Happy Jack Posted July 24 Share Posted July 24 Did I mention that I want this to be a shortscale? 😂 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted July 24 Author Share Posted July 24 5 hours ago, RichardH said: 0.5mm alu sheet here - can't imagine that would weigh much for the area of the headstock https://www.smetals.co.uk/product/0-5mm-thick-1050-grade-aluminium-plate/ Actually, in the model aircraft world folks use cast-off lithographic aluminium sheet used in the printing industry that is even thinner - it is used once and then thrown out for recycling. It is very thin and weighs next to nothing. WHAT AM I SAYING?????? 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted July 24 Author Share Posted July 24 26 minutes ago, Happy Jack said: Did I mention that I want this to be a shortscale? Sorted! It just needed a quick whistle past the bandsaw and then the neck heel jobbee on the router table repeated. Intonation might be affected a touch - but to a player of your caliber, @Happy Jack , I'm sure that won't be a problem at all 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sprocketflup Posted July 24 Share Posted July 24 How did you go about replicating the end shape of the neck/neck pocket? Is that just done by eye/feel? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted July 24 Author Share Posted July 24 1 hour ago, sprocketflup said: How did you go about replicating the end shape of the neck/neck pocket? Is that just done by eye/feel? The original aluminium pocket had been made to 'standard Fender' shape. As was the neck that Jack had sent me. The way I used the router simply held that shape as I cut away some of the length and so the fit remained OK. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted July 24 Share Posted July 24 In fairness, I think that neck pocket was derived from an Epiphone Thunderbird. I used to have of those and it was something of a broomstick neck. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted July 24 Author Share Posted July 24 1 hour ago, Happy Jack said: In fairness, I think that neck pocket was derived from an Epiphone Thunderbird. I used to have of those and it was something of a broomstick neck. Ah OK. Happily, although the width is, indeed, slimmer, the radius of the curve at the end is pretty much identical to the Fender. In an industry where the main makers are not even consistent within their own models and versions, that has to be a bit of a first. Phew! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted July 25 Author Share Posted July 25 The new neck fixing holes are only 5mm or so away from the originals and so, to ensure that the surrounding wood to the new holes has no unnecessary weakness, I have plugged those and, after measuring and checking and measuring and checking the requisite number of times, drilled the new pilot holes on my small pillar drill. It fits! I haven't checked yet, but in the stuff that @Happy Jack sent, I reckon there's a set of compatible tuners and so later today I should be able to get some strings on and see if/how the geometry works. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted July 25 Author Share Posted July 25 I found the tuners. The bushes were nominally the correct size but were a little loose in the headstock holes - nothing that some decent quality plumber's PTFE can't sort. Now they are a firm push-fit With the tuners fitted, the next decision was 'which of the two sets of strings that Jack sent should I use?'. While the Thomastik-Infeld ones look very interesting, the blurb on the back makes it clear that they are intended for use with fretless. Probably best saved for one of Jack's fretless basses (maybe the Lull?) so I fitted the D'Addario XL's for the first trial fit. I will probably add a degree or so neck angle so that the bridge can be lifted enough to give a decent break angle rather than lower it any more (which it has the clearance to do) but, that said, this is one of the best 'first fits' in a long time! No signal coming through at the moment - I will investigate that before cutting a pickup ring/scratchplate just in case it is the pickup (unlikely - more likely to be just a loose connection/earth). Weight is coming at at around 5kg / 11lbs Based on that I've come across Gibson Les Paul guitars at over 13lbs, that is actually not too bad. Hangs level on the strap (again, not too bad). 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted July 25 Share Posted July 25 (edited) 5Kg!!!! 😟😨😱 Oh well ... it'll never be around my neck for more than half a dozen short songs at a time. 🙄 Edited July 25 by Happy Jack 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted July 25 Author Share Posted July 25 Well call me presumptuous, but I suspect this might have something to do with there being no signal: That will be easily fixed. Slightly odd, though - the red white and green all joined together - surely that shorts out one of the coils? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted July 25 Author Share Posted July 25 Yes - popped the black back where presumably it had come from and we have sound And yes - only one coil operating. I don't know the actual make of the pickup so will need to get my multimeter out and see if I can work out which colours are which coil. Once I've done that, what do folks think - go the standard humbucker series approach or parallel? