henry norton Posted September 25, 2013 Share Posted September 25, 2013 I've been hankering after having a really 'Old School' Jazz in reliced Fiesta Red with a tort scratchplate and a blocked, bound board. But I also want it to be 35" scale 5 string - presumably a mix you can only get from the Fender Custom Shop so I'm going to build one out of leftover wood and bits in my spare time. I've got some mahogany substitute in the workshop I bought to experiment with necks but never used, so that'll be glued up to make the body. The neck is a bit more complicated as I have a rejected neck from a commission last year which is long enough to acommodate the 35" scale (due to an extended heel), but is a Jazz width 4 string so I'm going to have to get the truss rod out, saw it down the middle, add a 3/4 inch fillet and glue it all back together again. It's more work than making one from scratch but it's using something that'll otherwise end up as firewood. I have some ebony blanks I'll try to glue up so's I'll have enough width to cover the wider neck and some poncey looking Gibson Custom style block inlays I've had for years and never used - may as well go narrow as the neck's going to be wider than normal anyway, it's real mother of pearl too I'm pondering over the pickup situation atm. I might try winding some Jazz single coils, possibly with some widened ashtrays, or maybe something a bit more out there... Anyway, pictures to follow Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henry norton Posted September 27, 2013 Author Share Posted September 27, 2013 Well, due to the huge amount of interest and massive number of questions surrounding this build I've caved in and have taken a couple of pictures to post up. This'll keep you all off my back for a while... Here's the super light mahogany(ish) body... ...and here's the neck and fillet awaiting the surgeon's router. More neck pics when I get around to doing something with it - Firstly I need to get the truss rod out, then cut it square in 2, insert the 3/4 inch maple fillet whilst keeping the 2 sides parallel and finally machining off the cast on epoxy fretless board. After that I can start routing the new truss rod channel and reshaping the back. Why am I doing this to myself????? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myke Posted September 27, 2013 Share Posted September 27, 2013 Are you going to paint the headstock or leave it with the strip through it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimBobTTD Posted September 27, 2013 Share Posted September 27, 2013 Now [i]this[/i] is one to watch! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deanovw Posted September 27, 2013 Share Posted September 27, 2013 I agree, this looks really interesting. Can't wait for the next instalment! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henry norton Posted September 27, 2013 Author Share Posted September 27, 2013 [quote name='Myke' timestamp='1380301724' post='2223580'] Are you going to paint the headstock or leave it with the strip through it? [/quote] Ah yeah I'll paint the headstock red too. I'll probably have to build it up a bit along the top edge and fill in a couple of the tuner holes so I might end up putting a thin veneer over it to give me a reasonably smooth surface - otherwise it'll end up looking like a tube map. More thrilling instalments from the cliff edge of modern electric bass next week. Don't forget to tune in.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myke Posted September 27, 2013 Share Posted September 27, 2013 Ah thank you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4 Strings Posted September 27, 2013 Share Posted September 27, 2013 Subscribed - very interested in the neck insert especially Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Owen Posted September 29, 2013 Share Posted September 29, 2013 I will have a spare pair of 5 string J pickups when the dust has settled on my build Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henry norton Posted September 30, 2013 Author Share Posted September 30, 2013 [quote name='owen' timestamp='1380489063' post='2226168'] I will have a spare pair of 5 string J pickups when the dust has settled on my build [/quote] Hmmm.... Presumably not the ones I've got. Slightly suspect phone camera shot of the neck - split and with the epoxy machined off, (which was quite a job) and the fillet sat in the middle. Now I need to plane the edges and glue it all up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rubis Posted September 30, 2013 Share Posted September 30, 2013 A brave and interesting project...........best of luck to you sir! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Owen Posted September 30, 2013 Share Posted September 30, 2013 [quote name='henry norton' timestamp='1380562328' post='2227133'] Hmmm.... Presumably not the ones I've got. [/quote] It all became too exciting and I bought a different set as well, just to see. Tragic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henry norton Posted October 4, 2013 Author Share Posted October 4, 2013 Been busy this week so haven't done much but me being an insufferable tight-arse I decided to make a wide 5 string board out of a couple of nice bits of ebony I had lying around the workshop rather than spending my hard earned on a new blank. Another shockingly bad picture from my otherwise quite useful new smart phone - beats carrying an SLR around I suppose. Anyway, it looks very nice in the real world and I'm looking forward to putting in the inlays and binding it. I've also decided to forget the J pickups and enlarged ashtrays I love the look of them but don't actually like having to play with them. More news on that front next week.