Andyjr1515

Yes - I have some for a larger size screw but not for these diddlies.

One of the smaller jobs is to secure the jack housing. I'm using these teeny 2.5mm inserts and machine screws. The inserts are fine threaded but the recess should be taking the bulk of the strain. If there is any issue when I try it out with a jack it is no problem to fit larger screws and wider-threaded inserts. For added security, they are screwed into a cyano-gelled hole: And fitted:

Fascinating video @itu Still beats me how they do that at 0.4mm thick! Based on how quickly my 2" handplane blades go blunt...

Just 3. I think that makes them 0.4mm each which, I suppose, is not so different to standard veneer at 0.6mm. But it beats me how they slice those too! Especially the figured ones.

And cleaned up, here's how it's looking. Really starting to look like a bass: The pickup rings will end up the same shade as the headstock. I might use the magical Osmo Polyx Raw so that they both stay the shade the unfinished rings look above rather than the darker effect that a standard finish gives on the headstock. Both should then retain that slight reddish tinge of the fretboard rather than the slightly blacker look of standard finished wenge. So next jobs are going to be sanding and finishing. I can also do the fretwork, fit the Dunlop inset straplock fittings and other similar small jobs but then it's a bit of a waiting game until Tom's US order from Hipshot comes through for the bridge blocks and the tuners.

In the diary

A quintet of swifts cut out of my last bit of MoP… Two for the 12th fret: Glued in with epoxy mixed with fretboard sanding dust: And three for the headstock:

1/64" plywood - one of the marvels of the 20th/21st century world. I have no idea how they make it and when it was first developed (I suspect a long, long time ago - early 20th century?) but I've used this for decades. And now it finds good use in guitar and bass building: Ideal to provide stability to my brittle wenge: The headstock board is also cut ready to glue to the headstock, although I might add a couple of swifts before I prepare the headstock and glue it. Tom's special cutout will be filed once it's glued and once I have hold of the tuners he's ordered to position them properly. Once done, it should look pretty similar to the Mk 1 version below:

Beautiful stuff.

scrumpymike has just done the same for the SW Bash, @jebroad The way it's all going, I think there's an inevitability TBH. Have you outlaid any cash yet you wouldn't be able to recoup? If so, I and I'm sure others would be happy to chip in.

This is a height-adjustable nut - with each string individually adjustable. Basically, the v-grooves in the top of each nut are your nut slots and the strings lie on top of them. So basically turn each screw until the bottom of the v-groove is at broadly right height, make sure it is in line with the string and then try it with the string in the groove. Just turn each up or down until you have the nut height you want for that string and it's done. The V grooves for the bass strings are wider than those for the treble strings to account for the different string widths.

Yup, certainly looks good to me. Nice that you were able to get a touch of an angle - it compliments the end of the fretboard nicely.

Hi Back from daughter's at Aberdeen (borders not closed yet; was there ahead of the 'don't visit relatives' advice; even more ahead of the 'don't even phone people you know' edict that I'm sure is only a few days away ) so back to the project. The pickup rings and headstock plate will be using some wenge constructional veneer - 2mm thick. Strong along the length but very brittle crossgrain. It'll be fine for the headstock plate - this will be similar to Tom's original African bass. This is a photo of his original with maple wings added in anticipation: For the pickup rings - these will darken when they are sanded and finished - I probably need to add an underlayer either of crossgrain wood or maybe even pickguard material to give it a bit more underlying strength: When I've done that, I will probably also slim the ring around the neck pickup a touch to match the slimmer pickup itself. But that's a job for tomorrow.

It depends on the strings and the action height, @Jimothey but for the bottom E, to be sure you need to allow for around 5mm longer than the scale length. The G will be close to scale length - maybe scale length plus 1mm. You also don't want the bottom string saddles too far back if you are going for a top loading option as you might find that the string bindings end up going over the saddles. So yes, you may be able to stagger them a bit but, as @fleabag says, you will need to be careful not to compromise function for form

Lovely!

Yes - that's actually quite a good thing to do to even out the tone differences, but maybe a bridge too far (excusing the pun) in terms of the aesthetics? Jack Bruce's Thumb was like that:

No (that is, yes - it would be a problem) - heavily slanted saddle-holders are absolutely a multi-scale thing. The bridge saddles have to be in the correct positions relative to the scale length (with relatively minor adjustment backward movement - usually 1mm to 4mm back from scale length for intonation ) . And therefore, whether a fixed bridge or individuals, the saddles themselves are going to need to be in the same positions.

My own preference would also be the two straight but, as with @Pea Turgh , more based on tone than looks. The one angled is sort of the wrong angle tone-wise for a bass - it will make the bottom E very mellow and the G quite jangly. I'm not sure that's what you'd be ideally going for.

Good call.

Me too.

Ref the sound - try wiring the two pickups in series. It can often transform the sound a bass and should need only a couple or so of resolders...

This is a wonderful build. Like when you are decorating a room, your eye will, at first, be drawn to things you are not happy with - but bring someone in and even tell them there are flaws, they won't see them. They just see the overall job. Now, I'm well pleased with many of the things I've built but, trust me, I'd be as happy as a pig in s**t if I'd built this.

That's a difficult cut to achieve accurately. Well done!

Just tidied up the list to get rid of those bold letters! 1. @Frank Blank’s (mostly) Acoustic Corner - Godin A4, fretless Rob Allen Mouse, ACG Harlot SC, Ibanez SRC6. QSC K12.2, Helix Stomp. 2. @jebroad Dingwall, Squire silver jazz, schecter fiver, ashdown 8x10, whatever heads I can dig out 3. @Len_derby . Swift Lite bass. A couple of raffle prizes 4. @Andyjr1515 No idea what I'll be bringing bass-wise, but I'll definitely be bringing me (and maybe @Len_derby and maybe @SpondonBassed?) 5. 6. @Teebs Hinnocent 7. @Stub Mandrel's (Naughty Jama Corner) - Fender Flea bass, Fender performer plus surprise guest bass(es), Trace Elliot GP11 Mk. 11 1110 Combo, Joyo XVI - 8. @Richard R's (cheap bit on the side as all the corners are taken) - Brawley Artemis KB14 with steel strings,, EBS Session 60, possibly a bitsa to get some advice on, scales to weigh basses with, cake, something for the raffle,

Yeah - and that's the other thing I hate about him.