Frankenbasses! Let's see 'em

[BlueTalon]

For the purposes of this thread, let's just say that if you have to explain what the modifications are for people to be sure that it is in fact modified, your bass does not belong here.

I'll start.

I should clarify. Explanations about your modded basses are welcome, not forbidden. My reason for stating things they way I did is that some people will, for example, swap out the pickups on a factory stock Squier Jazz, and it still looks like a factory stock Squier Jazz. Technically it was modified, but you'd never know it was modded if it wasn't explained. Swapping out a pickguard? Boring. Swapping out a pickguard with something you made yourself? Something spectacular and eye-catching? Much more interesting. Gotta route a new hole for your pickup? I wanna see it.

My Frankenrick has:
Schaller tuners & straplocks
Hipshot Ric preplacement bridge
2 Seymour Duncan quarter pound P pickups
Carvin stacked J pickup
3 500K CTS pots
VVV controls
DR Black Beauties
homemade pickguard

 

[ex-250]

Re: Frankenbasses! Let's see 'em

haha, totally misread your post. Thought you said you have to explain the mods, and then proceeded to ignore doing so. Anyhow, what kind of bridge is that? Besides massive.

 

[ItsaBass]

Re: Frankenbasses! Let's see 'em

Too many rules. **** it.

 

[Wattage]

Re: Frankenbasses! Let's see 'em

in the midst of one right now. Won't be too wild just a psycho color and parts from a few cheapos that seem to work together.

 

[BlueTalon]

Re: Frankenbasses! Let's see 'em

haha, totally misread your post. Thought you said you have to explain the mods, and then proceeded to ignore doing so. Anyhow, what kind of bridge is that? Besides massive.

LOL! I read the first version of your post, and it made absolutely no sense to me at all. You are now right on -- I want to see basses that are modded so obviously that the fact of their modification needs no explanation. That doesn't mean I'm not interested in the details.

The bridge on my Rickenbacker is a Hipshot, designed specifically for Ricks. And yes, it's massive.

 

[the aXeman]

Re: Frankenbasses! Let's see 'em




The only thing I'll say to clarify... the Jazz didn't come with that neck... (DOH!!!)

 

[Pedertone]

Re: Frankenbasses! Let's see 'em


Hey all. This is my first post, good to meet you.
This is my '79 Rikenbacker 4003 that I have modified over the years. I love the Seymour Duncan humbuckers! That is a Bad Ass Bass II bridge, sorry about the picture quality. I wired each pickup directly to it's own jack and control the blend with an Ernie Ball stereo volume pedal, no knobs to accidentally hit when playing (yes that was an issue for me in the context in which I play this bass). Each pickup runs through it's own effects before combining just before the amp.

 

[BloodRose]

Re: Frankenbasses! Let's see 'em

View attachment 43089
Hey all. This is my first post, good to meet you.
This is my '79 Rikenbacker 4003 that I have modified over the years. I love the Seymour Duncan humbuckers! That is a Bad Ass Bass II bridge, sorry about the picture quality. I wired each pickup directly to it's own jack and control the blend with an Ernie Ball stereo volume pedal, no knobs to accidentally hit when playing (yes that was an issue for me in the context in which I play this bass). Each pickup runs through it's own effects before combining just before the amp.

Welcome to the forum! Cool bass and sounds like an awesome rig!!

 

[LORNE]

Re: Frankenbasses! Let's see 'em

I'll just give you a before and after picture, and you can do the esplaining yourselves

Before (One on left)



After



same bass

 

[Falloffthebonetone]

Re: Frankenbasses! Let's see 'em

DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMN

 

[BlueTalon]

Re: Frankenbasses! Let's see 'em

I should clarify. Explanations about your modded basses are welcome, not forbidden. My reason for stating things they way I did in the OP, is that some people will, for example, swap out the pickups on a factory stock Squier Jazz, and it still looks like a factory stock Squier Jazz. Technically it was modified, but you'd never know it was modded if it wasn't explained. Swapping out a pickguard? Boring. Swapping out a pickguard with something you made yourself? Something spectacular and eye-catching? Much more interesting. Gotta route a new hole for your pickup? I wanna see it.

