Andyjr1515

[quote name='samhay' timestamp='1480701207' post='3186608'] I was bound to have one of those one day. If you go that route, you may have to rethink the passive aspect too. [/quote] You see, I like to think I bring the best out of people A preamp would be no problem

[quote name='samhay' timestamp='1480700306' post='3186601'] That top is too nice to put a pickup in. Seeing as it is semi, semi acoustic, why not go piezo? You could be Derby's Rob Allen. [/quote] Actually, that is a splendid idea

Yes - me again, I'm afraid. Like the proverbial bad penny.... I try and do the full builds one at time - especially if they are for other people. It makes the progress more sure and I don't end up getting distracted and then forgetting important stuff ("Oh...yes...mmmm....[b]five [/b]string...mmmm. What, do I have a problem? No, no, of course not. Yes, we did discuss that. Yes - five string, of course it's going to be a five string. Oh, by the way...as we are talking about your build, I was wondering - have you seen the talk about the advantages of really, REALLY tight string spacing. Oh yes...ALL the forward thinking players are going that way....") What I do do, though, is start getting my thoughts together and start getting bits together for the next build during the times I'm waiting for glue to dry or components to arrive on the prevailing build. I reckon there's a couple of months to go for Nic's Mouradian-style. A few more weeks building and then at least 4 for the finishing. So it is time to at least start getting my thoughts together for the next project Which is going to be for Pete again - yes THAT Pete - our old gits band's bassist (ref the Jack Bruce Thumb style fretless from a year or so back and the Jack Bruce EB-3ish just finished). But this time [i]it has nothing to do with Jack Bruce!!! [/i] Quite a shock, really. So nothing much will happen on this thread over the rest of 2016, but for early 2017 the plan is: [list] [*]Piccolo bass - not a full size bass with piccolo strings, but a physically small bass...probably around 25" scale length maximum [*]Possibly fan fretted [*]Chambered and modern f hole - a semi, semi-acoustic [*]Walnut top [*]Mahogany back [*]Not sure what for the neck yet [*]Single P-bass p/up, passive [*]24 frets [*]Snakewood fretboard [/list] While the glue on Nic's Mouradian has been setting, I've done a few sketches and now drawn it out and checked the size against some walnut I already had. It will be something like this: The fretboard will use a piece of snakewood I bought relatively cheap a few years back (it is normally very very expensive, but this piece was not big enough for a full size instrument): More in a couple of months Andy

[quote name='Pastor' timestamp='1480696898' post='3186557'] Routing with a 0.8mm bit? Nuff said really!! [/quote] It's a ...uh hum... short one. Well, broken to be more precise . Very useful, though, now it's short enough not to break again - if I'm careful

..and the dots too:

Out comes the Dremel and precision router base. I rough out with a 1.5mm bit and tidy up / get into the sharp ends with a 0.8mm. Here it is at the roughed-out stage: and ready to epoxy: I had some cocobolo sanding dust I could mix into the epoxy as an invisible gap filler: ...and in they go. Even though it's 30min epoxy, I'll leave it until tomorrow before sanding down, otherwise it tends to clog up the sandpaper which could dig into the, essentially finish-sanded, fingerboard:

[quote name='FuNkShUi' timestamp='1480611866' post='3185866'] Looking good! Love my swifts! They've had lots of positive comments [/quote] Thanks, Kert

I'm going to wait until I've got some better light before I start the delicate process of routing the fretboard to accept the two swifts. In the meantime, the back panels are stuck on well enough to handle. These are the main components of the build: Before the top goes on, I will be routing the cable runs, weight-relieving chambers, etc, and then the top will go on like this, ready for the final body trimming and shaping: Starting to look like a bass....

For those of you who have seen my other builds, same MO - jeweller's saw and hi-tech MDF cutting rig : ...and that age-old question 'How many needle files does it take to change a light-bulb?':

Nic asked if it was possible to put some of my logo swifts onto the fretboard. However, we didn't want to go 'all PRS' on it, and decided that swifts on the 12th and dots on the others would be cool. I popped a couple of my swift paper templates on and laid some dots on to see if it was going to look alright : I think that looks pretty cool While the glue on the second back wing is curing, I'll get the jeweller's saw out and start a bit of pearl cutting!

First back wing on, second one will be glued later today. This view probably shows how and where the top will slot in. The end of the fretboard will be flush with the top.

The wings are going on! First I have dry-clamped the top in its final position - clearly the wings, as they have been pre-cut need to be absolutely lined up with these. To stop the top inadvertently gluing itself on, I have covered it with cling film: Then the first wing is clamped vertically down onto the top (which itself is on the level workbench) and horizontally to form a tight, gap-free glue joint with the neck: While that's drying, I'm going to cut out a couple of 'swifts' which will act as the 12th-fret markers As always, thanks for looking and for your encouragement

Well, it was a delight to have this lovely bass lodge with us for a while, but all things come to an end and now it needs to journey back home. Here it is, all done and ready to return: Will be sad to see this one leave....

