Andyjr1515

Today was bridge fixing and testing the longer-term security of the neck fixings. First job was using my long steel rule both to position the bridge for length and also to ensure that it is lined up left/right to give similar clearance between the G and B strings and their relevant fretboard edges: The bridge has three screw holes. I used a 4mm s/steel bolt and insert for the centre hole and two 3mm bolts/inserts for the two outer ones. That fitted, a trial fitting with the strings: Don't get too excited - there's still quite a lot to do. The neck angle has to be tweaked to ensure that the saddles have the right kind of action range for the final set up but at this stage, I will leave it at playing tension overnight and see if the tension on the neck bolts 'relaxes' at all. The reason it might is that I have no idea just how resilient paulownia is to crushing - if the ferrules crush the wood in the heel, then the neck bolts will loosen a touch and I may need to insert some hardwood plugs. But it if holds full playing tension, then there will be no need for that. Strings-wise, @Happy Jack suggested we took a punt on a set of Elites Bass flatwounds. Very affordable and my first impressions are that they are pretty good! I'm not sure that the B string got the memo that it was going to be in an extra-long set... I am hoping/expecting that there is enough full width string underneath for me to be able to just take the silks back a cm: The string retainer won't be put into use until I've finished messing about and strung it up for real. So next job, assuming I don't have to add the heel hardwood plugs, is fettling the fretboard (I'll do a quick levelling to take out any irregularities/string marks/etc) so that is ready for determining the final neck angle tweak and setup. Then there are the strap buttons/locks and knobs to sort. Then wire it all up Then polish it ready for going home to Jack's

It's looking very good, @carlsim. I reckon by the time you've finished you will be pretty close to the above Ref the tinted nitro lacquer - if you're going to try that, test it on some scrap first. Of all of the fussy, shallow and petulant finishes that don't like mixing with finishes not of their social standing, nitro is the worst by a country mile!

If you've followed my build threads, I often mention that I do an initial finish coat quite often as a 'reveal' coat. The finish soaks into scratches, etc showing them even when they were invisible previously. I would treat that first coat as a reveal coat. When you do the finish sanding, go with the grain and progress carefully down to the finer grades so that each grade is removing the scratches left by the previous one. Gives you a chance to get rid of the missed primer too...

I'm probably (ie I am sure I am) over generalising. But certainly, the ones that Tonetech sold a few years ago, Tak Rag, (maybe they've changed the product, but the packaging looks the same on today's web site), left visible tacky residue bits on the surface of a number of guitars and basses in my early days. I stopped using tack rags and the problems stopped. And work-wise, I used to run a number of aluminium extrusion manufacturing and powder coating plants. In the coating plants, we used 'industry standard' tack cloths as part of the process immediately prior to the racks going into the paint booths. Paint quality rejects were high and I organised a full study of what was going wrong where. It was the tack rags. They tried a few alternatives but ended up - to everyone's surprise - switching to decorators pasting brushes. Rejects were reduced by 75%. I'm sure that there are other factors in both cases but, for my guitar and bass finishing, dust buggies - which were the bane of my finish jobs - pretty much disappeared as soon as I moved to using the glass-grade micro fibre cloths and away from the variety of tack cloth types that I'd previously tried.

As @JGTay also says, tackcloths do exactly what they say...they leave tack all over the surface. It sounds like madness, I know. And it is madness.

OK - wiping on poly. I've covered this is the past but it's worth covering again to also highlight some of the tweaks I tend to do now, especially as Ronseal have changed their formulation for their old-fashioned Hardglaze Polyurethane Varnish to reduce the volatiles a touch, and that has changed some of the things I tend to do. Generally, as said above, I basically prepare the timber for varnishing with the Tru-oil Slurry and Wipe or Slurry and Buff methods. The good thing about the Ronseal Hardglaze is that it's not reactive with what is on the wood in the first place - nitro, for example, will bubble and craze at the drop of a hat and I HATE working with fussy finishes!! It's easy to use but, like all of these sorts of things, it's the little tips and tricks that make the difference. So here are the tips and tricks I've picked up along the way * So once the Tru-oil has properly dried (1 week minimum, preferably 2) I get out the Ronseal Hardglaze and White Spirits. *It is important to thin the varnish for wipe on or similar methods. The idea is to put on multiple THIN coats. I used to thin with up to 50% white spirits. I find, with the new formulation, 20% - 30% is the highest that I usually go to. I start at 20% and see how I get on. *Nowadays, I use one of two methods - the artists fan brush seen above, which I usually get from Hobby Craft: or - A pad made from strips of old T shirt, or the excellent Halfords Non-lint Polishing Cloths pictured, wrapped inside some more cloth with a rubber band like French Polishers, etc, use: * I am scrupulous about dust control. The 'Glass' microfibre cloth in the first pic is what I use to wipe the surface just before a coat of varnish. EVERY time. * I place the guitar or bass body on a box or similar so I can access the upper surface and sides and turn the whole thing round by moving the box, not touching the bass body. A shoe box is ideal! : * I varnish back and sides first, then when dry, top and sides * Either using the brush, wiped of excess each time, or the cloth pad, squeezed of the major excess, I brush or wipe in full length strips before recharging the brush or pad to do the next strip. The direction is always along the grain and with a slight overlap. *I gently run my finger round the bottom edge to wipe off any drips that might be forming: * I let it dry, then turn it over and do the other main face and sides. * Thinning the varnish will make it dry faster. I tend to manage one side first thing in the morning and flip it over and do the other side in the evening. After less than a week, the top and back will have had at least 5 coats each and the sides 10 coats * If the coats are thin enough, there shouldn't be an accumulation of ripples. But if there are - or loads of dust buggies - then every 3 coats or so once dry, I lightly sand wet (with water this time) with 2000 grit emery or similar using a cork sanding block. I make sure that all of the slurry is wiped off and the surface is completely dry before applying the next coat. * After 5 or 6 coats, it's time for the final 'flattening' (the above wet and dry treatment) which is to get the surface flaw-free, and then I do a couple of wiped coats to get the gloss. NOTE - it is the last couple of coats that gives you the gloss. With polyurethane varnish of this type you DO NOT BUFF. If you do, the buffing will scrub off that glossy layer and expose the sanded layers beneath. * If the final coats don't look right, I simply flatten with the wet and dry again and do the last couple of gloss coats again. I stop when I get a coat that looks OK. * I then leave it for at least 2 weeks (preferably 3) and give it a final polish with Meguiers Ultimate Compound from Halfords. The bass I will be bringing to the Southwest Bass Bash was done with the above method (this one using the wipe method rather than the fan brush): From memory, this had around 10 wipe coats each side and probably 3 final 'flatten then wipe the last couple of gloss coats' attempts.

