Peaty

Spring is here and a young mans fancy turns to thoughts of his next bass guitar. So inspired by all the very loverly single cuts that were built last year the plan is for a through neck single cut five string (E to C). I am looking for a mellow to dark tone so through neck of mahogany and maple with walnut wings and faced over the front with some nice (yet subtle) book-matched bubinga. Also grainy red stuff (that rings like a bell when you tap it) at the back but not facing over the laminated through neck so not book matched. Facing over the through neck may prove to be challenging but I am in the mood for woodwork. Laninating the through neck [url="http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b88/Peatypete/4th%20build/21032009001.jpg"]http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b88/Peat...21032009001.jpg[/url] truing up the laminate [url="http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b88/Peatypete/4th%20build/22032009.jpg"]http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b88/Peat...ld/22032009.jpg[/url] Wood layed out upside down ie book matched top is at the bottom of the pile Also the grainy red stuff is on show here I bought it as an interesting plank from a wood fare some years ago don't know what it is but it is very hard (any thoughts?). [url="http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b88/Peatypete/4th%20build/DSCN1860.jpg"]http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b88/Peat...ld/DSCN1860.jpg[/url] bookmatched top [url="http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b88/Peatypete/4th%20build/DSCN1861.jpg"]http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b88/Peat...ld/DSCN1861.jpg[/url] [url="http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b88/Peatypete/4th%20build/DSCN1863.jpg"]http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b88/Peat...ld/DSCN1863.jpg[/url] Ok next job is routing for truss rod and carbon fiber stiffeners hopefully this weekend.

Hmm looking for just this sort of thing but probably just out of range for me. Where do you practice? Pete

Hi MBO yes I find the oil finish shows up any imperfections and missed sanding spots much more than a high gloss finish. The oil finish dosn't build a very thick layer so it just dosn't fill in the low spots. Still it looks good and is pretty easy to maintain. Plenty of thin coats are the way ahead so use sparingly. I tend to put the first few coats on using 000 gauge wire wool instead of a cloth this certainly helped get the oil right down into the pores/grain of the wood. Let the final coat cure for a week or so before you buff it up especially if you are using a wax/turpentine mix polish, a good lambs wool buffing pad and plenty of rubbing will bring up a surprisingly glossy final finish. Good luck Pete

Hi MBO Depending on where you are in oxfordshire this may be of use. Gun stock oil can be got from the "country sports" shop in Witney just out the back of sainsburys. Else wise as you can borrow mine if you are passing through Oxford or Eynsham I have a pot of the stuff but as a little goes a long way I am happy to share. PM me if you are interested. Pete

or try the sound wood section of craft supplies I have bought truss rods for home builds from them in the past and had good service, they have some nice wood to. If you can get the hard copy version of their catalogue it is considerably better than the one they have up on the web. but try this link [url="http://www.craft-supplies.co.uk/cgi-bin/psProdDet.cgi/WMS201E||truss~rod~@c~@b|0|user|1,0,0,1|4|"]http://www.craft-supplies.co.uk/cgi-bin/ps...user|1,0,0,1|4|[/url] Pete

I have recently bought a DHA VT1-EQ of Josh Josh was easy to deal with and very efficient in dispatching the unit. So I would recommend him to anyone else who might be thinking of dealing with him. Peter

Poo Make sure you let list know if this gets rescheduled sounded like an interesting night out Pete

I have an old Pro-m 5 and I like it very much. They can be picked up second hand, as this one was, at a fraction of the cost of the through neck models It gives a good tone without having to play with the EQ and plays great. That said it may get made redundant if next years home build comes off as planed, we shall see. Until then it is all the five string fretted I need. it is the middle one below [attachment=17619:DSCN0536.jpg] Pete

Really nice, hauntingly melancholic but very catchy. Personally I didn't find the fills too much and I especially liked those between about 2.00 and 2.30. Maybe save the fill at 1.27 for a bit later when the emotion has built up a bit more, but that is nit picking. Really very good indeed. Will this be avialble for purchase some time. Pete

Its odd they sounded kind of hopeful to me. FWIW If you want really melancholic sounding strings then I would say Eleanor Rigby is the song to go for. I guess it is not just the minor sound and the harmonies but also the cadence as well as the tone of Sir Pauls voice and of course the message of the lyrics (no redemption in this life or the next), which all combine to to wipe the smile off my face on even my most cheery days. oh and now the sun has gone in.

0000 grade wire wool the (finest you can find.... this stuff is pretty good [url="http://www.axminster.co.uk/product.asp?pf_id=23679&name=wire+wool&user_search=1&sfile=1&jump=44)"]http://www.axminster.co.uk/product.asp?pf_...=1&jump=44)[/url] Use this with methanol to shift the grime from the neck. Then a good soft wax polish (wax mixed with turpentine) using the the wire wool then stiff brush to work the polish along the grain. (I favor this brand of soft polish but there are many other good about. [url="http://www.johngrahamhardware.co.uk/stephensons_old_english.html"]http://www.johngrahamhardware.co.uk/stephe...ld_english.html[/url] Then when it is clean and with a soft sheen to it use a harder wax polish like liberon and buff it up to a real shine. Alternatively if you dont want to have to repeat this process every few years consider a nitro coat on the neck or if you dont like a very smooth sprayed finish consider a wiped on coat or two of something like rustins plastic coating this stuff has really impressed me. all the best Pete

That looks very good! Are the pencil lines on the front marking for a scratch plate or are you just going to let that wood speak for its self? all the best Pete

Get down to the charity shop and get an old leather coat/bag etc. give the bass a leather finesh! I did this back in 1978 to an old p bass copy... strangely satisfying.

Try a lighter grade pick with a bit more flick to it Pete

Hello Warwickhunt When the dust has settled if you would consider parting with the MEC pre I have been looking for one. In any case I hope the transplant goes well. Pete

As a mac user you already have a way of doing this using quick time. Open your MP3 in quick time and then go to the window menu and choose 'show AV controls' in there you will find tempo settings and pitch settings, it is not the best way of doing it but it works fine. Amazing slow downer is a better way of doing what you want as you can set loop points and such like very easily. Have fun Pete

[quote name='Mikey R' post='257087' date='Aug 7 2008, 12:08 PM']Hi Peaty, Looks like I arrived late to this thread... I love that spalted top! Threaded inserts are the way to go! Coupla questions: Are those the Trend inserts from Axminster? And what screws did you use? Cheers![/quote] Hi Mikey Yup those are the ones, however I have since discovered that the large segmented thread on these is designed for soft wood. There is a version with a smaller thread on the outside for use in hardwood. I would go for the hard wood version as they requirer a smaller hole to insert into and should be more accurate as they go in. The larger threaded soft wood insert thread had a tendency to move off center when cutting in. Something like this would be better not only does it have a smaller thread to cut into the wood but it also has no flange on the top to stick out proud of the neck. [url="http://www.mcfeelys.com/product/3606-STS/14-20-Steel-Threaded-Inserts"]http://www.mcfeelys.com/product/3606-STS/1...hreaded-Inserts[/url] As for bolts I used some stainless countersunk ones that i had around from a different job....nothing special I can send you a set if you need em. Good luck Pete

[quote name='Hamster' post='233854' date='Jul 6 2008, 11:25 PM']Ummmmm - Alien Amps Ltd - Nice work. You should start a thread to suggest names for the product range: The Tribble The Darth Vader The Quark The Predator The Little Predator Hamster[/quote] A big +1 for the Tribble especially if it can with a fake fur covering (hmm probably wont help with the cooling though)