neepheid

[quote name='nedsbeds' post='65858' date='Sep 26 2007, 01:11 PM']Might a hot wire cutter work better? From my school days I seem to remember that they are fairly good at cutting plastic rulers [/quote]

I don't know how easy it would be to use one of those because of the small dimensions involved. Plus I don't know anyone who has one. I basically clamped the CD to a wooden board with a paper towel between them and "engraved" through. It broke when I was filing it afterwards. Fact reinforced: CDs are brittle.

I'm still experimenting, but I think when it's finished to the standard I require and inlayed it'll look pretty neat.

I had my first go at fabricating an inlay. Mixed results. I had this idea to make it out of an old CD. I marked it and cut it out with the engraving tool of my miniature drill. It was no good anyway because I slipped slightly a couple of times and shaved off the silver stuff, but I persevered to see if I could make it regardless. Unfortunately, I cracked it when I was filing. So I guess I'll have to be a little more careful.

Nevertheless, I was quite pleased with it as a proof of concept. This is what I ended up with. Bear in mind it's very rough, I had only started to get the right hand side of it a bit closer to what I wanted when I broke it.




This is what I'm trying to make:



It's my initials (MJN), squished together. Some people say it looks like an elephant

So I guess it's just a case of taking more time and care.

I don't gig. I'm not good enough. QED.

Welcome to the forum

[quote name='Mike' post='63721' date='Sep 21 2007, 05:42 PM']Any thoughts?[/quote]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! springs to mind

[quote name='thedontcarebear' post='63666' date='Sep 21 2007, 03:54 PM']I don't know who saw them, but a while ago people in brazil were selling bass bodies on ebay, basically you'd get them and finish them off, I was going to do this, so I ordered one, but it arrived and the frets were wonky (oh yes, would you believe that!), so I just kinda gave up on it, and it's been here at work in a corner ever since, BUT it is kinda cool, I just have no idea about doing it, and lack the motivation, is there anyone here that would be up for finishing it for me? As cheap as possible really, I have quite a few bits that I might use for it, but it has space for 2 MM pups, and would like to use just one and get a scratchplate made (in wood) etc too, so, really, any help/suggestions etc, will get some pics when I am at home soon![/quote]

I would be interested, but I've got a bit too much on my plate, with the fretless I'm putting together and the Hagstrom renovation.

I don't know if you'd get that much for it considering how far it has deviated from the original spec. I'm quite a traditionalist fusspot when it comes to Gibson basses and attempts to "Fenderise" them cheapen them for me. But that's just my opinion, don't listen to a grizzled old grump like me

Recently, one in what appears to be original spec with hard case managed to fetch just under £400 ( [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=250161394879"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=250161394879[/url] ) if that's any help.

Here's another one, looking for around the £400 mark: [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=200152108694"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=200152108694[/url]

Welcome to the forum. Keep plugging away at the fretless, practice makes perfect

[quote name='Happy Jack' post='63067' date='Sep 20 2007, 01:06 PM']secondly I always bid my highest bid first time[/quote]

I always have a figure in mind, but I wait until the last moments to place it. The longer you're at the top of the pile, the longer others have to shoot at you.

Let's bombard him with low offers. I'll give him a fiver for it

[quote name='steve' post='62503' date='Sep 19 2007, 09:34 AM']are you going to mask out the control cavity somehow?[/quote]

Yes, I've been thinking about that. I think I'll leave it as is for now, and if I'm not happy with it after all the painting is done, I'll paint the underside of the pickguard a suitable matching colour to the surroundings probably.

Small update - mounted the pickguard and the pickup.

Been a while since my last update - had to make sure that the pickguard would fit. In the end, it [i]kinda[/i] fit. Yes, it covers (just) everything it should. However, the screwholes around the control cavity were either floating in mid air, or too close to the edge of the wood for my liking. So I had to get a little creative:




Also invested in a vertical drill press. When I say invested, I picked up a forty quid job from B&Q. At that price, it's practically disposable. Sunk the holes for the neck screw bushings so that they sit only slightly proud of the surface.



Still got to get the courage together to route out the battery box.

A spare bass neck makes a handy 3 foot club. I'm going to introduce one to the next gang of little thugs that try to steal my fiancee's Vespa.

