TheGreek's Mystery Bass Rebuild

[blablas]

You make me blush Andy.

I've been making (and designing) laboratory equipment for a living for almost 35 years now.
In my childhood years I was almost always busy trying to make things, however in those days was better at breaking them , this breaking taught me a lot in how to fix things and how they actually worked.

In short, I've been building all my life, been educated in it, I'd better be good at it .

[Andyjr1515]

[quote name='blablas' timestamp='1463414457' post='3051168']
You make me blush Andy.

I've been making (and designing) laboratory equipment for a living for almost 35 years now.
In my childhood years I was almost always busy trying to make things, however in those days was better at breaking them , this breaking taught me a lot in how to fix things and how they actually worked.

In short, I've been building all my life, been educated in it, I'd better be good at it .
[/quote]
You see, that's the difference between us, Blablas .
I did a Mechanical Engineering degree on the same basis - a childhood of curiosity of how everything mechanical works a boxes and boxes of bits that I needed to put back together.
Someone should have told the young Andyjr1515 'It's not a mechanical engineer you need to be....it's a mechanic!'

Suffice to say, NEVER cross over a bridge I've designed....

[Joebethell]

Got a hint of a fatter EB0/3 with the new edges I like it always had a soft spot for that design.

[Andyjr1515]

[quote name='Joebethell' timestamp='1463428184' post='3051314']
Got a hint of a fatter EB0/3 with the new edges I like it always had a soft spot for that design.
[/quote]
Interestingly, that's probably going to be my next full build. Our old-gits-band's bassist has been going on at me for months to build him one. I think I probably need to yield to the pressure before the end of 2016...

[Andyjr1515]

Just to give Mick his daily fix....

....finished the reshape of the neck and heel. I haven't changed the profile of the neck - I don't want to mess with it too much ref the strength issue - but I reduced the width of the neck by around 5mm to fit a more 'modern' nut width and so needed to get rid of the sharp corners.
The heel is looking a lot slicker:


Those marks in the maple are splices - it was one of the reasons I was pretty sure that this was originally a copy build rather than an early Alembic. There are signs - even ignoring the later hacking - of gifted amateur rather than commercial professional about the original build. There are more splices at the nut:


At first my thoughts were that this could be an inner scarf join arrangement (I do that sometimes with the inner splices) but then you see this bit:


ie, two badly executed fill-ins for a badly judged couple of maple strips...

It matters not - it actually adds to the mojo of the original build in my view

More of a concern is that the extra split has been joined by another one:




...but again, fixable because it is not structural, either using super-dooper-strength glue wicked in or - if that doesn't work, just filled. I don't think they are new cracks - I think they were always there but now you can simply see them more clearly.

Other progress while it's still dry was getting out my cheapest-bandsaw-on-the-market:


...and cutting these slivers from offcuts of the already thin walnut back panel timber to eventually become coordinating control covers:


They are a shade under 2mm. Not bad for a cheapo saw. Note the ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL pusher stick, though, if anyone wants to try something similar and retain their fingers!

[TheGreek]

[quote name='Andyjr1515' timestamp='1463399361' post='3050975']






[/quote]

Looks familiar..

[URL=http://s1149.photobucket.com/user/scrumpymike/media/004_zpsxyfmrz3v.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1149.photobucket.com/albums/o598/scrumpymike/004_zpsxyfmrz3v.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

Edited May 17, 2016 by TheGreek

[Andyjr1515]

OK....back to structural stuff.

The guitar builder's equivalent of that tried and tested remedy that 'if all else fails, hit it with a sledgehammer!'

The two new/remaining body cracks on the two horns....
[list]
[*]Mask up as best as can be to stop the cyano soaking into the wood in too many places:
[/list]

[list]
[*]Pour two complete mini-tubes of cyano into the crack. Wicking is a wonderful phenomenon!!!:
[/list]

[list]
[*]Put MASSIVE clamping pressure to close the gap:
[/list]

[list]
[*]Leave longer than normal for superglue setting.
[/list]

The above one is still curing, but this is the other side that I did last night using the same method:




In the meantime, Mick's stupendous Sims Super Quad pickups arrived:





....leaves one with somewhat overwhelming sense of responsibility not to f***k it up

By the way, I've agreed with Mick that I'll come to Herts Bash with this, either:[list]
[*]to pass this across to Mick in the unlikely event that it is finished in time
[*]to let Mick have a look at the progress - and the rest of you all who will be going - before whisking it back from under his desperate and eager eyes to finish it off
[/list]

Edited May 19, 2016 by Andyjr1515

[ped]

Loving this thread, really interesting work. Can't wait to see it finished!

[martthebass]

Brilliant thread this - well hooked.

[Andyjr1515]

Thanks, folks Hope I don't disappoint you all

I checked the placement of the Super Quads with Mick. They are big b*****s!!!!



The other thing Mick had asked me to do was to do a bit of a carve at the back...in addition to the scoop we'd already decided on. I like these types of builds for exactly this reason - the client usually adds the magical question and then often I end up with an answer I wouldn't have got to on my own.

The issue with scoops and carves combined is that they are sort of geometrically at odds with one another. Worth a go, though. Here was the the upper side of the back after a bit of attention with a rasp file:


The mahogany breakthrough at the top is quite subtle as it tones with the walnut rather than contrasts.

Once the bottom had been tweaked a bit too:


Because everything is curving towards and away from everything, you end up with a very tactile, organic shape...if you've got a good imagination, it's a bit Barbara Hepworth!

