Advice: Blasphemy against an historic bass? or.......

[maxschrek]

I have a first gen Hamer Cruise bass from 1982, Ferrari red with matching pg. Absolutely well played/gigged/loved, in fact, one might even say beat to hell. Lots of dings, gashes, missing paint and.......character. Great player with a fast neck and that oh so familiar mahogany tone we know and love so well.

Well, I have to go and f**k it up for everybody, I don't like PJ pup configuration and whats more, I'm not a fan of EMGs. The bass sounds good......but I have a pair of current Gibby T-bird pickups. I'm thinking these will sound like GOD in this bass but I'm not sure if it would be cool to cut on this bass.

Help me my brothers, if this is a bad idea, please say so.

Thanks!

[murkat]

make it yours.

we all do.

you are not alone.

[RichRS6]

I say do it, if you decide you don't like it you can always buy another, it's not a rare item in collectors condition or if you're emotionally attached to it just look for another well used one to cut into, they can be had for reasonable money, always good to have a spare and a good argument to buy another one if you have a significant other you need to justify it to.

[Steve Haynie]

Are you going to have to cut that original red pickguard? That pickguard is rare as can be. The fact that the bass came with a red pickguard makes this one rare.

Leave this one alone!

[cynic]

Like one of the doc's I knew in the Navy used to say, "to cut is to cure"

[maxschrek]

Are you going to have to cut that original red pickguard? That pickguard is rare as can be. The fact that the bass came with a red pickguard makes this one

Leave this one alone!

I would have to have a new pickguard made, still a mistake ya think?

[Steve Haynie]

If you have a new pickguard made you still are messing with a factory red on red combination.

[maxschrek]

Right. See, I wasn't aware this was an unusual color combo. Maybe I should find another one to mod.

[cynic]

Right. See, I wasn't aware this was an unusual color combo. Maybe I should find another one to mod.

Does this mean it's worth $525 rather than $500?

Puke green is an unusual color as well, but unless it commands a premium price at resell it hardly matters.

[JohnnyB]

Could you articulate *why* you don't like a P/J? Not all P/Js are created equal, and based on my experience (even with a prejudice against active EMGs), I have a stock Guild Pilot Pro with mahogany body and active EMG P/Js that is a tone monster, full, musical, and yet articulate as well. It may help that it also has a 2-band active EQ, which enables me to thin out or fatten the sound as needed, enabling it to sound more like a "P" and more like a "J" when called for.

Mahogany has a way of turning linear, even sterile pickups into a sweet and musical sound. My all-mahogany 25th Anniversary Artist Mahogany does this even with the JB in the bridge, as does my Pilot Pro in spades.

Mebbe you should look into an active preamp/EQ that would fit in the cavity. That would be less obtrusive and have a profound effect on the sounds, and probably in the direction you're looking for.

[maxschrek]

Cynic, you're absolutely right and I'm certainly under no delusion that this bass is worth any more than I paid for it ($400) be it unusual or not, I'm only leery of modding because I don't want to "disrespect" a cool bass BUT, as mentioned earlier, they are plentiful and there is definitely something to be said for making a guitar "your own".

JohnnyB, this bass sounds fantastic as is, I didn't mean to dis the pickup configuration. I guess I should have worded my indifference toward P/J, EMG and active circuits a little differently. It's not that I hate them but rather that I greatly prefer T-bird pickups in a passive circuit and it had struck me that this bass would probably kill equiped this way, at least to my taste. Even if I decide to leave it bone stock it's still a keeper, though, because it plays and balances so well.

This may just be a stalwart case of if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Geez, I don't know

[chromium]

I like TB+s as well... and I bet it would kill with those.

Maybe try auditioning something in the Dimarzio P/J family first if you are conflicted. It'd be easy enough to pick up a set used and flip 'em if they don't do it for you.

I love my Tbirds, but the P/P Dimarzio set in my Mock and Bich really do it for me as well. Also, Nokturnal on here has an early Blitz with (I suspect) a similar set of Dimarzios and that thing sounds great to me...

[maxschrek]

I like TB+s as well... and I bet it would kill with those.

Maybe try auditioning something in the Dimarzio P/J family first if you are conflicted. It'd be easy enough to pick up a set used and flip 'em if they don't do it for you.

I love my Tbirds, but the P/P Dimarzio set in my Mock and Bich really do it for me as well. Also, Nokturnal on here has an early Blitz with (I suspect) a similar set of Dimarzios and that thing sounds great to me...

Ya know, that's a great idea, I think I'll try that first. I've seen pics of Nokturnal's Blitz, that thing is badass! Funny, he is who I bought the TB's from!

[chromium]

I like TB+s as well... and I bet it would kill with those.

Maybe try auditioning something in the Dimarzio P/J family first if you are conflicted. It'd be easy enough to pick up a set used and flip 'em if they don't do it for you.

I love my Tbirds, but the P/P Dimarzio set in my Mock and Bich really do it for me as well. Also, Nokturnal on here has an early Blitz with (I suspect) a similar set of Dimarzios and that thing sounds great to me...

Ya know, that's a great idea, I think I'll try that first. I've seen pics of Nokturnal's Blitz, that thing is badass! Funny, he is who I bought the TB's from!

Small world!

Yeah based on what you shared in the B8S thread, we all have similar tastes I love the Pitbulls, the BLs, and Dimarzios... His Blitz has the exposed/adjustable poles... look real similar to the pickups in my '79 Mockingbird (but black instead of creme).

[maxschrek]

I like TB+s as well... and I bet it would kill with those.

Maybe try auditioning something in the Dimarzio P/J family first if you are conflicted. It'd be easy enough to pick up a set used and flip 'em if they don't do it for you.

I love my Tbirds, but the P/P Dimarzio set in my Mock and Bich really do it for me as well. Also, Nokturnal on here has an early Blitz with (I suspect) a similar set of Dimarzios and that thing sounds great to me...

Ya know, that's a great idea, I think I'll try that first. I've seen pics of Nokturnal's Blitz, that thing is badass! Funny, he is who I bought the TB's from!

Small world!

Yeah based on what you shared in the B8S thread, we all have similar tastes I love the Pitbulls, the BLs, and Dimarzios... His Blitz has the exposed/adjustable poles... look real similar to the pickups in my '79 Mockingbird (but black instead of creme).

Forgot to mention how incredibly badass your BC Rich's are, too! Damn I'm jealous, especially of that Bich!

[Ethan]

Put a Dimarzio Model P and a Model J in there, you might dig it way more...usually I am an advocate of routing guitars/basses out and making them your own, but this one is a rare bird. Also check out the capacitor, swapping that guy out in my 73 P Bass (wasn't the stock one in there anyway) made a world of difference.

[marcnorth]

Make it what you want, I think TBird pups would look cool in one, and you know it would make it sound better.

[Caddie]

I'm sorry Max, but I need pics to get a feel for your issue.

Cheers!

caddie

[JohnnyB]

What is your amp? I had an amp that could make pretty much anything sound like the Voice of God. Best candidates were G&Ls with their passive humbuckers and active preamp and the active EMG/active preamp Guild Pilots. I still think you'd do better soundwise adding a preamp to what's already in the bass. All mahogany instruments always have a full voluminous sound. Adding a little punch and clarity would be a good thing.

[killerteddybear]

Try a set of Bartolini's in this bass before you cut into it.

Personally, I would not cut into it.