My Tele Bass project...

[axmaker]

Originally Posted by Tim Armstrong

Yeah, I guess so, there are a lot of wires! Hmmm.......

Tim

tim,
i looked at the gfs wiring diagram. you can use the tele blade to do a coil tap, and a pickup "off" option like you wanted.

position 1: humbucker
position 2: single coil (coil tap)
position 3: pickup "off"

green is hot, put red/white together, and black is ground.

[Tuxedo]

To me that's pretty ugly—but it's really original, and that counts for a lot. More power to ya'.

[Tim Armstrong]

Originally Posted by axmaker

tim,
i looked at the gfs wiring diagram. you can use the tele blade to do a coil tap, and a pickup "off" option like you wanted.

position 1: humbucker
position 2: single coil (coil tap)
position 3: pickup "off"

green is hot, put red/white together, and black is ground.

Thanks, man!!!!!!

Tim

[ThaLowEndTheory]

I love it! I'm a newbie here, so if I step on any toes my apologies in advance. Let me know and I'll delete the pic. No intention to hijack. I did this same thing for my "now" exgirlfriend's daughter as a Xmas present. She's into vampire's and hangs with the goth crowd so I called it the Emocaster. I used the original pickups and didn't have any problems. I chopped off the back of the tele bridge plate and just installed the same bridge u have. I used a Rondo sx 30" scale neck. It's fun to play and really sounds great. Take a look.

[Tim Armstrong]

That's VERY cool! No problem with hijacking, we do it all the time around here!

And welcome!

Tim

[ThaLowEndTheory]

Originally Posted by Tim Armstrong

That's VERY cool! No problem with hijacking, we do it all the time around here!

And welcome!

Tim

Thanks Tim. I also did a similar mod on a squier 51 except it's a six stringer tuned EADGBE an octave down like a bass VI. There's alot of fun to be had in the short scale territory. I'm looking fwd to seeing yours completed.

[axmaker]

Originally Posted by Tim Armstrong

Thanks, man!!!!!!

Tim

no prob, just remember to ground the bridge....

[sean79]

Originally Posted by Tim Armstrong

Just as soon as I get the pickup installed!

Tim

Well... hurry up already. I want to see this thing. I'm pretty sure it's the coolest looking tele-bass I've seen.

[Tim Armstrong]

Okay, got some more work done on Hoss!

So here's the pickup, next to the existing Tele pickup hole (pardon the fuzzy focus, I think there wasn't enough light):



Now, I don't have a router, but I DO have nice sharp wood chisels, and I used to do a lot of mortise work installing door locksets, so I'm not afraid of doing a little cutting with a chisel. The picture I took of the chiseled-out hole is way out of focus, but here's one of the pickup installed:



And here it is strung up:



I wired up the pickup as suggested above, but am getting nothing, so I reckon I need to spend a little more time figuring out the wiring!

Tim

[axmaker]

Originally Posted by Tim Armstrong

Okay, got some more work done on Hoss!

So here's the pickup, next to the existing Tele pickup hole (pardon the fuzzy focus, I think there wasn't enough light):



Now, I don't have a router, but I DO have nice sharp wood chisels, and I used to do a lot of mortise work installing door locksets, so I'm not afraid of doing a little cutting with a chisel. The picture I took of the chiseled-out hole is way out of focus, but here's one of the pickup installed:



And here it is strung up:



I wired up the pickup as suggested above, but am getting nothing, so I reckon I need to spend a little more time figuring out the wiring!
Tim

send me a foto of what you wired on the switch, and a scan of the sheet that came with the pickup. the pickup could be different that what i found on their website. pm me for my # if you need to talk to me.

[sean79]

Looking good, Tim. Nice chisel work there. Hope you get the wiring figured out - that things needs to be played. Doesn't quite match the pink one though...

[giginthesky]

love it tim!!!

