sblueplanet Posted March 11, 2014 Share Posted March 11, 2014 Is the wiring block used to connect the pickup any particular type or ampage? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hamfist Posted March 12, 2014 Share Posted March 12, 2014 [quote name='sblueplanet' timestamp='1394568849' post='2392900'] Is the wiring block used to connect the pickup any particular type or ampage? [/quote] The currents involved are so low one doesn't need to worry about it. Any wires, so long as the connections are secure will do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Anthony Posted March 12, 2014 Author Share Posted March 12, 2014 I'm really not the person to ask, KiOgon supplied the all the wiring and pots, I just mounted it and screwed in the pickups. It works great through, and there's hardly any noise at all. I'm in two minds whether to bother shielding the entire cavity or not, I'll see how it is once it's actually got some strings on it and go from there I guess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biaeothanata-Bassist Posted March 16, 2014 Share Posted March 16, 2014 Oh man that gold on blue is stunning! I hate gold normally too. Just seems to sit well together on it. Really looking forward to seeing the finished (or should I say refinished) product. It's nice that you haven't scrimped on any parts too. All looks like really decent stuff, especially the Duncans and the Babicz bridge. If I didn't love Badass IIs so much, i'd use one of them on my basses Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Anthony Posted March 16, 2014 Author Share Posted March 16, 2014 It's been a long weekend. Running on about 8 hours sleep since I got up Friday morning. Bloody F1, and it's half past 4 starts! There's also the fact I went to the pub on Saturday, but I did get a gig lined up, so it's not all bad news. I'm now back in two camps with the colour. Half of my says keep it blue, bash it around a bit for that authentic relic look, and then the other half says strip it down, sand it and paint it white. I can't flipping decide, haha! Anyway! I've done it. I've actually built something, and it works. Oh yes, it works. And it works well. It sounds great, I'm really really pleased with it. I'm trying new strings, new pickups, a new bass shape altogether. Been playing for six years now and I've never owned a Precision, and I am so glad that I do now because wow. I got to take it along to band practice this weekend, and whilst I didn't get to use a proper bass amp, just plugged straight into the makeshift PA we use, I was really pleased with the tone. It's heavy, and there's a lot of bass and mids, but it's all so clear and crisp sounding. Roll the tone control up slightly, dig in with my plectrum and I've got a sound that really sits well with the rest of the band. That could be the strings, the pickups, the wood, neck, anything, or all of them combined. But I love it. So, enough rambling, I know you want the pictures. So here goes! First job was to make the tuning peg holes a little wider. I didn't have a dremel I could use, well, not one that was suitable for the job, so I used a paint brush with some sandpaper wrapped around it. Didn't have any round files either, but my makeshift version did the job. I only needed maybe 0.5mm more room for the ferrules, so it didn't take too long and the holes are still round. I pushed them in slightly with my thumbs, and then grabbed a jiffy bag and a rubber mallet and knocked them into place. I then flipped the bass over, lined up the tuners, marked the holes, drilled pilot holes and screwed them into place. Yes, I used a protractor and they are at 90 degrees. It would bug me if they weren't because whilst it wouldn't matter, I'd notice. You can see here where the Fender logo has been applied. Might have to sort that out because it looks a little silly when the light catches it. Next job was to get the D and G strings on so I could position the string tree, and then get it all set up. I discovered something here though, my neck isn't perfectly lined up with the bridge. It's no more than 0.5-1mm out, which meant that the G string wouldn't go in the nut. I thought, "great. I've ruined it". But I haven't. It's absolutely fine, the string tree puts plent of pressure on the string at the nut keeping it firmly in place, and there aren't any issues with tuning stability, and it's barely noticable that it's off when you look at it, and not noticable at all when you're playing. So I'm not too fussed about it to be honest! I love the huge plates on the tuners, they've got a nice weight to them, and balance the bass out on my shoulders perfectly. I made sure to wind the E and A strings as low down the peg as possible, becasue supposedly the more pressure is better for tone. It sounds good to me, so that must be correct! As you can see, all the strings are sat in the nut, however I think the A, D and G need filing a little wider so that they