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rumple Posted October 6, 2013 Share Posted October 6, 2013 That neck looks familiar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henry norton Posted October 6, 2013 Author Share Posted October 6, 2013 [quote name='Rumple' timestamp='1381079125' post='2234110'] That neck looks familiar [/quote]Ha! Yeah that was the original neck for your fretless J - the epoxy coating ended up a bit too yellow for my liking so it was shelved. I knew I'd find a use for it at some point or other, but there was no way that yellowed epoxy coating would see the light of day... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rumple Posted October 7, 2013 Share Posted October 7, 2013 Recycling at it's best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henry norton Posted October 7, 2013 Author Share Posted October 7, 2013 (edited) [quote name='Rumple' timestamp='1381132546' post='2234597'] Recycling at it's best. [/quote] As I mentioned in an earlier post, I've decided not to go for J pickups as, well. eh, hmm - I don't really know why actually other than the fact that there are about a billion Jazz basses out there meaning there are probably about two billion J pickups... Anyway, I've finally got around to finishing my NuSonic 5's (Bi Sonic type pickups) so this J5 could be the perfect instrument to fit them up with and get some sound samples out there - it also means I don't have to [i]buy[/i] pickups so that's a few quid more to spend on gin and cigarettes, or maybe I'll just squander it. I topped the bobbins with the same tortoiseshell I'll be making the scratchplate from as I had a bit left over. The only problem now is I'm not sure I like the idea of relicing a brand new pair of pickups, in which case they'll look odd on a reliced bass, so maybe I shouldn't relic it, which was kind of the point of building it in the first place... Edited October 7, 2013 by henry norton Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevin_lindsay Posted October 7, 2013 Share Posted October 7, 2013 Ooh! The pickup looks great! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henry norton Posted October 8, 2013 Author Share Posted October 8, 2013 [quote name='kevin_lindsay' timestamp='1381168796' post='2235349'] Ooh! The pickup looks great! [/quote] Thanks! The thing about Bi Sonic type pickups is they sound pretty good, but I think allot of people go for them because they look so good. I'm using ceramic magnets on these ones - the coils a bit hotter due to the extra length so ceramics will keep them bright and clean sounding - very excited Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4 Strings Posted October 8, 2013 Share Posted October 8, 2013 pup looks amazing. Be a shame to make a relic of any of it (imo) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henry norton Posted October 8, 2013 Author Share Posted October 8, 2013 [quote name='4 Strings' timestamp='1381252858' post='2236530'] Be a shame to make a relic of any of it (imo) [/quote] Thanks. Yeah I wasn't thinking of one of those ridiculous disc sanded impossibilities you see sometimes - more of a nice, mellowed, played in look. That said, I'm having second thoughts about any kind of ageing work full stop. I always used to think reliced instruments were a bit like fake Rolexes, a bit too much like pretending Anyway, I'll cross that bridge when I come to it... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henry norton Posted October 10, 2013 Author Share Posted October 10, 2013 [color=#333333] I now have something resembling a neck blank. The headstock has been machined slightly thinner (11mm) as both the face and back will be veneered to cover up the old tuner holes and laminates - no laminates on a Fender neck after all....[/color][color=#333333] I'm working on the board now - pictures soon.[/color][color=#333333] [/color] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4 Strings Posted October 10, 2013 Share Posted October 10, 2013 And, suddenly, it looks like a Fender neck. But bigger. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JapanAxe Posted October 10, 2013 Share Posted October 10, 2013 (edited) So, 4-string to 5... This is the reverse-MDP process, for people with tragically skinny fingers... or not. EDIT: subscribed! Edited October 10, 2013 by JapanAxe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henry norton Posted October 11, 2013 Author Share Posted October 11, 2013 [color=#333333]Had a spare hour this morning (literally waiting for paint - well, varnish - to dry) so fitted the inlays to the board. Bits and pieces starting to take shape now.[/color] I was doing some solid body work earlier in the week so routed and shaped my mahogany substitute body at the same time. Very pleased with the overall look and it weighs next to nothing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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