Ready for the hatch magnets, I used a plug-cutter in some maple offcut: Then got the bandsaw to work: And next, readying it up for popping a couple of line-up strings on, the tuners back on and the neck temporarily fitted. This is also a good test to see how well the paulownia stands up to the crush of the fixing screws. There is a fallback if they aren't able to hold the tension - drill out and insert some hardwood plugs - but I don't want to do that unless I have to. I can hear it already: 'Were you standing on the cupboard??????!!!!!' : While these shots probably belie the progress - there is still a fair bit to do - I think we're getting to the final straights... Next job is positioning and fixing the bridge.

Same method for fitting the inserts for the M3 pickup screws using locknuts to screw in the insert and a couple of locknuts to provide the twisting force with the spanner: And done: Next and last set of inserts will be for the bridge, but that will need a mockup with some sample strings for alignment - which means waiting a day or two for the headstock clear-coat to harden. But all the time, the body is continuing to harden for its final polish.

The top started relatively flat, but as the varnish fully cured, it revealed just a hint of the underlying figuring. We left the back hatch deliberately part filled. You get an idea here of just how much the tru-oil slurry was able to fill on the top : The back sapele was given a relatively light gloss. I don't have shots of the original one, but this one of my own guitars...made from the 'spare wood' from this build shows how it's sunk into the grain. Personally, I like this level of finish as it retains the organic feel of the woods: I'll cover the varnishing - and options & limitations tomorrow if I get some time.

It's been suggested that I do a bit of a precis / clarification of one or two of the myriad finishing techniques available, especially relating to Tru-oil slurry filling (I call it slurry and wipe), Tru Oil used for a satin final finish (Slurry and buff) and also wiping on old-fashioned polyurethane varnish (specifically, Ronseal Hardglaze). I won't cover the use of Tru-oil for a gloss finish as I don't really do that variation although I have seen very impressive results from folks who do. For natural wood, I tend to use Tru Oil as my filling and preparation method (if it's going to be glossed) or as my preparation and finish method (if it's going to be satin) Tru-oil 'Slurry and Wipe' for filling and preparing Take this camphor laurel top. Now that's what I call a filling job! Yes - some of those voids go right through to the other side! I use Tru-oil as the Wet part of a 'Wet and Dry' sanding job. And, personally, I start fairly coarse - 250 grit emery cloth or even 120!! I basically slosh the Tru Oil on and sand to my heart's content: Very quickly I end up with a wood-dust /Tru-oil sludge. once I have plenty of sludge, I use an old credit card to get that sludge into all of the voids. I let that dry overnight. The next day, I repeat, adding more sludge into the remaining void depth. This is day 2: I then move to finer paper - around 350 grit and do the same again, but this time, I wipe the excess sludge off while it is still wet with kitchen roll / old t-shirt. Maybe a repeat after it's dried. It gets me here: And, for Tru-oil Slurry and Wipe, this is where I would stop, let it fully dry and then varnish it. Sneak preview (I'll cover a couple of poyurethane 'bedroom builders' methods tomorrow), this is good old fashioned Ronseal Hardglaze wiped on: Tru Oil for Slurry and Buff Satin Finish ...is exactly the same as above, but you keep going. The slurry and wipe is done a few more times with finer and finer paper. And the 'wipe' is now used to remove pretty much all of the oil Then the final couple of goes, is Tru-oil with c 400 grit wet and dry, but now I not only wipe it all off, but I then vigorously buff it as dry as I can. I usually let it fully dry overnight and repeat. What you are left with is a silky smooth surface that is protected, but feels VERY organic to the touch. This is a Bubinga bass done that way. 8-9 years of playing later, it still looks and feels the same! I do pretty much ALL of my necks using this method. There are some if's and buts involved and some practice. However, the above methods require neither fancy equipment nor facilities.

