Andyjr1515

So after hand-jointing for a good gap-free joint, the top is now gluing in the sash-clamps where it will stay until the morning. Where I've wiped the squeeze-out with a damp cloth, you can see the wood tone it will darken to once the finish has been put on: It's a nice piece of walnut. I have high hopes that this will look fabulous when it's done

Ah - M63 I've got to that age where the phrase "I used to..." is a common phrase. Like, "I used to do astro photography". Back patio, lot of patience and a very, very steep learning curve: And if anyone had told me a few years earlier that it was at all possible to take something like that with relatively modest equipment against the glow of light-polluted Derby... Great, great hobby. Rubbish, rubbish country to do it in

It's this: https://www.wood-finishes-direct.com/product/osmo-polyx-oil-raw-3044 It is one of the excellent Osmo Polyx range (pro-finish stuff that's been made available in small tins in the past few years) and can be wiped on or brushed. For the 3044 RAW, wipe on is better because it is quite important that each coat is quite thin. It is specifically designed to try to preserve the fresh-sanded colour of light woods while adding a durable finish to them. It actually does contain a very subtle whitener but works very well. On @TheGreek 's Psilos bass, this was the fresh sanded Sycamore and maple: Then this was how it darkened and yellowed with the application of Tru-oil. It would have done the same with Crimson oil: And it's OK - but it isn't what we were aiming for. So I sanded it off and tried the 3044 RAW: It's good stuff. Keeps the whiteness but doesn't lose any of the figuring. Low odour, wipe on, very tough once it's fully cured. But remember (with any Polyx) to stir it before each use; to apply a thin coat (thicker will appear milky); let each coat dry - one coat a day is best, but it doesn't need many coats.

OK - well this morning was the chippy/dusty process of bringing both the top and back pairs down to their finished thicknesses. Just a quirk of physics - the pretty powerful industrial vac I rig up to the extractor vent on the Makita thicknesser still has a tendency to clog up even though I am thicknessing at less than 0.5mm per pass...and yet it will suck up three XL rubber gloves without a blink of an eye These will both darken when finish is applied, but these are the faces that will be seen at the top and the back. The back will also have the multi-laminate neck running in between the pair: In between the two will be a 2.5mm constructional veneer of black walnut (on its way) which should give a pleasing demarcation line. The two mahogany wings will be hollowed and - if I remember correctly - we are going for a modern 'F' hole a little bit like @Len_derby 's 'Swift Lite' lightweight build from a year or so back: In terms of immediate next steps - other than ordering the neck and fretboard timber - it will be to join the top. Those of you who have seen my previous builds will know that I'm a bit unconventional here. Instead of using a template, I hand finish the top and then use THAT as my routing template for the rest of the body later in the build. There are - from my point of view - sound reasons for me doing it pretty much the opposite way to any other builder in the world. That might be a point of view of one, of course

Looking good! Assuming that you are going for a relatively natural finish, wiping it with a damp (squeezed out - not sopping wet) cloth will give you a pretty good idea of what the colour and grain will look like once pretty much any clear finish is applied. If that turns out darker than you wanted, I have a good recommendation of a 'wonder finish' I can pass on.

Excellent!

Bit late to this one, but I have used a Shure Beta 98H condenser clip-on for years. Straight into the PA using an XLR and phantom power. Very natural sound.

Well, not an update that will rock the world but...it IS the first cut related to the project I've cut the back wing mahogany blanks ready for thicknessing The mahogany was a gift from @tauzero as a thank you for a small job I did for him a year or so back. If I remember correctly, it's from an old bar top. It's nice wood - thanks, Mike! Tomorrow I will get my trusty Makita thicknesser out and get all four pieces down to their final thicknesses. @Jus Lukin and I have also decided on the arrangement of the neck laminations (9 piece) and so tomorrow I should have the order for the neck and fretboard timber into David Dyke.

There's actually nothing wrong with doing it like an old fashioned acoustic, with a thin strap just behind the nut...

Ah.... In that case I'm not going to suggest what I was going to suggest. If it's what I think it is, it's one of the nicest feeling neck heels I've ever come across and not one to drill a hole in an unusual place (which was what I was going to originally suggest you could try). So - in terms of fully reversible: Lightweight tuners (have a peep at Axesrus Licenced Hipshots. Much, much cheaper but pretty good) Wider strap or harness strap (I seem to remember someone at the SW Bassbash with a brilliant one?) Extension button as suggested by @Paul S (hope all well with you Paul!) I can see why you don't want to hand a weight on the back - I suspect this is pretty heavy to start with

As @HowieBass says, it is most likely something vibrating in resonance. The 7th fret is an interesting one: - it is one of the few frets where the note plucked forward of the fret (ie 7th fret to bridge) is the same as the note plucked behind the fret (ie 7th Fret to nut) - it is the fret where the lower open string is also the same note as the fretted string next to it Other common resonance areas include the stretch of string between the nut and the tuner post - these can 'harp', especially if they don't have string trees. If you pluck that note while damping in all the usual spots, you may find what is vibrating in unison. And my guess is that it is a vibration - I would not expect anything electronic to 'beat'

The most complicated wiring I can remember ever successfully doing was on a Strat and for one of Vigier's show demonstrators (beats me why he wanted one of my builds). From memory, it had 125 combinations. He spent the best part of a weekend trying all of them repeatedly until he found the two - yes two - he'd been looking for. And he was as pleased as Punch. I was just relieved - on many counts. It was a tight squeeze in the controls channel of a standard Strat:

Well, as "42" is clearly now out of the running for a name, I think you may have stumbled across the perfect alternative: "Collateral Damage". That has a real Spinal Tap vibe about it

Oh - of course you can! Fellas - ignore me. And fellas I've built basses for - check I've put the right number of frets on your builds

Yes - spot on @leftybassman392. I got my 3x3x3 wrong. No change there, then

Blast! Your prize might not be - Covid restrictions and all that

That is correct

When I play, folks DO panic and shove any d**n thing they can find in their ears. Pete and I used to play in a venue where the emergency exit opened out straight onto the road. I used to have to do a quick safety briefing before each gig along the lines of, "The safest exit is back through the door you came in. However, if you are just too desperate to get out quickly, there is an emergency exit over there - but please be careful because there may be passing traffic." Generally, they were willing to risk being knocked over.

Three pickups each with three configurations (Humbucker; P-bass split; Jazz 'single coil') and themselves able to be combined in four ways (bridge + middle; bridge + neck; middle + neck; bridge + middle +neck) How many combinations altogether (ie how many sounds, assuming each combination is a discernibly different sound)? There is a prize - but unfortunately, due to Covid 19 restrictions there's no chance, mate there may be difficulties in the fulfilment of our obligations to you.

I like that VERY much.

No - I suspect @Jus Lukin would be a bit miffed if I still had it then Mind you...if @Frank Blank can make the SW bash all the way from his, you never know...we may be able to persuade @Jus Lukin (it's worth it for the food alone!)

Welcome, Andre! You clearly have a few fans here.

Ask the others...it only gets worse

Yes - there is something satisfyingly Douglas Adamsy if I'm right

I think it's 42 The three-way switch give you 4 options (1+2; 1+3; 2+3; 1+2+3) The two pickup options each give you 9 combinations = 27 The three pickup option gives you 15 combinations So total combinations = 27+15 = 42