henry norton

Aw thanks for the help chaps, I'll give it a go.

Well I still can't upload any pictures although I see one or two posters have managed this weekend. Maybe it's just me or my crap laptop. Anyway, I've stuck some up to date pictures in my blog if anyone's interested.

Oh Come ON!!!!! Someone must know something???????

Forgive my complete lack of knowledge here - I'm in the process of winding some interesting pickups and I'd like to record some sound samples once I've installed them on my hack bass. I have a laptop, a Behringer Bass V-Amp and not allot else that doesn't have valves. I'd like to compare sounds with different magnet combinations, coil sizes and stuff like that. Can anyone give me something like an idiots guide???

Right, next stage. Here's the 4 and 5 in pre production form with (almost) sorted pickup rings but still with trial bobbins. Once I've sorted out winding the coils I'll finish the bobbin moulds. Well, as soon as the bloody uploader decides to start working I'll post a picture

[quote name='SlapbassSteve' timestamp='1357933198' post='1930879'] I wonder what the price difference will be? [/quote] Probably Laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarge

Now for once Fender got it spot on! I've seen this setup a few times - it's about time they started making them officially.

Watching this with interest. The kits look very nice and pretty good value too considering you're getting a nice UK made valve amp. If I played guitar a bit more I'd build one... Edit - I suspect the reason you can't find a decent bass valve amp kit is because you'd be looking at much bigger transformers, bigger valves and more of them asides from more complicated tone stacks, all of which would push the parts cost close, if not above the cost of buying one ready made.

[quote name='Lfalex v1.1' timestamp='1357217640' post='1919182'] Yes to: Breeze Victoria Oxford Stealth I'm sure the others are fine, but the design and features of these in particular are quite appealing to me. [/quote] "Appealing" or "appalling"???

Not sure whether I love this or hate it - either way I wouldn't play one on the local pub circuit.... http://atlansiaguitars.com/basses.shtml

[quote name='LukeFRC' timestamp='1356468673' post='1910424'] be tentatively interested too... great work btw [/quote] Thanks Luke - If you end up buying one I'll route a BiSonic sized hole in your JV for free! Just kidding by the way

[quote name='umph' timestamp='1355919722' post='1904425'] oh very nice, drop us a pm about prices [/quote] PM'd

[quote name='untune' timestamp='1355923134' post='1904506'] Looking fantastic! BTW I've still not replied to your email re: the pickup rings, I'll get on that tonight if I remember. Anything to be chromed on the horizon yet? [/quote] Could be early in the New Year

Here's the latest instalment of the NuSonic Saga. I've drilled out the 4 string bobbin to check for final fit etc. before I embark on a run of them. I've also made a start on a NuSonic 5 - I don't have the rings made yet but I've made a bobbin. Here they both are loaded with the polepiece mechanisms. [attachment=125464:P1010033.JPG] the 4 [attachment=125465:P1010035.JPG] the 5 The 4's mounted in my original unpolished pickup ring but I'm in the process of making up hard tools for both the 4s and 5s so hopefully I'll have some finished prototypes within the next few weeks.

PJ with an ebony fretless board - one of my very favourite combinations to play - looks pretty damned good too

P#ss Takers...

Taking the top off a bass - especially an old, solid top, can cause a bit of damage to the top itself, linings and even the ribs. Sometimes it can take more time repairing the damage caused by bits of the top staying stuck to the ribs or bits of lining sticking to the top than it takes to carry out the actual repair the top was removed for! I've certainly heard of more than one repairer who would not let a customer watch them removing the top from their beloved db. It normally looks (and sounds) far worse than it actually is but I can see why a repairer would be wary. That said though, once it's off I can't see any reason the customer shouldn't have a look inside - in fact it's much easier to explain a repair when the customer can see it. I often send photos if there's something the customer needs to see. On the subject of time, it's important for the repairer to have the bass for a while so they can fully explore all the issues there might be while the top's off, but probably not 6 months. I think half the problem with some of the more 'well known' repairers is they tend to take on too many jobs, shuffling around the less urgent, less important or less famous to the back of the queue. Make a fuss! Six months is taking the p#ss

There's oak and oak (and oak too for that matter...) , but there's no real reason any it can't be used to make guitars except it's mildly acidic, so you can't use steel screws or fittings although stainless is ok. Taylor made a proper acoustic guitar run out of scrap oak pallets - apparently they sounded pretty good, at least so far as Taylor guitars go. Martin did a somewhat nicer looking arts and crafts guitar in oak too. I've put aside a couple of chunks of European oak to make a guitar with at some point in the future. I reckon it'll look pretty good

[quote name='Rumple' timestamp='1354553447' post='1887280'] I think that was a lucky for me as it's going to look nicer with a smaller burst, not so lucky for you who has had extra work to do. [/quote] Ha! Well I love a challenge

[quote name='apa' timestamp='1354288853' post='1884517'] That colour is realy realy nice mate. I to like the way the brown is showing through. My kind of colours and finish. Nice one. A [/quote] Yeah the photos don't really do it justice. After the original finish foibles Dave had the option to pull the edge of the sunburst right back, showing much more of the veneer.

PM'd Sound clips in a few weeks.

Here's a picture of the adjustable pole pieces and the laminated core. Getting there now...

Here's the first stamping of the polished ring using a temporary tool. It's not been cleaned up as I wanted to test the basic shape and form so will now make a permanent, hard tool set using this as a pattern. I've set it on the bobbin pattern just to show how it'll look. Very excited now

[quote name='untune' timestamp='1350827074' post='1843890'] P.S. Is this what the Darkstar is destined for? That'll look amazing if so... [/quote] Thanks Chap Yes I will put a pair of my BiSonic/Darkstar replicas (I call mine NuSonics), in a semi hollow some time in the near future but I'm waiting on some parts to be finished at the moment so this one will have a DiMarzio Model 1 and Schaller HB - much like a Gibson EB-2D. I'm hoping the next semi I build will use the NuSonics, probably going into an acg filter preamp - a real Jack Casady bass