I have a lovely Takamine, but it's a little out of the price range you specified. In general, the bigger the body the louder it'll be unplugged.

5 basses

Takamine EG512CGAMQ - a beautiful acoustic bass with quilted maple top and sides
My own custom build - my favourite electric bass to play
2003 Epiphone EB-3 - my first bass, will never be sold unless utterly destitute, still loving the mud though
OLP MM3 - a five string experiment, still undecided as to whether to keep it
Perspex AXL Player Deluxe - bought for the novelty value, it's got a nice sound to it but heavy as hell to cart around

2 projects in progress

1966 Hagstrom H-IIB - currently being stripped for refinishing, electronics need complete replacement except for the pickups
Fretless Squier Bullet - stalled waiting for clear pickguard to arrive (supplier awaiting more stock), need to buy some router bits as well for digging out a battery box for the active EMG P.

Unfortunately I won't get to keep the Hagstrom

[quote name='Beedster' post='58549' date='Sep 11 2007, 07:34 AM']The absolute bottom line is that zero feedback is a pretty strong guarantee of a likely problem, unless that is you can collect and pay in person. Even then, remember that if you do go to collect and the bass is crap (and you therefore don't buy it), an ebay newbie might well leave you some nasty negative feedback.
That particular listing strikes me either as an idiot or as someone clever pretenting to be an idiot
Chris[/quote]

Not too many red flags on this one to be honest - it's not a 1 day listing, the account wasn't created the day the auction started, it's not a private listing, a scammer would be bigging up the JV thing in the description, taking Paypal ONLY (no dodgy "email me for payment instructions" pish).

And the fact that Squier is spelled correctly is a bonus

I think it's worth emailing for better pics etc to gauge the response. Any squirming (it's already packed/camera not working/etc.) - leave well alone.

[quote name='nedsbeds' post='57580' date='Sep 8 2007, 11:11 PM']I can't for the life of me think why more bass manufacturers don't use selotape to hold the electronics in!

At least the previous owner made some attempt to get rid of the sunburst. I personally can't stand it
Apart from cosmetics, what sort of shape is it in?
Good luck with it![/quote]

I'm in the "do it right or don't do it at all" camp, I'm afraid. This particular model would also have had a complementary sunburst neck (evidenced by the presence of pink undercoat), and I think it would have looked rather fetching. But "some attempt" is a polite way of putting it - it looks like they used a cheese grater to take the finish off. OK, I exaggerate - but I'm not calling that sanding

Well, the neck looks straight, and it played well enough before I took it apart. There are no electronics apart from the pickups and that godawful home made jack. I was a little worried about the wood at the back beginning to come apart at a join (it's made up of about 8 pieces), but the slight difference of height opinion has been sanded out.

Anyway, I have been busy this weekend, but I managed to get some work done:




The neck was filthy. It's cleaner now - need to get the lemon oil on the case, but a bit of flash photography gets the message across:



The owner has decided to go with white, which I think will look very spiffy indeed:



(Picture courtesy of the UK Hagstrom pages, and specifically John Casselman's "[url="http://www.hagstrom.org.uk/visstory/joncasselman.htm"]wall of Hags[/url]")

Any loose wires? Maybe try getting the soldering iron out and redoing the jack? Remember that in an active bass, one of the connectors on the stereo jack socket is used to complete the power circuit.

[quote name='lwtait' post='55376' date='Sep 4 2007, 04:37 PM']i think my fretless p is mexican, i could get some measurments, what do you want?[/quote]

See post here: [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=4935"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=4935[/url]

Thanks

Waiting for someone to give me some measurements for a Mex P-bass scratchplate. Going to go with a clear perspex one. Going to route out a battery box this weekend. Been distracted with an old Hagstrom bass needing restoration, and also actually been trying to play more recently than build/repair.

Sounds like a metric/imperial disagreement.

T-Cut is the stuff to have!

OK, found the schematics.

[url="http://www.hagstrom.org.uk/Schematics/Schempics/HagstromIIB-1966.jpg"]http://www.hagstrom.org.uk/Schematics/Sche...romIIB-1966.jpg[/url]

Welcome to the forum.