Rexel Matador

Re pickup covers: check the "ears"! I bought some white ones from ebay and didn't realise until I got them that the semicurcular protrusions where the screws go stuck out way too far to fit in the scratchplate. Then I found another set that were fine. I love cream/white pickups on a p bass just because they're a bit more unusual but still kind of classic looking.

I also found that a standard sized set of covers was too small for a Seymour Duncan Quarter Pounder (I'm not just talking about the pole pieces - the whole thing was a bit too small, but it might not be the case for other models.

Re colour combinations, you can always use this to visualise things:

https://www.yajimastringworks.com/kisekae/CNV_PB/Kis90105_w1300.asp

I really wanted my current mutliscale build to be headless but was put off by the lack of decent affordable hardware out there. It seemed like the choices were either ABM - super pricey despite mixed reviews - or the ones from ebay that are so cheap I daren't even try. What are you thinking bridge/headpiece-wise?

I have also wondered about the possibility of a multiscale fretless. Would it not be particularly hard to play?

Re the depth of the pieces for the neck - could you stick another shorter piece on at the body end to up the thickness? Maybe a darker/lighter veneer in between?

Is the grain going to be perpendicular to the strings as well?

In theory a good joint is as strong as the wood right? None of my amateur scarf-jointed headstocks have failed yet, so I wouldn't be too worried about it.

You could always put some kind of rod through the length of it, just to be on the safe side.

Cut out the body shape today - the holes are from where I attached the template, but they will be obliterated/obscured but the forearm contour, scratchplate and neck pocket respectively.

The neck is starting to take shape. My last couple of builds have had very thin necks, so I thought I'd leave this one a bit chunkier and see how I get on with it. It's hard to tell as it's only roughly carved and has no strings on, but I think it'll be pretty comfortable.

17 minutes ago, SpondonBassed said:

Now it's getting interesting.

You've taken the Dingwall idea of having the fret that is perpendicular to the fretboard at the seventh position.  If I recall, @Andyjr1515 has it at the twelfth in one of his builds.

Perhaps the most comfortable position for the perpendicular fret would depend on which end of the neck you frequent most...?

Having never actually played a multiscale instrument before, I had no idea what my preference would be! I saw that Dingwall do it at the seventh and figured they seem to know their stuff when it comes to fanned frets, so why not.

Secondly I liked the idea of mitigating the slant at the nut and lower frets - I play mostly (though certainly not exclusively) down there and figured it might make it easier to get used to. It all remains to be seen.

Frets are in - so much easier on an unshaped neck!

The first few on the low string feel very far apart - it'll take some getting used to.

1 hour ago, Slappindabass said:

Anyone know tuner hole size?

It depends on the tuners - usually 18mm for Fender style ones I think, but they can vary. Best to measure the bushings and drill accordingly.

On 12/04/2020 at 14:26, mcnach said:

For bass, I found it much better to use more rigid thicker picks. Dunlop stubbies are the best I found, for my taste. 2mm or 3mm are very good, and their shape with a depression in the middle helps keeping them firmly in place even when you're hitting strings hard and fast.

This - everything felt easier when I switched from regular flat picks to stubbies - never looked back.

Also, re Rancid, maybe give Time Bomb a go - it's nice and slow and a lot of fun to play. Plenty of tabs out there - just start slow.

52 minutes ago, Cosmo Valdemar said:

That's not a Precision... Probably a Fender Jazz but might be his Ibanez.

Damn your right - I can hear it now! Still great though.

On 12/04/2020 at 23:00, Graham said:

Propaghandi, particularly when he swapped from a Musicman to a cheaper Ibanez

Agreed! Todd the Rod made them. Their original bassist's tone was truly horrible:

My two pennies' worth. both songs tart with a guitar riff and then the bass comes in and makes it something really special:

Matt Freeman - P-Bass pick perfection:

Jonathan Gallant - Stingray I think - I'm not usually a fan but I love what this guy does with it:

I'm building a multiscale 4 string bass to be tuned to drop B flat (Bb, F, Bb, Eb) with a scale length of 900-850mm (approximately 33.5"-33.5")

Usually, using such low tunings on a 34" bass, I find that the saddle for the lowest string has to go way back to intonate properly.

