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So now Happy Jack has a Mike Lull 5-string neck...

Andyjr1515

By Andyjr1515,
in Build Diaries

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Andyjr1515 Grand Master

Andyjr1515

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And so...to the colour.

 

As I said above, the 'clear' coat can make a difference.  Manchester Guitar Tech offer not only the Shell Pink, but also a lightly tinted clear finish that adds a touch of older varnish browning.  Problem is, that with clear-clear final varnish, it looks pink and with the tinted-clear, which I did on the hatch to test, it was heading much more towards flesh/peach.  So my question to @Happy Jack was 'Which do you prefer?'

 

Never as simple as that...  :D

 

Another challenge.  "Well, it will never be seen in daylight, so choose whichever looks best in the low / coloured lighting of our gigs..." 

 

That evening, I turned the lights down low and compared the clear-clear body(pinkish) with the tinted-clear hatch (peachish).  Hmmm...the pink body looked like a white bass in low light.  But the peach hatch looked pink!! 

 

I took a punt and sprayed tinted-clear over the body.   But, to be certain, I needed a better test.   

 

That Saturday Night Fever dress up and disco light kit that MrsAndyjr1515 bought me when we were still on speaking terms...:party: 

 

At last! 

 

 

So I donned the white suit, dyed my hair, got all the floor stuff down and plugged in, parked the painted bass up against the included Bee Gee's framed picture (it's the Deluxe disco kit) and turned the lounge lights off and the disco lights on!

 

FsEHYwYl.jpg

 

Yup - it was pink!!!!

 

So here it is, looking decidedly peachy in the daylight, with just the clear-clear coats left to do:

ASNiE7Il.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

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Richard R Grand Master

Richard R

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Posted (edited)

🎵

"Well you can tell by the way I plane my curve

I'm a luthier, no time for lurve.

Music loud, and varnish warm

My destiny since I was born 

 

And you can laugh, and you can say

'He hates routers anyway'

(But I'm)

Drillin' and a-chisellin, and a-sanding' and a-fillin'

And Staying Alive, Staying Alive!

Ah Ah Ah Ah

Staying Ali-iiii-ive!"

🎵

 

 

Edited by Richard R
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Andyjr1515 Grand Master

Andyjr1515

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17 minutes ago, Richard R said:

🎵

"Well you can tell by the way I plane my curve

I'm a luthier, no time for lurve.

Music loud, and varnish warm

My destiny since I was born 

 

And you can laugh, and you can say

'He hates routers anyway'

(But I'm)

Drillin' and a-chisellin, and a-sanding' and a-fillin'

And Staying Alive, Staying Alive!

Ah Ah Ah Ah

Staying Ali-iiii-ive!"

🎵

 

 

Actually, one xD isn't enough so here's another one :lol:

 

:D

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ezbass Grand Master

ezbass

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6 hours ago, Andyjr1515 said:

 

 

 

So here it is, looking decidedly peachy in the daylight, with just the clear-clear coats left to do:

ASNiE7Il.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

It does have a touch of Tony Levin’s, Barbie Flesh, ‘Ray5 about it, which, to my eyes, is a good thing.

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Andyjr1515 Grand Master

Andyjr1515

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The clear-clear varnish is here but I won't be spraying it today.  One of the 'joys' of clear nitro is that it is affected enormously by moisture in the air - it goes milky which is guaranteed to ruin your day -  and, even though it has brightened up a touch in the last hour, there was just too much in the air to risk it.

 

So, in a guitar builders' version of 'talk amongst yourselves', here is something completely different I've been waiting for a spare hour to get sorted:

 

I'm planning to offer up my camphor single-cut for sale at the forthcoming South West BassBash and there's one thing that has been bugging me.  It is fitted with a DiMarzio PJ set, which sounds great but there has always been a problem with volume balance.  Basically, the P pickup has always been too quiet.  "Just raise the pickup" Well, easier said than done.  It was spec'd to have fully covered pickup and, while the bridge cover doesn't interfere, the neck cover would if it was any higher.

 

And so I spent a happy hour this morning taking out the Dimarzio, fitting a Seymour Duncan SPB-2 Hot for PB (similar EQ as the standard SD p/up but almost 2X the output) in the neck position and then balancing the two pickups by adjusting the bridge p/up height:

5BVLEpUl.jpg

 

 

Done - and what a difference:

rw8yvC1l.jpg

 

A few tidy up jobs still to do before the Bash but that's the sound sorted :)

 

 

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Andyjr1515 Grand Master

Andyjr1515

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Just now, Si600 said:

Does it go un-milky over time or once it's gone it's start again time?

It depends.  You can gently warm it and sometimes it sorts it but often it doesn't.  And starting again for a 'clear over natural wood' is relatively straightforward - just sand back that layer and re-do.  But starting again if it is one of the first few coats over a freshly painted finish...that really would be starting all over again :shok:

 

There's plenty to be getting on with, though.  As long as I am careful not to scratch it, I can start fitting some of the machine screw inserts for things like the jack plate and pickup screws and hatch magnets, etc.  Which is tomorrow's job if it's damp again or whenever if it is dry enough to start the clear coats  :)

 

Richard R Grand Master

Richard R

Posted
Posted
23 minutes ago, Andyjr1515 said:

 

I'm planning to offer up my camphor single-cut for sale at the forthcoming South West BassBash

 

rw8yvC1l.jpg

 

 

Stunning - I will have to leave my wallet at home!

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Andyjr1515 Grand Master

Andyjr1515

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8 minutes ago, BigRedX said:

Interesting. I don't think I've ever come across a PJ bass where the P-pickup was quieter than the J.

Yes - but entirely down to the distance from the strings that the pickup ended up with the additional thickness and clearance of the cover.   With 'normal' clearances, the DiMarzio PJ set is pretty much as you would expect it to be :)

Andyjr1515 Grand Master

Andyjr1515

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Well, it wouldn't get any plaudits from a professional outfit but in terms of 'fit for purpose' the final clear gloss coat has been applied and I'm both pleased and relieved.  It is already dry enough to handle but will now carry on hardening for probably a couple of weeks before I buff it up to the final gloss finish.  But in the meantime, I can sort the fittings, headstock decal and suchlike ready for final assembly.

 

LjxWFGIl.jpg

 

The camera lies a bit, colour-wise.  In real life it looks a bit more flesh coloured (the Canon SLR always did have problems with reds) but just wait for the disco lights!  :D

 

 

 

 

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Jakester Mentor

Jakester

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Posted (edited)

That colour reminds me a little of Action Man skin tone. 

 

Could you put a pair of the moveable eyes into the body? 

 

Edited by Jakester
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Andyjr1515 Grand Master

Andyjr1515

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Yes - it's not perfect (this shot is probably a little flattering!) but I'm really pleased - and quite relieved - how this is looking:

AZd1xz4h.jpg

 

And before strings and strap buttons, but everything else included, 6lb 9oz, of which the painted body itself is only 2lb 7oz .  So probably the playing weight will be just a couple of ounces over the target 6.5lbs   :)

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