source for making a lefty single coil Precision from parts?

[ADSR]

A friend has offered to help me build my own (Since it looks like Fender is never gonna get around to it).

Anyone have a good recommendation for getting lefty parts for making a single coil Precision/Tele style? I'd like as much of it to be from stock lefty parts as possible.

Any advice appreciated

[Rodent]

are you open to going the Warmoth / USA Custom Guitar / etc ... route?

all the best,

R

[pjmuck]

I mentioned this in another thread. I looked into building one myself a few years ago. Every part you'll need can be had for a lefty bass, from woods to hardware, except the control plate, which I could never find lefty. (The only place I've seen one is on a Schecter Rob Deleo bass, and those are pretty hard to come by too). The only alternative I could come up with was obtaining a right handed one and chroming the underside of it.

[ADSR]

the control plate, which I could never find lefty. The only alternative I could come up with was obtaining a right handed one and chroming the underside of it.

So what happens if you reverse a right hand control plate and don't chrome it, what's it look like?
I'm not hung up on the authenticity/historical aspect . I will want a string-thru bridge with 4 adjusters. If some consider this blasphemy, so be it. If I got one stock I would switch out that bridge anyway. If I do build one I want it to have the SCPB/tele look but I'm not trying to fool anyone. The sound is the key

[Rodent]

I've got RFQ's going in to couple places for a lefty control plate. Once I know the cost I'll either make these individually for for builds or offer the group here opportunity to join in on a purchase of 10 - 25 covers

all the best,

R

[andrew]

I wish Arni had contact info listed for the guys on his site. There's a guy on leftybass.com who has a lefty '51 P-Bass style bass, complete with control plate, but there's no way to contact him to ask where he got the plate.

[ADSR]

I have to ask again, what does the "wrong" side of a right handed '51P control plate look like? I'm just wondering if i could get away with reversing it. I flipped a righty gold anodized pickguard to use on my lefty 57P CIJ RI and it looks fine.

[Rodent]

I have real estate agents about to walk clients thru our place, but later this evening I can pop the cover plate off my '51Pish Darkstar build and snap an image for you to see

all the best,

R

[ADSR]

Hey Rodent, that would be greatly appreciated whenever you get the chance, there's certainly no rush! Thanks!!!

[Rodent]

OK ... here's the topside of an installed '51P control plate. it has seen about 18 months of action in a bass I custom built as a design prototype, but still is in reasonable condition all things considered. the top side has a nicely polished chrome plated surface



this image shows the two mounting screws removed, and their countersunk holes. this is the main difference between a righty and lefty from a physical design perspective



here's the flip side of the typical control plate I use. the chrome plating isn't as detailed as the top side ... actually this is quite good compared to a few parts manufacturers out there who have a dreadfully awful finish on the back side. note that there is no countersink to the mounting holes on this side




if you purchase a control plate with good chroming on the back side, you'll need to utilize dome head screws to mount it with vs. countercunk screws like most everything else utilizes. it'll look a little bumpy when viewed up close, but nobody will be able to tell the difference from 30 feet away. when I have the lefty control plates made, they'll have the correct orientation for the countersinks ... a small detail, but significant to me and my building efforts

all the best,

R

[ADSR]

Hey Rodent,

Thanks so much for these detailed pictures!

I'm still not even sure I will tackle this project but if I do, of course I'd prefer to find a proper lefty designed control plate, but it looks to me like using a reversed right hand control plate wouldn't be a serious problem at all.
If it comes to that, using round head screws wouldn't bother me. In fact that's exactly what I use on the right handed anodized pickguard that I flipped over to put on my CIJ lefty P bass. As with the control plate, the screw holes on the guard are counter sunk on the "right" side but flat on the reverse. I found brass roundhead screws that fit and match the anodized color nicely and I love the look of it.

Thanks again for the great pics, I'm sure everyone here will appreciate!

[Rodent]

Anyone have a good recommendation for getting lefty parts for making a single coil Precision/Tele style?

I have a Nordstrand order going in next week. I've used their SCPB pickups in previous builds, and plan to order a SCPB for a refit project I'll be doing in a month or two. If you're interested in a custom Nordy SCPB pickup wound to original Fender specs, drop me a PM and I can shoot you back a LeftyBassist price quote.

all the best,

R

[Matt R.]

Check here:
http://edenhaus.com/default.htm

This guy said he was going to start building them soon.