CRAZY NEW BUILD: Fender MONGOOSE... CBS' GREATEST MISSES!

[mongoose]

Recently I stopped into my local shithouse pawn shop... and had an epiphany (or maybe it was an aneurysm) about a new build.

First a little PBS stuff:

History tells us that in 1968, CBS/Fender gave foreman BABE SIMONI an edict: develop new saleable product from esoteric/obsolete parts. In particular, he was to use up a storeroom full of Electric XII parts, short-scale student necks, and BASS V bodies. We all know the results:




But it's doubtful that these very the very first ideas he had. At least a few other prototypes must've been made; only to either walk out the back door with employees, or (more likely) be bandsawed and dumpstered.

I really dig the concept of replicating something that COULD HAVE come out of this f'd up CBS period. So with that in mind, I started thinking "what if they used THIS neck design":



With THIS failed product body:



It would be kind of like CBS' GREATEST MISSES (as opposed to FENDER'S GREATEST HITS).

What gave me the idea was finding one of THESE necks (similar to en Electric XII, but slightly shorter and with a strange butt shape):





at the pawn shop- CHEAP (I actually swapped my old wedding band for it- good riddance).

I figured we could maybe just plug the top 6 tuner holes (or whichever make sense).

The long-ass headstock would help balance the long-ass body. A Mustang Bass pickup looks JUST LIKE the Electric XII pickup, and would go well in the neck position. Add a Jaguar pickup in the bridge position, if only to ensure a good usable tone (who knows what a bass pickup is gonna sound like on a guitar). A Toronado bridge resembles the Electric XII bridge, so add one of these as well.

Oh, and of course add the huge chrome pieces from the original bass too (or approximations thereof).

Sound sick enough for y'all?

I call it the METAPHOR-V-6 (Meta 4,5,6...) Andrew (who will actually be concocting this evil beast) calls is THE WONKYMASTER!

Corksniffing traditional vintage buffs FEAR!!!

Feel tree to take over from here, Andrew...

[newdawnfades]

i actually really like the swinger, of course, id make a few changes, like the headstock and id put in a bridge pup
but i actually like the body shape and whatnot

oh and 25'5 scale

[noisepunk]

(who knows what a bass pickup is gonna sound like on a guitar)

kalipigeon knows.

[mongoose]

(who knows what a bass pickup is gonna sound like on a guitar)

kalipigeon knows.

Well alrighty then! Somehow I suspect that the "center" switch position (both pickups) will be the "money shot" for me- it usually is. I'm excited to hear it- and about this whole build...

[AWSchmit]

I'll be honest. I've always really hated that body design. With a passion. However I will look forward to seeing this unfold.

[mongoose]

I'll be honest. I've always really hated that body design. With a passion.

EXCELLENT! Keep the encouraging comments coming!

[Con-Tiki!]

[quote="AWSchmit"]I'll be honest. I've always really hated that body design. With a passion.


i have only hated it since this morning. I dunno if i have ever seen a bass like that.

I will hold any further criticism until i see if your theory regarding the giant headstock proves true.
yayy, weird builds!

[Keegan]

You are a sick, sick man.

[AWSchmit]

I'll be honest. I've always really hated that body design. With a passion.

i have only hated it since this morning. I dunno if i have ever seen a bass like that.

I will hold any further criticism until i see if your theory regarding the giant headstock proves true.
yayy, weird builds!

Haha. I've seen flashes of it in the past. However, I didn't see it before in any great detail until I got ahold of the Fender books. BTW I highly recommend getting Fender: The Golden Age. If you've not got to read and see it yet. An interesting fact about this bass is that it was the first original design created without ANY input from Leo Fender. (At least that's what the book said. ha.)

[mongoose]

I'll be honest. I've always really hated that body design. With a passion.

i have only hated it since this morning. I dunno if i have ever seen a bass like that.

I will hold any further criticism until i see if your theory regarding the giant headstock proves true.
yayy, weird builds!

Haha. I've seen flashes of it in the past. However, I didn't see it before in any great detail until I got ahold of the Fender books. BTW I highly recommend getting Fender: The Golden Age. If you've not got to read and see it yet. An interesting fact about this bass is that it was the first original design created without ANY input from Leo Fender. (At least that's what the book said. ha.)

As well as being a fascinating read, that book is PURE PORN! It played a big part in this build concept too.

[mongoose]

I really wish I was fluent with photoshop.

Here's the closest I could come to an approximation of what I want finish and pickup-wise on this thing:



If I could just figure out how to transpose THIS body:



onto that image...

[andrewdoeshair]

I'll post some of the BBOS (big beautiful offset) porn as soon as possible. None of you have to be ashamed to admit you like the design!

[weed_killer]

[mongoose]

HOORAY! YOU ROCK! I WANT YOU INSIDE ME!

Uh... disregard that last part... got caught up in the moment!

Now if you just take away the switch, and put the two huge chrome pieces back on, you'll have it.

[mongoose]

In fact, crescent-shaped neck join notwithstanding; almost EXACTLY like THIS: