T-Bay Posted December 29, 2016 Author Share Posted December 29, 2016 Thanks, I went through a variety of options but that seemed to be the least intrusive with maximum end strength. A biscuit cutter bit would have been better in some ways but I don't have one. It's been cut back with a flush cut bit, sanded back and then a thin skim of epoxy filler applied today. Tomorrow is a busy day but hoping to get around to sanding it back. It only needed a smidge of filler, probably 0.5mm thick at the worst bit. It's so cold in the garage though that I have to keep bringing it in the house for anything to go off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T-Bay Posted December 30, 2016 Author Share Posted December 30, 2016 Going well, just needs a tiny bit of finishing (probably a ,arch ends worth of filler) but have decided to ditch the Fender type bridge and buy something different. Partly to make it a bit different but mostly to make setup a bit easier. The first coat of primer filler wet well, should be done and ready for paint in a day or two if I get a chance to get at it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T-Bay Posted December 30, 2016 Author Share Posted December 30, 2016 (edited) Small update and more pics. The single insert for bridge was a bit tight so I fashioned a puller from two nuts and some washers and it came out a treat. Then another dab of filler and a bit of fettling and it needs to be left to go off overnight. It looks worse than it is as the filler needs to be flatted back and the earlier witness coat is looking rough. Edited December 30, 2016 by T-Bay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T-Bay Posted January 4, 2017 Author Share Posted January 4, 2017 It's been slow going the last few days doing the final filling and cleaning up. It's only a few minutes at a time but the paint/ filler takes a few hours to go off fully. Finally got around to reblacking the neck tonight and it is looking good. I will flat it back tomorrow night with 2000 (or possibly 5000) grit pads then lacquer. Friday will see that backed off a little and then it's done. I also picked up the paint tonight. Had about 5,000,000 options it seemed but have settled on a nice colour, well I think so. With any luck colour will be on at the weekend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
W1_Pro Posted January 5, 2017 Share Posted January 5, 2017 Great work. It's always nice to see a bass brought back to life! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T-Bay Posted January 5, 2017 Author Share Posted January 5, 2017 (edited) The new bridge arrived today so I now have all the parts and paint I need. The weather is not helping though as the cold still means it's taking an age for anything to go off. The lacquer will go on the neck tonight but I will then have to leave it a few days to fully harden so I can mask it up to do the body. Once the lacquer has gone off I can bring it in the warm to harden at least. Edited January 5, 2017 by T-Bay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rikki_Sixx Posted January 6, 2017 Share Posted January 6, 2017 (edited) When the temperature is so low that glue / filler / paint / lacquer take ages to go off, does that have any adverse effect? I've never experienced it with my own woodworking, but always wondered if you'd start to see any kind of bubbling or get strange textures etc. Looking forward to seeing the colour you've gone with! I've had been tempted to turn that body into kindling with that big crack so it's cool to see it get a new lease of life! Edited: I hit 'Save' too soon Edited January 6, 2017 by Rikki_Sixx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T-Bay Posted January 6, 2017 Author Share Posted January 6, 2017 The glue simply won't go off if it's too cold so I let it go tacky then bring it in. The paint can end up dull but as I am using lacquer over the top then it wouldn't be an issue but it's not one I have ever had working on cars over the years. I am far from an expert but just have a go. My top tip is to have a bit of scrap to test the paint compatibility on. So far I have used German primer from Lidl (very good), black from the pound shop (superb for this sort of job) and Halfords lacquer. The top primer for the body is U pol with Jewel base coat and more Halfords lacquer so there is ten potential for a reaction so always worth testing first. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T-Bay Posted January 6, 2017 Author Share Posted January 6, 2017 (edited) And the pics don't do the crack justice, there was about 15cm of the thin section where the electrics sit and that was all holding the bits together. You could flex the smaller piece enough to fit a 10p in the gap. That made glueing up easier as I could getbthe glue right into the crack as well doing the insert. I originally intended to just take the neck and fittings but I thought it worth experimenting with repairing it as I had nothing to lose and I would now be confident to do similar if I needed to on a more precious one. Edited January 6, 2017 by T-Bay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T-Bay Posted January 7, 2017 Author Share Posted January 7, 2017 Neck is finished and I am happy with how it's come out. Last coat of primer will go on in a few minutes and I may even get the first coat of colour on tonight with the weather being a bit warmer. The colour is a bit different to the usual red or black SG colours but I am hoping it will look good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T-Bay Posted January 7, 2017 Author Share Posted January 7, 2017 First coat on the back, the picture doesn't do the colour justice, it's quite a greeny blue. I am very pleased with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T-Bay Posted January 8, 2017 Author Share Posted January 8, 2017 All painted and lacquer on, looking gorgeous now with only a couple of tiny imperfections. Will get some pics when it's dried enough to look nice. Lacquer always seems to go through a really patchy phase as it dries. I will give it another couple of coats over the next few days to get a real depth on there. Then the best thing to do would be to leave a couple of weeks then cut back and Polish to get a glass like finish but I may just start building it back up as the finish looks like it will be really nice anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T-Bay Posted January 15, 2017 Author Share Posted January 15, 2017 I haven't forgotten this but decided to really go for the lacquer. All done now with last coat on neck going off as we speak. The body has had eight coats in total. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T-Bay Posted January 16, 2017 Author Share Posted January 16, 2017 I have been thinking about the only thing I don't like about the EB3 - neck dive. I appreciate some don't mind it while others find it annoying beyond belief. I am fairly sure I fall in the second category. So what can you do about it? I could add a pound of lead behind the bridge, not ideal, I could covert it to headless, interesting, but no. Or I could have a think and see if there was way to maintain the lightweight overall and good looks whilst sorting the issue without spending a fortune. Lightweight tuners make a difference I understand, but how much? Varies depending on who you speak to but most agree it's not a great deal. So the only real way is to make the front strap position move closer to the head. I could just drill into the neck but that seemed an ugly way to do it and could cause other issues. I love working with different materials and this seemed like a problem that could be solved with a bit of lathe and miller work. With a couple of lunchtimes devoted to it I have come up with a prototype as seen in the pic below which moves the pivot point quite a distance but doesn't interfere whilst playing (well it doesn't with how I play). I still have to finish the final policy and wire up so haven't had it all together yet but the balance is so much better and will improve further when the bridge, electronics and covers/ knobs are on. When I know it works properly I will spend some time and make a 'pretty' one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted January 16, 2017 Share Posted January 16, 2017 Most lightweight tuners are typically about 50% of the weight of 'normal' ones. With the leverage of a long scale neck that makes quite a difference. To check, rig it all up on the strap and pop just 2 of the tuners in the headstock to see if it sorts it.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T-Bay Posted January 16, 2017 Author Share Posted January 16, 2017 This seems to have sorted it, my other one dives as soon as you let it go. This one moves to a horizontal position then stops. That's with tuners but most of the body fixings missing (but pickups in place) so should balance ok. Previously it dived slowly with none of the tuners in (remember it's an epiphone, not the beautifully made pieces of master craftsmanship as created by Andy) I appreciate the metal 'spur' may be seen as a bit weird/ offend the purists but I just want to give a few things a try and this is the perfect project to test them out on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardH Posted January 17, 2017 Share Posted January 17, 2017 There was a similar sort of thing that someone made for the G&L ASAT [URL="https://www.talkbass.com/threads/replacement-body-for-3-bolt-g-l-bass-help.1010540/#post-14791968"]see here for 3 and 6 bolt versions[/URL] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JPJ Posted January 17, 2017 Share Posted January 17, 2017 [quote name='T-Bay' timestamp='1484600398' post='3216761'] I have been thinking about the only thing I don't like about the EB3 - neck dive. I appreciate some don't mind it while others find it annoying beyond belief. I am fairly sure I fall in the second category. So what can you do about it? I could add a pound of lead behind the bridge, not ideal, I could covert it to headless, interesting, but no. Or I could have a think and see if there was way to maintain the lightweight overall and good looks whilst sorting the issue without spending a fortune. Lightweight tuners make a difference I understand, but how much? Varies depending on who you speak to but most agree it's not a great deal. So the only real way is to make the front strap position move closer to the head. I could just drill into the neck but that seemed an ugly way to do it and could cause other issues. I love working with different materials and this seemed like a problem that could be solved with a bit of lathe and miller work. With a couple of lunchtimes devoted to it I have come up with a prototype as seen in the pic below which moves the pivot point quite a distance but doesn't interfere whilst playing (well it doesn't with how I play). I still have to finish the final policy and wire up so haven't had it all together yet but the balance is so much better and will improve further when the bridge, electronics and covers/ knobs are on. When I know it works properly I will spend some time and make a 'pretty' one. [/quote] Nice work, I like the way that is hidden behind the neck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T-Bay Posted January 17, 2017 Author Share Posted January 17, 2017 [quote name='RichardH' timestamp='1484670551' post='3217359'] There was a similar sort of thing that someone made for the G&L ASAT [URL="https://www.talkbass.com/threads/replacement-body-for-3-bolt-g-l-bass-help.1010540/#post-14791968"]see here for 3 and 6 bolt versions[/URL] [/quote] That's interesting, I haven't seen that before. Aleays