skydivepaul

a few pics from start to finish. turned out ok
plays nice as well.

kit still in the box


A lot of sanding later.........................first coat of oil



neck and body joined



tuners fitted




job done

UPDATE:

Kit arrived on time and on initial inspection looked pretty good.
The claim of a jazz bass kit works for the body but the width at the nut is 41mm - same as my ibanez bass.
Any way the grain and compostion of the wood look good enough to sand and sand and sand and apply oil for a natural finish.
I traced around my jazz bass headstock onto the new new blank, cut out with a jigsaw and sanded down to shape
Plenty of sanding later ( there were a few rough spots on the body that needed sorting out - the neck was spot on though)
Started with 100 grit, 180 grit, 220 grit, 600 grit.
Applied 5 coats of danish oil to the body and neck, lightly sanding with 1500 between coats.
2 coats of briwax to finish and the reults are pretty good.

fitted the tuners and the neck to the body tonight
should be finished for tomorrow

( I ordered a deep red torty pickguard as the single ply white pickguard that came with the kit didnt look the part)

pics to follow

Thanks for all the advice gents.
When the kit arrives which should be tomorrow I will take a good look at the body before starting anything to make sure it will be suitable.
Plan b may be paint or maybe dye if it doesn't look suitable for a natural finish.
Will keep you updated snd post some pics on progress

Cheers Paul

I have just ordered one of these from gear 4 music
http://www.gear4music.com/Guitar-and-Bass/LA-J-Electric-Bass-Guitar-DIY-Kit/PZZ

At £74 I reckon it's worth a punt.
I have built several cigar box guitars and currently have a sunburst fender jazz bass, but I quite fancy a natural finish jazz bass.
Should be fun to build and I have decided on a natural finish.
After reading loads of articles on finishing the body and neck I have my workshop ready with various grades of sandpaper 80 , 120, 260, 600, 1000 and 1500
I have some good quality Danish oil and also some bri wax for the final finish
I have read that if you go too fine with the sandpaper the wood cannot properly absorb the oil, so my question is what grade of sandpaper would be the best to finish with
I am looking to bring the grain out a bit and also want a nice smooth finish, satin or slight gloss is ok
Thanks Paul

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1405110418' post='2498993']
They kind of look like Barefaced cabs anyway
[/quote]

Apparently they were custom made cabs from the USA

A good friend of mine has just bought his daughter a pa rig for her birthday (she just happens to sing in our band)
Anyway I went with him to look at it last night and help him pick it up, it is being stored at our house until next week when it is her birthday
We gave it a little test last night to make sure it all worked, but I thought it needed a bit more of a test tonight.

Wow, I was impressed with the volume and tone i got out of this rig.

Specification.
Studio master 8 channel mixer and amplifier 2 x 250 watts
2 x 15" cabs each with 2 x horns
2 x 12" cabs with horns
It is old but in good shape and he paid £230 for the lot
So 500 watts and 4 x 8 ohm cabs for 230 nicker

That is good value in my book. Just a thought when looking at expensive branded and boutique amps that you can pick up something like this as an alternative
Admittedly it takes more lugging around but the sound I got out from my jazz bass was thick and thumping. Not what I was expecting at all

Will post a picture when I can remember how to

update for you on the satin finish. After 6 months it has started to show a shine where the right arm /hand sits on the bass.
it has just rubbed through some of the satin finish and now that part of the bass looks shiny.

Actually it looks great on the shiny bit.
I am thinking of maybe a light polish around the rest of the guitar to shine it all up.

Anyone done this before on a satin finish bass??

I have looked on a couple of guitar forums where people have used a light car polish / scratch remover to buff up the finish with good results

bump for a great bass

I got one of these last November and they are great value for money. this one is a bargain!
have a look at the review I wrote on the forum

That is one sweet looking bass. nice thru neck with the different wood laminated.
not sure of the model but I would wager its worth more than hundred quid!!!

quick update.
been using the ampkit (peavey) with the pocket GK app. great for jamming along to tracks with (i am in a covers band so very useful - what i wanted it for)
you can access your music on the iphone straight from the GK app which is good.
built in tuner seems fairly accurate
levels are good, can easily bring the bass up to and above the backing track if necessary

my gripe would be too much background noise if just playing along without a back track.
sure there is a noisegate on the app but as soon as you touch the strings you get that background hiss. not excessive but enough to piss me off if i was using this solely for straight practice.

for the same price as a set of strings I am happy with it.
for amp modelling and bass only practice my zoom B2 does the trick but you cant mix backing tracks in with it without other kit

7/10 from me

Thanks guys. I went for the peavey kit in the end after negative reviews of the irig

Had a quick go with it tonight using ampkit, although ampkit only comes with a free guitar amp it works ok.

