Cheap-ish bass with humbuckers - wise? possible?

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  • MattBansheeMattBanshee Frets: 1498
    Snags said:
    Haven't had time to dismantle the Peavey yet, but have been looking at Bass Porn and have come to the conclusion that:

    • a P-bass makes sense, but I'm not sure I can get over the monster headstock (will check in the flesh). Plus they just look like everything, because everything looks like a P-bass
    • the Jags appear to be short-scale?? Pride won't let me do that
    • on a purely emotional level, I really, really want an Epiphone Thunderbird IV either Classic or Pro (despite the irony about heastock size). However, that's instantly doubled the budget :/

    This bass business is as bad as 6-strings.
    Epiphone Thunderbirds are all over eBay and FB classifieds for <200 (even the IVs and Pros), have a look about and you'll find one.
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  • FunkfingersFunkfingers Frets: 14321
    Snags said:
    the Jags appear to be short-scale?? Pride won't let me do that
    Fender and Squier Jaguar basses are available in 34" scale. There is even a Squier variant with a single 3.5 x 1.5" soapbar humbucker in the bridge position. (Shades of Stingray and, more importantly, a doddle to upgrade.)

    If you need two humbucker/soapbar pickups, check out Yamaha RBX and Cort Action DLX models. 

    MattBanshee said:
    Epiphone Thunderbirds are all over eBay
    The older ones have non-Thunderbird-shaped pickups. It is possible that 3.5 x 1.5" soapbar pickups will fit the routed cavities with no need to remove any wood. 
    Be seeing you.
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71956
    Epiphone Thunderbirds are really nice. I'm not a huge fan of the black hardware, but I can live with it - and it's not impossible to replace anyway. From memory, the headstock is also slightly smaller than the Gibson one, although I could be wrong on that.

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • SnagsSnags Frets: 5326
    So, still totally irrationally GASsnig for a Thunderbird, but in the meantime have finally got round to dismantling the Peavey,

    Fairly sure that the crack is just in the finish, as the pocket appears sound.  Is it worth trying to seal the crack with anything? Bearing in mind I'm not going to get suckered into any kind of project with this, it's just to preserve the finish from cracking/flaking further:






    Oh yeah, and having taken the strings off my only bass … WTF is a standard gauge of bass strings for when I buy a new set? :)
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  • TeyeplayerTeyeplayer Frets: 3132
    If humbuckers are your must (gas), then thomann do a stingray copy for about 120 and there are plenty of epi Sg basses on evil bay ranging in price from 70-145 at the moment. Just a thought.
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  • BridgehouseBridgehouse Frets: 24578
    Snags said:
    So, still totally irrationally GASsnig for a Thunderbird, but in the meantime have finally got round to dismantling the Peavey,

    Fairly sure that the crack is just in the finish, as the pocket appears sound.  Is it worth trying to seal the crack with anything? Bearing in mind I'm not going to get suckered into any kind of project with this, it's just to preserve the finish from cracking/flaking further:






    Oh yeah, and having taken the strings off my only bass … WTF is a standard gauge of bass strings for when I buy a new set? :)
    Something in the 45-105 range is standard
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71956
    Snags said:

    Fairly sure that the crack is just in the finish, as the pocket appears sound.  Is it worth trying to seal the crack with anything? Bearing in mind I'm not going to get suckered into any kind of project with this, it's just to preserve the finish from cracking/flaking further
    Soak some superglue into the crack, and when hardened touch up the finish with a car paint match kit - take the body to Halfords if you need to :).

    Snags said:

    Oh yeah, and having taken the strings off my only bass … WTF is a standard gauge of bass strings for when I buy a new set? :)
    40-100 and 45-105 are the two most popular gauges by far.

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • BridgehouseBridgehouse Frets: 24578
    (Unless you are Thomastik in which case 42.647 - 97.438 seems standard ;) )
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  • SnagsSnags Frets: 5326
    Thanks all.
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