Total Electronics OVERHAUL | P-Bass Upgrade
Total Electronics OVERHAUL | P-Bass Upgrade
This affordable Donner P-bass is a well constructed instrument, but can it be made better with new electronics, a handwound pickup, and a brass saddle bridge?
Thanks to Alegree for supplying the wiring kit and pickguard for this project:
Wiring Kit – https://www.alegree.co.uk/collections/wiring-harnesses-and-kits/products/precision-bass-wiring-kit
Pickguard – https://www.alegree.co.uk/collections/bass-pickguards/products/white-precision-bass-pickguard?variant=36893535878
Previous P-Bass video – https://youtu.be/WCpS1VVKWsY
#pbass #upgrade #csguitars
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Contact – colin@csguitars.co.uk
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Definitely sounds better with the upgrade
Sorry for being the 667th thumbs up. 😉
Rule One – Think it through and get parts that fit!
The new set up has quite a bit more noticeable attack. I think that’s why it cuts through the mix better
Or you could just buy a Squier or a Fender and be done with it . . . perfect P bass sound right out of the box.
Just purely for the cosmetics I would get some more scratchplate screws, cut the heads of and glue them in the open holes.
Can you do a video for PJ pickups?
I kinda need to know how to do that
Using wera tools too my man.. Solid job.. Don’t know how I haven’t seen this vid from you till now
Fully operational…
that is no moon
I had a similar problem with the Wilkinson p bass bridge saddle screw length. Bought one for an el cheapo that I was refinishing and rebuilding for fun, then I rescued a beat up SX bass as well. The SX was the better bass so I decided to put the Wilkinson bridge on there instead. Had to use the screws from the old SX bridge to get it to intonate properly because there just wasn’t enough length in the original screws to get the saddles forward enough.
Maybe Wilkinson should consider supplying longer screws?
Can you do a video for PJ pickups?
I kinda need to know how to do that
At least tell people what they did wrong before banning them :/
you can always just get longer adjustment screws for the bridge saddles, can’t you?
A totally cosmetic thing, but you could:
1. cut the shank off some screws and glue the heads in the vacant holes on the pickguard
2. (if it will fit) drill pilot holes into some bits of scrap wood to go under the vacant holes and screw those in (has the advantage of not using glue, and therefore being easier to undo).
I would say that the upgrades improved the presence and character, exactly what it needed.
Soldering on Potentiometer cases may likely damage the resistivity layer internally or at least create a reliability issue. Why are we seeing so many pot failures and scratchy sounding volume pots over time with guitars? Better create a metal ground plane and solder down to it.
The old ones have a pass dirty, but the clean sound was horrible. Dunno how much were the wilk and the pickus, but the change really was substancial.
Definitely the new set up has more punch and stands out in the band mixes more
Rancid 👌
Eh, don’t half-ass it and let those saddles be extended like that. Fill in the holes and redrill.
This affordable Donner P-bass is a well constructed instrument, but can it be made better with new electronics, a handwound pickup, and a brass saddle bridge?
Thanks to Alegree for supplying the wiring kit and pickguard for this project:
Wiring Kit – https://www.alegree.co.uk/collections/wiring-harnesses-and-kits/products/precision-bass-wiring-kit
Pickguard – https://www.alegree.co.uk/collections/bass-pickguards/products/white-precision-bass-pickguard?variant=36893535878
Previous P-Bass video – https://youtu.be/WCpS1VVKWsY
#pbass #upgrade #csguitars
More from CSGuitars:
Gain access to exclusive content at: https://www.patreon.com/csguitars
Join CSGuitars Discord – https://discord.gg/d7b6MY8
Buy CSGuitars Merchandise – https://www.csguitars.co.uk/store
Website – http://www.csguitars.co.uk
Contact – colin@csguitars.co.uk
Was it possible to keep the base plate on the brige and just swap the saddles? Just a thought…
it sounds to me it has "more punch" than stock.
Question. I’m planning to change the bridge on a KAY (SG shape) short-scale bass, would i be best served by putting the saddles 1/2 way before fitting?
STUPID Question:
Guitar pickup Bobbin Winding…
1. Which wire is Ground and which is Hot? Which is the Winding wire?
2. Are both N/S Winding both the same- the first wire, and ending wire +/- is the same (inner wire bs outter wire)
Thanks mate
how much is the difference in sound attributed to new strings?
An overhaul is a downhaul!
A fucked up pickguard and a bad bridge😫😫😫
The fact you covered Rancid in this video makes my heart very happy! Haha
but does it slap?
If you ever decide to revisit P bass electronics try linear taper volume potentiometer (I find audio taper volume too quick in passive P bass) and 0.1 uF capacitor (I find 0.047 uF too weak all across and too "middley" at the end). Have a nice day!
Have you done a video specifically on "high mass" bass bridges? I’m curious to hear your scientific take on that.
I ask mainly because I’m a bassist, and recently *removed* a high mass Schaller 3D bridge and replaced it with a very basic F-style, 4-saddle, bent plate bridge. And honestly, *if* there’s a difference it’s that my bass sounds way better with the "low mass" bridge.
I did basically the same thing to a vintage Aria Pro II "Precise" Bass (heh,) but I chose a high mass bridge with brass saddles.
4:11 Tony Hawk’s Underground 2!
Shoot you trying to upgrade a guitar for me
Comment for the algorithm, I can’t think of anything
Do you have any experience with standard EMG PHZ pickups and can you tell me what is the difference when you compare them with GZR pickups? Thanks
Och aye ’tis a nice thumper now Col! m/
The empty screw holes you could use magic screws just cut the head off and glue it in
0:33 hehe…knobs…. hehe solid shaft….
Ooooooo wasn’t expecting a Rancid track to be laid down! Matt Freeman is deffo an underrated bass player!
Seems a solid improvement to me! 👍
Would it be possible to get a similar effect by using an EQ to boost the mids without having to change the pick ups?
– I’ve got an 80’s Squire P-Bass which is actually pretty good, for something with a laminate body… But, you know, it’s on it’s way to being a bloody vintage bass now, so…
Anyway, it serves me well as a p- bass, and it’s ripe for a similar upgrade to this. I don’t want to spend too much.
I was looking at Wilkinson pickups – any thoughts?
I love that little shoutout at the very end to Adam Neely
If you’re still doing the tata videos, could elaborate on the difference between a cheap vs expensive guitar pedals?
Glue some little wooden dowels where the old screw holes are 🎸
The tone difference was very obvious to my relatively untrained ear and it sounds more powerful with the new electronics… more tired and more subdued with the older electronics. Cool build out! Thank you for posting.
Colin, I love all your videos so much, and am always excited to see what you put out. But as a bass player, It makes me even more excited to see you doing anything bass related! Thanks for making such quality content!
Started same project on new Donner p bass with Wilkinson bridge and Wilkinson large elephant ear tuners (total pain to get them to fit had to grind about 1-2mm off tops so they didn’t overlap )
Thanks for finding out what the problem are 😉 Making my own pickguard on router table Then new nut.
Cheers Andy
It warms my heart to see a self-proclaimed guitarist having a ball with a p-bass.
maybe cut the heads of some screws and glue them on the unused pickguard holes?