I will be routing for the pick-ups soon so cut a fill-in out of walnut for the hole of the old pickup, only partially covered by the Sims:


This is sort of how it will fit and cover the hole:


Similarly, I will be setting in a 10mm strip of walnut to hide the 6 old bridge screw holes visible between the stop tail and t-o-m bridge (see the top pic in this post).

That's all for now

As usual, thanks for looking and for the very encouraging comments

Edited May 20, 2016 by Andyjr1515

[TheGreek]

Aaaah...Daily fix satisfied...love watching the progress, particularly liking how the walnut/.mahogony complement each other

Edited May 20, 2016 by TheGreek

[ped]

Yep looks nice and tactile. How have you decided on pickup placement, in terms of actual distance from the bridge?

[TheGreek]

I reckon the p/up positions in the top photo are pretty much spot on - I prefer easy access to the neck so don't want the neck p/up too close. The bridge p/up may go back a "bit" but not too much...stay tuned for the colour change on the top...

[Andyjr1515]

[quote name='ped' timestamp='1463770283' post='3054002']
Yep looks nice and tactile. How have you decided on pickup placement, in terms of actual distance from the bridge?
[/quote]

Similar to a J setup and then also by comparing with the demo's Sims have on various videos...

[Andyjr1515]

I'm doing my best to try to get this ready for the Herts bash (but still a long-shot, Mick!!!) so tried to reach into my feminine side and multi-task. Frets and Swifts.


First, I needed to make sure the fret slots in the sanded-flat board were still deep enough and clear:



Then started fretting. Because the slots have already been used once (at least), I needed to add a bead of glue along the tang line and let that set, clamped under a radius former, for each fret hammered in:



While each one was setting, I got on with jeweller-sawing out my MoP moniker swifts:


...by which time, I'd got to the last fret with about 1" of fretwire to spare (phew!)

[TheGreek]

I appreciate your efforts Andy...looking good..

[Andyjr1515]

If it's dry tomorrow, I'll start the routing for the pickups. First I drilled the reference corners for the router template:



Then joined up the holes with a coping saw and file:



Also routed the headstock and epoxied in the logo. Coincidentally, the real-live swifts have finally arrived for the summer Many fewer than last year (which was fewer than the previous years) but still tearing round the houses just like this, at breakneck speeds and with their unmistakeable screeches. The last small black bits from the old coating should sand away with the final sanding stages! The two big black bits will stay as part of the historical mojo.

[allighatt0r]

Just a quick chip in to say that I love watching your work as ever Andy!

[Andyjr1515]

[quote name='allighatt0r' timestamp='1464002314' post='3055631']
Just a quick chip in to say that I love watching your work as ever Andy!
[/quote]
Thanks, Bryan!

[Andyjr1515]

This morning has made me very happy.

One of the remaining 'got real problems if I c**k this up!' jobs has now been done OK, and that means that finishing this project by the Herts bash is now actually in the realm of the possible!

Task was to rout out for the pickups and carve the walnut infills to hide as many of the remaining holes as possible.

Standard stuff - rough out with a Forstener and then rout with an MDF template and a bearing trimmer bit:



Then some VERY VERY careful carving of my remaining two largish bits of walnut offcut:



I've cancelled some things tomorrow to try to get the remaining bodywork stuff done. I have to start finishing by Wednesday at the very latest!

Edited May 23, 2016 by Andyjr1515

[TheGreek]

Looking great Andy..

Queue behind me for "Happiest Man on the Planet"

[Rikki_Sixx]

Yet another fantastic build / resto diary, I really love reading these. Thanks for giving us so much insight into your process, it's really great to see - especially the ways you've tackled some of the unique challenges on this one!

[Dad3353]

[quote name='Andyjr1515' timestamp='1464010729' post='3055711']...
I've cancelled some things tomorrow to try to get the remaining bodywork stuff done. I have to start finishing by Wednesday at the very latest!
[/quote]

Despite the obvious foot-tapping from many following this fascinating topic, it would be more than horrendous to have a tiny slip-up at this late stage, just to get it to the Bash on time. Better a week late than a daft blunder (yes, we've all been there, and too often for some..!). You're the Boss, of course, but please, please, don't rush this.
Besides, it'll give us all a few more days of blissful suspense and eager eye-balling. Take the time for a cuppa or three now and again (or more, if the bladder can stand it...).

[TheGreek]

I'm more than happy with the progress that Andy's making with this bass. Here's an idea of what he had to contend with:

De-lamination to the point where you could get a business card in this far:

[URL=http://s1167.photobucket.com/user/FairfaxAikman/media/Alembic/030_zpsxjpxjnso.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1167.photobucket.com/albums/q639/FairfaxAikman/Alembic/030_zpsxjpxjnso.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

More idea of the level of de-lamination. The yellow post it tags show how far the de-lamination on the neck was:

[URL=http://s1167.photobucket.com/user/FairfaxAikman/media/Alembic/024_zpsjwmhnayt.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1167.photobucket.com/albums/q639/FairfaxAikman/Alembic/024_zpsjwmhnayt.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

[URL=http://s1167.photobucket.com/user/FairfaxAikman/media/Alembic/036_zpsz71valmd.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1167.photobucket.com/albums/q639/FairfaxAikman/Alembic/036_zpsz71valmd.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

If ever there was any doubt about the level of craftsmanship and his commitment to excellence, there shouldn't be now...

[W1_Pro]

Amazing stuff Andy.
Well done.