rwillett

Everytime I see a headless bass (or make one) I think thats clever, there can't be another way to do it and I get proven wrong time and time again. That's very neat, very elegant and that gets my nod of approval. A bit like a Paul Hollywood handshake but significantly rarer. I very much like that. Rob

Damm, won't post it otherwise perfect.

Thats the killer part of this

Accidental dupe

That pyramid looks like its coming out of the body, but I think it's an optical illusion (or nightmare). Rob

I did have a play with getting this working over the weekend it works very well. I plugged in a Line 6 Shortboard FBV MKII pedalboard into the Mod Dwarf, put an iRig on one output of the Mod Dwarf with an Ipad into BiasFX2 and routed the output back to the input of the Mod Dwarf and then to a set of headphones. It worked well, there may be latency but I couldn't hear any. I did try to connect the Line 6 to the iPad but it drew too much power and the Camer Connection Kit would not power it. I suppose a powered USB hub would help here rather than an unpowered one. This does open up using the ipad as well nopw, so Bias FX 2, Bias Pedal and Amplitube. The iPad and the Mod Dwarf are NOT MIDI connected, so thats the next problem to resolve.

Nah, seems legit to me, just the sort of tool this bloke needs...

The sort of bass The Adams Family would play

This covers a lot of ground about metal printing https://all3dp.com/2/how-much-does-a-metal-3d-printer-cost/ I think after reading this, I'd say that the most cost effective way to get this type of vice is by buying and restoring an older one.

I think it would be ok if it was made in metal. As you tighten it up, the plastic holes are slightly deforming and it slowly rises up in the middle. The 8mm threaded rod is the strongest component and it is forcing deformation in each of the plastic parts. There are a couple of areas that need slight adjustment as well, no big changes but an extra mm would help clearances. I have no experience in metal printing and there are some tiny but vital dovetails that hold each semi circular component in place and allow it to rotate. The design is quite good here and they work. I should have printed in 0.12mm rather than 0.2mm as this wasn't so smooth. If you want to look at it, I'll happily post it down to you. I built it as a fun project but need to focus on finding the right finish for the bass. Rob

Finished the fractal vice. I built whilst doing test prints for how to get a good finish on the headless bass. The vice is OK, I wouldn't describe it as a vice, more a holder. Its good enough for holding things for soldering or painting, but its nowhere near strong enough for holding anything that has a load on it. You could use it for small things in a pillar drill but anything bigger than a 3mm hold might put too much load on it. I note that some toerags have this advertised this on Etsy for £150. I'll happily sell you this for £50 It does work, its a novelty and if I don't like it, I can reclaim all the bolts and lead screw and use them elsewhere.

Ah, thats makes sense. I liked Portal, great game and sometimes very weird physics I agree over the constraints with Dwarf but it is what it is. The Line 6 foot controller isn't that sophisticated and can't send multiple commands but can send the same command on multiple channels. So I could probably do what I wanted to do that way. Already tried the plugin you suggested. The issue is the Dwarf works on the midi command BEFORE it gets to the plugin, not after its been changed. So it make no difference. Great minds think etc etc I did think about snapshots, the Line 6 Controller can be configured to send a different MIDI command on the first press (aka turn on) and the second press (aka turn off). It's a bit of hack (Editor: "and all the other things you're trying aren't hacks?"]. It does get around the latency issue and may well be the best solution. The other solution I came up with was hooking the Line 6 pedalboard to an iPad (already done) and using Audiobus to capture the MIDI command and then sound out multiple commands. A poor mans MorningStart unit I will keep looking at this as that will be a useful thing to be able to do. Thanks for the thoughts on this. Some new ones which is great. Rob

Thanks for this. I kept looking at the options and had a nagging feeling that there was a solution, but couldn't see it. What do you mean by Portal please? Good call on the latency, as I'm such a super fast metal shredding guitarist, this could be a major problem for me (stop laughing at the back). I did read something a few months ago about using multiple cores to reduce latency, so will investigate further. The reason for this is that I have spent a bit of money on Amplitube and BIAS FX on the iPad and they do have some great sounds. If I can keep the Mod Dwarf and the iPad coexisting then its a win for me. I can also confirm that the Line 6 FBV Shortboard (which is possibly the biggest lie on a piece of music gear as it's around 45cm long) MKII works out the box with the Mod Dwarf. I had an old one I picked up for a few quid, connected it to the USB-A socket on the MD and it worked. No configuration needed at all. I know I can change the pedals over, but the MD learns what the assignements are so it doesn't matter. Not tested every pedal yet, but A-D work fine. Rob

This might be the solution...

