Norris Posted March 19, 2017 Share Posted March 19, 2017 Cool. I thought a photo might get some others to make suggestions. The only other suggestion I can add is that it looks like there are no actual components or connections where the board is fouling the jack clearance. It might be possible to very carefully cut the circuit board to give you the clearance, glue on some support across the corner to stop the board flexing too much and then use a length of wire to bridge the connection. It looks like the thick track there is probably the 0v screening. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LowMoFo Posted March 19, 2017 Author Share Posted March 19, 2017 Hey guys, Thanks heaps for all the suggestions & tips, you've given me plenty to think about. I'd considered an oval jack plate, but not sure if I can bend it in two directions - the edge of the bass is curved as opposed to flat. I've heard that barrel-jacks are pretty much the work of Satan anyway, so will definitely avoid these in the future. Samhay, in all of this, I hadn't considered the jack itself. Top man! Neither had I thought of using a dowel. Jabba, if I do drill the hole out, and I might, you have already saved me from potential doom. You're a star! Yep, a stereo socket is exactly what I need, hadn't thought of that either! Andy saves me from further brain-ache again! The reason I went for this pre-amp is that it's neat, built for tight spaces, and it's idiot-proof, even for me. So Norris, as terrifying as your suggestion is (to me), it's started some cogs turning already. Gentlemen, thank you for your time and your wisdom, I salute you all! Again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norris Posted March 19, 2017 Share Posted March 19, 2017 By how much is the circuit board in the way? It can only be a few mm. If you're going to cut it, only take as much as you need to. You certainly don't want the tip of the jack plug touching the board though as there's a fair chance you'll short out your signal if it does. Some careful work with a Dremel cutter would be needed to cut perpendicular to the edge, and I'd probably use a tiny drill to make a line of holes to join the two slots, then carefully cut through the remaining metal track with a Stanley knife. The board should snap easily enough if you drill the perforations but you want to avoid lifting the track, so cut through it first Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LowMoFo Posted March 20, 2017 Author Share Posted March 20, 2017 Hi Norris, The board is in the way by roughly 3mm, excluding the jack pins, which can be bent aside a little for clearance. There's about 1.5mm of board before I hit tracks. Same on both sides so rotating it won't make a difference. I checked the socket with a jack plug last night, there's about 6-7mm of socket after the plug end, so may be able to remove 3-4mm from the end & refit the pins, after trimming & re-shaping them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norris Posted March 21, 2017 Share Posted March 21, 2017 Just make sure there are no tracks on the back of the board - it's probably single sided though. It shouldn't hurt too much to nibble a bit of that wide track away Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted March 21, 2017 Share Posted March 21, 2017 What's on the other side of the board, LowMoFo? It looks to me that the wide track is actually the metal baseplate rather than a specific electrical track, in which case cutting into it would be no big problem...but there might be a copper trace track on the other side. Can you take a photo? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LowMoFo Posted March 22, 2017 Author Share Posted March 22, 2017 I'd love to, but I've reached the max attachment for this topic. Have removed a few but hasn't made any difference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassApprentice Posted March 23, 2017 Share Posted March 23, 2017 (edited) [quote name='LowMoFo' timestamp='1490217317' post='3263408'] I'd love to, but I've reached the max attachment for this topic. Have removed a few but hasn't made any difference. [/quote] Dropbox/Google Photos/Flickr/Photobucket is your friend in these cases Edited March 23, 2017 by BassApprentice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LowMoFo Posted March 24, 2017 Author Share Posted March 24, 2017 Hi guys, Thanks Bass Apprentice, I'll investigate Dropbox v soon, think I'm gonna need to at this rate. In the meantime, I'm almost done with the staining, and am approaching the sealer & grain filler quandry. Once I've finished staining, I don't want to lift the grain any further, so (I think) I don't want to use a sanding sealer. I want to avoid nitrocellulose entirely if I can, much preferring what I've read about Poly finishes in comparison. So I need to find a sealer which will work with a) bursting down to V dark brown, and poly lacquers, clear or tinted. I found a Rustoleum poly sealer (spray) online, would that work? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LowMoFo Posted March 28, 2017 Author Share Posted March 28, 2017 Ok, finally got around to the Dropbox thing... Andy, here's a close-up of the offending corner on the board, from the pot side: https://www.dropbox.com/s/fucmld0sb8hg8q9/IMG_0365%20copy.jpg?dl=0 And the beast so far... https://www.dropbox.com/s/hqufxc6hu8evjwc/IMG_0388%20copy.jpg?dl=0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norris Posted March 29, 2017 Share Posted March 29, 2017 So it's a double sided board then. If you notch it for clearance you will likely have to cut through one or more of those tracks. That means you'll need to solder jumper leads to re-make the connections. How are your soldering skills?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LowMoFo Posted March 29, 2017 Author Share Posted March 29, 2017 Hi Norris, Yeah, I think that's gonna have to be the way to go, esp since as Andy pointed out, I'll need to put a stereo jack in there. If I can be tidy & careful about it, it shouldn't be too hard, surely. Never soldered anything in my life, so I have a feeling I'll find out pretty soon... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted March 31, 2017 Share Posted March 31, 2017 Just caught up with the progress photo - it looks splendid! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LowMoFo Posted April 7, 2017 Author Share Posted April 7, 2017 Wow, thanks loads Andy! Quick question re insulation paint for the cavities: Should I seal the guitar first or does the paint need to go onto bare wood? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LowMoFo Posted July 19, 2017 Author Share Posted July 19, 2017 Once again, learned bottom-enders, I find myself in need of advice, warnings, etc, by now you know the routine: Seek advice, cock it up, return for more advice. Anyway, today's lifeline shall be entitled 'Defeating Witness Lines'. So the second grain-filling endeavour went south fairly quickly, but only on the front this time. (Progress?) The back however, looks pretty damn good. So having stripped the front down to the bare-ish wood to basically start again, but definitely don't want to strip the back. Kinda hoping I'll be able to blend the new stain & sealer with the old, around the very edge. Is this doable, and if so, does anyone have any tips etc please? Cheers all, S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LowMoFo Posted September 4, 2021 Author Share Posted September 4, 2021 Almost there… Currently waiting for a decent humidity window to clear-coat the neck. Pretty much everything else is done. This has been quite an adventure, I must say. Plenty of ‘two steps forward, one step back’ which has been both painful and educational… I’ll post pics of the beast when it’s finished. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LowMoFo Posted October 3, 2022 Author Share Posted October 3, 2022 Back after a lengthy hiatus, finally got around to posting a few pics of the finished item, which I finished almost a year ago. 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geek99 Posted October 3, 2022 Share Posted October 3, 2022 Omg 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geek99 Posted October 3, 2022 Share Posted October 3, 2022 Need a screen wipe 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SamIAm Posted October 4, 2022 Share Posted October 4, 2022 I feel it important to warn you. GAS is a thing. But building a bass is so addictive it puts GAS to shame. Once you begin you may never stop! Just saying S'manth x 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LowMoFo Posted October 4, 2022 Author Share Posted October 4, 2022 5 hours ago, Smanth said: I feel it important to warn you. GAS is a thing. But building a bass is so addictive it puts GAS to shame. Once you begin you may never stop! Just saying S'manth x Gaaghhh!! Busted already! I have two other projects right now. One is underway, t’other is still in the ‘thinking’ stage. As an aside, I bought some strips of wood which will magically turn into a neck. None of those strips are tonewoods, purely for education & experience. For now… There will definitely be more. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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