Andyjr1515

Watching with great interest, Kert. I'll be interested in the metallic application suggestions and tips and techniques from basschat members - it's not something I've ever tackled myself.... Andy

...and just as a going away present - scary bit, ie the pickguard, is now done: Just the routine attack with 18000 revs of tungsten carbide and 400 degrees of soldering iron to do now Andy

Same technique and the reversed P slots are cut and trimmed. Also the screw holes actually line up!! I know....surprising and shocking in equal measure :

[quote name='samhay' timestamp='1477553649' post='3162883'] I got the issues with the zero fret, but was wondering more on the choice of nut material - brass vs. bone vs. synthetic stuff, etc. [/quote] Ah...I made a needless confession I used to always go for the graphite/synthetic...and still do for 6 string electrics where tuning stability is the main need. However, for basses, the edge is on the tone transfer of a solid nut (in my personal view). Bone is good but brass looks better on this kind of build

Looking good to me I had so many 'incidents' pulling the router away while the rotor was still turning that now I really HAVE learnt my lesson

[quote name='samhay' timestamp='1477515147' post='3162776'] Looking and sounding good. Did you use the brass nut for the sake of authenticity, or is it your/Pete's preference? [/quote] Neither - I think c**k up is probably a closer description I cover a few pages back that I suspect I over sanded the very end of the fretboard. Whatever the reason, certainly the zero fret was low. I could have put in a higher fret in place, but as I needed a nut anyway for lateral guidance it was easier just to fit a nut. Pete didn't know he might have had a zero fret anyway so no harm done there

...and wait... In the end, I suggested to Paul that I make a start using the remainder of pickguard material I used for the practice run. Although the cellophane protection is a bit worse for wear, it might be OK underneath and either can act as the finished article, or as a template for a second, new, piece of blank material. I've opted to cut this by hand - I reckon for a one-off, by the time I'd made an accurate template I may as well have made an accurate real one. Positioning is clearly critical. For the MM pickup, the neck detail and the holes, I have the existing pickguard. It was easier scoring the outline on the back of the sheet. I used forstner bits of the appropriate size to pin down the critical datum points: Double checked that those critical curves lined up with the original (upside down) pickguard: Then used an upside down fret saw to 'join the dots': Then finished with an assortment of coarse-ish files: I daren't take off the cellophane yet until I've cut out the P pickup hole...but you can see why it's needed!!!: I'll be attempting to position the P pickup and cut that tomorrow. Because it's reverse, it is not possible to put it exactly at the 'sweet spot', but I have agreed with Paul that we will position the B;E;A side at the 11" position :)n I'll let you know how I get on

Hi, folks A more modest project, kicked off while the final coats of oil are drying on the Jack Bruce's EB-3ish, and for our very own Paul_S Paul contacted me a while ago in terms of lightening and adding an 'upside down' P pickup to his trusty Musicman Sterling 5. After kicking some options around - going passive with blend being one of the options - we met a couple of weeks ago for the handover of the bass into my stick claws We plan to preserve the original pickguard so that this change is pretty much reversible, and originally were opting for a replacement guard that I just needed to cut the upside down P for. It'll be something like this: I had some b/w/b pickguard material in my bits box so thought I'd use that to practice on while we were waiting for the new guard to arrive. I say 'practice' because personally I find working with pickguard material a right PITA. I took an offcut and tried a number of options in terms of cutting and fitting. After a number of tries of the different ways, I ended up with a pickup-shaped hole : OK - ready. Paul and I just had to wait for the guard to arrive... ...and wait.... ...and wait.... ...and wait...

Hi [url="https://soundcloud.com/andy-rogers-6/custom-eb-3-style-sound-clips"]Re-done the sound clips of the 6 positions through our small Yamaha PA here[/url] The sound difference between a couple of the notch positions on the recording is subtle but live is definitely discernible and is more apparent with different styles of play Sorted the brass nut, replacing the zero-fret: Just got to tidy up the back of the neck, get some round-wounds and a case and it's done

[quote name='Oopsdabassist' timestamp='1477432069' post='3162266'] Those notch filter sounds are very nice, the bridge on its own is too zingy for my taste, but a great range there I reckon! [/quote] Thanks I'm going to try it through the PA speakers later this morning. Ref the zingyness, the tone knobs are on 10 and do tone it down nicely. However, the surprisingly zingy one is the 'both on'. For certain things it is very useable, but it surprised me that adding in the mudbucker to the bridge makes it even more metallic! I checked to make sure I hadn't inadvertently set it out of phase but pretty sure it's not. In this setting there is also a sweet spot as you tweak the bridge vol down where there is a fuller sound but still different to the others. Pity Pete will probably just use one tone...and that one will be the one that the selector just happens to be on when he plugs in

