Matt P

what bass is that? It's very impressive but it loks like a ightmare to glue up! I think the current plan is definitely the right one and i'm confident that @Andyjr1515 can create a beautifully sculpted and refined transition from the neck to the body, the example i sent is my 8 year old Letts 5 string and from the pictures of Andy's previous builds I know that he can produce something that is more than a match for it. Matt

ahh, that sounds interesting, i'm quite enjoying the original strings at the moment but i might make the leap and try out the flatwounds if i don't bankrupt myself with my new 5 string build 😀 thanks matt

love the headstock shape, nice to see all the detail behind a build (i'm a design engineer by trade so this is how i would tackle a build myself) Matt

I was going to suggest that it would be easy enough to build a copy but a bit of googling seems to show that it's a bit more complex than a couple of switches in a box. POSITIVE GRID POSITIVE GRID BIAS FOOTSWITCH - Woodbrass.com 4 switches with a trs cable and it takes batteries, i'm guessing that it's a moderately complex unit, and from a view of the back of the amp i think a standard MIDI controller might need different cables as it has 3.5mm jacks rather than the usual 5 pin DIN connection. EDIT- the cable for connecting to MIDI should have been included when you bought the amp (provided it was new or the seller hadn't lost it) Matt

you really do seem to have a great eye for getting the timber to look just right! I'll keep an eye on my messages for the next set of questions, this really is getting exciting. Matt

That's a beauty! Some of Jon's basses are a bit unusual but thats one great looking instrument. Matt

that's excellent! any chance of a pic of the whole bass? i'm curious as to which shape this one is as Jon seemed to vary the designs from basss to bass. Matt

perfect !

beautiful! What a wonderful thing to see at the end of the working week. Is there some purpleheart to go between the oak and the neck as well? Matt

I thought I was pretty excited at the beginning of the build but this is getting better and better! Matt

definitely this, , I have a small zip-up case that i bought in maplins 20 years ago that carried my tools for many years, recently i've been getting a lot of use from a screwdriver set that i got from Lidl that has 4mm hex drive bits, this allows me to carry a fairly large range of bits in a small space, with the addition of a few dedicated hex keys, an adjustable spanner some pliers and cutters, and a string winder i'm pretty much all set for whatever i might need to do. many years ago i was running the desk for a friends gig and had enough tools in my kit to set up the lead guitarists guitar in the break between the soundcheck and the gig, the kit was about the size and weight of a paperback novel and was often in my bag for this kind of thing. Matt

Jon Letts hasn't been heard from for a while now, it all got a bit messy and he dropped off the radar about 5 years ago. a bit of a shame really as i quite like my 5 string singlecut and might have commissioned a fretless twin to go with it. if the nut can be turned then it should be fairly easy to work out if its double or single action, gently unscrew it, if it gets easier to turn then it's probably single, if there is any resistance then it's probably double action, but obviously getting a pro to look at it would be the safest course of action. Matt

paging @Andyjr1515 the torx suggestion is a good one too, the traditional solution is to find an imperial hex key that is a smidge bigger and hammer it in. whatever happens you will need a new nut for the truss rod anyway so slightly damaging the old one won't matter much as long as it comes out. I'm hoping this is down to user error on the part of a previous owner and not down to the parts themselves as i have a 5 string Letts bass myself, i've never touched the truss rod (It was tweaked 6 months after i got it wen i had it set up and not at all since) Matt

that looks perfect!

Could you spray a light coat of sealer on the routing before you pour the resin (allowing it to dry obviously?) might stop the bleeding. Matt

Its actually part of a clothes hanger, the scratchplate has quite a few extra holes and when I first got the bass I relied heavily on a thumb rest, never got round to removing it. 😁 Matt

it's ok, i'm just killing time whilst i wait for my new custom 5 string build! Matt

when it comes to my current basses i think the '77 would be the last to go, it's been modded/stripped and has hardly any fret life left in it and it weighs far too much for my fragile back but it would be the hardest to part with as it's so nice to play and sounds just perfect. I'm expecting my new 5 string that @Andyjr1515 is building will be a forever bass as well, the rest wouldn't be easy to part with but if it really came to it they could go.

this is kind of what's happening here, i only had the originals on for a few months (in 2015 whan i bought it) but they feel pretty good, just need them to settle down and stretch in properly. Maybe i don't need to buy new strings! matt

that's a very kind offer, i will keep it in mind, i've been watching reviews on youtube and it seems like the roundwounds give more of an electric bass sound, i'm not sure if that is what i'm looking for but i'll keep my options open. Matt

Could you sand it level then put a 1.5mm veneer on to put back the thickness before reattaching the fretboard? Matt

I bought myself a Kala U-bass (the mahogany acoustic one) many years ago and after a few months i swapped over to a set of the Aquila thunder reds, i've just been playing it and the A string has started to develop cracks around the 3rd to 7th fret area ( a quick check of my pile of musical receipts shows i bought these strings in August 2015 so they've not done badly). I've put the original strings back on as a temporary fix but i think it's time for some new ones and the available range seems much bigger than last time i looked so i thought i'd see what people had tried before i buy some. these are some of the options i've seen, (at Bassdirect) which ones have people tried and how do they compare with each other? Aquila "Thundergut" - White, red or black, Aquila "Silver Rumblers", Pyramid roundwound string U Bass Pahoehoe Black strings KALA roundwound string set for U Bass, 4 Galli Flatwound set for U Bass, 4 Galli Nylon Coated set for U Bass, 4 the Galli Nylon's look quite tempting as i've used nylon tapewound on other basses and quite liked the feel but at 50 quid a set their not the cheapest (but i know they will last a very long time) Any comparisons or reviews would be gratefully received. Thank you Matt

ahh another interesting rescue thread, i was wondering what would be keeping you occupied while the parts are arriving for the build, I think i enjoy these threads almost as much as the builds. Matt

it's never really bothered me, I have the same bridge (but in black) fitted to my Letts 5 string, my only minor gripe is that the black finish isn't very hardwearing, the chrome fixes that. Matt

I did own one of the bex4 basses for a bit, I didn't seem to bond with it. I have yet to play a bad yamaha instrument though. Matt