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hellzero Posted July 25 Share Posted July 25 A push-push, yes push-push as it's way easier and faster to use, for series/parallel would be better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted July 25 Author Share Posted July 25 (edited) 26 minutes ago, Hellzero said: A push-push, yes push-push as it's way easier and faster to use, for series/parallel would be better. Yes - thanks. I'll see if @Happy Jack wants switchable but my question was ref the existing simple circuit and actually, when I took the green white and red out of the connector, it turns out that the white and red were already soldered together and so will have been originally wired in series, which is what I would have expected. So removing that pair from the connector and insulating them and yes, I have a fully working humbucking pickup. And that means that I can move to thinking about the pickup ring/scratchplate Got a busy family week coming up so am trying to make as much progress as I can before MrsAndyjr1515 says the inevitable and well-used phrase 'That mess has got to be tidied up! And that means now!!' Edited July 25 by Andyjr1515 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted July 25 Share Posted July 25 Switchable is a nice-to-have rather than a need-to-have. If it's readily available, then all well & good. 😊 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted July 25 Author Share Posted July 25 17 minutes ago, Happy Jack said: Switchable is a nice-to-have rather than a need-to-have. If it's readily available, then all well & good. 😊 More than happy to fit one. Gives you the option depending on the venue/arrangement Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tauzero Posted July 25 Share Posted July 25 1 hour ago, Andyjr1515 said: Yes - popped the black back where presumably it had come from and we have sound And yes - only one coil operating. I don't know the actual make of the pickup so will need to get my multimeter out and see if I can work out which colours are which coil. Once I've done that, what do folks think - go the standard humbucker series approach or parallel? Switchable. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pea Turgh Posted July 26 Share Posted July 26 18 hours ago, Andyjr1515 said: That looks so good! Love the contrast between the warm wood and cold metal. The blocks on the neck continue the block shape of the pickup and bridge. Great choices @Happy Jack and great execution @Andyjr1515. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted July 26 Share Posted July 26 9 minutes ago, Pea Turgh said: That looks so good! Love the contrast between the warm wood and cold metal. The blocks on the neck continue the block shape of the pickup and bridge. Great choices @Happy Jack and great execution @Andyjr1515. In truth, I actually bought TWO necks for this project. The other one came from @Beedster and that's from a Squier Precision: Rather than choosing which neck I wanted, I sent both to @Andyjr1515 and suggested he select whichever was the better match and/or fit for the existing neck pocket. I suspect many Basschatters will feel that the P-neck is a closer match to the ally body but Damn! those J-neck block-markers are sexy ... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silvia Bluejay Posted July 26 Share Posted July 26 All J and P necks are fundamentally out of proportion, in that they all have a headstock that looks too big for the length of the neck. There is no getting away from it, that's the Fender style. In this build I prefer the J neck - the black block markers are perfectly matched to the pickup. 👍 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard R Posted July 26 Share Posted July 26 11 hours ago, Silvia Bluejay said: All J and P necks are fundamentally out of proportion, in that they all have a headstock that looks too big for the length of the neck. There is no getting away from it.... ... Leo was compensating for something. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted August 5 Author Share Posted August 5 (edited) Family stuff has subsided for a while and so it's back on the bench. And - well, may as well see if it adds to or detracts - I have a sheet of 0.2mm ali on the way. I couldn't get hold of any scrap lithographic sheet but, from memory I reckon it was around that gauge when I used to use it in RC aeromodelling. It will add less than a gnat's whatsit to the weight of the headstock. I won't bond it to the headstock face until I'm certain that it enhances rather than detracts but, if I do it well enough (yes, I know...that's a big 'if' ) it should balance the look nicely. Edited August 5 by Andyjr1515 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted August 5 Share Posted August 5 Is a gnat's whatsit bigger or smaller than a smidgen? 1 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpondonBassed Posted August 5 Share Posted August 5 1 hour ago, Happy Jack said: Is a gnat's whatsit bigger or smaller than a smidgen? Is that a midge's smidgen? 1 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted August 6 Author Share Posted August 6 I've got aluminium, I've got CTS pots, including one of their push-pulls for the series/parallel. What I don't have any more is...any excuse not to just get on with it! 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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