Need to either buy an amp from the App Store or try out the pocket gk app. This seems better for just jamming along to tracks which is what I will mainly use it for

I am after one of these little devices for some quiet home practice. Still going to crank the amp up and shake the windows but sometimes I find it more productive to practice / learn with the headphones on

Don't want o be tied to the amp with the headphones so one of these irig jobs would work for me
Any experience of which one is better
I know for £25 they aren't going to be amazing but not sure which one to get
The irig looks nice and compact to carry around if needed but the peavey looks like it has more going for it

Not bothered about the hd version as not intending spending £85
Any thoughts?

[quote name='Conan' timestamp='1388326868' post='2320761']


Smart! What are those pickups? They look like Roscoe Beck models...
[/quote]

Thanks I am pleased how they turned out
The pups are standard fender modern player pups
You can have them in humbucker mode or single coil with the rotary switch. Sound best in humbucker mode IMO but in single coil mode they really pump out some growly bass

Just spotted a farida on gumtree for 299 if anyone is interested. Nowt to do with me BTW

As promised before and after pics.
The blocks were pretty easy to install just follow the instructions that come with the blocks.
I slackened off the A & D strings and moved them out of the way so I could use the E & G as a guide for the blocks from fret 1 to 12
The blocks from 12 - 19 are a little trickier as they are smaller.
All in took around an hour to fit them
pretty pleased with the result

Before:
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-SyhAb0M5lF4/UsAMGw6yc9I/AAAAAAAAAHU/LYBL8op7EwA/w614-h818-no/P1090095+%2528768x1024%2529.jpg

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-j7nkhvMvmuc/UsAMGdTzvKI/AAAAAAAAAHI/xEs88zYFxnk/w614-h818-no/P1090096+%2528768x1024%2529.jpg


After

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-RAPm6pOa_eE/UsAMIqEqdKI/AAAAAAAAAHg/tarXLZJ2cEo/w614-h818-no/IMG_0590+%2528768x1024%2529.jpg

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-TWU9AAXF87A/UsAMNJlOn2I/AAAAAAAAAHw/jBSHEovUZRA/w614-h818-no/IMG_0586+%2528768x1024%2529.jpg

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-NcI7zxqOr6s/UsAMK2UloXI/AAAAAAAAAHo/MtLNY-VEhm4/w1024-h768-no/IMG_0591+%25281024x768%2529.jpg

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-0FexPQlgMjA/UsAMHkl5chI/AAAAAAAAAHY/poMMJV-_msc/w1024-h768-no/IMG_0594+%25281024x768%2529.jpg

Just to add excellent service from Jockomo
I ordered on Sunday 22nd and they arrived this morning.........so much for the Christmas rush!!
will post before and after pics soon

[quote name='gjones' timestamp='1388198551' post='2319468']
I sneaked a quick shot of an Alembic owned by Pete Agnew (Nazereth's bass player), that he'd left in the recording studio overnight. Not only was there flatwounds on it but he played it with a pick. I hope he was given it for free by his record company.

Here he is with the very bass [url="http://www.drjazz.ch/album/bilder/PeteAgnew-6813.jpg"]http://www.drjazz.ch...eAgnew-6813.jpg[/url]

Edit: by the way I do like Nazareth, it's just I think the sound he gets (a good rock tone like Phil Lynott's) with the Alembic, could be obtained just as well with a Fender or Squier P.
[/quote]

I grew up listening to Nazareth they are why I got into rock music.
The good thing with Nazareth compared to some other rock / metal bands is that the bass sound is very prevalent in their songs, good bluesy rock sound.
If flatwounds and an expensive bass work for Pete Agnew then good for him.

bass guitars, string types and amplifiers are all very subjective. A bit like art
What one person likes another person hates.

I had a Peavey T40 with TI flats on (bought from a fellow bass chatter) it sounded great, the flats also made a big heavy bass easier to use.

A lot of trial and error goes into getting the right sound and feel that is right for you. What works for you may not work for someone else.
All you can do is try out as many guitars and string types and amplifiers as you can before you decide what works and sounds best for you.

Thats what I tell the missus anyway when I bring home new guitars / strings / amps / straps etc etc

If this had been advertised last month before I bought my new jazz bass I would have had it!
In leeds too so could have picked up easily

Nice looking bass, good luck with he sale

[quote name='fleabag' timestamp='1386118692' post='2296189']
You wont find him/them on Ebay as his name isnt Jacomo, its jockomo81

[url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Block-White-Pearl-Fretboard-Markers-Inlay-Sticker-Decal-Guitar-/121220071355?pt=Guitar_Accessories&hash=item1c39477fbb"]http://www.ebay.co.u...=item1c39477fbb[/url]
[/quote]

Thanks for the link, just ordered a set of aged white blocks for my jazz bass.
will post before and after pics when they are fitted
cheers

[quote name='Annoying Twit' timestamp='1387151423' post='2308877']
Everyone keeps saying that it's so much easier with the proper tools, but I found it pretty easy with welding tip cleaners and needle files. Was I just lucky, or is it really that much easier? If so, how?
[/quote]

Yes i found it pretty easy with needle files and welding tip cleaners. I am an engineer by trade so was a fairly simple task.
If I was filing 5 of these down a day I would invest in a set of nut files, hard to justify for the odd one that I will do.