My Rickenbacker has two Seymour Duncan quarter pound P pickups, a Carvin hot stack humbucking J pickup, Schaller tuners and straplock pins, a Hipshot bridge, and a homemade pickguard. One of these days, when I figure out how to record on my computer, I'll put a sound file up.

 

[LORNE]

Re: Frankenbasses! Let's see 'em

Ah, ok, the B.C.Rich Widow bass had 3 controls removed and replaced with a single volume which is push/pull to turn the bridge pick up off

Black Badass II replaced with a Chrome one, Grover enclosed tuners replaced with a set of new, never used 1980's Grover Titans. Headstock thinned down and a rosewood overlay and new inlay installed.Body was bound, dots were filled with ebony dust and new inlays done.

Mirror pieces and truss rod cover were painstakingly (And painfully) hand cut by me from 3mm brass sheet, beveled with files and polished like mad before being taken to get chromed

Respray is pretty poor though, I will have it redone later

 

[BlueTalon]

Re: Frankenbasses! Let's see 'em

Ah, ok, the B.C.Rich Widow bass had 3 controls removed and replaced with a single volume which is push/pull to turn the bridge pick up off

Very cool! What pickups are in there? When you turn the bridge pickup on, does it increase the volume level much? Or does it just influence the tone?

Black Badass II replaced with a Chrome one, Grover enclosed tuners replaced with a set of new, never used 1980's Grover Titans. Headstock thinned down and a rosewood overlay and new inlay installed.Body was bound, dots were filled with ebony dust and new inlays done.

Mirror pieces and truss rod cover were painstakingly (And painfully) hand cut by me from 3mm brass sheet, beveled with files and polished like mad before being taken to get chromed

That's a lot of work. It shows in the final results. Great job!

 

[LORNE]

Re: Frankenbasses! Let's see 'em

Very cool! What pickups are in there? When you turn the bridge pickup on, does it increase the volume level much? Or does it just influence the tone?

The pick ups are the stock DiMarzio DP122 ones that were already in the bass, when switched on or off, it just affects the tone, not the volume. Having just the neck pick up on, allows for pinch harmonics to be easier to hit etc etc. I may well swap them out for EMG's though, as I have a pair lying around

That's a lot of work. It shows in the final results. Great job!

Thanks, I cut my hands to pieces as the parts were too small to be held in a vice to be able to bevel them, my Chromers hate me too, and sauid they won't do it again LOL

 

[Wattage]

Re: Frankenbasses! Let's see 'em

My bass player's Squier VM Precision/Tele Bass

It's a pretty cool bass out of the box but kind of limited sonically so he wanted a P set in it to broaden it's range. Did it last week for him and it came out pretty good. Lots of heavy sounds out of this thing. Stock mudbucker and DiMarzio P Bass pickup with a 3 way switch.

 

[Securb]

Re: Frankenbasses! Let's see 'em

I think my next project will be a bass

 

[astrozombie]

Re: Frankenbasses! Let's see 'em

My bass player's Squier VM Precision/Tele Bass

It's a pretty cool bass out of the box but kind of limited sonically so he wanted a P set in it to broaden it's range. Did it last week for him and it came out pretty good. Lots of heavy sounds out of this thing. Stock mudbucker and DiMarzio P Bass pickup with a 3 way switch.

Did you have to route to put the 3 way switch in? the control cavity looks tiny.

do any of you have any idea what the black paint in the cavity is and what it's there for?

 

[BlueTalon]

Re: Frankenbasses! Let's see 'em

I can't see the picture you are referring to. But black paint in the control cavity, when it's obviously different than the paint on the body, is electrically conductive paint. It's used to shield the bass the same way copper foil tape is used.

 

[Bass_Medic_05]

Re: Frankenbasses! Let's see 'em



Kamer 1978-79 DMZ