Rexel Matador

I'm starting to regret the offset body shape because I'm really itching to go multiscale - it would be great for the absurdly low bottom string in the new metal band - but don't want to have one of the little bridges practically hanging off the back. Oh well, I guess that just means I'll have to build another one 😀 Apologies that this update is just a general musing as opposed to evidence of some actual work! More pictures soon, I swear.

Thanks! I didn't actually know they did them in bass sizes. I've never actually bought anything from them, having been put off by the idea of shipping stuff from the US, but they seem like a great option.

What do people here use for cutting nut slots? The Hosco double sided file set appears to be the only available option - I was just wondering if there's anything else out there to consider because it's quite an expense and I want to get it right!

Thanks! So far so good...

I was a little concerned about that, but it's pretty thin so hopefully it'll be ok - scooping is always an option of it comes to it! My first attempt had holes with the pole pieces poking through, like a normal J pickup, but it was very delicate and I ended up breaking it and didn't want to risk it happening again 😆

Yeah, I've read that in a few places - seems counterintuitive but then again I have pretty much zero understanding of the physics involved so who am I to question it!

Magnetised poles - also from ebay. Just used a compass to check the polarity and stuck them in. I'm still trying to figure this whole pickup business out. When the magnet and the pole pieces are separate entities, is the pole piece just a bit of non-magnetised metal that's in contact with the appropriate pole of the magnet?

PS, I'll be looking out for that build diary for the winder!

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/42AWG-ENAMELLED-COPPER-GUITAR-PICKUP-WIRE-MAGNET-WIRE-COIL-WIRE-250G/371205210150?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

6.8 = maybe a bit on the low side but I consider that fact that I'm getting a reading at all as a win!

Wax potted, taped up and ready to go. Now I just need to finish the second one and the bass to put them in. I used thin MDF for the flatwork which proved a little flimsy, as you can see from the big ugly rip on the top of the bobbin, but it serves its purpose and will never see the light of day, so I'm not too bothered for now.

First pickup wound and wired. Time for the wax...

Back on the horse at my makeshift winding station There's a neodymium magnet stuck to the chuck of the drill and the phone counts it every time it goes past. The beer is a necessary part of the process - it's every bit as captivating as it looks 😆

Half way through winding the first pickup. Broke the wire. Sometimes I wonder why I do this to myself 🙄

Well, this build has slowed to a crawl because I decided to make custom pickup covers. It seemed a shame to use cheap black plastic in the middle of all the lovely wood. One down... ...and now I have to do the whole process all over again. I really should have made them at the same time, but I wasn't entirely convinced it would come together!

I repurposed an old breakfast tray that was lying around to make a template. I would be perfectly happy to just cut shapes out freehand but I don't have a bandsaw and the jigsaw tends to not be able to stay fully vertical if the wood is too thick, so a template and a router is the only way for now. I suppose it means I can replicate body shapes easily if I ever go into mass production! So this is the bulk of the body. it's actually only about 28mm thick, but there will be about 6mm of back and 10-ish of top taking the whole thing up to a fairly normal thickness. The shaded parts will be cut out - note the amendment where I remembered there needed to be somewhere for the strap button to screw in. I only managed the upper one today. Aside from the control cavity, the cuts don't need to be any tidier than that because they will be hidden from view for the rest of time. I am toying with the idea of some kind of bracing but I suspect that with the top and back plates in place it will be plenty strong enough.

I haven't forgotten the build diary I started for the Matt Freeman body, but I haven't found the right bit of wood so it's on the back burner for now. I'm going to do something much more interesting in the meantime. This bass is going to be made mostly of walnut, with a maple fretboard and some other maple detailing. 4 string, 34" scale - I'll be using it for Drop Bb tuning in the metal band I've just joined, with Ernie Ball Beefy Slinky strings. It'll have through body stringing and a similar open headstock to my last build. I'm going semi hollow again but with a more modern "f-hole" style the last one. The body will be single cut, which I know is not great for balance, but I've wanted a tele-ish bass for a while and I'm determined to give it a go. The neck will be pretty slinky and I'll try and make the headstock/tuners nice and light to mitigate it. I'm going to use two jazz pickups wired in series, out of curiosity more than anything else - probably wired to just a single volume pot - this bass will not be required to do a whole lot in the way of of subtlety. But the most exciting part for me is that I'll be making the pickups myself this time. I cobbled together a P-Bass pickup a few weeks ago, totally winging it and using a power drill for the winding, and was very surprised to find that a: it works and b: it pretty much sounds like a P-Bass pickup, albeit not an amazing one. I had no way to accurately count the turns, so did it by eye, but have since discovered an app for my phone that can count the turns by sensing a magnet stuck to the chuck of the drill as it passes. What amazing times we live in! There's not much to see except a rough drawing for now, but I have most of the wood so will start in earnest this weekend.

https://reverb.com/item/2694191-mojotone-knockout-5-string-jazz-bass-pickup-set

Experimenting with an idea I read somewhere online. I cut a neck pocket template slightly oversized and then filled it in with epoxy putty with the neck in place to make a nice close fit. Tomorrow I'll try and use this one to cut a second one sans putty, so I can be absolutely sure it won't fail when I'm routing the actual body. It turned out pretty well anyway - so far so good.

+1 I don't know if it's up to the standard of the big pricey names, but I use Wilkinson stuff all the time and have never had any problems with it. Also, when I was on the lookout for tuners, someone on here pointed me in the direction of AxesRUs, who do Hipshot "Licensed" Ultralites, for about £50 a set.

I have a Squier Matt Freeman P-Bass that I never use because it was the victim of an early attempt at "refinishing" and frankly looks a bit sh*t. Also one of the tuners is held together with superglue. But, the thing absolutely sings and the EMG GZR pickup that is currently gathering dust on it really deserves better. So I'm going to make a new body for it. My last couple of builds have been totally from scratch and to my own design, so this is a bit of a break from that level of intensity, but I'm just hoping to put what I've learned into doing something relatively simple and doing it well. The bulk of it will be a reclaimed scaffold board, to which I will add a top - something relatively restrained - no fancy flaming this time - with a layer of dark veneer in between, just for a little accent. I'll be adding a colour stain because I don't think the bare wood and the rather Trump-esque tint of the neck will go together very well. I haven't decided whether to keep the scratchplate (black) or just have the pickup and controls set directly into the top. Pics to follow in due course, naturally.

Well, here we are, pretty much done. She's a bit noisy, so I might have another look at the shielding but otherwise all is well. It's all trial and error for me anyway. Short scale, flat wounds and a thumb rest are all new to me, so frankly it feels bloody weird, but I'm already getting used to it after playing for half an hour or so. The headstock has worked out a treat though - the ramp was just deep enough. Forgive the inconsistency in the colours - the camera on my phone is crap and I was trying to get a good representation of the actual colour, to no avail. It's a lot more ribena-ish than it looks here. It's really nice, you'll just have to trust me 🤣 As always, thanks for joining me along the way. I think I need a break from building so I can actually play the things, but I'm sure I'll be back before long. I mean, I even have a spare pickup lying around so...

Sandpaper?

Here's a great video on figuring out which wire is which: https://youtu.be/zZzBPxKpvq0 And another which covers identifying north and south: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UfxQBhqen8