Andyjr1515

[quote name='DarkHeart' timestamp='1442071157' post='2864247'] awesome! would fit my curves very nicely [/quote] It's a bass I'm hoping to grow into

[quote name='tauzero' timestamp='1442014409' post='2863888'] We need another Midlands Bass Bash so I can try this out. And have cake, of course. [/quote] Yes - and especially the cake....

For those that might not have seen the NBD thread in the 'Bass Guitars' section, there's a clip of our very own [url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TvTWjYQ4t1A"]Chris S playing this here[/url]

Hi, Ian As Jabba says, you do need to router them in - the result is, however, a very satisfying security of both the bridge and the tailstock. It is, compared with the things I've seen you do to perfection, a very straightforward rout - simple MDF template would make it worry-free. The bridge actually comes in two parts to give a secure base to the full adjustability. While you could dispense with the bottom bit (and just adjust with the saddles) it still sits a bit high for some configurations. No option, however, for the tailstock to get the break angle right but, as I say, an easy route with just a simple 'V' template and a cutter the width of the block. The bridge block rout can be done just using straight-edge guides and then tidying up the corners with a chisel or dremel.

[quote name='Naetharu' timestamp='1441884400' post='2862540'] That's a fantastic looking bass! Any chance of a video so we can hear it in action? I just checked out the build diary too and I have to say I am [i]very [/i]impressed with your work! [/quote] Well, after a tough negotiation with his agent (thanks Jo ), it has been agreed the Chris S will indeed feature in an AJRGuitarmods exclusive! With a background of traffic noise and under the admiring gaze of a spellbound audience (ie, Chris's cat), the new bass is put through its paces. I particularly like the bit at 1:41 where Chris says 'Oh, I like this!' The exclusive [url="https://youtu.be/TvTWjYQ4t1A"]Youtube clip is here[/url] Andy (With thanks to Chris, Jo and Tiger the cat)

I like the concept of the bent backplate to give follow-through across the headstock joint. Never knowingly seen that before...is it what you usually do, Ian? Great idea and, once carved, will look very elegant. I look forward to seeing this progress...

[quote name='Naetharu' timestamp='1441884400' post='2862540'] That's a fantastic looking bass! Any chance of a video so we can hear it in action? I just checked out the build diary too and I have to say I am [i]very [/i]impressed with your work! [/quote] Trust me, you wouldn't want any video of [b]me[/b] playing it... Mind you, it's going to be winging its way over to our very own Chris S very soon for a proper going over, and he [b]can [/b]play - I'll see if we can get a clip or two

The arty farty pics are [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/269230-nbd-ajrguitarmods-bubinga-fretless/"]here, in the Bass Guitars section[/url], by the way, if anyone's interested. I adjusted the neck relief this evening and have got to do a touch more routing in the bridge pocket to be able to drop the action a couple of mm. Also going to get a wider and rough-bottommed leather strap tomorrow...it balances pretty level with my thin nylon slippy-slidey one but I prefer to play with the neck high and it is wanting to drop back down. Could go for hipshot lightweights but will try the strap first. I played my VM Jaguar to compare this afternoon...I'm stunned at how bad it sounded in comparison. Well impressed with the SD's Andy

[quote name='Len_derby' timestamp='1441828748' post='2862185'] Well, you've been busy since last week Andy. I got my hands on this beauty last week, before the hardware was added. Even nicer in real life. [/quote] Hi, Neil Yes - I was determined to finish it this week. Still got to rout out the bridge chamber a bit more to be able to drop the action by a couple of mm, but couldn't be more pleased with it! Andy

[quote name='Chris Sharman' timestamp='1441825612' post='2862147'] Oh my! That looks fantastic! I wonder what it plays like....? [/quote] Well, me old China, once I've got it properly set up, you're going to test drive it...

Hi All Some of you will have been following the [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/259782-new-project-bubinga-fretless/"]build thread[/url] on this but, for those who don't want to trawl through the gory detail, here's my new baby. I've always hankered after something with the same look and feel as the Thumb Fretless tribute I built for our band's bassist but wanted to steer clear of any Warwick registered design features. I'm a real Warwick fan and love some of the things they incorporate in their basses so wanted to produce something that followed some of the same concepts but was very much an AJRGuitarmods design (ie with features and ideas stolen from everyone ) . This is the result, and - as it is built for my own use - I'm pleased (and relieved!) to say I couldn't be happier with the result : Ref the spec:[list] [*]34" Scale [*]bubinga body; mahogany / wenge / mahogany neck; ebony fingerboard; ebony face and back plates; mother of pearly 'swifts' inlay [*]Seymour Duncan SJB-2 pups running through STC-2p 2-band EQ [*]Warwick hardware and tuners [*]D'Addario Chromes [/list] Thanks for looking! Andy

In my 'box of bits', I found a smaller stacked pot knob bottom. It needed drilling out to fit the shaft but, to my eye, looks a lot better. I'll probably post the fancy pics in the standard Bass Guitars section so people who don't want to don't have to trawl through another Andyjr1515 endless thread Thanks everyone for the fantastic feedback on this along the way...it means a lot Andy

Thanks folks! Yes - well chuffed

I'll do the arty farty shots tomorrow (when hopefully the light will be better!), but it's basically finished. Bits I'm delighted with:[list] [*]It has absolutely the balance and gravitas I hoped for [*]It is FANTASTIC to play (and not set up yet!) [*]It sounds brilliant (and not set up yet!!) [/list] Bits to tweak or think about:[list] [*]The tone and balance knobs are deliberately separate from the volume. However, when I spaced them, I forgot about the fugly stacked pot knobs SD supply with their EQ so they visually look a bit closer together than I had in my head (I trialled it with 3 standard knobs before I drilled the holes). They are fine in use though . [*]I spotted a tiny bit of filling I've missed at the tailstock [*]I've got to add the strap locks [/list] Overall, I'm happier than a pig in s**t - can't believe how well this has come out...