Two things arrived this morning, the 3mm inserts and the decals The inserts look to have a decent thread to spread the load for both the jack plate and pickup height screws. Here one is, along with my inserting screw and spanner: The best way of inserting them is, after drilling the holes in the body, to put the 3mm screw into the insert up to the locknuts and then use the spanner to turn the locknuts, which turns the insert and cuts the thread, driving the insert into the timber: A few minutes later, we have two usable inserts: It will be the same process for the pickup height adjustment screws. The decals are the gossamer-thin ones from Rob at www.guitardecals.co.uk: These will be dust coated with clear nitro, to prevent them melting, before the final gloss coats.

I like that design very much. Very much.

No, it will be chrome, Mick. If you remember, the starting point was the finished neck fully loaded with Chrome Hipshot Ultralites - so it was always intended to be chrome hardware. Trust me - it will look splendid when it's all put together But those dice knobs Jack's set his heart on...hmmm.... Naaaah! On more basic items, I've decided on the hardware fixings and I'm going for threaded inserts and machine screws throughout. M3 allen-socketed A2 stainless for the bridge and jack plate from the 'kiddies in a sweetshop' experience that is the ACCU website : The machine screws for the pickup will also be M3, but with smaller crosshead tops to fit in the pickup recesses. Use of inserts should mean that the inherent softness of the paulownia doesn't become a problem with the fixtures and fittings.

Perfect! And, there might be a few wires showing but, those with LED's drilled and fitted into them!!!

Lovely job

Yes - it's not perfect (this shot is probably a little flattering!) but I'm really pleased - and quite relieved - how this is looking: And before strings and strap buttons, but everything else included, 6lb 9oz, of which the painted body itself is only 2lb 7oz . So probably the playing weight will be just a couple of ounces over the target 6.5lbs

DON'T put ideas into @Happy Jack's head

Well, it wouldn't get any plaudits from a professional outfit but in terms of 'fit for purpose' the final clear gloss coat has been applied and I'm both pleased and relieved. It is already dry enough to handle but will now carry on hardening for probably a couple of weeks before I buff it up to the final gloss finish. But in the meantime, I can sort the fittings, headstock decal and suchlike ready for final assembly. The camera lies a bit, colour-wise. In real life it looks a bit more flesh coloured (the Canon SLR always did have problems with reds) but just wait for the disco lights!

Yes - but entirely down to the distance from the strings that the pickup ended up with the additional thickness and clearance of the cover. With 'normal' clearances, the DiMarzio PJ set is pretty much as you would expect it to be

Who needs a wallet when there's the magic of BACS & Paypal

Well, if it was my own bass, I wouldn't. And I know that's rich when I mod most of my own guitars and basses and even my website is called ajrguitarmods.co.uk But it's such a pretty model of bass straight out of the box - and even doing that small change would reduce the resale value. But it's not my bass and there's no such thing as 'you mustn't'

It depends. You can gently warm it and sometimes it sorts it but often it doesn't. And starting again for a 'clear over natural wood' is relatively straightforward - just sand back that layer and re-do. But starting again if it is one of the first few coats over a freshly painted finish...that really would be starting all over again There's plenty to be getting on with, though. As long as I am careful not to scratch it, I can start fitting some of the machine screw inserts for things like the jack plate and pickup screws and hatch magnets, etc. Which is tomorrow's job if it's damp again or whenever if it is dry enough to start the clear coats

The clear-clear varnish is here but I won't be spraying it today. One of the 'joys' of clear nitro is that it is affected enormously by moisture in the air - it goes milky which is guaranteed to ruin your day - and, even though it has brightened up a touch in the last hour, there was just too much in the air to risk it. So, in a guitar builders' version of 'talk amongst yourselves', here is something completely different I've been waiting for a spare hour to get sorted: I'm planning to offer up my camphor single-cut for sale at the forthcoming South West BassBash and there's one thing that has been bugging me. It is fitted with a DiMarzio PJ set, which sounds great but there has always been a problem with volume balance. Basically, the P pickup has always been too quiet. "Just raise the pickup" Well, easier said than done. It was spec'd to have fully covered pickup and, while the bridge cover doesn't interfere, the neck cover would if it was any higher. And so I spent a happy hour this morning taking out the Dimarzio, fitting a Seymour Duncan SPB-2 Hot for PB (similar EQ as the standard SD p/up but almost 2X the output) in the neck position and then balancing the two pickups by adjusting the bridge p/up height: Done - and what a difference: A few tidy up jobs still to do before the Bash but that's the sound sorted

This ^ Bear in mind that pretty much any mod reduces the resale value, however well it's done.

Thinking about it...most of my builds look better in the dark