[Tim Armstrong]

Well, after giving it a little bit of thought, I realized I didn't need or particularly want the single-coil sound, and if I wanted to kill the output, I could just turn it down, so I wired it up like a P-Bass and bingo! Great tone!

I did a quick setup, and I'm gonna gig it tonight!!!

I will report the results later.

Tim

[Tim Armstrong]

I'm back from the gig, and IT ROCKED!!!!



It took me a few songs to dial it in with the amp, but man-oh-man, once I did, I started grinning from ear to ear! Great growl, great note definition, really nice tonal range to the pickup, bass balanced beautifully, played like butter!

I couldn't be more pleased. Well, except that it's significantly heavier than my SX P-copy... But it wasn't a man-killer, so I reckon I can live with it!

I am soooooo happy!

Tim

[ccrnnr9]

Nice to hear Tim. If you ever get the ability to get some sound clips together please share! I am interested in hearing this thing growl. Hopefully my TB build is only 3 weeks behind yours!
~Nick

[broadcaster]

I like that Tim.

[Tim Armstrong]

Personalized Hoss:





Tim

[tuuur]

Now that's super cool!!!
Gotta... build... tele... bass...

[axmaker]

Originally Posted by Tim Armstrong

Personalized Hoss:





Tim

you could almost put a jazz bass pup there....

[Tim Armstrong]

Originally Posted by axmaker

you could almost put a jazz bass pup there....

Naw, I'm a set-it-and-forget-it kinda guy, having more options would just befuddle me!



Tim

[jkingma]

Very cool bass, TIM.

[Mr. Saba]

Pretty dang cool Tim! Pretty dang cool...

You need to stop this foolishness... yer givin' me ideas...

[Shoved BassVIII]

It's slick and I love it

[Sl8e]

I'm building one of these.

I saw one on this board. The guy sunk a short scale on a tele guitar body.

Anyway, I was wondering if I should buy a gfs lipstick pickup or a 51' duncan. The lipstick would look real cool but would it sound good?

I'm getting a esquier pick guard to cover the front pickup gaps. It should look stock when it's done.

[Tim Armstrong]

Originally Posted by Sl8e

I'm building one of these.

I saw one on this board. The guy sunk a short scale on a tele guitar body.

Anyway, I was wondering if I should buy a gfs lipstick pickup or a 51' duncan. The lipstick would look real cool but would it sound good?

I'm getting a esquier pick guard to cover the front pickup gaps. It should look stock when it's done.

I ran a Kent Armstrong lipstick tube in a Musicmaster Bass and it sounded good, but not very strong (probably because I had it too far from the strings!).

I can't say enough good things about the big honkin' GFS Music Man humbucker copy in this bass. Tone-a-licious!

As you can see in the pictures above, I put an Esquire pickguard on Hoss, and it looks great!

Tim

[fenderslaper]

Tim,
I was wondering about setting the neck into the body. Is the round part of the neck in the now longer neck pocket? Got a pic of that?

Ken

[Tim Armstrong]

Originally Posted by fenderslaper

Tim,
I was wondering about setting the neck into the body. Is the round part of the neck in the now longer neck pocket? Got a pic of that?

Ken

Fender Bass neck heels are longer in the flat part, so by removing the wood between the neck pocket and the neck pickup rout, I was able to use the existing neck bolt holes in both neck and body and it all worked okay.

Here's an earlier post that kind of shows all this:

Originally Posted by Tim Armstrong

Okay, here's my progress so far:

Here's Hoss as it came from my friend Jeff Morris:



First step: remove a little wood and fit the Musicmaster Bass neck to the body:



Next, I measured and, howsabout that for good fortune, the bridge goes right where that ugly spot was (glue from something Jeff had affixed to the guitar). I then cut the pickguard to fit and put it on, too (not easy to get that nice little curve, darn it!):



So here we are as of tonight! I now need to enlarge and reshape the hole for the pickup (I'm putting in a GFS Music Man copy humbucker, and it's HUGE!). Not sure just what to do about the six string holes from Hoss's earlier life as a guitar, probably just ignore them or maybe cover them with something decorative...



