LukeFRC

Looks great! Not tempted by a pearl pink?!

[quote name='Rick's Fine '52' timestamp='1502306305' post='3350613'] Loving this Luke, fantastic work, you must be chuffed so far! [/quote] fairly - I think the most exciting bit just happened though... So building up layers of stain starting blue grey and getting darker and adding more of the black.... so I just painted the edge black and then hopefully blended it in - the middle though lifted some of the deep black showing a more bluey black colour - if it dries as good as it looked wet I think I've managed a pretty cool burst effect!

It's the bridge screws and pickup screws I've had problems with before. Neck screws too (threaded bolts are an option I like for the neck) - I think a lot a guitar stuff uses "oval head" or something - it's not super common in hardware stores. Pilot holes are a must. I say this as the main reason I'm doing my current build is the previous version went so wrong as cheap screws kept shearing and going wrong. It probably makes very little difference but I know it's there! Solder - if I were doing it every day lead free is healthier! Which is why the electronics industry use it. It's like welding with the current slightly too low - usable but not as easy as it should be. And that's a great bit of wood you've got - are you using hand drills on it? how hard is it to use the auger (sp?) bit in that clamp?

above photos taken at night in strip light, and probably still wet in most cases- so it's way more bluey than it looks...

[quote name='Andyjr1515' timestamp='1502038011' post='3348890'] It's looking good, Luke. I particularly like the 'reverse strat' jack arrangement. Looks very professional [/quote] thank you - it was the best bit so far - first bit that is kinda "finished" and pulling the backing off the sheet to expose the black anodisation was a very good feeling. And thanks Basstool too

[quote name='SpondonBassed' timestamp='1501182546' post='3343213'] Essential finishing supplies. I thought I'd treat myself to a new soldering iron too. It has LEDs that focus just beyond the tip of the iron. I am trying lead free solder for the first time. The man in Maplin recommended an inexpensive one and another one at double the price. The difference being the one percent silver content in the pricier one. He said that it wouldn't compromise a good joint using the cheap one but I went for the silver. With low levels of signal and the potential for induced interference I reckon the addition of silver gives it the conductive edge over the cheap one if only by a small amount. [attachment=250103:Ibby5.JPG] [/quote] It's been said before.... but the lead free stuff isn't any good IMO. I say this a a young-un who grew up using lead free solder - I was building an effect pedal and ran out and the local shop was this old electronics shop that had been there since the 50's - I think my roll of solder must have been too! It was a revelation! [quote name='SpondonBassed' timestamp='1501400219' post='3344392'] That's probably all the information I will share about costs here. Of course if anyone wants to ask how much I paid for something I've used in the build I will answer but after the initial purchase the cost of the build is largely a matter of choice. It would be pointless to include day to day details of how much I spend and I am not keeping tabs on that anyway. In the end I wont be able to say what was spent down to the last penny but I am not interested in pretending I can do accountancy. [/quote] I'm the same with my build - some things I've gone for more expensive options. My one 2p, as it was the main mistake I made on my last build... but take a load of the screws you got with your kit... and test a few in something. If the heads start to deform chuck them and get new, good ones from a hardware store - I've got a place near me where I can get individual screws - for a couple of quid nice stainless steel ones are a lot less likely to deform or strip the heads. Nice build though!

volume and kill switch!

oh I drilled the holes for the strap locks too big - that was the other thing. Plugged with glue and cocktail sticks so you'll never tell when its done. The bonus was I found I am two screws and two of the lock washers away from a set of Dunlop strap locks. The pink bass had Schaller strap ends and I switched the strap from my thumb bass. Of the two I don't get why anyone in their right minds would go for Schaller - without fail the nut comes loose every so often which means the whole thing will fail. Why they don't make the thread a bit longer and use a lock nut I don't know

tidied the workshop and put the tools away - then remembered that I forgot to make the cut for the control cavity cover... Sanded down through the grades for ages to 400 grit - easily marked wood this! This is it with a bit of white spirit on it. When this dried I wiped it down with water to raise the grain and then went to water the tomatoes.

So as Andyjr1515 pointed out to me... I got the wrong length thread on the switch. The treble pot is a bit short too but you try finding a large selection of 1m rev log pots! Anyway a bit of fitting with a spare bit of the aluminium, and it doesn't get in the way of the battery box (an old warwick one I had in my spares box with the rest of the guts of my Streamer) Put everything together and it looks kinda bass shaped! Today I was rushing a bit and a few things went wrong... I struggled to get the holes drilled for the pickup cavities and the bridge wire... and in doing it managed to mess up the edge of the bridge of wood between the pickups. I also managed to go all the way through when drilling for the pickup screw - so I've got a tiny hole in the back - should be easily solved. There was something else that went a bit squiffy but I can't remember what.

But what was the hole for? Well this bass has a load of the ideas I've seen and though were cool and added onto this.... and this is borrowed off Jens Ritter... (I couldn't face a barrel jack)

Whci hshould be just the right size for the cavity... I hope so- for some reason if I got it this size it was half the price of getting it 2mm longer...

Today started with shaping this bit of aluminium

very good price that!

[quote name='ChazzJEUK' timestamp='1501531308' post='3345353'] Every bass I seem to come across pre owned that I take in part Ex/trade always seems to have stripped pickup screws. What is it with people and not using the right size screwdriver? Is it hard? What's the point in being lazy and ruining something then to just trade it off and make it someone else's problem? Sorry for the rant but this is so dam frustrating!! So sick of having to sort this problem and invest in new pickup screws every time I do a bass up to sell on. Not to mention they'r a pain in the A to get out in the first place! Anyone else notice the lack of care taken with preowned basses they happen to come by? [/quote] please take a photo of your Alpher pickup screws - I suspect they solved this problem for you

I used to use one some GP7 combo at church for years and it made me sound so spikey and 80's it was horrid. Then they got an Ashdowm ABM and it was like swimming in muddy wool. Somewhere in the middle would do me. Would like to try a GP12 SMX

[quote name='Andyjr1515' timestamp='1501250577' post='3343632'] OK - makes sense. Do remember to chisel or drill a slot for the little tab on the five way put there to prevent the switch body turning in use. I don't generally bother with the standard pots, but the twisting resistance on a 5 way is high, so you will need that extra stability. It's a bit scary getting the chamber bottom (which of course is actually the guitar top) thin enough - if you have a choice, aim for reasonable thread length on the threaded portion of the pots. Certainly don't go for the short thread ones, which are designed for fitting to an aluminium or steel amp chassis [/quote] balls. though come up with a plan B

Sounds good - it's a rotery 5 way switch - mainly cos I couldn't work out a way to cut the slot for a strat style switch accuracy

That looks great! 32 years older than my "kinda custom shop" version!

How deep to folk do their control cavities?

oh and wiring planning.... Fender Roscoe beck meets musicman?

rounder bit number 1 and the bigger number two not quite perfect on that thin edge.