That looks good Scalpels are better than Stanley knives for this type of thing but it can be a right PITA all the same. The end result is very effective, though

[quote name='TheGreek' timestamp='1480353555' post='3183635'] I was showing a bass playing friend of mine through Andy's build today - he was extremely impressed. Hoping that he doesn't put in a build request before I sell my Ritter and place another order. Keep up the great work Andy. [/quote] Thanks, Mick

[quote name='W1_Pro' timestamp='1480345444' post='3183548'] Ahhh, now I understand. ... Thats a neat solution Andy. [/quote] Nic's inspiration It might be just too hard and too tight dimensionally, but I'm going to see on my test piece if it's possible to rout in the middle of the joined pieces so the unit is actually hidden from obvious view front and back rather than hidden from the front but fully visible from the back. It might be just too tight but worth one more experiment . Whatever, we have a workable solution

[quote name='Andyjr1515' timestamp='1480283753' post='3183125'] Have checked the sizes and pretty sure your preferred solution is going to work, Nic. I'll see if I can get the mockup finished tomorrow [/quote] Yup - it works just fine. The real thing will be neater but looking from the front of the bass: ...and from the back: and from the rear (the real one will be straight!)

[quote name='Andyjr1515' timestamp='1480260395' post='3182853'] I still have to find a way of getting the cover back on (and I've got a few tidying jobs left before this will be returned to Stuart) but[b] we now have sound[/b]. In fact, to be precise, we have a zillion - no, maybe TWO zillion - sounds. While I have no idea what controls do what, it does appear that everything is working [/quote] I found a schematic of what each of the controls do and can confirm it all works correctly Even through my inadequate rig, the variety of different sounds is staggering. With the preamp on and varitone on position 6, think Entwistle at his best... Still got to work out how to get the cover on without squashing anything and a bit of tidying up, but it's almost done. I'll post some shots once it's been polished and got the knobs back on

[quote name='gelfin' timestamp='1480278608' post='3183069'] Another reason for not having the Smoothhound fully enclosed is that I often swap basses so it would be a bit difficult. Also I want to be able to to use a conventional cable. I case of battery issues etc. [/quote] Have checked the sizes and pretty sure your preferred solution is going to work, Nic. I'll see if I can get the mockup finished tomorrow

I still have to find a way of getting the cover back on (and I've got a few tidying jobs left before this will be returned to Stuart) but[b] we now have sound[/b]. In fact, to be precise, we have a zillion - no, maybe TWO zillion - sounds. While I have no idea what controls do what, it does appear that everything is working

[quote name='W1_Pro' timestamp='1480242507' post='3182678'] That looks lovely Andy. Just remember what it USED to look like. [/quote] Ah.....good point.... ...that's made me feel better....that and the tranquillisers

[quote name='W1_Pro' timestamp='1480226307' post='3182603'] Does having the wireless TX fully enclosed in the body of the bass have any effect on the range then? [/quote] I'm not sure. As it happens, I think Nic's idea is going to work, in which case it will not be covered at the back or side. I think fully enclosed you would need to make sure there was no shielding in any of the chambers which might be an issue with some designs

Good news is that both DiMarzio's appear to be showing continuity on both coils Other good news is that I found the wiring diagram on the Neal Moser web site and I THINK I know which colour to solder to which terminal (the pre-wired loom isn't quite the same but I think I can see how it should be). So, onto the pre-wired loom. And here I always have a love/hate relationship. I love the fact that someone much more skilled and neat at soldering than me has already done the hard work: What I also like is that the brass foil its on is already in Mockingbird layout...unfortunately, though, not quite in the right positions for this particular Mockingbird What I don't like about pre-wired looms is that when you unscrew the pots and switches and lift it from its presentation card / plate (which you always seem to need to do because they are NEVER quite in the right positions for your particular instrument), it becomes the wriggling, twisting bag of spanners that represents its inner self And when you lift the wriggling assembly into the control chamber, you have to position 9 star-washers ALL AT THE SAME TIME!!!!! And then you pray to whichever deity that seems to make a difference that the screw threads are going to protrude through the top enough to at least get one twist of each of the nine nuts [b]so you don't have to lift the now dishevelled mess back out again [/b] Anyway, I've had a rest now, my pulse rate is back to as normal as post-traumatic stress disorder will allow and.... ...it's in: Not wired up yet, and that inductor pack looks a bit higher than the chamber, and the battery is going to be a bit of a squeeze but, compared to the challenge just gone, all that should be a doddle.... ...providing I don't have to take it out again

[quote name='gelfin' timestamp='1480193857' post='3182476'] I was thinking of something like this. Forgive poor sketching. A rout from the rear of the body (open to the rear). A Tele type socket which in this position would still be accessible for a normal jack lead. So the SmoothHound would plug in from the edge rather than the rear surface. [url="http://s970.photobucket.com/user/gelfin5959/media/SH%20position_zpsgc0nehoo.jpg.html"][/url] [url="http://s970.photobucket.com/user/gelfin5959/media/SH%20p2_zpsssq7d8dn.jpg.html"][/url] [/quote] Hi, Nic My assumption was probably correct that you would want direct access, although 3below's thoughts included an easy access hatch which is an interesting idea. Following your sketch above, it can work - the Smoothhound is just about slim enough to ensure the top can retain the Mouradian tailstoch shape even though behind it it is cutaway. It would probably want to be the other way round and that then gets the jack in broadly the right place : It is quite a long unit and, as you can see, passes the centre line by a cm or so. The tail button would therefore have to sit offset from centre, but with the length of top horn you have, this is unlikely to give you any problems with the hang on the strap so in my mind isn't a big issue. I'll do a couple of mockups so we can see better which looks the least intrusive. It's very much turning into the kind of project I like best

[quote name='3below' timestamp='1480182608' post='3182366'] Winder why lol. [/quote]