Routing a pickup.

[TmcB]

Here's the situation.
I love the feel of my Pedulla Rapture Jazz but I just can't get behind the tone.
I find it unusable in a band setting as I never seem to get the tone I want out of it. It's either too deep, too scooped or too middy with no bass.
It won't sell on TM because people only buy Fenders and Stingrays.
The bass I'd like to get because of the tone is a Stingray so here's my crazy idea.
Since most of the tone of a Stingray comes from a) the Preamp b) the Humbucker and c) the placement of the Humbucker, I thought I'd get someone to route the existing pickup space into the right position and size for a MM humbucker, and build a 2-band Stingray Preamp. That would leave a single Jazz pup at the neck with the MM at the bridge, a pretty awesome combo, and if I wanted to get a Jazz sound back I could put in a switch to turn off one of the coils in the Humbucker. I'm not even sure if it's possible to get it in the right spot TBH, it might even need the pickguard to be modified.

This is a no-going-back affair as there is no pick guard on that area, thus no way of covering a sloppy route.
Is there anyone you can think of closer to chch that you'd trust with this sort of job?

[Capt. Black]

Hey tmb, before getting the chisels out, what else is in the chain?
Amp, preamp, effects?

Have you tried a decent compressor? It sounds like the sort of tonal balance problem that a good comp excels at.

[Kris]

there's definately no one here i'd trust with that job!

[Rog]

This might sound weird, but have you considered dropping into a local high school or polytech to talk with someone teaching fine woodwork? They would be likely to take enormous pride in doing it properly as an exemplar to their students.

[TmcB]

Hey tmb, before getting the chisels out, what else is in the chain?
Amp, preamp, effects?

Have you tried a decent compressor? It sounds like the sort of tonal balance problem that a good comp excels at.

So the preamp is a Bartolini one that comes standard in the Rapture, and the pickups are barts as well.
I've got a good comp, the Diamond Bass one so that helps but doesn't sort it for me.
It's going into my Orange AD200b head and Genz Benz Neo 212T cab.

Part of me wants to pull the preamp out, then the pickups, then put the pick ups in parallel with a push-pull pot but it's a lot of work and unrecoupable that probably won't get the result I'm after.

[TmcB]

This might sound weird, but have you considered dropping into a local high school or polytech to talk with someone teaching fine woodwork? They would be likely to take enormous pride in doing it properly as an exemplar to their students.

That's not a mental idea actually...

[capt abaham]

the bass player in Beanie has used that exact idea on the fretless he made. he used a Duncan Basslines MM pickup and (i think?) an EMG pre amp. it sounds great.

ASH would be a good choice for the routing if you are to much of a girl to DIY. you can always make a huge pick up ring or home made pick guard to cover the chisle splits and mallet damage.

[TmcB]

ASH would be a good choice for the routing if you are to much of a girl to DIY.

Yeah, I've sent him an email seeing what he thinks about it because I absolutely am too much of a girl to DIY.

[ash]

I wouldn't let a woodwork teacher near it. Gerry Brownlee was a woodwork teacher.

Peter Stephen is probably the best bet down that way, or send it up to me (we'll both take ages ) I can supply the SD or Nordstrand MM pickup and preamp too.

[TmcB]

I wouldn't let a woodwork teacher near it. Gerry Brownlee was a woodwork teacher.

Peter Stephen is probably the best bet down that way, or send it up to me (we'll both take ages ) I can supply the SD or Nordstrand MM pickup and preamp too.

Sent you an email before with the whole bloody first post . Ah well, would like to get your opinions on it anyway.

[Rog]

I wouldn't let a woodwork teacher near it. Gerry Brownlee was a woodwork teacher.

I worked with a Fine Woodwork lecturer that I'd trust making anything. His work was simply beautiful to behold. Not every teacher is a dud.

[capt abaham]

somthing about ASH`s router i reckon, it must have the sharpest edges of any router in the country.

[foal30]

I wouldn't let a woodwork teacher near it. Gerry Brownlee was a woodwork teacher.

I worked with a Fine Woodwork lecturer that I'd trust making anything. His work was simply beautiful to behold. Not every teacher is a dud.

National Standards will sort the good ones out!

I want to see National Standards for Parenting.

Pete Stephen tends to work slowly Tony. I'm skeptical this Pedulla suffers from a lack of correct tone for your band, the band must be wrong.