neepheid

[quote name='Waldo' post='5728' date='May 24 2007, 01:40 PM']I think a problem with the wiki is that it can be edited by anyone, [i]I can see people getting upset by someone else changing what they've written.[/i] People might also miss the wiki, if it's a little button at the top of the page like it was on basstalk.[/quote]

People shouldn't be so precious and thin-skinned. I don't mind being corrected; I'd rather have correct knowledge in the future and I'd hate to think of propogating misinformation.

I'll see your carpet and raise you this:

[quote name='nash' post='5089' date='May 23 2007, 01:26 PM']i was thinking of that, can it run passive?[/quote]

Yup.

[url="http://www.seymourduncan.com/support/schematics/musicman_passive.html"]http://www.seymourduncan.com/support/schem...an_passive.html[/url]
[url="http://www.seymourduncan.com/support/schematics/musicman_passive_2v_1t.html"]http://www.seymourduncan.com/support/schem...sive_2v_1t.html[/url]

[quote name='nash' post='5027' date='May 23 2007, 12:04 PM']i want to put a musicman style pickup in at the bridge position. to start i want a passive one. can anyone recomend a pup that isn't too expensive.[/quote]

What is "too expensive"? I have had good results from the Seymour Duncan SMB-4A.

[url="http://www.thomann.de/gb/seymour_duncan_smb4a_ebasspickup.htm"]http://www.thomann.de/gb/seymour_duncan_sm...ebasspickup.htm[/url]

£70-80 new, I snagged one on evilBay for £45 delivered.

[url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=393"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=393[/url]

?

[quote name='Quantum Sheep' post='4181' date='May 22 2007, 10:11 AM']I've never really got ebay as it seems too hard to start. Seems like if you have no feedback it's impossible to even get started selling stuff![/quote]

The easiest thing to do is to get feedback for buying first. I waited until I had about 30 before finally getting started on the selling trail.

Wouldn't touch it with a bargepole - flags up too many warnings for my liking.

[quote name='paul, the' post='3635' date='May 21 2007, 02:49 PM']Hey, thanks man. I've been searching for a long scale mahogany bodied EB-3 copy in non-cherry (I see you have an eppy). Although I'm not certain one exists. So I might try and collect bits.[/quote]

You missed out on this recently, not an EB-3 but a Les Paul stylee in white. I was tempted.

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=007&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&viewitem=&item=170108479518&rd=1&rd=1"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...p;rd=1&rd=1[/url]

I was also hellish tempted by this, but I figured (and I've been told) that I should play the one I've just finished for a while at least.

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=010&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&viewitem=&item=200106445681&rd=1&rd=1"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...p;rd=1&rd=1[/url]

I don't even look at people's post counts. I evaluate them on the basis of what is written, and past interactions. People can be insightful from the first post. People can spout utter drivel thousands of times. Post counts mean precisely naff all. It's nothing to get in a tizz about.

It's already been featured in the build diaries, so if you missed it here's a link.

[url="http://www.wheeee.org/showallnews.php?n=566"]http://www.wheeee.org/showallnews.php?n=566[/url]

All the eye candy is there.

Spur of the moment purchase off evilBay. Body and neck. Something to keep me occupied. Definitely want to do it again at some point in the future.

A good place to start would be something that needs some TLC to get going. Try an eBay search for "bass project", "bass body", "bass neck" etc.

I'll ask the sheep what it thought and get back to you.

Difficult to say - I'd have to say my recently completed build (I voted accordingly), but my first bass (Epi EB-3) is a close second.

Love Thomann to bits - keen prices, good website, reasonably quick responses to queries. DHL are rubbish though.

Order 1: DHL tried to deliver to my house, failed, didn't even leave a card, had to phone around to find out where it was.
Order 2: No tracking info available, but was getting it delivered to my work anyway
Order 3: Should arrive today, according to DHL's tracking
Order 4: Just dispatched today

Credit to Thomann for the SMS notification of dispatch of orders 2 and 4, a nice touch.

My only word of caution is therefore to make sure you're getting the stuff delivered somewhere where you can be sure it will be signed for.

neepheid (neep-heed)
n.
A wanabee bass player who bought an Epi EB-3 'because it looked pretty and Jack Bruce played one (well, a real one)' one day in a fit of impetuousness. Tried it out in the shop by playing The Stranglers, "Peaches", bought it, took it home then broke it a week later by standing up from sitting while standing on the lead. The lacquer bears the cracks to this day. Bass played with on and off for several years, but remained in the bag for probably 51 of 52 weeks in a year.

Now spurred on by a musical girlfriend (studies music at uni, sings and plays sax in 2 bands, sings classical stuff in 2 ensembles) who claims he is better than he thinks he is, he plays most evenings, mostly just with the gf but is making tentative moves towards a public performance at a charity gig at the end of next month.

Entertains fanciful ideas of being some kind of luthier. Completed first custom build this month.

