Andyjr1515

Thanks, folks Next big task is the control chamber and cover. This is a bit chicken and egg and will need me to make up some routing templates. Looking at the John East pre-amp circuit that Jez (Jabba_the_gut) sent to me, there are optional connection points for master vol, piezo / magnetic blend, piezo tone and magnetic tone. So hang it - may as well try to get ALL of those in, if I can To get the above in full, I need one more pot - Artec do a mini concentric pot that I could use for the two tones, but in terms of footprint, this is basically how it would fit (and also these are not the final knobs): If the concentric tones is a no go, actually the above would work with a dual gang pot, one wired to the piezo and one to the magnetic and then just use the blend to get the right vibe... Either way, with a bit of squaring off of the two chambers, it will fit. The usability is also OK - you would just reach down and roll the knobs from their sides. I do need to get the dividing wall quite a bit thinner - the two pots John recommends for the blend and master volume are only available in short thread. With care, though, it should be fine. Once the shape of the chamber has been tweaked, I can then rout the rebate for the cover... Oh - and ignore the ragged corner of the tuner block chamber - haven't got there yet!

Now it really IS starting to look like a bass These are with a brass nut. I tried black, but for the front, it clashed:

[quote name='Twincam' timestamp='1497658695' post='3319926'] And dare I say this but I love the Flock of Seagulls headstock inlays haha. It does remind me of said bands album covers (in a good way). [/quote] Seagulls? Hmmm....they're OK, I suppose. They are superlative gliders and remind us all of the seaside...and rubbish tips But Swifts - now then, they are MUCH more classy... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rd3NlfbA7yQ

[quote name='LukeFRC' timestamp='1497653556' post='3319896'] so one of the nine will be... what kinda finish is it going to have? [/quote] As natural as I can make it. Probably truoil slurry and buff. I think the silky smooth organic feel will be just right. It will darken the wood a touch, but not much.

[quote name='TheGreek' timestamp='1497642633' post='3319793'] Feels like the end is in sight....here's to sleepless nights between now and then. [/quote] Nine and a half 'to-do's' left on my list. I have to say that I'm extremely pleased how this is starting to look and feel. The final carves and shaping always does pull the whole thing together - and it certainly is doing with this one. I know I say this every time - but I've got a feeling in my water that this is going to be one of my best yet

First dozen frets installed : In the 'hammer them or caul them' debate, I do a bit of both. I put them in 4 at a time, using the 'fret radiused tighter than the fretboard, tiny bead of titebond on the tangs, then tap one side, tap the other side, tap the middle' method to make sure the tangs are properly locked in. I then clamp the appropriate radius block on the four I've just done for half an hour or so. Note I've finished the ends on the bass side before installing. I will do that also on the upper frets where the slots are blind due to the upper horn.

[quote name='JPJ' timestamp='1497621048' post='3319583'] With all the complicated shapes and unusual features I'd have been fretting from day #1 [/quote] also

[quote name='Jakester' timestamp='1497621024' post='3319582'] You mean you're only going to start worrying about it now? [/quote]

Today is sanding and final-ish shaping day. Things like the body / neck joins: I'll see how it goes, but I might be able to start fretting very soon

[quote name='Stylon Pilson' timestamp='1497541995' post='3318999'] That looks good enough to eat. S.P. [/quote] Done. Now what's for pudding? *burp*

[quote name='stearstree1304' timestamp='1497541877' post='3318995'] I like the way the surrounds for the luminlay and accent line come together as one - very classy!! [/quote] Thanks ! Turned out as good as I'd hoped and better than I expected

That's looking like a very special bit of wood . This one will be well worth the wait for - don't rush it Andy

Luminlay fretmarkers installed: By the way, Mick - don't panic. That's the garden chair it was on and not the lower horn!

[quote name='TheGreek' timestamp='1497529802' post='3318891'] Unfortunately nobody's checked to see if I'm cack-handed... [/quote] Oh, but I did...I did

[quote name='Daz39' timestamp='1497525623' post='3318847'] How many times did you check you hadn't made it left-handed? [/quote] Constantly! Then had to check that Mick wasn't....

[quote name='RichardH' timestamp='1497453284' post='3318303'] Love the way the dark neck stringer laminate shows through on the bottom of the headstock. [/quote] Thanks, Richard Still loads and loads to do, but I like it when I get to the 'final list of tasks' stage. 17 items on it, two of which I've been able to cross off yesterday evening. The 'most careful' one of the day was drilling the string exit holes in the fretboard. Not easy! Because the angles and exit points are pretty critical, the pilot holes (drilled from the top) had to be in EXACTLY the right place. Not at all easy when there is almost nothing you can get a ruler against. It was back to schoolboy geometry to work out exactly where I needed to drill, and then exactly the angle to twist to to end up with a hole that was in the right place and at the right angle for both the saddle and the tuner positions. It was another one of this 'check 14 times and drill once' jobs . It paid off, though. These are in the right place and are at the right angle:

Starting to get there. Still quite a bit of final shaping to do but this is starting to get to the vibe we are looking at. Other than the top 'horn', the shape is a pretty close copy of the body shape: It's curved, radiused and rounded on the top: It's definitely stripy on the back: It will end up a little more curvy at the back, but this again is the basic vibe: And the truss rod cover, cut out of the headstock plate itself, will be retained by a single neo-magnet:

[quote name='Bass_Guardian' timestamp='1497450500' post='3318282'] [/quote]

The next day or so will be the 'creeping up on' the headstock. The concept is that is should pretty much reflect the shape of the body. Here it is with the initial rounding of the top (which has already been radiused) and then I will do a subtle concave curve at the back ending with fully-rounded edges. There's lots of sand a bit, step back a bit and think a bit going on on the basis that you can always take away but you can't add stuff back on!

I'm BACK Progress should continue tomorrow onwards

[quote name='Twincam' timestamp='1497179014' post='3316293'] Easy test is too place your finger down hard on the e string behind the nut, between the nut and the machine head. [/quote] I agree with Twincam with this as a first check. 6 string electrics suffer from something like this quite a lot - makes it sound like a sitar - and is usually that the nut has been cut parallel to the fretboard rather than with a slight downward angle (the break angle the others talk about) and the string vibrates along the length of the nut slot itself. If it is that, probably best to get a tech to correct it. Will only take a tech a couple of minutes but, unless youve done it before, wrongly done can leave you needing a new nut. Personally I've not had issues even if the slot is cut a touch too wide as long as that angle is right.

[quote name='bonzodog' timestamp='1497183513' post='3316342'] May give nail polish a go then. Might be just me but I get annoyed spending £600 on a guitar that i cant play after a few weeks because of something so simple to get right. [/quote] No - take it back to guitarguitar. They should be able to pop a new saddle on there and then. This is a basic and shouldn't happen - it actually renders the item not fit for purpose and is a manufacturing flaw covered by standard warranty and sale of goods rights. But you don't need to be at all narky with them - these things happen. Just explain what happened and ask them politely and with a smile to fix it.

As EBS_freak says, it looks like a rattle can finish. If so, it is entirely possible that the original finish is still there underneath and may have been simply oversprayed rather than sanded first. If you are definitely unhappy with the blue (with a white scratchplate it could look quite striking) it might be worth using a small dab of thinners on the back to see what's underneath... If it looks interesting then you could simply remove the blue as a first step.

I like that very much, Ian. The figuring on the wood is amazing. Excellent transition to the back wood at the forearm relief area. What thickness of demarcation veneer do you use between the back and top?

Properly caught up with this one now I'm back in range of an internet signal There are some really innovative features on this build - love it!