Hi I'm trying to do integrate my Mod Dwarf (MD), an Irig HD, Bias FX and one amp and no mixer. Why? Because the BiasFX2 on the ipad has some interesting sounds and I like a stupid challenge. I want to control all of this switching from a single Midi Pedal press as well. Here's a sample idea of how I'd like to wire it up. One Bass goes into the MD on Input1. A switchbox in the MD will route it to either a Big Muff distortion pedal (keep it simple) and then the output goes to another switchbox which routes it to output 1 and to the amp. I want to press a simgle switch that moves switchbox 1 to the second channel which then routes the signal to output 2, which then connects to the iRig and the iPad, does some crazy sounds and toutes the signal back to input 2 on the MD, this then routes it to the second switch box which then sends that signal to the amp. If I press the keyboard footswitch I can assign a midi CC to the first switchbox and it works fine. However the MD doesn't allow you to assign the same MIDI command to the second switch box to get it to switch at the same time. Thats actually sensible but not what I want to do. I want a single foot tap to move both switcheboxs at the same time. I've looked through the various MIDI controllers and can't see anything that might help. I have also looked at the Control Voltage stuff and that looks really good except that you can't assign a CV input to a switch box. A simple plugin that fires other MIDI commands on receipt of one command would be great, but I can't see that in ahy of the plugins. So I'm trying to work out what to do here. Any suggestions welcomed. Thanks Rob

@SamIAm I was going to write “All of the female basschatters have no idea why this is so good … 5 … 4 … 3 … 2 … 1 … duck, incoming” but decided against it 😀 just for you , heres my black countersunk M3 hex bolts and heres the normal M3 nuts I also have the same for M2.5 bolts and M3 button headed bolts. I can send photos if you wish. i can tell you that there is a bit of a shortage of black countersunk 22mm M3 bolts as well. 20mm and 25mm are OK but 22mm are tricky. My supplier in Scotland rang me up to apologise earlier in the week. I've never had that before, I did sit back and wonder if I had been buying too many 😊 Hope this helps Rob

Been away for a few days, so not much progress on finishing. I have been testing out different sanding methods, orbital vs flat vs hand to try and work ouy which is easiest. One of the problems I had was holding some of the pieces, so as I was going away for a few days, I thought I'd load the printers up with work that would take a long time to print. Last year I saw a Fractal Vise (is it Vice or Vise?) on YouTube, well worth watching here It allowed various complex shapes to be held in a vice/vise. I was fascinated by the mechanism (yep I'm easily pleased), and looked at getting one, somebody was making a small version and wanted $150 as a down payment but no idea how much it would cost at the time, I wasn't that interested, so I filed it away in the back of what passes for my memory. Whilst I was trying to sand down the various curved bits of the guitar, I recalled this vice and wondered if anybody made one, the one in the US still doesn't seem to have got off the ground but I then found somebody had designed one for 3d printing https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4904044 I downloaed all the files, spread them across two printers and left them to run for 30+ hours and ended up with two sheets below All this is PLA+, it's in two different colours as thats almost the end of my PLA rolls under I get a new delivery, so I should be grateful it wasn't yellow and pink. I have all of the screws and the bearings, just waiting for a lead screw and some chome rods and I'll assemble that for the weekend and hopefully it'll hold the various parts of the headless bass somewhat better than my fingers. Looks fun. Very impressed with the design, some of the comments from the US are great, they have no idea what M3 screws are, and apparently they pay like a dollar for a screw, now they know how I feel buying a 1/4-20 screw for a astrophotography camera. I have also just found out that my niece now works for a bolt distribution company so I can get stuff from her. Xmas has come early. All of the female basschatters have no idea why this is so good My other half just tells her friends it's a blokes version of having shoes and handbags. Thanks Rob

@Andre_Passini has just helped me with my headless bass. I went to provide feedback for him and found, to my horror, that ther was no feedback thread. So I'm delighted to be the first one to provide feedback. I had a problem sorting something out with one of his headless bass parts and he was an absolute pleasure to deal with. He's based in Brazil but he was responsive, exceptionally helpful. You wouldn't know he was the other side of the Atlantic. with how quick he was. My Portugese is pretty limited (zero to be honest), but Andre had no issues having to work with me in English. Some new parts turned up about a week later. I've had stuff from England thats taken longer. I am very grateful for all his help and would recommend him to all basschat folk. His parts are well made and he's easy to work with. Thanks Andre, I really apreciate all your help and advice. Rob

I'll have to look at the wiring for a humbucker, doesn't one go clockwise and one anti clockwise to get rid of the hum?