Ooo....getting to the exciting stage where it starts to look like a real bass

[url="https://soundcloud.com/andy-rogers-6/custom-eb-3-style-sound-clips"]Comparative sounds, now through a small PA, here[/url]

OK Back from Scotland this afternoon and straight down into the cellar to sort the soldering I was cogitating about while I was away ...and, as far as the electronics go, it's finished This is what it finally looks like: I have it now set up as:[list] [*]Pos 1 - bridge only [*]Pos 2 - bridge and neck [*]Pos 3 - neck only [*]Pos 4 - neck with notch filter incl 0.001uF capacitor [*]Pos 5 - neck with notch filter incl 0.010uF capacitor [*]Pos 6 - neck with notch filter incl 0.047uF capacitor [/list] This gives me six fully usable and distinctly different sounds, with positions 4, 5 and 6 being variations of position 3 progressing towards the bass end. I've done some sound clips through my little Vox electric guitar amp which I will post but tomorrow I'll also see if I can get some better clips through the PA speakers. Tomorrow should see this pretty much finished excepting popping some roundwounds on (any suggestions anyone?) and getting a hard case for it.

The bridge pickup looks like a hofner staple pickup to me....

That looks superb. Great job, Grangur

[quote name='Bastav' timestamp='1477309026' post='3161224'] Well, not much. Ive been moving house and this coupled with the fact i dont have a dedicated workspace has led to a forced building hiatus. Also i started another project, so ive now got three builds to distract me from more important things [/quote] Sounds good...means we can hassle you three times as much

[quote name='TheGreek' timestamp='1477226789' post='3160671'] He'll need one of these eventually: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Gibson-SG-bass-hardcase-/361773242199?hash=item543b5d9757:g:Z-8AAOSwYIxYA8Sy Not mine... [/quote] In fact, Pete's asked me to get him a hard case. Trouble is, I'm not at home and can't be sure what length this build is...

[quote name='samhay' timestamp='1477212786' post='3160519'] High pass and low pass are easy - you only need a resistor and capacitor. For high pass, put a capacitor between the pickup and volume pot (i.e. in series with the pickup). If you are using a 500k volume pot, then try cap values of about 2.2n (0.002). Bigger values give more bass/lower corner frequency and vice versa. [/quote] Brilliant - thanks, samhay Will be back in the workshop on Wed. I'll let you know how I get on

I may well run out of time, 3below, but I think I should be able to rig up a working high pass filter as one of the other switch options Although my original attempt failed, that was probably more due to a wiring error I corrected when I followed samhay's diagram and the suggestion of a much lower resistor. Had I done the same two changes on the parallel version, I may well have come out with a fully functioning high pass! In that all I'm trying to do is give a variety of usable sounds with positions 4,5, 6, options of high capacitor notch, low capacitor notch and high pass could be a good plan (if I can get it to work!)

Any more progress with this, Bastav?

The body has come up wonderfully well

Although they are sometimes viewed as a bit of a poor relation, I highly rate the DiMarzios I fitted a Model P to Kert's Camphor single cut PJ based on very good user reviews and it sounds wonderful. The Model One I've just fitted to the EB3 style present build is equally impressive.

[quote name='samhay' timestamp='1476980736' post='3158995'] 220n would make for an incredibly dark tone control on a passive bass or guitar. In any case, I have a good stash of caps and am happy to pop some in the post if you want to try other values. [/quote] Thanks also for the offer, samhay I should be OK I think

[quote name='3below' timestamp='1476995636' post='3159176'] Andyjr: If you have a shopping list of resistors and capacitors pm me. You never know what might turn up in the post [/quote] That's very kind of you, 3below I think I'm OK - I've ordered a 20k trim pot and a .001 cap that were only a couple of £'s. A three year course in electrical systems and electronics would be useful, though, if you've got a spare one of those lying around

[quote name='3below' timestamp='1476995049' post='3159162'] Andy, are you now getting useable or even better tones from the varitone? Samhay, would you be able to model the mark1 RLC circuit? [url="http://www.flyguitars.com/gibson/bass/EB3_schematic.php"]http://www.flyguitar...3_schematic.php[/url] I am still intrigued what tfrequency response this circuit will produce taking account of the pickup as a voltage source with inductance and impedance. I do not have access to suitable modelling software (this tells me I should get some for the day job). Thanks. [/quote] Hi 3below I'm not convinced there is any really useful difference between the notch capacitor options....probably more a case of picking the best one...but I think the general difference to the main three unnotched settings is dramatic and usable. Very close in some terms to simply dropping down the tone to zero, but in someways quite different. Certainly now got a usable level of volume. Whether it is what it is supposed to sound like, I have no idea, of course, but then again nor will Pete Really grateful for all the effort and info from the three of you though - and I really do now know the difference between a low pass filter, a high pass filter , a band stop filter and a band pass filter. Trust me...that is real real progress for me and which you, BigRedX and samhay are wholly responsible