AndyTravis

That's it - Everything's paid for.

It's just a matter of it all arriving, and screwing it all together - And 2 little blobs of solder.

This time next week it should be a fully functioning bass.

Sending the Pickguard to TheBassDoc, he's getting some clear pickguard stuff...

Pickup arrives Thursday - hand delivered no less

Cheers!

Top nut has arrived from Fender, ace.

The Celinder pickup is sorted, it's actually a Kent Armstrong made unit, but i've heard plenty of good things about them.

Just had a text off a mate;

"Got a Celinder P Pickup (Duncan Antiquity IIRC)...Any use?"

Er...

YES PLEASE.

Just a pic with the neck loosley bolted on, awaiting the BAII bridge to arrive and then I can align it correctly before figuring out what i need to do around the neck end.

The original pickguard was a bit of a shonky cut with a gap all the way around the Socket.

A mate at Fender is sending me a new nut; Hopefully it'll arrive before the bridge so I can do all the setup stuff and then just drop the electronics in.

There is still the need to polish the neck pocket, cavity and routs - A friend of mine is dropping off some wNd and some buffing compound.

All good fun...

Quick update.

Bridge on way.

Pickups on order be here next week.

Fender flat top Knobs will be paid for tomorrow.

KiOgon Wiring arranged and will be paid for tomorrow. (now paid, excited!)

The only sticking point is the pickguard.

I'm going to have a go myself, and will have plenty left over to give my mate to do a proper job.

[b]Edit - Have E-mailed the Aurora project to see how quickly they could turn my template around, think this Lexan i've got is going to be too thick.[/b]

First Gig it will do may be a dep covers gig on the 4th in Chester.

Just as a point - Does this set come with the vintage back plate too? Some pics show it with, others without?

Regards

Andy

On my Search for all things plexiglass, i've stumbled across a few more gems.

One is a Precision made for John Entwistle, currently owned by The Hard Rock Cafe.

One is a custom built Tele Type bass..

In other news, the neck has arrived...

Masterbuilt?

I'm only interested if it's masterbuilt.

I went for a Blow Dry once. Imagine the disappointment.

Yeah, thanks, will certainly look at them again now, mustn't have engaged brain when I looked at their page, thought they were in the US.

Yeah, it will be done using hand tools, not a makita jigsaw...the stuff stinks when it burns/melts, and nasty fumes aren't my thing.

Pickup decision made, going 'Fender Original' reissue one, I know it's not as 'good' as the Duncan antiquity on paper, but I can get one at literally half the price, and after all it's a plastic bass do I'm not sure it'd warrant the added expense.

I will however invest in one of KiOgon's wiring kits as it's a time saver, and I hate soldering.

Neck is due to ship today!

Should be here in the next couple of days.

Very good!

Dads plastic sheet...enough for 3 pickguards.

It's a smidge thicker than the original, but it's free - So i'm not bothered.

Further replies from enquiries i've made.

Sims LEDs got back to me £62 + £4.50 shipping, which was about what I expected.

A second Plastics company replied and asked me to send a tracing of the pickguard, and would then quote on a price.

I'll go to my dads later to get the plastics he has, and go to my mates with it in a day or two...simples.

Also, saving on the pickguard has freed up some budget, so i'll probably get a Badass II now as the bridge, and go for the antiquities I was eyeing up.

[quote name='Dave Vader' timestamp='1347288868' post='1798857']
We have a laser cutter that we have never configured for cutting plastic where I work. This is our stock answer, so you could be right.
[/quote]

Thought as much; shame really, would have liked to give a local company a chance at doing something different.

But, i suppose it's not worth their while.

Anyhow, worked out for the better, handy having handy mates...

3 different sheet plastic companies contacted, hoping one will just make me a pickguard.

One is local - Denton, and uses laser cutting; fancy.

[b]Edit...[/b]

So 'Fancy' they quoted [u][b]£150 plus Vat...[/b][/u]
Which is the most ridiculous miscalculation surely?

If it was done by hand from actual glass or something, I'd understand.

Unless it's a 'we can't be arsed doing a piddly little job, say £150; he'll soon sod off...' kind of thing.


[b]Edit Part 2[/b]

A friend Of mine builds custom Trumpets.

Asked him if he had anyone he used for display cases/custom stands who used plastics and would help.

"What is it? A Pickguard? Have you got the plastic? If so, i'll do it for you no problem...even if i cock it up, I have a man who I can ring..."

He's also making me a Brass Nut from an offcut. Just because it'd be great to have a bit of his magic brass on my bass.



If anyone also plays brass, here's his blog...

[url="http://pollardtrumpets.wordpress.com/"]http://pollardtrumpets.wordpress.com/[/url]

EEk...

I'm already buying a few things on Friday, but this would be lovely in my Plexi-P...

Humpf.

If it's still here then and i'm not skint, i'll be in touch.

This guy is a genius.

Definately, i've bookmarked it, for future reference.

[quote name='charic' timestamp='1347271993' post='1798566']
Just found this for you

[url="http://www.skiffy.com/docs/menufr.cfm?taal=gb&ID=1&order=order&pagina=inhoudfr.cfm&pag=imgindex2.cfm&img_id=13"]http://www.skiffy.co...2.cfm&img_id=13[/url]

They have transparent screws etc
[/quote]

Haha, not sure if these would just shear off on fitting?

like the idea though.

Spotted these on eBay last month...

Picking one up on Friday.

So, this morning I took the original AXL pickguard to my shop to offer it up to a Fender - In the vainest of hopes that it was a carbon copy of a Fender.

I should know after all these years that it's never the case.

I'd hoped to just order one without having to send off templates or the original guard - I've approached the BassDoc, and am hoping he can help, another option was SIMs who i've e-mailed to see if they can do clear guards.

In the meantime, My dad reckons he's got a suitable sheet of Perspex type stuff at work so I can have a go myself - I did a Telecaster plate for my mate a few years ago, which was a pain in the backside without a decent tooling set up (and was a bit scruffy to say the least...)


Other interesting development is that i've secured a MIM Fender P-Bass Neck, allbeit Rosewood fingerboard; not my first choice, but I was eager to get going, and should something crop up in the future, i've got it at a reasonable price so will be able to cover costs.

The Nut needs replacing (split corner), but i've got some Fender blanks somewhere at work which I can make a new one from...

So there we are - Progress.


An interesting idea if anyone has any opinions/views on this i'd like them.

It's a Fender Neck, but I really like the late 60's/70's TV Logo which this doesn't have...I know of a decent source for decals, so at some point (not for a while) I may get the decal replaced...any experience with sanding/removing logos from headstocks?

Andy

Was great seeing this on mainstream tv.

Comes across as a really nice bloke; and as stated earlier I am reassured/comforted by the fact he said he doesn't read music.

Always a request from the other half if I'm doodling on my Fretless.

Holy sh*t!

Literally.