PlungerModerno

With any string change, a setup is gonna be on the cards. A truss rod adjust, saddle height and intonation adjustment, and pickup height and angle tweaks are all good ideas to get the most out of a set of strings on a bass*. TI's are pretty unique feeling flats. They feel a little "looser" than I normally like, and have a more pronounced sensation of rolling when played (no doubt in part due to the round core). but when played lightly they have a smashing sound, and as has been said about them for decades, they last for ages. As long as funds allow, I think everyone should try a set of TI's if they like the sound of flats, especially brighter flats, but don't like the relatively high stiffness of some other flats (e.g. Roto Monels, or D'Addario Chromes). *EDIT: Make adjustments as necessary, if the strings have similar properties nothing may need to be tweaked other than the tuning pegs and usually a tweak of 1 - 4 intonation adjustment screws.

I'm impressed! I don't think there's any reason it can't work - with the correct technique and materials, but I'd take care to make sure everything is fully cured before moving on. Mixing paint types or substituting primers / sealers can work just fine, but are unpredictable. I wish you the best with what looks like some cool projects. Thanks for sharing. Please let us know if things go well, and if they don't we'd appreciate the results also. Well I'd appreciate the results of this experiment anyway. I would also like to compliment the choice of colour - very nice shade if the picture is anything to go by!

I'll just leave this here: [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUB4N3HpwB8"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUB4N3HpwB8[/url]

Aside from the upper horn, the silhouette is pretty close to a Warwick thumb bass - but with different contouring the finished body could look a lot different. FWIW for a I'd suggest having a long upper horn (reaching to or beyond the 12th fret) for a standard 34" scale - to get a good balance, even if the bubinga is fairly light when shaped, or is so heavy you end up doing something like a chambering system. As I'm sure you're aware - some people have found the thumb layout (especially the bolt on ones?) a little neck heavy. If it comes to it, you can always shorten the horns if the bass sits too far to the right (or move the strap button). EDIT: P.S. I agree with scojack, the upper horn no your body design, at least in outline / silhouette, is less "awkward" than the thumb one. Kinda like a cross between a status and a jazz upper horn. Tasty.

Yowza. You'd want to have a lot of confidence in that technique to use that on a bass. I can see chipped finish and damaged pickguards in the future of many a bass that get's treated like that.

Looks like a tiny drop of clear nail varnish on the grub screw as BobVbass suggested, will work just fine. Should hold it still in the knob.

If it's already modded I'd feel free enough to do any slight mods - a couple of mm's of each side of the neck shouldn't ruin it, but it'll cost a bit. As those basses were never produced in their millions (as far as I know) - I'd also look at a replica neck, just to preserve what's there - but I'd A/B the cost of that against modding options. As long as the neck isn't thinned significantly front to back it shouldn't become unstable - but I'd look at the wood grain (direction and density), the current thickness (front to back) and the overall shape (U, V, or more C shaped) before making a call on how much it would be safe to remove. Refer to a competent wood worker for a second (or third) opinion. I know I'd feel sad if I ruined a cool neck.

That's real cute. With 12 strings to work with, as well as a good setup, a neck that'll play very comfortably is a must!

That finish makes the grain sing. Very nice, should be a beaut when it get's put together!

Cool bass - That fretboard is a sweet piece of maple.

I'd say the blockheads are very cool.

Get well soon!

Good idea for Day 1 learning, better to use tape and a pen. By the time you've got them in the post you should be trying to not look at yer hands.

[quote name='fretmeister' timestamp='1427964213' post='2736284'] Don't confuse string thickness with tension. They are not the same thing. The material and the construction method are far more important than the thickness. [/quote] +1 The core and wrap (or wraps) can mean an .090 E can be stiffer than a .110 E - classic example a stiff flatwound in stainless steel, vs. a tapewound made of nylon.

That's funny.

Cool. Was it worth the wait?

I'd imagine eBay and other sites will host an add - but the fees will vary. Unlike our beloved Basschat - the fee isn't reasonable on some of them, so as you already know - do yer homework. GLWTS!

Cool stuff, best of luck with the project. I can see a growing niche in sort scale basses - largely driven by ergonomics.

Cool shorties - was going to link the Scott Whitley vid, but was beaten to it in post #4 by scrumpymike. Here's the thread with more details/links regarding Mr. Whitley, his love of shortscales, and other goodies - for those who haven't seen it: [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/257883-new-short-scale-bass-uk-page/"]http://basschat.co.uk/topic/257883-new-short-scale-bass-uk-page/[/url]

[quote name='Rumple' timestamp='1427899028' post='2735627'] I keep thinking this is finished then today I go an order some more aged parts, namely a thumb rest, pick-up screws and strap pin for the back of the headstock. [/quote] 'Tis a labour of love

[quote name='Funky Dunky' timestamp='1427670243' post='2732967'] How does one check for lifted frets? [/quote] I'd go with a visual inspection (esp. the fret ends), a good check to see if they flex when pressed, a fret level check, followed by a tap test. All the frets should sound pretty much the same.

Awesome. I remember seeing this: [url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qp-zFLylafE"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qp-zFLylafE[/url] Glad it quitened it down!

[quote name='VitalyGanja' timestamp='1427139270' post='2726359'] Thank you for kind words, everyone! It's actually my [color=#252525][font=sans-serif]abbreviation of my name and surname - V G made in this kind of shape.[/font][/color] ... [/quote] That's actually pretty metal - I assumed it was just a stylized pentagram - but it's clearly VG when you know what to look for. I'd like it a bit smaller if it were mine, but what I'd like isn't exactly important on your bass! Overall, the response is no doubt very positive, and I'd wager it looks even better in the flesh. That translucent purple body top is exquisite.