sit better. It's fine for now though. AFter that, it was a matter of getting the action set up, and then making sure the intonation is correct. And I'll tell you what, the Babicz bridge makes this a breeze. It's so simple to set up, and that's a huge bonus for me because I'm not the best at getting a good setup on a bass. I'm learning, and I think I've got this one pretty spot on. I'd maybe like a little lower action, but I'll need to either file the nut or adjust the truss rod otherwise I get a load of fret buzz if I go much lower than where it is now. I don't have the tools to do this now, so I'll leave it as it is. Plays great as it is though. I just need to get it running through a proper amp, in a proper live setting and we'll really see what it can do. First signs are positive, and I'm really pleased with how well it's turned out. I thought it would have been much harder, or I'd have messed it up completely by this point. I've had a couple of hiccups, but I've made it and I love it. Just need to pick a flipping colour now, haha! Anyway, I'll leave you with a rubbish attempt at an artsy photo, and a family picture. Thanks everyone! - Anthony. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmmettC Posted March 16, 2014 Share Posted March 16, 2014 (edited) It looks amazing. Well done. Now enjoy it. Edited March 16, 2014 by EmmettC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theyellowcar Posted March 17, 2014 Share Posted March 17, 2014 Absolute stunner. Seriously excellent job there mate, and I'm glad you're already hearing the rewards for your hard work Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkHeart Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 Im really liking the blue and gold, good work! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Anthony Posted March 18, 2014 Author Share Posted March 18, 2014 Thank you very much guys! It's been so much fun building it, and I can hardly put the thing down, haha! Got some gigs soon, so it'll be great to really see how it sounds somewhere other than the back of the garage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UglyDog Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 Another plus 1 from me for the blue & gold, it looks great. Although I wouldnt be heartbroken if you [i]did[/i] go for the white refinish, because that would look spiffing too. Might I suggest that if you do the white refinish, you colour-match the headstock too? Just a thought. Anyway, lovely instrument. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonnyboy Rotten Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 My first choice wouldn't have been blue but now you have put the bass together it does have a certain charm and I quite like it! I too wouldn't be disappointed if you decided to paint it white - but I do quite like it as it is! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Anthony Posted August 9, 2014 Author Share Posted August 9, 2014 Well hello again! It's been a while, and I thought I'd post an update. The bass has been going strong, many practices, a handul of gigs and a few bashings here and there, but it's holding up extremely well. In the end I decided to keep the blue, and what with the worn areas, and chips and scratches, I've decided it has a certain character that I actually quite like. I plan to keep wearing it down naturally, and I reckon it'll turn out looking pretty beat in the end. Which is fine by me! Here's a pic of the bass in action! Apologies for the lower quality of the iPhone pic! As a round up, I've very much enjoyed the project. The amount of work I actually had to do was very minimal, and if you're a little impatient with the glue as I am, you could easily put one together in a day providing you're handy enough with a drill and basic tools. I'd advise for anybody looking to build a bass for the first time to put a parts bass together, because it's pretty fun, and you can get a decent intrument out of it when you're done. The SD pickups sound great, and are plenty versatile for both my bands material, as well as solo practice and just messing around. The Babicz bridge is a pretty solid piece of kit, but the supplied screws are pretty brittle, so watch out for those. Make sure you get it sat perfectly flat on the body, otherwise you may not get the resonance it promises. I want to pull mine off and get a little spring to go underneath which will hold the earth wire, rather than having it fanned out underneath, since as it stands the plate isn't totally flush with the body. But that's a job for the future. But anyway, I'm done with this one for now I reckon. If anything changes I'll be sure to let you know. Thanks for looking! - Anthony. