A TB-4 Build whilst a BG-46 dries.

I don't what to do here oh masters of all things that go pluck???

I have read some books....followed some youtube tutorials...taken the neck off and back on three times....and filed the nut down....the bridge is still screwed right down...but the strings are at playing height and she feels so good under the finger.

With the pickup height and string height set, the chinese pickups have a great tone to them....amazed me the first time I hit the Roland Cube 120Xl up...wow.

The issue for me is the shape of the body and the pickup placement. I am used to P Base shapes and pickup placements...or even the Twin Humbucker placements on the Yamaha TRBX series.

This body has the pickups a little further up towards the neck and I am finding that I am picking on or behind the bridge pickup....muffled output...when I let my hand fall naturally to the body.

I move my hand forward and rest my thumb on the neck pickup and it feels so awkward and not natural....I have even tried resting the edge of my thumb on the raised edge of the middle section of the body between the two pickups...works great...but will destroy the finish in no time.

I was thinking of grabbing one of these and attaching it along the top edge of the raised middle section between the two pickups......will look a little different....thinking of trying it with double sided tape first and see how it feels and plays.

https://www.realparts.com.au/hardwar...thumbrest.html

I know that image does matter....well not at all really....but the more natural hand position and the reduced risk of damage to the finish is appealing to me. (It is a whole $4.00 plus postage.)

Ideas, options and alternatives will be lovingly received. I thank you in advance.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ozzbike

I don't what to do here oh masters of all things that go pluck???

I have read some books....followed some youtube tutorials...taken the neck off and back on three times....and filed the nut down....the bridge is still screwed right down...but the strings are at playing height and she feels so good under the finger.

With the pickup height and string height set, the chinese pickups have a great tone to them....amazed me the first time I hit the Roland Cube 120Xl up...wow.

The issue for me is the shape of the body and the pickup placement. I am used to P Base shapes and pickup placements...or even the Twin Humbucker placements on the Yamaha TRBX series.

This body has the pickups a little further up towards the neck and I am finding that I am picking on or behind the bridge pickup....muffled output...when I let my hand fall naturally to the body.

I move my hand forward and rest my thumb on the neck pickup and it feels so awkward and not natural....I have even tried resting the edge of my thumb on the raised edge of the middle section of the body between the two pickups...works great...but will destroy the finish in no time.

I was thinking of grabbing one of these and attaching it along the top edge of the raised middle section between the two pickups......will look a little different....thinking of trying it with double sided tape first and see how it feels and plays.

https://www.realparts.com.au/hardwar...thumbrest.html

I know that image does matter....well not at all really....but the more natural hand position and the reduced risk of damage to the finish is appealing to me. (It is a whole $4.00 plus postage.)

Ideas, options and alternatives will be lovingly received. I thank you in advance.

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Looks like a regular P Bass thumb rest and should do the trick. Plus being black will blend with the black pickups too.

Sent from my SM-A520F using Tapatalk

+1 on Wazz's comments about putting the strap button on the neck plate, here's a photo of mine, in the top front corner just below the bolt - it balances perfectly.

I'll be interested to hear how you go with the thumb rest, I'm also thinking about fitting one. Resting my thumb on the bridge p/up works pretty well but I'd like the option of playing a bit further forward too.
Attachment 22712

Quote:

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Originally Posted by billb

+1 on Wazz's comments about putting the strap button on the neck plate, here's a photo of mine, in the top front corner just below the bolt - it balances perfectly.

I'll be interested to hear how you go with the thumb rest, I'm also thinking about fitting one. Resting my thumb on the bridge p/up works pretty well but I'd like the option of playing a bit further forward too.
Attachment 22712

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Bill....I like your idea.

Stupidly I had searched YouTube and found several videos about fitting a sneaky strap button on the front of the body protrusion under the neck pocket. Drilled and mounted the strap button.....can’t get the strap on....bugger.

I think I will drill out my black strap lock button just a little and use a proper neck screw.

I ordered a $4-00 thumb rest and 2 x push pull pots....and they have arrived.

I looked at a number of photos on the net about placement of thumbrests....the angled layout seems to be the norm. I had no idea why....but I did it in a position I can use....considering the closeness of the raised edge on the TBird style kit.

Using a pick, finger, and my shitty attempt at slap is all good.

So comfortable and without looking I can feel that I am plucking in the right place. I have the pickguard off.....used my water slide decals on it....waiting for rain to leave and humidity to go down so I can spray clear to seal the decal.

The push pull pots on the other hand......ouch.

Issues for me....

http://www.buildyourownguitar.com.au...humbucker+bass

and this one...

http://www.buildyourownguitar.com.au...humbucker+bass

I don't have the big thumping MM style humbuckers in this bass.....just the little blackout style Chinese pickups.

Thanks to Wazkelly and others for the info above....but what goes where on these bad boy pots....they have three normal lugs up the top and a number of pins underneath.....what???

I would like to be able to have both pickups playing as normal....split the neck and hear the front coil only....split the bridge and hear the back coil only.

Please help.....I am lost in the wireness. :(

Hi Ozzie, have a look at this thread as I have already done what you are contemplating on my EX-5. Suggest you also grab a LP style 3 way switch and run master volume & master tone as that will be much easier to work with.

http://www.buildyourownguitar.com.au...t=4257&page=13
http://www.buildyourownguitar.com.au...ead.php?t=6476

Cheers, Waz

Quote:

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Originally Posted by wazkelly

Hi Ozzie, have a look at this thread as I have already done what you are contemplating on my EX-5. Suggest you also grab a LP style 3 way switch and run master volume & master tone as that will be much easier to work with.

http://www.buildyourownguitar.com.au...t=4257&page=13
http://www.buildyourownguitar.com.au...ead.php?t=6476

Cheers, Waz

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Thanks mate.....saw them. But what goes to the three normal lugs on the pot? Do I still earth the one lug to the base of the pot? Do I need to earth from the back of each pot to the other?

If somebody has a diagram like a normal wiring diagram I would be eternally grateful.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ozzbike

Thanks mate.....saw them. But what goes to the three normal lugs on the pot? Do I still earth the one lug to the base of the pot? Do I need to earth from the back of each pot to the other?

If somebody has a diagram like a normal wiring diagram I would be eternally grateful.

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Brain dead after a big day doing yard & housework.

Could open up the control cavity tomorrow night and post a photo. From memory the three lugs are wired up the same. You coumd always Google how to wire push pull pots and see what they come up with?[emoji41]

Sent from my SM-A520F using Tapatalk

Thanks mate....the googling did not help....got heaps....but nothing like the normal diagrams.

Not sure if this diagram helps. I recently installed a set of these into a Jazz Bass using traditional wiring but it has 2x push/pull pot schematics. The DP249's are split single coils so in theory the same as a humbucker

http://www.dimarzio.com/sites/defaul...rams/AreaJ.pdf