Mikey R

[quote name='Al Heeley' post='551533' date='Jul 26 2009, 01:30 AM']They really are superb instruments, I'm very jealous. Not sure whose it was now I got the chance to play at the Harrogate bash but it was so marvellous to play. Looking forward to seeing another masterpiece developing.[/quote] Hi Al, if I remember right we were noodling around on Peters Harlot for quite a while. It really is a stunner!

[quote name='steve-soar' post='551006' date='Jul 25 2009, 11:50 AM']THREE dots at the 12th fret? I've got the radio on at the moment and this is getting discussed at an emergency cabinet meeting live broadcast. Great work there Mikey, really well done. [/quote] [quote name='OldGit' post='551016' date='Jul 25 2009, 12:04 PM']Top Jobbie! I like three dots at the 12th .. Very distinctive [/quote] [quote name='GreeneKing' post='551031' date='Jul 25 2009, 12:23 PM']Mistake? I don't think so Mikey, more a case of daring to be different Looking good.[/quote] Cheers guys, if there were three dots on the face, then it would look cool. And it would also help if the three were equally spaced and in a line... unfortunately the drill slipped and the middle dot was off by just enough to make it look bad. Next time Im going back to using a hand drill - much slower so you can tell in plenty of time when youre making a mistake!

[b]Friday[/b] The first look at the whole thing: A mistake lead to me routing the pickup hole in the scratchguard in the wrong place: While I was photographing my mistakes to bug me later, I thought I'd also get a shot of this: [size=7]THE HORROR!!!:[/size] Seriously, what was I thinking when I did that??? With the mistake of the scratchguard, I realised I wasnt going to get finished today, so I decided to relax and enjoy the rest of the day in the 'shop. Jon has kindly said I can go back on a Saturday in the next few weeks and finish up.

[b]Thursday[/b] Routing the other cavitied, then LOTS OF SANDING! Then applying the stain: Carving the neck:

[b]Wednesday[/b] Holes for dots drilled and dots glued in: Heres the other two guys radiussing their boards: Heres mine: We had to keep checking with a straight edge to make sure the neck was perfectly flat. Heres Chris: This bit was really nerve wracking - cutting into that beautiful top:

[b]Tuesday[/b] With the body out of the clamps, trimmed the top flush with the body on the pin router: Cleaning up the outline on the spindle sander: Guess who: Routing the slot for the truss rod: The slot is routed about 2mm deeper than the rod, so we can add a strip of mahogany. The neck template on the neck blank. I'd already gone around with the bandsaw, so now preparing to rout to the line: Job done: With the truss rod in, we then made strips of mahogany and glued them over the rod, being carful to only glue the sides to the neck and not the rod. After the glue dried, we planed away till it was flush with the neck: Then we were ready to glue on the fingerboard. Roundover: The roundover at the forarm contour needed to be done by hand: Gut cut:

Ok, I wasnt very good at taking photos, I mostly forgot due to getting stuck in to the building. [b]Monday[/b] Today was mostly spent marking out and making the templates, and getting to know the bandsaw and router Mounting the template to the body. I'd already bandsawn out the body outline to about 2mm outside of the line: Then I just routed around, in 6mm steps so the router doesnt get bogged down too much. Gluing up the body - thats Jon is the background: With the wedges in to bend the top around the forarm contour: Gluing up the neck:

Very nice! Will need to have a play next time Im in Sheffield.

Got home about an hour ago, just had a curry and started uploading photos. Will be a while...

[quote name='Merton' post='544926' date='Jul 19 2009, 09:27 PM']Enjoy it dude, still mighty jealous (tho Nic does say I can do it next year if I have the money ) I'll give you a bell one evening to have a chat re. the proto, sorry I haven't managed it tonight but broken bones kinda needed to be attended to first![/quote] Fair enough - we were wondering what happened but hope its all patched up now! At least its summer hols. Still feeling a bit stupid for those electrics, especiaally cos thats the bit I was supposed to be good at! And really sorry it cut out on stage, hope you managed to swap to the status nice and quick?

Ive got everything I need together now, including camera and charger Its due to rain pretty much for the whole week, so Ive wrapped EVERYTHING up in plastic bags to keep them dry. Dont want to turn up with soggy templates! Im not taking a computer with me, so I'll keep everything on the camera and post next weekend.