Good Luck Interesting project on a bass that has clearly had an interesting life....

OK - just done the first sealing coat before getting down to the finish-sanding. I reckon end of next week should see this finished and playable:

Looks very good to me, Grangur...

It looks cracking with the ebony fretboard, Rumple . Has that and the shorter scale length changed the sound as well as the feel? If so, in what way?

That's a lovely finish!

[quote name='planer' timestamp='1440112488' post='2848465'] This is my bargain-bin Harley Benton 'deko' electro-acoustic, bought from Thomman for about £40. It's nicer than it has any right to be really, though I might treat it (and me!) to some different strings; the stock ones are a bit, well, 'industrial' is probably the best word I can find... I love it though, and even more cos it was cheap :-) [URL=http://s4.photobucket.com/user/400abc/media/2015-06-21%2022.42.27_zpsbjuy5jur.jpg.html][IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y150/400abc/2015-06-21%2022.42.27_zpsbjuy5jur.jpg[/IMG][/URL] [/quote] A set of D'Addario black nylons will transform it!

[quote name='PlungerModerno' timestamp='1440118148' post='2848476'] Just like almost everybody else, since the 60's anyway. You have a rather elegant design, at least to the eyes . . . Once the bubinga gets finished I'd say it'll look even sweeter. The proof however, will be in the playing!. Not finishing the neck profile till you have it strung up is clever. Should help decide on a profile that suits you. [/quote] Thanks, PlungerModerno. I get it 90% there just using profile templates and general feel, but like (I'm told) buying a posh suit, the 'first fitting' always needs some subsequent tweaks so that it's just right. I only have to use scrapers at that stage, which is why you can do it perfectly well strung up, but even 1/2mm off in the right place makes a huge difference to the feel. Once it feels right, I pop a plastic bag over the body to keep the dust out, sand it lightly to get it smooth again and then refinish. Thing is, until it's strung up and on the strap, you can't really tell if the profile and thickness is going to feel right however close you can get beforehand.

[quote name='Chris Sharman' timestamp='1440008170' post='2847561'] My verdict? - Top Job! It now sounds even across all the strings both acoustically and amplified and plays far better than I would have expected for an instrument of that cost. [/quote] So, there you have it. Harley Benton acoustic basses (and many of their other products) can be very readily made into something that bangs well over the buck...and Chris's was one of the quality rejects!!!! The full price ones are even better and still bloody cheap. Rubbish news for aspiring builders like me, of course, but great news for the guitaring and bass-playing public in general. Can't think that there's ever been a better time for a huge choice of quality products at crazily low prices (not just HB but Epiphone, Squier, Ibanez, etc, etc).

[quote name='yorks5stringer' timestamp='1440008700' post='2847564'] You'll find anywhere that sells Pet Food usually sells Boiled Bones. Those not stuffed with marrow make a very cheap source of Bone Bridges! [/quote] Good lead! Presumably gives you a nice shiny coat too

Hi I know that Shockwave is doing a HB deko refinish thread in the Build Diaries (it looks great, Shockwave ), but I thought it was worth popping this in the Bass Guitars section. I won't go through the 'how', just the 'what' which has made an unbelievably good value acoustic bass (less than £50, Chris?) into an unbelievably good acoustic bass, period. It is Chris Sharman's deko 5-string, as mentioned in Annoying Twit's epic thread. a ) The first recommendation I made to Chris was to fit some D'Addario black nylons. Yes - they cost almost as much as the bass, but I lent him my 4-string deko to see how much difference it makes. He gave me almost immediate thumbs up: I had to needle file the bridge a little to get the generous blue bindings through the holes (and should have tidied up the resulting fluff on the B string ) b ) The frets needed levelling in a reasonable number of places. Not bad enough to have to get the levelling beam out but there were high-spots on a good number of the frets c) Tightened the trussrod about 1/2 turn to get the right amount of relief d) The action, however, was far too low....unplayable. With a fixed neck, the only way is to raise the saddle. As a temporary fix, all I could do was shim up one side while I ordered a deeper saddle. The result was fine for acoustic (and MASSIVE improvement) but that's no good at all for a piezo pickup which needs flat contact right across the saddle. Good feedback from Chris, however. e) Bone saddle ordered, thinned and shaped. Look at the difference in height from the supplied plastic one. The little notch sanded out, by the way, is because I noticed that the very end of the piezo (not under any string) was high. If the notch wasn't there, it would lift the saddle off a bit on the treble side and the G string (and maybe more) wouldn't sing right through an amp. By the way, although it stinks when you sand or cut it, there is NOTHING quite like bone for saddles (or nuts for that matter) of acoustics - whether basses or 6-string steels. It transmits significantly more of the vibrations to the soundboard and piezo than plastic. Cheap too, even with the cost of the clothes peg you'll need to stick on your nose. f) Final tweak was to file the B and E string nut slots down a bit: The result is a really nice looking acoustic bass... : ...but one that - at least to my ears - also sounds great too. The best judge of that, of course, is Chris himself. What's your verdict, Chris?

Just confirming HowieBass's superior knowledge, here's what it should look like (albeit this is the 4 string version): I notice that the ball ends here are all sitting vertical and fully inside the slot...does that make any difference in your case, Colin? Looking at it again, It [b]will[/b] actually make a difference because set vertically, the string itself is fully positioned to the left (look at your E string...the string here will be too far to the right and only just hanging on!). What is not clear enough on your photo is whether the critical bit on your G string slot has been damaged, and if so, has it been damaged in a way that would mean that it won't hold however the ballend is positioned. It's worth a try though! Andy