Tim

[milkshape]

That is way extra cool. Looks like the metal doodad on the side of the lower bout is from a revered, no? where can ya' get one of those? I've had an idea to clone an old style rev with the blue boomerang formica. Trouble is I can only find the formica as a special order in an 8x4 (or so) sheet, way more that I need and way more that I want to spend.

[Tim Armstrong]

Originally Posted by milkshape

That is way extra cool. Looks like the metal doodad on the side of the lower bout is from a revered, no? where can ya' get one of those? I've had an idea to clone an old style rev with the blue boomerang formica. Trouble is I can only find the formica as a special order in an 8x4 (or so) sheet, way more that I need and way more that I want to spend.

It's actually a banjo armrest, you can get them from Stew-Mac HERE.

Tim

[milkshape]

Thanks Tim, based on this pic and comments in the thread where I found it, that is exactly what rev used ;)

hey, what's the distance from the face of the nut to the first fret on the musicmaster?

[Sl8e]

Originally Posted by Tim Armstrong

I ran a Kent Armstrong lipstick tube in a Musicmaster Bass and it sounded good, but not very strong (probably because I had it too far from the strings!).

I can't say enough good things about the big honkin' GFS Music Man humbucker copy in this bass. Tone-a-licious!

As you can see in the pictures above, I put an Esquire pickguard on Hoss, and it looks great!

Tim

[there is still is slight neck dive but It's workable]

To see a pic of this bass go to :

http://www.myspace.com/slatersgreatesthits

go to "View My" "PICS". click on Slater's WMD'S. 51' Esquire tenor bass.

I'm going to tune this one C-G-D-A , I'll use an octave under effect when using it in order to carry the band. It's a specialty item.

[the insert a pic thing doesn't work]

[Tim Armstrong]

My niece took some pics of us playing this last weekend, so here's Hoss in action:







Tim

[ccrnnr9]

So sweet tim! I just finished building my tele bass the other day and love it. I need to get a hold of a digi cam so I can post some pics.
~Nick

[ccrnnr9]

Oh and I think you should talk to Fender about making a Tim Armstrong signature model made...I'd buy one for sure!
~Nick

[tuuur]

Originally Posted by Tim Armstrong

My niece took some pics of us playing this last weekend, so here's Hoss in action:

How happy can one man be?
That bass looks mighty fine on you!

[Sl8e]

I can't seem to get a url from my myspace to stick here.






http://www.myspace.com/slatersgreatesthits

look in pics. WMD's...

[giginthesky]

Originally Posted by ccrnnr9

Oh and I think you should talk to Fender about making a Tim Armstrong signature model made...I'd buy one for sure!
~Nick

if fender only knew... i wouldn't have to build one myself. HOSS truly is one of the nicest basses i've ever played.

[Tim Armstrong]

I gotta see if I can get USACG to make Mustang/Musicmaster Bass necks, betcha I could build and sell 'em!

...naw, sounds like work!

Still, gotta say, I'm still ridiculously happy with this thing. Thanks yet again to rhomco for inspiring it with his extremely cool thinline short-scale bass!

Tim

[giginthesky]

like i boasted to you 10 times, tim... it feels nothing like a short or medium scale bass. and what strings are on HOSS??? they gave it a fretless feel and sound. the GFS MM pup was the final stab to my heart, though. i can't go on living without trying to build a HOSS.

[Tim Armstrong]

I think that '73 Fender Musicmaster Bass neck is just profoundly good. I know it feels amazing to my hands. And the GFS Music Man copy pickup is just so damn full sounding.

The strings are GHS Precision Flatwounds, and yep, they feel amazing, and have both thump and some piano tonefulness to them...

I have another '73 Musicmaster Bass neck that needs a fret job, and I'm seriously thinking of getting a thinline body and doing another bass...

Tim