Now that the first reunion practice is over and I have had time to listen to a couple of our recorded videos, I really like how my project to customize my bass guitar turned out. Called "The SKULL Bass" while being fitted with new pickups and a bridge, it is now affectionately known to the band as "SKULLY". This is what I did to this bass:
When I started playing again after so many years, I ordered a bass that wasn't too expensive. A search around eBay lead me to the Cort Action 4-string bass with an Agathis body, bolt-on maple neck, 24 frets and 34-inch scale. I liked the shape of the body then and absolutely love it now. It is easy on the shoulder, finished very nicely, and manufactured in Korea.
I found some EMG HZ P-J pickups on Music123 that looked like they might fit where the original Mighty Mites were centered. I found, however, that while the split P pickup dropped in perfectly, the single J pickup was slightly too large. I used a Dremel tool with a cylindrical sander bit to rout the cavity ever so slightly and the J pickup fit it nicely.
About the same time, I noticed that the bridge had pulled away from the body and was bent. Too much string tension on a light-weight bridge. I searched around and decided on the Hipshot A series bass bridge with .75-inch string spacing. This is a terrific bridge secured by four long screws. You can load the strings from either the top or through the body.
To finish off the custom look for SKULLY, I added two skull decals: a large skull on the back in the area most likely to get scratched, and a series of skulls for the front at the base of the neck. (See photos). These decals were purchased on-line from a car decal manufacturer. I also added skull strap locks and the stylish skull adorned strap.
I never really had a chance to hear SKULLY through an amplifier until our first reunion jam. Until then, I could only practice with a headphone amp so to not piss off the neighbors. My reaction to the tone now is something between "OMIGOD" and "Holy Sh**"! Powerful, smooth as butter, pure and gutsy...that kind of says it all. The customizing project was a big success and I plan to keep SKULLY as my main axe for quite some time. The rest of the guys in the band are jealous of the fact that I like SKULLY more than any of them and they hate me for it. Jimmy actually talked about holding SKULLY hostage and replacing the skull decals with Care Bears!
When I started playing again after so many years, I ordered a bass that wasn't too expensive. A search around eBay lead me to the Cort Action 4-string bass with an Agathis body, bolt-on maple neck, 24 frets and 34-inch scale. I liked the shape of the body then and absolutely love it now. It is easy on the shoulder, finished very nicely, and manufactured in Korea.
I found some EMG HZ P-J pickups on Music123 that looked like they might fit where the original Mighty Mites were centered. I found, however, that while the split P pickup dropped in perfectly, the single J pickup was slightly too large. I used a Dremel tool with a cylindrical sander bit to rout the cavity ever so slightly and the J pickup fit it nicely.
About the same time, I noticed that the bridge had pulled away from the body and was bent. Too much string tension on a light-weight bridge. I searched around and decided on the Hipshot A series bass bridge with .75-inch string spacing. This is a terrific bridge secured by four long screws. You can load the strings from either the top or through the body.
To finish off the custom look for SKULLY, I added two skull decals: a large skull on the back in the area most likely to get scratched, and a series of skulls for the front at the base of the neck. (See photos). These decals were purchased on-line from a car decal manufacturer. I also added skull strap locks and the stylish skull adorned strap.
I never really had a chance to hear SKULLY through an amplifier until our first reunion jam. Until then, I could only practice with a headphone amp so to not piss off the neighbors. My reaction to the tone now is something between "OMIGOD" and "Holy Sh**"! Powerful, smooth as butter, pure and gutsy...that kind of says it all. The customizing project was a big success and I plan to keep SKULLY as my main axe for quite some time. The rest of the guys in the band are jealous of the fact that I like SKULLY more than any of them and they hate me for it. Jimmy actually talked about holding SKULLY hostage and replacing the skull decals with Care Bears!
I don't think so!
Ace
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