5 string P-bass - Attitude - Rickenbacker mashup build

#42
checker plate

R.a31b2b6d3319089c618a69c809f900aa
 
#46
This is a true frankenstein's monster bass ...

I will be swapping out the bridge with one that goes wider, it has a fat humbucker neck pickup, and a seymour duncan 1/4 pounder 5 string precision pickup. The pickups are in the Rickenbacker positions, and it is wired like a Rickenbacker, toggle, and 250k ohm volume pots, 500k ohm tone pots. The neck is wide which makes it great for finger style playing. I had to do a lot of work on the frets, leveling and the fret ends. I really like the way it plays and the tone.

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#51
herndonbassist said:
This turned out so cool! I love the amalgamation of everything!!
Click to expand...

I bought the wide neck on ebay and didn't realize how wide it was, but now that it is installed it is amazing how I can dig on and play aggressively with that width at the bridge and on the fretboard. The tone is good. The pickup in the Rickenbacker bridge position and the stingray pickup in the Rickenbacker neck position is great. It is wired much like an older 4003, 250k ohm volume, and 500k ohm tone pots, toggle and no hi-pass capacitor. So I open up all of the knobs to 10, the I roll off the neck volume to 8-9 range, and the bridge pickup tone to 6-7. The nut spacing is about 1 7/8" and the bridge is about 2 7/8". I strung it with D'addario super lite steels .125 low B. The bridge is now a black Schaller. The bass turned out a little heavier than expected, but still not bad. I haven't weighed it yet, but maybe it is 9.5 pounds. With the pine body I expected less. I raised the pickup up clse to the strings to give it a more aggressive tone, I also run distortion all of the time so that it breaks up when I dig in.

I have spent years converting 4 string to 5 string basses and loving slim necks, I am surprised I like this wide neck so much. Maybe this is because front to back the neck is not fat.

This would be a great bass for zztop, or classic rock music.
 
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#53
Following up on this, I know you went through a lot of paint decisions before landing on this. Which, by the way, I absolutely love. But it would have been cool to see the actual process you used to do the final paintjob. I think there's others who would love to know how you achieved that look. Me being one of them. ;) :cool:

Again, love it, you landed on the right decision with that paintjob!
 
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#54
TerribleTim68 said:
Following up on this, I know you went through a lot of paint decisions before landing on this. Which, by the way, I absolutely love. But it would have been cool to see the actual process you used to do the final paintjob. I think there's others who would love to know how you achieved that look. Me being one of them. ;) :cool:

Again, love it, you landed on the right decision with that paintjob!
Click to expand...

sorry ... busy life ... I don't document every step ...

I got a blank pine body, then I sanded it, routed it. I tried using a propane torch to burn the edges and then I finished it with oil and mineral spirits. I didn't like that so I rattle can finished it with a hammered finish white paint, I didn't like that so sanded it down, again, then I rattle can finished it gold/brown hammered finish, I didn't like that so I rattle can finished it green hammered finish. .... Then to get the silver, and black and gold paint on there I used feather dusters.
 
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