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dolando Posted August 10, 2014 Share Posted August 10, 2014 Great build and it looks top. I think you're right to keep the blue, it's a little different, and nothing nicer than a slightly beaten up P bass. I built my first jazz the same way a few years ago, I'm on number 5 now. The current one is the Warmoth flame maple jazz that I'm really happy with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billy Apple Posted August 10, 2014 Share Posted August 10, 2014 Cool build thread. The bass looks great Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yepmop Posted August 14, 2014 Share Posted August 14, 2014 Yep, this is a cracking bass, love the blue and gold scratchplate combo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonnyboy Rotten Posted August 18, 2014 Share Posted August 18, 2014 Nice one! Great to see it in action! Looking forward to seeing what your next project is gonna be! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Anthony Posted August 22, 2014 Author Share Posted August 22, 2014 Thanks a lot everyone Much appreciated. I've plenty of ideas, but sadly a severe lack of funds for anymore builds at the moment. Will definitely have to sort something for the not so distant future though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Anthony Posted September 11, 2014 Author Share Posted September 11, 2014 (edited) Here's the most recent picture I have of my rig (minus pedalboard), taken the other week at a local festival. The blue really pops in the sunshine, which I quite like! I have a plan for the next build, but it'll require a bit more work than this one. Best start asking around for a router! Edited September 11, 2014 by Mr Anthony Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingraybassman Posted September 11, 2014 Share Posted September 11, 2014 The blue looks great mate, glad you decided to keep it for now! The gold lifts it nicely and it's different. Different is good! Looking forward to your next build. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FuNkShUi Posted September 12, 2014 Share Posted September 12, 2014 I like that! Good work Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Anthony Posted October 19, 2014 Author Share Posted October 19, 2014 (edited) Thanks guys! Now that I'm done faffing with my pedalboard, I've started pondering on the respray. I have a few ideas, but as it stands I think this is where I'm heading... I was thinking just going straight black, but I still wanted something a little different. Purple is my favourite colour, so I'm I think it's time I got myself a purple bass. I thought about matching the headstock, but with the maple fretboard it just doesn't look right at all. I'd like to get a finish very similar to that of the Nate Mendal P bass, not too glossy, but not too dull. Any ideas what the best way to achieve that would be? I'm thinking nitrocellulose, that way it should relic nicely on its own. (I think!) I am planning on stripping back the body altogether, but I've been thinking about just picking up a blank one, to save the hassle. But that's pennies I don't really have! Cheers! Edited October 19, 2014 by Mr Anthony Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Sausage Posted October 20, 2014 Share Posted October 20, 2014 [quote name='Mr Anthony' timestamp='1413748714' post='2581561'] Thanks guys! Now that I'm done faffing with my pedalboard, I've started pondering on the respray. I have a few ideas, but as it stands I think this is where I'm heading... I was thinking just going straight black, but I still wanted something a little different. Purple is my favourite colour, so I'm I think it's time I got myself a purple bass. I thought about matching the headstock, but with the maple fretboard it just doesn't look right at all. I'd like to get a finish very similar to that of the Nate Mendal P bass, not too glossy, but not too dull. Any ideas what the best way to achieve that would be? I'm thinking nitrocellulose, that way it should relic nicely on its own. (I think!) I am planning on stripping back the body altogether, but I've been thinking about just picking up a blank one, to save the hassle. But that's pennies I don't really have! Cheers! [/quote] I'm doing up a squier guitar for my brother in those colours. He's bought everything. Got Molotov paint, never used it but relatively cheap compared to nitro. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Anthony Posted October 20, 2014 Author Share Posted October 20, 2014 [quote name='Lord Sausage' timestamp='1413824715' post='2582422'] I'm doing up a squier guitar for my brother in those colours. He's bought everything. Got Molotov paint, never used it but relatively cheap compared to nitro. [/quote] Ah, nice one! Would love to see it when it's finished. Not making any definite plans for mine until around New Years time Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Sausage Posted October 22, 2014 Share Posted October 22, 2014 Hopefully will get round to it soon. Need to wood filler some dings and sand flat yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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