Finished! Tom's African Build 2

[Andyjr1515]

And to the nut.  I have to say that, now I've got over the slightly nauseating smell when you are filing a bone blank (and a mask is essential due to the very fine and dubious-looking dust), cutting a bone nut or saddle is a very satisfying thing to do.

First stage was to cut it to length and file the slight curve at the two sides:

 

Next, I used feeler gauges to mark a line a gnat's whisker higher than the maximum fret height:

 

Then - with the spare strings fitted - filed the slots at the correct angle and spacing with my trusty Hosco nut files:

 

Finally, filed the dropaway behind the string contact point for each slot and then took off all of the sharp corners:

 

This allowed me to tension up the strings and try to play it a bit.  Felt fine!

Next job is the side dots using the last strip of green luminlay I have in my bits draw

 

 

 

[TheGreek]

Easy when you know how...

[SpondonBassed]

It's not every bass builder that would show you close ups of one of his nuts.  Much appreciated mister.

[Andyjr1515]

OK - we're on the final furlong.

- Grandparenting duties done and a clear run until Christmas (and maybe beyond!)

- MrsAndyjr1515 sufficiently irritated with my week-long presence in the daylight to actively encourage (ie, push) me back down the cellar

- Frets levelled, re-crowned and polished

- loads of 'air-bass' playing on the test strings to confirm action heights and intonation ranges

- final bits all on hand (I'm pretty sure) to finish the job

And today I sorted the truss-rod cover magnets:

 

The wenge cover will match the colour and sheen of the headstock once they have both had the same number of finish coats.  I have chiselled a tiny nail relief at the apex for easy removal:

 

The finishing of the neck (silky smooth Tru-oil slurry and buff as done on the other basses of Tom's I've worked on) has also started.

So remaining jobs:

- fit luminlay side dots

- fit the pickups 

- install the Dunlop inset strap locks

- string it up with the new Status strings

- take the arty-farty shots

- wait for a Covid-secure time corridor for Tom to be able to pick it up!

 

 

 

 

[Andyjr1515]

"So remaining jobs:

- fit luminlay side dots

- fit the pickups 

- install the Dunlop inset strap locks

- string it up with the new Status strings

- take the arty-farty shots"

And the one I forgot   

- earth the bridge blocks

Pickups are in:

And a blurry picture of the inset strap locks installed:

[TheGreek]

They're the best strap locks I've found....good choice.

[Andyjr1515]

Just waiting for some info from Tom to do the side dots and then it's pretty much done

Neck finish is all done, bridge elements are all earthed and the pickups are wired up to the jack.

Getting individual bridge elements earthed can be a problem - it's one reason why some folks use a ferrule block rather then individual ferrules.

So how I have solved it is like this:  I will earth the G string ferrule with a wire into the chamber and then daisy chain an earth from the G bridge block to the others.

So a hole is drilled from the ferrule hole to the jack chamber and a stripped wire end wrapped round the ferrule and led through to the jack chamber:

  

So, once the blue wire is earthed to the jack, that is the G string and bridge block earthed.

Then I put some copper foil in each of the bridge-block recesses and soldered a shunt running through a small drilled channel between each:

 

And a G string threaded through the ferrule should mean earth continuity between the blue wire and the E-string bridge block.  And we have continuity:

  

 

So now the jack can be wired up direct to the humbuckers.  Here it is just ready for the final earth connection from the blue wire to the jack.  I have a choice of parallel or series across the two humbuckers - I'll decide once it's all strung up and playable through an amp but for starters this is parallel.

 

And all done (including a tap test through the amp)

 

And so - just the side dots, re-assemble and its done

 

 

Edited October 23, 2020 by Andyjr1515

[HazBeen]

4 hours ago, Andyjr1515 said:

Then I put some copper foil in each of the bridge-block recesses and soldered a shunt running through a small drilled channel between each:

 

And a G string threaded through the ferrule should mean earth continuity between the blue wire and the E-string bridge block.  And we have continuity:

Love this solution! I went the easy option and bought a brass nut, but this is a really neat and clever solution.

[mixingwithtom]

This is looking amazing @Andyjr1515 thank you!!!

[Andyjr1515]

And...it's finished!!!! 

Here are some shots:

[mixingwithtom]

WOWWWW!!!

[Andyjr1515]

Rewired to series (Tom's preference) which has evened out the string differential nicely.  

As many of you know, I'm no bass player - but here's a clip:

 

[mixingwithtom]

Sounds great Andy, thank you so much! Excited to get my hands on this and make some noise!!

[HazBeen]

As Borat would say, “very nice”