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Why the Reverse Double P?

#121
View attachment 3922171 Figured I’d update on how my build went, I extrapolated the pickup placements from the comparisons above and kinda eyeballed where the placement should be, but it turned out really great. I had a friend do the artwork, which turned out great
 

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#125
TimBosby said:
I've had two variations on this idea now (both sold) and am concocting up a third one in my head (budget version - more to come in this thread if it comes to fruition.) Your best bet it to take your existing P rout (or figure out where the existing P rout would be - maybe measure a standard Fender P bass or something) - and then go immediately "above" and "below" that rout for your reverse P pickups. Maybe leave a thin sliver (a couple millimeters of wood) in between the center rout and the two reverse P routs. Also, Mr. Sklar's original Frankenbass I believe has a Charvel body, but I would think the P pickup would be similar in placement to a standard Fender. I have no way of knowing this but eyeballing is probably as good as we can do on Talkbass :) See my rough mockup below:

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Cool! I've thought about doing this with my bass but putting a Rickenbacker pickup there or something that would stand on it's own like a P but have something different like maybe one of Serek Basses's B90s.
 
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#134
I'm glad this thread/forum is still active because I wanted to share this. (Cross-posted in General: Basses forum.)

This was a project bass that turned out quite nicely. This is my third and most inexpensive Leland Sklar-inspired double reverse P-Bass. (The first two - here and here - have long since left my possession.)

This one started as a G&L LB-100 Tribute (made in Indonesia) direct from the clearance section at the G&L factory. Surprisingly nice right out of the gate - basswood body, not too heavy like some Tributes, and better fretwork than many of the USA G&Ls I've owned - and there have been MANY. I took a green kitchen scrub pad to the back of the neck to degloss it. Then I had our very own @59jazz (Steve) do the routing and wiring. One of the pickups is the factory G&L and the other was from a MIJ Momose P-bass I recently parted ways with. I'm not sure which pickup is which but I asked Steve to put the hotter one at the bridge. Both have aftermarket cream covers. Steve also made a paper pickguard template. I sent the template, along with a sheet of green pearl pickguard material I had laying around (from a previous failed project) to Pickguardian in Ohio where Tony Dudzik made me a pickguard that was a little challenging to fit on but I finally got it right with the help of a friend here in Omaha who had to widen the pot holes a bit. My friend also set it up with new super light Rotosound rounds and then I added some heavy chrome knobs that I took off of a Stingray. My goal was for it to look a little like a certain Warmoth P-bass I previously owned.

It is a really growly bass but can go straight thumpy if you turn down the bridge pickup a smidge. My preferred setting is neck pickup full bridge pickup about 75% and tone about 50-75%.

Overall, I'm amazed that I actually saw a project all the way through to the end. Will it stick around? We'll see. I don't have a great track record with keeping basses but it'll keep me entertained for a while.

Pictures below. I swear the pickups and neck are straight - I took pictures at some wonky angles in attempt to avoid too much glare.

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#135
Leland Sklar said:
That bass was an experiment. It was made around 1973. It started as a blank Charvel Alder P-bass body. While working on it I thought the G and D strings by their nature will be clearer than the A and E so why not put those pick ups closer to the bridge to balance out the response. We put them where Jazz pick ups would go and used the P opening for the 2 9V batteries. It was an experiment that worked out great. That bass is one of the most even basses I ever played. The pick ups are the first generation EMG's that Rob designed. He abandoned them for they ate of batteries like crazy but I did not care for the sound was so good. Then we reshaped the P-neck that I had into a 1962 Jazz profile. While doing that we had to remove the frets and that is when I discovered Mandolin frets (the thinnest frets you can get) and have done all my basses with them ever since. Lot's of goodies on that one. First Hip Shot D-tuner. Badass II bridge.
Click to expand...
I have often wanted to build myself a replica of this bass because it sounds so good when you play it on all those recordings!
 
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