Lee-Man

Checked my email this morning and theres more progress and news on the parts build. The side mount jack hole has been cut and reamed: The inserts for the Gotoh trem don't match the ones in the body. Sims arn't too sure what trem they are from. With this in mind the inserts are going to be removed, plugged and replaced. This was meant to be a quick home parts build, but it's out of my wheelhouse. Pleased I called in a professional!

Bit of an update: Neck is on and cable routing holes drilled. Strap buttons drilled and on. The machine head holes were different sizes on each side of the headstock. The original holes have been drilled out and reamed.

Its really deep looking

More pics. My PPJ5 body is in for paint. Base coat is first, then its being shot in nitrocellulose Daphne blue. Theres another PPJ5 fretted up for grabs thats shortly going in to paint. I think capri orange or Daphne blue is on the cards. If your quick get a deposit down and choose So far I'm really knocked out by luthier Bruce's attention to detail and clever engineer touches that should make this bass smoke on gigs. Here's my neck on a PJJ5 body thats also available for spec'ing and build.

So, back in lockdown 1.0 I brought a Sims Guitars body and neck. I thought it would be a fun project. But, it needed a little more fettling than my limited DIY skills would allow. As I need a guitar for work I've decided to give up and pass it on to a professional to finish. Bruce Hartley at @Bassworks is a great luthier and has agreed to put the final pieces together for me. Specs are: Sims Guitars body & neck. The finish is beautiful. It looks black at a distance, but is actually a very dark, slightly translucent root beer with a fleck of purple). EMG 81 in the neck and bridge, prob going to just skip the middle pickup and go HH Gotoh VS100 trem Hipshot locking machine heads Its going to be a great shred machine when its done.

Just a quick update. My fretless is ready to be shot in nitro in the next couple of weeks. Not long now! Here it is with a couple of other builds in progress. The side mounted locking jack being fitted. Bruce at @Bassworks has a real eye for details.

More progress on my PPJ5 Fretless. It's ready for the Daphne Blue nitro paint to be added. Not long now! Incidentally these two 2 JPJ5 basses (Swamp Ash) are available and looking for a home. #GAS

A tobacco sunburst has been mentioned, but I have a few other basses that are similar, so still going for the Nitro Daphne Blue I think.

Just a quick update. My PPJ5 Fretless body is grain sealed and ready for paint. Looks too pretty to paint a solid colour! The weight is going to be bang on 4kg to match my fretted PPJ5. Decent weight for a 5 string.

I got to have a quick play on this the other day. It's awesome, so much GAS for it.

A few more pictures from this weeks build progress. The extended thumb groove on the heal is really comfy on my fretted PPJ5. Really impressed with the build progress and attention to detail. This isn't the final control cover. The actual cover is a slightly newer enhanced design using magnets instead of screws.

Thanks man. The pickup height is a pretty smart solution. Feels like it's going to be super gig worthy (when gigs I back of course😭).

Thanks man, it's a thing of beauty to play as well. Really made up with it.

Video update from Bruce at Bassworks of the Body being machined.

I had my eye on this when it was up for sale on FB. Good luck with the rebuild. Can't wait to see how it turns out.

NBD! Well, it was a few weeks ago actually. I picked up this awesome @Bassworks PPJ5 early January. It’s a great machine. For me the melding of modern engineering and great luthiery is awesome. TBH I wasn’t planning on buying anymore basses. I’ve recently sold quite a few pretty nice instruments. But I spotted the PPJ5 on a No Treble post and then noticed that Bassworks are only 40 mins from me. I was quite intrigued by the spec and philosophy behind the build. So off I went for a noodle and back home I came with it! I was so impressed that I ordered a matching fretless for it while I was there. The build diary for the fretless is here: https://www.basschat.co.uk/topic/445717-fretless-5-string-bassworks-build-diary/ In fact the build diary for this fretted one has been posted by Bassworks in the build chat: The attention to detail and re-world ‘players’ approach to design coupled modern features in a traditional format is really refreshing. For me, while I’ve got some nice basses, I was really attracted to the versatility and stability that this instrument provides. The PPJ5 feels really well build and its only 8lbs. 8lbs dead on for a great sounding/playing 5 string with a 35” scale. It means that I should be able to use it on all of my current gigs (well, when gigs come back!). Here’s some pictures of the beast in all its glory. Here’s the spec taken from the No Treble post: • Lightweight Swamp Ash chambered body • Canadian Rock Maple neck with carbon fibre rods • 2-way truss rod with 12" to 20" compound radius • Macassar Ebony • 35" scale • block inlays • Luminlay side dot markers. • "Aero" treatment to fret ends and invisible fret tangs • Asymmetric thumb groove profile • 4mm Birdseye Maple headstock plate on lightly chambered headstock • Recessed tuner detailing, • Hipshot USA hardware • Bartolini PJ pickups • Tri-point pick up height adjustment from the rear and lockdown screws to the front • John East UNI Pre 01 3 band EQ running at 18V with a true passive option + PTC/VTC • Dean Markley Blue Steel cryogenically treated strings strung through body • Copper shielded electronics cavity. • Bassworks' top secret proprietary heel connection geometry and 5 screw fixation into threaded inserts in the neck heel.

The fretless body has been capped and chambered. My PPJ5 fretted is only 8lbs, so this fretless one should be in the same region.

More pictures. Heres one I took when I dropped into BassWorksHQ last week. And this is my neck on a similar in stock body. I've gone for an off white/cream pick guard. Saying that, the white looks pretty good!

More progress on the neck. It’s going to have a compound radius and rolled edges. Not vintage FMIC, but just a bit softer. That should make it more comfortable on a fretless.

Bruce at Bassworks has been great at keeping me updated. Once we settled on the specs he sent over a spec sheet for reference. The only other choice at this stage is the fingerboard wood. I’ve gone for the piece on the left. Its Macassar Ebony and its going to have pear wood lines.

If I could I'd also have that fretted blue one as well, its looks awesome IRL.