[quote name='slaphappygarry' post='266330' date='May 15 2007, 10:38 PM']Its weird. The knobs work well but the input jack is a very modern looking part by comparison. Sure you couldn't get it swapped over?[/quote]

I wish I could, but as it's mounted on the front with two screws and the body of the neutrik is a lot fatter than a normal jack, the only way to mount a normal jack would be to use a washer of some sort. Didn't fancy that for some reason.

[quote name='Bloodaxe' post='265821' date='May 15 2007, 02:49 AM']Lovely depth of finish. How have you gone about applying the polish - Rubber or Brush?

Pete.[/quote]

I made a rubber out of an old white t-shirt and cotton wool. It was hard work, and using the rubber alone I was unable to get the finish I wanted - looked like it was brushed on anyway. There's at least 12 layers of polish there, and numerous half layers that I cut back with fine steel wool (I was getting rather frustrated at this point and lost count ).

It seemed to be a case of glossy and uneven (after application with the rubber), or smooth but dull (after cutting back with steel wool). As I mentioned before, I ended up cheating and T-Cut-ting the surface. I am confident that shellac is hardy stuff - took me 6 hours of T-Cut-ting to get that shine, and that was only the face of the body!

[quote name='slaphappygarry' post='265810' date='May 15 2007, 02:06 AM']Awesome man,

not a big fan of the knobs or the input jack choices but in all it looks great.

G[/quote]

Well the speed knobs were my little homage to Gibson, I did experiment with metal knobs but found that to be too much metal. What would you have used?

Unfortunately the Neutrik locking jack came already mounted on the body, so I had to go with it. I wouldn't have used it myself either, but hey ho. I don't think it would have looked so bad if the mounting plate was a little less industrial looking and jack release button wasn't bright red! As it stands, it's ugly but functional.

Well folks, I'm just about done. So I close off this diary with some pics













I've really enjoyed this project, but my better half has "suggested" that I should get down to playing some before embarking upon something new. Next time I want to do more for myself. I've made some mistakes, but that's what learning's all about. Hope you enjoyed following the project as it progressed.

Well, it's mostly finished. Got the pickup mounted by stealing screws/springs from one of my other basses, finished the soldering, fitted strings, basic setup (I'm still quite green when it comes to this - particularly intonation). Great range of sounds available, from deep murk like a more defined version of my EB-3 from the stingray pup (all neck pup, 0 treble, 10 bass) to a bright twang from the jazz pup (all bridge pup, 10 treble, 0 bass). The higher output stingray tends to drown out the jazz when you blend them, but hey ho.

Stuff left to do - play about with action and pickup height, do something about the godawful control cavity cover, get the bloody screws off the guy who sold me the stingray pup so that I can restore my AXL back to normal.

Photos soon.

Hmph. Pickup arrived today. And not much else. Pickup, two pieces of sticky backed foam, wiring diagram. No mounting hardware, despite being advertised "as new" in the auction. I can rig something up myself, but that's not the bloody point, is it?

[quote name='slaphappygarry' post='261252' date='May 6 2007, 09:58 PM']Wow,

That looks amazing



Think i need to get some french polish for my jazz finnish some time soon.

G[/quote]

Thanks man

I don't know if I would recommend the french polishing. It's a lot of work, and a steep learning curve. It remains to be seen if my T-Cut-ting has any side effects.

I'd definitely recommend having a go on some spare wood first. I was impatient, had a quick go on a scrap, thought "pah, no problem". 2 weeks later and I have to resort to "cheating" to get the result that I want.

Anyway, here's a quick electronics update:



Just the pickups to wire now. May day tomorrow, so probably no post. Hmph.

Professional french polishers cringe now. A couple of nights ago, I got so fed up with the quality of my french polishing that I took some T-cut to the front of it. I wasn't completely daft - I tried it first on the bit that the bridge was going on, so if it made a mess it wouldn't be seen. However, I was pleased to see it starting to shine up. Hard stuff, that shellac though. Took me 6 hours in total to shine up the front of the bass. What a difference!

One pickup is in place, the electronics are installed and the bridge is on. Not much left to do - waiting for the arrival of the second pickup, install pickup, get and install strings, perform setup.








Going to do some soldering tonight, then pace up and down until that pickup arrives. That's the price you pay for being tight and going the eBay route

I've started to fit some of the bits and bobs now (machine heads, string ferrules, strap buttons etc.), so it's starting to actually look like a bass. Waiting for another couple of layers of french polishing to dry on the body, so I thought I'd take some pictures.

Eye candy here: [url="http://www.wheeee.org/main.php?i=557"]http://www.wheeee.org/main.php?i=557[/url]

[quote name='7string' post='257423' date='Apr 27 2007, 01:55 AM']Looks a darn sight better than my attempts at re-finishing !!

It's going to be darn preedy !![/quote]

Thanks, I'm quite pleased with it so far. Dunno if I'll get it looking like a grand piano, but it's pretty good nonetheless. I'm thinking about dulling the neck down with steel wool for a more satin like finish, I think it'll feel better when playing than the current gloss.