51 Precision Semi Partscaster - The Bass Fender Forgot to Make

[Bridgehouse]

1 minute ago, Marc S said:

This bass is looking absolutely amazing! Great job Bridgehouse
I'll be interested to see what the final weight is, and even more interested to hear it being played (unplugged too - wondering how loud it will be)

I’ll  certainly weigh it - and I can do some sound samples too. I’d like to get it in a band context as well though, so maybe a live recording as the next album will be a little way off as we’ve just finished one. 

[Norris]

5 hours ago, Bridgehouse said:

I always end up burning myself when using a wax candle to lube my screws..

You're rubbing it too hard

[greenolive]

That looks great bridgehouse 👍

I asked myself the same question a couple of years ago , and was realised in 2016 ( not made by my hands - wish I could ! )

Walnut body , maple neck & Mac ebony fingerboard

[Bridgehouse]

Progress. 

First job was to screw neck and body together. Finally, it’s a bass..

[Bridgehouse]

Then came the difficult “measure, measure, measure, fit bridge, measure again, put masking tape everywhere, mark some hole, drill really tentatively, fit bridge, observe...” phase which results in a bridge being fitted and then some strings applied..

[Bridgehouse]

Electrics fitted properly this time - bridge ground wire, harness, pots and knobs..

[Bridgehouse]

Jobs to do (for the observant!):

- Fit jack socket

- Fit string tree

- Fit and wire up pickup (not arrived yet!)

- Cut nut slots and do full set-up

- Fit cavity back plate

[Bridgehouse]

Note the early 60’s 1.75” nut width slim depth neck with 7.25” radius and vintage frets.. how I like it, but not to everyone’s taste! My other 51P is a more normal 41mm

[Pea Turgh]

Nice! How does it balance?

Also, could that finish be applied to a neck? I’d love one with a matching neck.

Edited July 17, 2018 by Pea Turgh

[Bridgehouse]

4 minutes ago, Pea Turgh said:

Nice! How does it balance?

Also, could that finish be applied to a neck? I’d love one with a matching neck.

Don’t know about balance yet - I’ll wait till the pickup is on and the cavity plate/jack socket as it all adds up (!) 

The finish could be applied to the neck, yes.. main issue will be the tint will be slightly different as the maple and ash are slightly different base colours. It will be close tho...

[Bridgehouse]

Curiosity got the better of me. Weight as is at the mo (minus pickup, plastic cavity plate and jack socket and string tree) is 6lb 8oz so I’m expecting a tiny smidge over 7lb all up weight.. cor.

[Bridgehouse]

Just waiting on a few parts before I can finish this:

- Electrosocket for the jack - I bought metric and needed imperial thread (doh!) new one on it's way

- Pickup - shipped but coming from spain

- String tree - shipped and on it's way

Once they are here I'll finish it off and let you know what I think

[Pea Turgh]

I’m feeling inspired- but going to do a similar finish on a bass cab (for now...)

[Bridgehouse]

8 minutes ago, Pea Turgh said:

I’m feeling inspired- but going to do a similar finish on a bass cab (for now...)

Danish Oil is great to work with - easy to apply, can be slurry wet sanded, waxed and dries quickly. 

I've used a lot of Tru Oil in the past and I'd say for bodies, if you don't want shiny, then Danish Oil is more satisfying.

[Bridgehouse]

@greenolive - I meant to ask what pickup do you have in yours?

[SpondonBassed]

22 minutes ago, Pea Turgh said:

I’m feeling inspired- but going to do a similar finish on a bass cab (for now...)

Cool.

I'll watch out for that.  I made lots of HiFi speaker enclosures as a yoof.

[SpondonBassed]

13 minutes ago, Bridgehouse said:

Danish Oil is great to work with - easy to apply, can be slurry wet sanded, waxed and dries quickly. 

I've used a lot of Tru Oil in the past and I'd say for bodies, if you don't want shiny, then Danish Oil is more satisfying.

What do you reckon to Teak Oil?  I have a tin of Teak Oil and a tin of Danish Oil and there was little to choose between them when I applied them, one to a neck and the other to a body.  Both have a sheen without the gloss.

[Bridgehouse]

3 minutes ago, SpondonBassed said:

What do you reckon to Teak Oil?  I have a tin of Teak Oil and a tin of Danish Oil and there was little to choose between them when I applied them, one to a neck and the other to a body.  Both have a sheen without the gloss.

I've not used Teak Oil on a guitar body so I don't know. I would imagine they are similar - but I've noticed you can get Danish Oil in a wider range of shades, which may or may not appeal, and I don't know how teak oil would respond to wet sanding (to give that really nice soft smooth finish) but I know Danish Oil responds really well to it. Same for waxing.

[SpondonBassed]

1 minute ago, Bridgehouse said:

I've not used Teak Oil on a guitar body so I don't know. I would imagine they are similar - but I've noticed you can get Danish Oil in a wider range of shades, which may or may not appeal, and I don't know how teak oil would respond to wet sanding (to give that really nice soft smooth finish) but I know Danish Oil responds really well to it. Same for waxing.

I read up on a few of the different oils at the time and I seem to remember that it doesn't come from nor is it exclusively for use on Teak.  ...but then I didn't really believe that you'd get Danish Oil by applying infeasibly great pressure to a Dane either.

[Bridgehouse]

Interesting development. 

I've posted a thread about it in "Basses" as well as it might be of interest to the general community. 

Oil City Pickups are doing a one-off 51 P single coil style pickup (which he's agreed to sell me  ) using ceramic bar magnets, and the exact dimensions required to be the same architecture as a certain other bass which uses two single coils (no, not Jazz - the other one which rhymes with fakenpicker) 

It's got big slug poles in it, and it should produce quite a bit of that snarly midrange grunt which many like in "that tone". 

I'm going to fit it to this one and put the split coil into my solid body 51P. 

[SpondonBassed]

20 minutes ago, Bridgehouse said:

Interesting development. 

I've posted a thread about it in "Basses" as well as it might be of interest to the general community. 

Oil City Pickups are doing a one-off 51 P single coil style pickup (which he's agreed to sell me  ) using ceramic bar magnets, and the exact dimensions required to be the same architecture as a certain other bass which uses two single coils (no, not Jazz - the other one which rhymes with fakenpicker) 

It's got big slug poles in it, and it should produce quite a bit of that snarly midrange grunt which many like in "that tone". 

I'm going to fit it to this one and put the split coil into my solid body 51P. 

I don't care how it sounds it looks 'king amazing!  Just put one on me and I'll mime.

[Bridgehouse]

15 minutes ago, SpondonBassed said:

I don't care how it sounds it looks 'king amazing!  Just put one on me and I'll mime.

I was rather thrilled when he checked the measurements on CAD and said it could be done.. it will give a completely different character to a 51P pickup, but I think that's fine..

[Bridgehouse]

I’ve given it an initial setup and tidy up - it’s playing nice acoustically - it’s not loud unplugged. It’s louder than a solid body but quieter than my Ibanez semi hollow. 

Also took some beauty shots:

[ezbass]

This build is going to be awesome. Not only do we get a combination of features that the big F never put together, but also a pickup that’ll make it even more different. Colour me oh so intrigued.

Edited July 19, 2018 by ezbass

[Bridgehouse]

6 minutes ago, ezbass said:

This build is going to be awesome. Not only do we get a combination of features that the big F never put together, but also a pickup that’ll make it even more different. Colour me oh so intrigued.

It looks good too....!