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Body Finish: 3-Tone Sunburst
5-2-09: Sealed & buffed with Dr. Duck's Axwax prior to reassembly.
Pickguard: White PG will be replaced with a Tortoise Shell which has to be made.
Turns out this pickguard is slightly different than the other SX P-bass pickguard. This pickguard is an eighth of an inch longer at the control area so I'm making a new routing template. This is why the SX basses drive me nuts.
4-29-09: Completed new pickguard template.
4-30-09: Completed first step of the Tortoise Shell PG.Don't worry Dan; those scratches are on the plastic film covering the pickguard.
4-30-09: Photos: 1 -|- 2 -|- 3 -|- 4 -|- 5 -|- 6
-|- 7 -|- 8 . . . completed.
Finger Rest: No
Thumb Rest: No
Bridge: SX 7-hole bridge was replaced with a chrome OEM Deluxe Bridge.
Bridge Cover: No
Pickup Cover: No
Strap Buttons: Chrome with felts
Strap Locks: No
Partial Fretjob & Setup: I started off having to swap a fretless neck for a fretted SPB neck because the fretted neck wasn't available when Dan made the purchase. Then Kurt messed up again by sending me an unfinished fretted neck which is not an SPB neck. So I removed one from a P-bass that had yet to have work started.
• Here's a photo of a fretboard close-up of the SPB neck before work began. The frets protruded an average of one to two thousands of an inch and were sharp for the most part.
• Here's a photo of a fretboard close-up of the neck after the frets were leveled and the fret ends rolled (radiused 1/16") with the fretboard.
• The neck is having stainless steel screw inserts installed and SS oval headed machine screws used so Dan can break down the bass for travelling or swapping between necks. I was lucky in that, when I fit the neck onto this body, all four holes lined up and screws drew the neck in tight. Had any not lined up I would have to drill and fill the hole(s) with a plug.
Insert Procedure Photos: Kit -|- Drill -|- Tap -|- Insert -|- Inserted
One of the inserts was drilled and installed slightly cocked, and that's all it takes to cause the screw not to align. Removed insert, drilled out and installed a plug. There'll be an overnight wait for the glue to dry.
5-2-09: Completed last insert and installed neck.
Headstock: SX logo
Tuners: SX Chrome were removed, adjusted, lubed, and reassembled.
5-2-09: Installed tuning machines and string retainer onto headstock.
Truss Rod Cover: No
Strings: Thomastik Infeld JF344 Flatwounds: .043, .056, .070, .100
I never cared for these flatwounds because they actually feel sloppy no matter what bass I've put them on. Unless you always have a fairly light touch when you play, they slap the board. I've set the action to be medium low where noramlly I can get very low without buzz or slap. The strings I recommend for this scale are Rotosound 77 flats or rounds. The RS 77s hold a stiffer response while played.
String Nuts: Replace with Bone and GraphTech graphite.
There was a question as to which sounded like what and I find they both sound different on different basses, with the bone always seeming to be mellower in my opinion. The only way I can think to satisfy the quest is to provide BOTH bone and graphite for Dan to try out. Each nut is thinned to a press fit and will require light tapping in order to swap between the two nuts. No glue is used to fasten them.
GT Nut: Fit to Slot -|- Preliminary Marking & Slotting -|- Slotted -|- Done
Bone Nut: Fit to Slot -|- Shaped 1 -|- Slotted -|- Shaped 2 -|- Done -|- 2
String Guide: SX round chrome ~ replace with 3-string Hipshot retainer??? (No)
No matter what pickups I install, it always seems like P-basses put out the most. Maybe it's just the design of the split coils or maybe it's just loving lovin' a good P-bass~! And I always seem to fall in love with the basses I build.
Cavities: 4-21-09: Copper Shielded
Pickups: SX P-bass pickups were padded and leads extended to allow for disassembly from the body without having to rest the assembly on the body.
The pickups were adjusted to gain maximum output while maintaining a safe distance from the strings so they don't come into contact with the poles.
Note to Naysayers: HEAR it before you judge it~!
SX pickups are wound to Fender specifications. Remember, SX is a Fender copy. It's made to emulate the Fender bass in all aspects. After all, nobody wants a P-bass (or Jazz) that doesn't at least sound like one. Automatically assuming you need to swap out these pickups for some other brand is nonsense.
Controls: Volume-Tone
Whipped up a control harness ready for installation after the pickguard is ready.
The harness consists of 2 CTS pots, Switchcraft jack, Orange Drop cap, and WBE PTFE Teflon High Temperature Silver Plated Copper Wire.
Control Plate: Pickguard had the control pot holes enlarged to 3/8" for the pot shafts and the rear covered with copper foil over the cavity and pickup areas.
Control Knobs: P-bass metal flat tops with set screws.
Turns out I didn't actually complete the job~! I misplaced a box of the flat top knobs so I may be shipping the bass without them while I wait for the new order.
>> Workshop >> Project: SX SPB-62 3-Tone Sunburst P-Bass for Dan from Illinois
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 Parts Checklist
 SX SPB-62 Body
Front -|- Rear
 • Finish: 3-Tone Sunburst
• Bridge: OEM Dlx Blk
• Bridge Cover: No
• Pickup Cover: No
• PG: Template R&R
• Pickguard: Tort R&R
• PG Screws: Chrome
• Finger Rest: No
• Thumb Rest: No
• Strap Buttons: SX
• Strap Locks: No
SX SPB-62 Neck
• Fretboard R&R
• Heel Inserts: R&R
• Tuning Machines: SX
• Tuner Screws: Chrome
• String Guide: Chrome
• Strings: TI JF344 Flats
• Nut R&R: Graphite
• Nut R&R: Bone
• Truss Rod Cover: No
Electronics
• Copper Foil Shielding
• Pickups: SX P
• Pickup Pads: Rubber
• Pup Screws: Chrome
• Control Plate: PG
• Control Pots: CTS
• Control Knobs: P-bass
• Capacitor: OD .047µF
• Output Jack: Switchcraft
• Precision Bass Wiring
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