Bone nuts.

[Simon Barden]

It's all good character-building stuff and hopefully we learn from our mistakes.

But it's very easy to be heavy-handed with cutting nut slots, I over-cut all the time. Even with proper nut files, no file is the same in terms of cutting power, and if you've just been using one that took 10 strokes to file a small distance, you need to mentally reset before the next one as it might take just 2 strokes to do the same with the next file. So keep a constant vigil on visual heights and remember to look at the dust pile created (remembering that the wider slots are always going to create more dust than the thinner ones for the same slot depth).

[Jetblack]

I think I was a bit too blahzey to start with, careful markup then drove in a bit too hard, thinking it can't be that hard. No No patience is a virtue when it comes to this sort of thing, and of course the correct tools go a long way. Not to worry my TUSQ nuts have turned up, pre slotted and looks to have a nice angle for seating the strings and of course 2 blanks in the "maybe try again bucket". All god thanks again Simon.

[Jetblack]

Hi Simon, a bit off the track, question of tone and volume pots. Are there any upgrades so to achieve a punchier sound output on my JBA4 ?? Its nice but tends to lack that more grounded sound, it's quite soft sounding through my practice amp as compared to the Pbass, I did upgrade the pups, as you know, but now just wondering if it would be a good idea to upgrade the pots as well??? I think you mentioned that you didn't like the mini pots and I think that's what came with the kit, I'm not understanding the differences between them only that its likely obvious that standard pots are larger ???
Any help is appreciated.

[fender3x]

I have cut nut slots with three types of implement. I have not used expensive or cheap nut purpose made nut files. From what I read about the purpose built nut files the cheap ones are (a) only really cheap compared to expensive nut files, and (b) terrible. From what I read, the high quality, expensive nut files are bliss to use. The only drawback I have heard about them (other than lightness in the wallet after purchase) is that it's easy to cut too deeply. Even that may not be a problem since it contributes to the building of character.

I have used home-serrated feeler gauges, torch cleaners; and cheap, small files sold in sets. I have at least three sets of the small cheap files. My main difficulty with them is that they appear to require skill to get good outcomes. I have no skill and not much aptitude. Perhaps for that reason, I rarely use them for anything let alone nuts.

Meanwhile the feeler gauges have worked reasonably well on guitars and the torch cleaners have worked quite well on basses with out much need for skill. In both cases they are slow. The one advantage to slow is that I have only once cut too deeply. The bad news is that my wife has noticed no noticeable improvement in my character.

[Jetblack]

Im going to give the nut slotting a rest for now, Ive taken in all the advice and maybe try again some other time. I now have TUSQ pre slotted nuts, I ordered 4 and have a PB neck on its way shortly for an upgrade on my PB, so they will be handy for that. I've also come to the realisation that these JB kits use the same necks as the PB's. I'm fairly sure the JB necks on Fenders are 38mm at the nut and the PB's are 42, my kit JB has a 42.

[fender3x]

I've also come to the realisation that these JB kits use the same necks as the PB's. I'm fairly sure the JB necks on Fenders are 38mm at the nut and the PB's are 42, my kit JB has a 42.

That's true, although the Fender measurements were SAE ;-) As far as I know all PB bass necks are 42 mm unless you special order. I am not sure whether Adam is still doing it, but it used to be possible to order a 38mm Fenders-style bass neck. He warned me that it would take a while, and it did. Several months. But I got one. A maple jazz bass profile neck that is my current favorite, narrowly beating out my G&L ASAT neck.

I have been wanting a P-bass with a Jazz profile neck since I talked to a bass player in a local band who had an original Fender P-bass that had come from the factory with a J-bass profile neck. It's such a rare bird that it may have been an error at the factory (this was a '70's bass and QC was not always great...). I have seen P-basses with J-bass necks swapped onto them... And I came close to ordering a G&L with a P body and J neck....but was not living the dream until Adam enabled my GAS.

The lovely thing about building is creating your own rare bird.

[Jetblack]

Yes of course, the old imperial measuring, ive become so tuned in on the metric I had forgotten that America still works on the SAE system. I been restoring Bultaco's for years and with the metric system as a standard its a lot easier for replacing some pieces, brain locked lol.

[fender3x]

I love those old Spanish bikes. Haven't seen one in years tho!

I am not sure there is much you can do with passive electronics to get more punch, short of punchier pickups. You could add active EQ, but that would also mean adding a pre-amp and a battery.

Of course if you're not getting the punch of your P-bass from your J-bass you can do what I did...

[Jetblack]

Fender3x, I have had thoughts of going the PJ route, I did upgrade the kit pickups. Had to open up the pockets slightly to get them to fit in there "real tone" pickups. I didn't use the kit pups at all, so I don't know what they are like. I could possibly use an EQ though another amp. I was just wondering if it were possible. Thanks.

[fender3x]

Those should be fairly good if they are the ones that I see on the Realtone website. It looks like they are Toneriders? I haven't used them but they are popular here. For me "punch" tends to come by boosting the low mids. If you have an amp with a lot of EQ it would be worth a try. Or a cheap bass equalizer pedal. Of course you can only boost what's there. I had a set of DiMarzio J's once that I hoped I could dial in to sound like a p-bass. I finally decided that the only reliable way to get a p-bass sound might be from a p-bass pickup...and thus the bass in the pic got a bit of routing and a new pickguard ;-)

...the bass in the pic got a bone colored bone nut, however. Curious to see what black die might do to it... hmmm...