Our singer is looking for a PA system to bring to rehearsal with us and also take to gigs where no PA is available
At present she is using my borrowed 60 watt rms pa which is just about ok but we have everything on full for her to be just about audible over us noisy sods

Her dad (my best mate) is looking around to buy one for her and he has seen this on eBay
http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&id=221300054002

Looks ok on paper but I know nothing about PA or this particular brand and model
2x 300 watt or 2 x 200 watt with the speakers provided should be plenty
Any advice or experience would be appreciated

Pulse PA System (600W) - Powered PMX1204 Mixer + 2xPVS15 Speakers


PA System - Mixer/Amp and Two 15" Passive Speakers
Plus Speaker Leads (2) and Power Cable


PMX1204 Mixer/Amp
8 Channel powered mixer ideal for microphone mixing karaoke or small live bands
2x 300Wrms @ 4O, 2x 200Wrms @ 8O
4 MIC or Balanced/Unbalanced LINE inputs each with insert point
Onboard effects with 99 presets
MUTE and SOLO buttons on all channels
2 Stereo LINE inputs
AUX send (pre/post switchable) plus FX send
Record In/Out
3-Band tone control on each channel
Stereo line level output via balanced 6.35mm (1/4") jacks or XLR
2 Channel subgroup output via balanced 6.35mm (1/4") jacks
48V Phantom power supply
2 x 10segment VU-meter
Speakon or binding post outputs
Dimensions (WxHxD) 290 x 178 x 345mm
Weight - 9.68kg


PVS15 Passive Speaker

Tough carpet covering
Inputs/links: 1x locking speaker socket, 1x pair of binding posts, 1x 6.35mm (1/4") jack socket
Metal grille & corner protectors
35mm Stand mount (all models except PSV215)
Large carry handles
Piezo horn HF for crystal clear high’s
Supplied with 5m locking speaker lead

Overall Rating 9/10

I've had mine for just over 6 months now and am really pleased with it
I got rid of an ashdown mag300 210 and replaced it with this.

Sound quality is excellent, I can get he tone I like out of this with no messing around
We play rock covers ac/dc, Metallica, Bon jovi plus some more modern stuff arctic monkeys, gossip etc and it performs great
My regular settings are
Gain 12 o'clock
Bass 2 o'clock
Mid 11 o'clock
Treble 1 o'clock
Tube drive 1 o'clock

Volume, whether it is 250 watts I don't know, but it holds its own with our very enthusiastic drummer and our competing guitarists with Marshall valvestate combos
Volume is usually set a 1 o'clock and as stated before it sounds better when turned past 4 o the dial

Tube drive works well for me and I always add a bit more .... Well turn it to full when we play Motörhead !
Tone print is useful, I leave it on the duff chorus and switch on when we play gnr

The aux input is really Useful for jamming along with tracks, just plug in the iPhone and off you go, however I find some tracks quieter than others so have to play around with the gain to get the level right
Headphone output us fairly quiet too, the master volume has to push up a bit to work right for me

The Inbuilt tuner is ok and accurate. However we mostly play in E flat and the tuner only works with standard settings so I don't really use the built in tuner much

Not used the di function yet so can't comment on that

The combo is really light for the power output so easy for shifting around
I wouldn't call it flimsy as others have said. It is not built like a tank like a trace Elliot amp though

One thing I would like to see is a speaker output so you could run another cab.

All in all very happy with the amp, light years better than the ashdown I had, plenty loud bough for pub gigs etc
Didn't score it a 10/10 for the speaker output and tuner

Paul

Took it very steady and filed each groove in the nut down using a set of needle files and also a set of welding tip cleaners.
Went very slowly and followed advise as per the video

Hey-presto I now have a much easier bass to play
I only took a very small amount out of the nut and kept refitting the strings to check the height
Thanks for posting the video....great help

[quote name='Fionn' timestamp='1386804157' post='2304948']
it's 70 or 80lbs, or something crazy like that, isn't it?
[/quote]
Not sure about the exact weight but it is really bloody heavy
Needs wheels for the flat.....wouldn't fancy carrying upstairs on my own!

[quote name='Fionn' timestamp='1386803494' post='2304935']
I agree, they sound great. They can be bought for a couple of hundred quid these days, but technology has moved on. Could you really be bothered with the hard work of moving the thing around?
[/quote]

True enough the thing was heavy. Just googled the amp and it was a gp12 amp

I have a tc electronic bg250 and that thing is a real lightweight compared to the trace Elliot

Need to have a strong roadie