I spoke to Jon yesterday, mine is the most complicated build of the three - not surprising really! To save time on Monday morning, Ive made up some templates for the body, neck and scratchguard from 6mm MDF. Ive not cut the neck taper or the heel of the body, as I dont know what Jon has in mind for calculating this. I couldnt resist this: p.s. this is how I got the correct angle of the headstock: [quote name='simon1964' post='543682' date='Jul 17 2009, 11:31 PM']I'll have to do this course myself sometime. I'm really looking forward to seeing the progress reports on this - make sure you post some progress pics! I'm up at Jon's tomorrow (he's been doing some work on my Stingray), so I'll mention the Basschat anticipation for this build [/quote] Cheers! Im in a B&B so not sure if I'll be able to post progress pics on the evenings, I'll see what I can do.

Getting nearly there... Ive thinned out the top horn, and fixed some of the curves that were bugging me. And comparing to the original again: (Im sure Im the only one who can see the difference between all these versions...)

[quote name='Merton' post='541256' date='Jul 15 2009, 01:15 PM']And, (hush hush), I think I quite like the fat neck. Sorry.* *let me gig it on Saturday before I give this comment 100% credence.[/quote] Just play it for half and hour and tell me if you still like it...

Ive just received photographic proof that Mertons taste in shirts have not improved. Oh, and the bass arrived too.

[quote name='Jobiebass' post='541245' date='Jul 15 2009, 01:04 PM']335mm measured over the rear pickup, I think thats the largest bit.[/quote] Cheers!

[quote name='GreeneKing' post='540533' date='Jul 14 2009, 05:43 PM']Here's the beast. I prefer the pickup covers on and find the thumb position more comfortable than on the pickup, even with a floating thumb.[/quote] Very nice! Ive always found the cover gets in the way and I cant mute with my thumb - what am I doing wrong? Is your thumb in front or behind the cover? Maybe its because I like to play with fingers over the neck pickup, rather than between pickup and neck?

[quote name='Jobiebass' post='540813' date='Jul 14 2009, 10:34 PM']which it would you like me to measure? widest bit, shortest bit? it is definatly smaller but its quite hard to tell when you playing. altho it does make it much easyer to play.[/quote] The widest bit, cheers! Im guessing its around 320mm, maybe a little less?

[quote name='Jarhead' post='540600' date='Jul 14 2009, 06:58 PM']Headstocks different, the curve has been brought back a bit, then made deeper to allow the furthest part of the headstock to be closer without ruining the flow of the design. Zach[/quote] Yep - its funny, on a full size drawing even small changes can effect the whole balance and proportion of the thing as a whole. [quote name='OldGit' post='540749' date='Jul 14 2009, 09:35 PM']You have plenty of neck attached to the body.. Will you use 6 bolts?[/quote] Maybe - six was plenty on the singlecut, so maybe four or five would be enough for this one.

[quote name='GreeneKing' post='540240' date='Jul 14 2009, 12:37 PM']I believe it comes with a pair of ashtrays too that may need to be drilled in, do I or don't I?[/quote] Easy answer for me - I find ashtrays to be useless and just get in the way of a propper floating thumb. I cant see how you would mute the strings with them on! Nice purchase Peter! We'll have to compare P's next time we meet...

[quote name='BottomEndian' post='539985' date='Jul 14 2009, 07:27 AM']All true. But as a side point, according to the Trading Standards guy who visited me, everything [b]has[/b] to have a price clearly displayed. Yes, even if it's the "wrong" price. :wacko:[/quote] Huh? I Ive seen tonnes of shops with no price tags - if you have to ask you cant afford.

[quote name='chris_b' post='539638' date='Jul 13 2009, 07:57 PM']I'd have the slightly longer and thinner top horn (Oo err) that you had in your original drawing.[/quote] Cheers Chris, now that you point that out I think youre right - the top horn is heavier than the bottom horn (ahem). I'll have a redraw tonight.

Next... this is a bit like a spot the difference competition.

[quote name='eude' post='539330' date='Jul 13 2009, 01:47 PM']Sorry dude, The bass is a fair bit smaller than a regular jazz bass, but the proportions are perfect. I'm afraid, for anything else, you'll have to ask [b]Jobiebass[/b] questions regarding this bass now, it's no longer mine... Cheers, Eude[/quote] Doh! Ok, Jobiebass, same question