The single string bridges I'll be using only have about 10mm of movement, so naturally I'm keen to get them in the right place. And I'd rather avoid having to plug and redrill the bridge screw holes if at all possible.

What effect will the longer scale have? Will the saddle need to be even further back, or will it mitigate the need for such an extreme adjustment to achieve correct intonation?

Are there any tips or tricks for determining bridge placement?

Thanks in advance for any advice you might be able to provide!

Cut with the scalpel then widened with a knife so the saw bites (but that's for another day)

Whether I've been accurate enough for this thing to actually play in tune remains to be seen, but I'm pretty happy to have got this far!

That pink fretboard has been abandoned on account of its flimsiness. I'm using this maple one instead. The heel end looks like that because I'm stealing the Framus idea again - screws going in the opposite direction under the scratchplate. It worked nicely on my first build so I thought I'd try it again.

I've also radiused it. I was originally going to go for a totally flat board but decided against it. I don't really know why, it just sort of happened.

On 07/04/2020 at 17:31, Slappindabass said:

I expect to fall down on this project when it comes to carving.

Lovely stuff. If you've come this far I'm sure you have nothing to worry about. Carving a neck is nowhere near as difficult as you might expect.

I've had good results with the Crimson Guitars finishing oil. From what I remember, they reverse engineered Tru-Oil and tweaked it a bit for guitar purposes. I forget the details.

I'm not affiliated by the way, I just find it to work pretty well, and it's good that there are lots of demonstrations on their youtube channel.

I've totally lost the motivation for this, which is a shame as I've got so much more time on my hands. For one thing I feel bad buzzing away with powertools when all the neighbours are stuck at home! Hopefully I'll find some inspiration over the weekend and get back to it.

Stingray scratchplate and control plate. For such an "iconic" design they look like a rushed afterthought to me.

Gerry McAvoy - played with a pick and everything!

Branding on the body. Sandberg make some nice basses but those four dots mean I will never own one.

And perhaps more controversially, tortoiseshell scratchplates. I always assume people like them because they invoke a particular era, because visually they make no sense - especially on a sunburst - gross! Highly subjective of course!

Edit: I just thought of another one: those big long single cut bodies you so often see on higher end basses. I realise this one is not purely an aesthetic choice, but a horn does the same job, surely?

Made a template today. This plywood is far from the ideal material for the job but the piece of MDF I was going to use is in my office and I won't be going there anytime soon. It seems to be free from gaping voids so it should do the job. Still needs a fair bit of sanding but it's nice to see the body shape full size - I think it's going to look great.

I've slotted the fretboard, though not to full depth yet, just to see how difficult it was actually going to be. Yes, it's covered in gunk from when I taped it down to plane the bottom, but after a good sanding it'll be fine. I like to keep my build diaries warts 'n' all. It's a very weird looking piece of wood - I'm just going to go with it and see what happens.

And the neck blank with truss rod - still playing around with headstock shapes. I'm not doing anything fancy for this one - and I want to keep it relatively small as this bass is going to be long AF - but I still want it too look the part.

On 26/03/2020 at 10:55, hooky_lowdown said:

do they think their own P basses look better than any P they've EVER seen?

Yep

But Dee Dee's were very cool, I must admit:

I forgot to mention the scale length - it's 900mm to 850mm - so roughly 35.5 - 33.5 inches. For my current band I tune, low to high Ab, F, Ab, Eb. -so the low string is a semitone lower than standard and the others are a semitone higher. I think, if I string it .135, .100, .080, .060 (or maybe .065) - I should get a good consistent tension, but it might take some trial and error.

I've never played a bass longer than 34" before, so it might take some getting used to.

Oh, and the perpendicular fret will be the 7th. Just copying Dingwall because they seem to know what they're doing - nothing more scientific than that!