Billy Sheehan “wife” tribute

[AndyTravis]

Stumbling block 1.

will have to cut the pickguard out for the pickup, or have ridiculous action. 

Would rather have a playable bass. Looking at the state of the original wife, I assume this was how it was done anyhow.

[Slappindabass]

I assumed it was anyway. Is the original just on top? If so ...thats as rough as a badgers derrière!🐼(no badger emoji)

Edited April 18, 2019 by Slappindabass

[AndyTravis]

Just now, Slappindabass said:

I assumed it was anyway. Is the original just on top? If so ...thats as rough as a badgers derrière!🐼(no badger emoji)

I think the missing bits of pickguard on the original mean it’s mounted right onto the body.

[JamieMillsBass]

Class! good luck with this, would love to have the ability with a chisel, drill and my hands in general to do something like this without destroying a perfectly good bass!! 

Are you going for the extra strong neck joint with the angled screws too (not sure if he made that modification himself on the 'wife' bass or if it was something that came along with the Yamaha)?

[AndyTravis]

13 minutes ago, JamieMillsBass said:

Class! good luck with this, would love to have the ability with a chisel, drill and my hands in general to do something like this without destroying a perfectly good bass!! 

Are you going for the extra strong neck joint with the angled screws too (not sure if he made that modification himself on the 'wife' bass or if it was something that came along with the Yamaha)?

The mitre join is only on the LTD3, Yamaha have a very expensive looking jig to do it as well.

the “wife” is just standard 4 bolt.

[AndyTravis]

Well. Lovely guy as he is, don’t think my Luthier bloke understands. To be honest, how he stays in business I’ve no clue.

so. I’ve just gone for it. 

Have done Swiss cheese to chisel to sanding before. But...I’ve got new chisels. So this should be better.

[KiOgon]

That's the way to do it 👍

[AndyTravis]

1 hour ago, KiOgon said:

That's the way to do it 👍

Oh no it isn’t 😂😂😂

 

(It will be neatened up obviously.)

Edited April 18, 2019 by AndyTravis

[DoubleOhStephan]

😂

[KiOgon]

38 minutes ago, AndyTravis said:

Oh no it isn’t 😂😂😂

 

(It will be neatened up obviously.)

I've seen better trained squirells at work 😄

That'll be lovely 👍

[AndyTravis]

10 minutes ago, StevieE said:

😂

Exactly. I’m half way between “yes I’m a hero” and “why didn’t I just pay someone else?”

[AndyTravis]

1 minute ago, KiOgon said:

I've seen better trained squirells at work 😄

That'll be lovely 👍

It’s fine, I’ve found my dremmel thing with sanding belts - thank god.

[AndyTravis]

2 minutes ago, Meddle said:

I always interpreted it this way. I don't know if Billy's bass was old enough to have an aluminium under pickguard. I'm guessing he cut the pickguard for the mudbucker and this left the pickguard too weak to remain intact. 

If you are keeping the bass mono, how will you get the pickups to play ball with each other? The impedance mismatch will probably put the P pickup out front of the mudbucker when you have both pickups on. 

Did some clever business with @KiOgon to help...

the artec is listed as 27.9k, Seymour Duncan Hot for P is 22.9k.

[AndyTravis]

Not much time today. 

Got a headstart on the control cavity extension.

[KiOgon]

Good job!

[AndyTravis]

36 minutes ago, KiOgon said:

Good job!

 

[AndyTravis]

Well, that’s that bit. Now the pickguard.

 

[DoubleOhStephan]

Looking good! 

[AndyTravis]

21 minutes ago, StevieE said:

Looking good! 

You spoke too soon.

[AndyTravis]

Just gonna leave this here (while I cry into a beer)

[AndyTravis]

Well. Now I know how it happened at least.

debating just leaving it like it is.

semi replica.

[Cuzzie]

Leave it

looks great

Now get ageing that wood like I told ya!

[Rich]

47 minutes ago, AndyTravis said:

Well. Now I know how it happened at least.

debating just leaving it like it is.

semi replica.

Do you mean the pickguard? Looks fine. Or am I missing something?

[Cuzzie]

Pickguard 

[AndyTravis]

56 minutes ago, Rich said:

Do you mean the pickguard? Looks fine. Or am I missing something?

Yeah, realistically it was bound to happen. There’s only about 4mm of plastic left over when making the rebate for the pickup.

it snapped on the last cut. Serendipitously, within a gnats chuff of where the original basses pickguard is snapped.

so...I’m going to leave it as is. And maybe I will age things up a bit more.

Edited April 19, 2019 by AndyTravis