good to see alternative options! [quote name='JPJ' timestamp='1484672870' post='3217391'] Nice work, I like the way that is hidden behind the neck [/quote] Thanks, that was the idea, apart from the position of the strap being 'wrong' it's not noticeable. I machined the end to take a Schaller type quick release as well and that makes life easier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scrumpymike Posted January 17, 2017 Share Posted January 17, 2017 A man after my own heart! Your prototype is much neater than mine (it'll be a bit less obvious after I've finished in satin black). Wanted to test the theory first before drilling any extra holes in the body of the bass, so the only fixing point is the original strap button screw. Certainly makes a big improvement in playability. Unfortunately my 'finished' version won't benefit from machine tooling as I haven't got any! [url="http://[URL=http://s1149.photobucket.com/user/scrumpymike/media/011_zpsjezhyvim.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1149.photobucket.com/albums/o598/scrumpymike/011_zpsjezhyvim.jpg[/IMG][/URL]"][IMG]http://i1149.photobucket.com/albums/o598/scrumpymike/011_zpsjezhyvim.jpg[/IMG][/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T-Bay Posted January 17, 2017 Author Share Posted January 17, 2017 [quote name='scrumpymike' timestamp='1484675621' post='3217423'] A man after my own heart! Your prototype is much neater than mine (it'll be a bit less obvious after I've finished in satin black). Wanted to test the theory first before drilling any extra holes in the body of the bass, so the only fixing point is the original strap button screw. Certainly makes a big improvement in playability. Unfortunately my 'finished' version won't benefit from machine tooling as I haven't got any! [url="http://[URL=http://s1149.photobucket.com/user/scrumpymike/media/011_zpsjezhyvim.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1149.photobucket.com/albums/o598/scrumpymike/011_zpsjezhyvim.jpg[/IMG][/URL]"][IMG]http://i1149.photobucket.com/albums/o598/scrumpymike/011_zpsjezhyvim.jpg[/IMG][/url] [/quote] That's a nicely made piece of kit though. And the improvement in playability is the key. I love the SG sound but the dive does spoil the experience a bit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scrumpymike Posted January 17, 2017 Share Posted January 17, 2017 [quote name='T-Bay' timestamp='1484682316' post='3217498'] That's a nicely made piece of kit though. And the improvement in playability is the key. I love the SG sound but the dive does spoil the experience a bit. [/quote] Having the top strap button on the heel also shifts the fretboard away from you so that you have to reach further than you should need to on a compact s-s bass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T-Bay Posted January 27, 2017 Author Share Posted January 27, 2017 Having left the paint to go off for a couple of weeks the rebuild and tweaking has started in earnest. I still need to resolver the pickups back in so won't be able to properly test it until then. I had to shim out the bridge a little to take into account the change in design. The action is gorgeously low at the moment but I will need to fire it up properly to determine if I can get away with it that low or not. Brand new dials have arrived from China and will be fitted once I have tested everything. I also turned up a new pickup selector aperture cover out of nylon66 as the previous one died due to the enormous crack. The paint has come up well but still needs a real good dose of wax to get it properly gleaming. One thing I have learnt is that the lacquer takes an age to go off and still isn't properly hard unfortunately. Possibly an area for me to examine for the next build. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyTravis Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 Do you know what - that's perfect, nice work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T-Bay Posted February 5, 2017 Author Share Posted February 5, 2017 Thanks, that's very kind. My electronics mate and I (well him really, but I got the kit out and made the tea) spent a morning rewiring the frankly appalling factory setup. It so much neater now and works perfectly. I then spent this morning setting the truss rod, string height and intonation (scarily close to spot on as fitted), Then I completed a couple of other little jobs and it's done bar making a new truss rod cover for the head. First impressions are that it cures all the issues I have with my other EB3, the individually adjustable bridge means that I can set the action really low but avoid fret buzz, the rod on the back means there is NO neck dive at all. It's finely balanced so any weight on the head sends it towards the ground but I can take both hands off and it just sits there. The sound is still the rich sound I love, with the different and distinct pickup responses. I couldn't see how changing the bridge could affect that but nice to know I was right. The purists may not like the fact that the bridge isn't a standard Gibson type anymore but as I want it to play not to look at then it's a no brainier to me. Implanned to test out the idea with a cheap bridge with the view to upgrading once the theory was proven but not sure now as this one seems to do everything I need so I will play around with it a while before making a decision unless something really nice pops up in the mean time.the only negative is that I now don't know whether to stick with my other EB3 and try to work around the issues or sell it on and get something else. Overall I have absolutely loved doing this little project and have learnt an awful lot. I will keep my eye out for another project. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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