Thunderbird bass body, Squier Classic Vibe Jazz neck , Fender MIM tuners, and Hi Mass bridge. My new direction is to fit a Gibson EBO Pup close to the neck and a Stingray style Pup at the bridge. So I am interested to hear from anyone who has used any of the after market Stingray style Pups successfully. Controls will be passive volume, tone and 3 position selector switch. Any views?

Great videos. @Elfrasho Could explain the steps and software you used to create the collaboration. I'm a complete newbie to recording and I would be grateful for any guidance.

Is that plectrum any good for METAL or just soft Rock

+1

This has turned out to be a joyous, enthralling thread. Well done to all contributors. (I know I need to get out more 🙁)

@Keis The donner body was a Squier 'Modern Player' Telecaster Bass. I purchased just the body. The original bass was a 32ins scale length where the neck extended quite a way into the body , the neck joined at the 14th fret. I believe the design thinking at the time was an attempt to retain the 'scale' of the Telecaster guitar in a bass configuration. The neck I used was a 34ins scale Jazz style which I modified to the shape of a '51P style. The neck pocket extended into the body much more than a normal neck pocket. So I sanded the sides of the neck heel to fit the existing pocket. The 34ins neck joined the body at 15th fret and by repositioning the bridge I was able to achieve the conversion from 32ins to 34ins. In effect grafting a 34ins scale onto a 32ins body "moved" the pickup position further away from the bridge producing a more mellow tone from the Pup. The Pup is not in the "sweet spot" position that Leo Fender had preferred on the '51P bass but I'm really happy with the outcome as it's a lovely Bass to play with its own tonal range and of course it's unique.

I had a Jazz neck & '51P neck and they turned out to be really, really good. I'm very pleased. https://www.basschat.co.uk/topic/424871-nbd-yob-52-p-bitsa/

Yes many Far Eastern OEM & ODM manufacturers produce products for rival companies with "segregated zones" within their manufacturing campuses. Just like phones, Foxconn manufacture for Apple and Samsung, it's just how it is nowadays.

Components would physically arrive at a "bonded" in Mexico while paperwork ownership would reside in the USA. The components would then be "free issued" over the border to be assembled in to finished instruments. The finished products would then be imported into the USA. Fender would only then pay import duty on the "Labour cost" value added in Mexico and NOT on the components value, reducing their overall cost base. There are many manufacturing facilities just inside Mexico close to the border with USA receiving "free issue " material, assembling into finished products and then exporting back into the USA where duty is only paid on the "value added" in Mexico. Jeans are another example where labels state "Assembled in Mexico from USA material " Mexican labour costs are much lower than in the USA

Excellent job, it's a really handsome bass. I wish I had seen and read this before starting my assembly.

Andy that's an absolute stunning body, sublime finish, and work of art, you are a real genius with the patience of Job😎 You are a beacon for us mortals to aspire.

@Markk that's a fantastic looking bass, I love the pickguard and the cool vibe the bass has. Well done great job.😎

To be honest Si, the standard of sanding finish from Guitar Build is very good indeed. I didn't do any further sanding as I wanted an "organic" feel to the finish and mahogany has quite a tight grain structure . Tru oil is very easy to use, I didn't use the "wet' n dry" slurry system that @honza992 & @Andyjr1515 I just applied numerous coats with a microfiber cloth. The Tru oil is very tough when fully dried, I left it to harden for a week before any assembly. One small bottle of Tru oil did the body with plenty left over. If you've got the time and funds it is a very satisfying experience, alright it's not a full build from scratch but it will be your own creation.