I've got a few of them I picked up for a few pounds off eBay. I was going to use the magnets inside for my (yet to be completed) automated guitar pickup winder. I'll keep looking as you can pick them up for very little. Focus for this week is checking out finishes on the guitar. Got some sanders, sanding paper, wet and dry, primer, filler, spray paint and epoxy resin to work out whats best or even if anything works. Thanks Rob

Ooohhhhh now that's interesting.

I like the look of that EMG. Is the top a standard telecaster pickup? I have a few of those sittinn in my (growing) spares box. Thamks

I have one unopened 1Kg 1.75mm eSun Glow in the Dark reel tagged "Luminous Green" and a second opened reel approx 300g on it. Brought for a project that never took off for astrophotography. You need to print this a hell of a lot hotter than recommended. From memory this was around 235C, fiddling around at 190-210C was a waste of time. Once you dial the right temperature in, its not too bad to use. However it's not as easy to print as standard eSun PLA, you need to slow things down and take it easy. Its free to a good (or bad) home. Just pay postage, which is large parcel for around 2g when packaging is taken into account. Thanks rob

Have now found the time to look at my Mod Dwarf in a bit more detail. Have been rather distracted for the last few months. Had a hum that came from nowhere and it turns out I'd used a 5V 4A PSU rather than the right 12V 4A PSU. They looked the same and the plugs fitted. Yes I am an idiot. Also downloaded Aida-X to have a play, I plugged a guitar in first, an 89 Korean Squier Telecaster, which I have to say I love as it plays a like a dream.Heresy I know but I ony have one life.... Worked out that you have to refresh the browser after uploading an IR <doh> and had a play. The patches sound great. The AMP Blues Deluxe is fantastic on my Tele. So I thought I'd download some bass amps and have struggled to find many at all, any suggestions as I can't really find any. Perhaps they're hidden in a secret location known only to proper bass players, hence I'm excluded. I also made the simple change to put the mod dwarf on my desk, and run a long USB cable to my Mac Mini to keep it permanently live. No more leaning over to try and fiddle with things. on the floor. Simple change, big impact. Also has anybody tried driving it from a Raspberry Pi? If the USB to Ethernet works then it should work. I'll try that out later. Might be an interesting option or yet another rabbit hole to dive down. The reason fpr the Pi is that I'll move the guitar winder development to a Pi 5 and it's slightly easier cable management and its not much slower than my elderly Macbook Pro 2013 I still use. My kids have 2021 Macbook Air's for school, I have an 11 year old Macbook for sentimental reasons.

Found the problem with the hum on the Mod Dwarf. It was, errr...., due to somebody breaking into the house in the middle of the night and replacing the 12V 4A PSU with a 5V 4A PSU in the case. I have no idea who did it, but after checking an awful lot of websites, tweaking everything under the sun, playing about with earth loops, looking on Amazon for groundless plugs, pulling the bench 30V 10A PSU up and about to plug it in, I glanced at the PSU and noticed that some deviant had changed it over. A quick look through the spares box, and I located what might have been the correct PSU. Plugged it in and no f£$%^&*$%^&* hum. <sigh> If I ever find the prat who did this.... I have also downloaded AIDA-X Plugin for the Mod Dwarf. Wow... just wow.... I have a soft spot for small amps so downloaded a few neural models and they are brilliant. I have no idea if they are accurate but the Champ G9 and AC-30 sound great. Not found many bass amp models so if anybody knows of any, please point me in the right direction. Had a good play with it during boring meetings today. One ear in the headphones and one listening to something from somebody on Teams So thats one more of the list of things to do. I have also started seriously looking at better finishing on the bass. Have moved both printers back to PLA+ filament and recalibrated for the different steel plates. PLA+ is very strong, I've not used PLA for two years and had stuck with PETG, but PLA+ looks good. It also sands a whole lot better, so if Mr Amazon could actually deliver the orbital sander I brought I'd be grateful, so far, two attempts and two wrong sanders. The Post Office will be surprised tomorrow morning when I send them back. This will be my focus for a week or more. I really want to get the looks to match the sound. I will be asking for advice on a single pickup to use for the next version Thanks Rob