Build#2 GPB-4 Fretless

[FaustoB]

A fretless is on my to-do list.

Highly recommended!

[FaustoB]

ok then,
after playing this bass non stop for several months now, I have decided to proceed with the pick up upgrade. I report here in case someone else is considering doing the same on their PitBull Precision bass.

About the pickup itself, after some research I settled on DiMarzio Model P. While I was there I decided also to upgrade all the electronics as well.

Here the set arrived today

Pickups, one 500k pot for the volume, a 250k for the tone, and a .033 cap

I have never done an upgrade like this before and I must confess that I was bit nervous!

It took me a while but following the diagrams step by step I managed to wire the whole thing up using the classic cardboard trick.

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I thought I measured the wires very well, using the kit electronics as reference, but somehow I ended up with a liitle bit more wire than I wanted.

[Simon Barden]

This is the bit where you unsolder one end of the wire, cut, and resolder to the right length.

[FaustoB]

I took the old electronics out of the pick guard, and installed the upgraded ones.

So far so good, except that when I tried to put the pick guard back the screw holes on the body wouldn't align anymore with the pick guard!
After a quick inspection, I realised that DiMarzio pots are a fair bit larger that the kit ones, and both pots where touching the inside of the cavity, especially the tone pot.

I took my Dremel and dug a little bit on the side of the cavity to make some space.

This is the cavity before the mod

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and this is the cavity when I was sort of half the way the job with the Dremel.
The copper tape at the bottom is still there, it's just completely covered by the ash dust.


after that I vacuumed all the dust off, and put back some copper tape just where I had to dig some space for the pots.

The pick guard now is well aligned.

After that I pre-drilled the holes for the new pick ups.
The DiMarzio pickups are slightly smaller, so I had first to patch the existing holes that I drilled for the kit pickups, and then I finally drilled the holes for the new ones.

This is a photo when I was half way adjusting the pickup height. I wanted these pickup to be at the same height of the old ones, for a fair comparison. Notice the pickup slightly smaller then the pick guard slots


Here for reference the pick guard with the kit pickups

[FaustoB]

It was a slightly bigger job than I anticipated!
Especially the unexpected part when I had to make the cavity larger to account for the larger pots.
I've read of people saying that this upgrade took them 20mins.. no way! at least for me & my current skills... it was a good hour and a half at least.

In any case, put the strings back on, tuned, plugged in the instrument and it worked first go!!!

I am definitely pleased with the sound and I am so happy I did this upgrade.
I think the kit pickups were pretty decent, to be honest I could have kept them no problem, but for sure these new pickups definitely bring new life into this instrument!

I agree with the many reviews out there saying that this pickups are "loud"... for sure I agree they are. But I don't think it's just matter of loudness (that after all can be achieved by turning up the amp a bit), I think it's more about having more presence, control, and dynamic, particularly when playing things like muted notes, ghost notes, harmonics etc... It's like all these tones & subtle things are more upfront, and easier to get out of the instrument.
On top of that I found the playing experience generally more enjoyable, and a sort of fuller and more complete sound coming out of the instrument.
I have also found that (for my style of playing at least) I have more usable and interesting range when I move the plucking hand way closer to the bridge or closer to the fretboard, even when above the fretboard.

I just played non stop for about 2 hours and I am very satisfied with the tone knob control as well. All the way anticlockwise it's a touch too dark for my taste, but everything else, let's say between 1 and 10 is very inspiring and real fun to play.
Can't wait to test this with a drummer or in a jam situation!

[FaustoB]

This is the bit where you unsolder one end of the wire, cut, and resolder to the right length.

Good point Simon, thank you for the suggestion.
I didn't think of that; I've managed to fit it all in the cavity, wires and everything because I was so keen to test this upgrade; but for sure will do as you suggest, likely over the weekend.
It was indeed a bit messy and annoying having to deal with all those wires when putting the pick guard back.