SR style 5 String Kit Build

[caitlin]

Oops, it'll sand out 🙀

 

[Teebs]

Looking fab this build

[caitlin]

Well i worried about the string snapping, but I wasn't sure what else i could realistically do, anyway the string snapped and it's got a ding on the horn, but it's on the backside so it's not immediately obvious.

I'm filing this under 'learning' and pressing on. I can always refinish this body down the line and i'm keen to push on towards a playing instrument rather than stressing about a knock when it's far from the last knock it's going to get.

My straploks turned up, obviously the day after i put paint on it, but since it fell on the floor anyway I just popped it on some bubble wrap and smashed a drill through it.

still, I have not *yet* ruined the neck, but there is still time.

[caitlin]

A mockup, of sorts.

This paint is still super soft, really will need weeks before i can do anything serious.

going to skip the fancy top coat and just get this playing. it looks nice with the black white contrast. I can always get neon strings if i think it's looking weak.

[Teebs]

6 minutes ago, caitlin said:

A mockup, of sorts.

This paint is still super soft, really will need weeks before i can do anything serious.

going to skip the fancy top coat and just get this playing. it looks nice with the black white contrast. I can always get neon strings if i think it's looking weak.

Looks great!

I found out about the curse of the soft paint too!

[Richard R]

Is that the dust paint? Looks very good!

 

[caitlin]

Just now, Richard R said:

Is that the dust paint? Looks very good!

 

I don't know what you mean, it's the appliance white out of a rattle can, pre any cut back and polish

[Geek99]

On 27/04/2020 at 12:02, caitlin said:

Obviously I've made a cack handed mess of it, but it'll 'do' and it's not so bad it doesn't *work*, but there's not much surface for the plate round some of it.

I can of course re route that if i decide to make a custom plate later on. Here's some traumatic photos I took whilst still shaking from fear:

I used my template and another scrap of ply to sandwich the body between and bend the template over the body, I don't think there's any marking to speak of although the routing is a little uneven in depth.

I've ordered some tru-oil for the neck, so next jobs are pilot holes for the neck screws (what on earth drill size should one use?!) and sanding the neck ready for finish.

There's a tiny chance my straplok sockets might arrive today, but those can't be more than test fit before paint.

It's quite exiting, this. I can see my future involving a scratch built neck through fretless with LED fret markers in my future

I think that’s actually pretty good @caitlin

[Richard R]

6 minutes ago, caitlin said:

I don't know what you mean, it's the appliance white out of a rattle can, pre any cut back and polish

I meant this stuff you referred to earlier.

https://www.stardustcolors.co.uk/pearls-special-effect-paint/781-pearlized-clearcoat-spray.html#/845-colours-multicolored_turquoise_blue_purple

But you have so much gloss just on the appliance white, that it looks very cool as it is.

[SpondonBassed]

It's a good look for that style of body.

[caitlin]

53 minutes ago, Richard R said:

I meant this stuff you referred to earlier.

https://www.stardustcolors.co.uk/pearls-special-effect-paint/781-pearlized-clearcoat-spray.html#/845-colours-multicolored_turquoise_blue_purple

But you have so much gloss just on the appliance white, that it looks very cool as it is.

Oh yeh, right. Sorry. I originally called it dust because you can buy it as a literal packet of glitter than you stir into a paint mix for a gun. I forgot that I'd described it that way when i switched to a premix can idea.

I didn't realise that this appliance white is actually a functional top coat, I guess it's a pigmented top coat itself. It doesn't *require* a lacquer like a metallic or pearl paint would.

I don't know how much better I'll get this by cutting back and polishing because I didn't do enough prep at the wood and primer stages because of a lack of clue and a lack of sanding supplies ultimately. But yeh, it does look 'passable' and I'll be happy enough playing it in my music room regardless so who needs to mind? Thanks for saying it looks cool, it's making me happy.

[Si600]

59 minutes ago, caitlin said:

It's making me happy.

And that's the important bit right there.

[caitlin]

@SpondonBassed don't suppose you still have the wiring diagram from your pitbull destructions do you? this kit has plug and play wiring and what's been shipped doesn't match what's in my instructions and my instructions look super vague, omitting the bridge earth entirely for example. I'm going to look up some options, they're bog standard basic humbuck pickups with two wires each only.

[caitlin]

Bad form, sorry. I didn't realise they were online.

https://www.pitbullguitars.com/wp-content/uploads/pdf/IB-5.pdf

Gonna see if this will work for my junk.

[SpondonBassed]

10 minutes ago, caitlin said:

@SpondonBassed don't suppose you still have the wiring diagram from your pitbull destructions do you?

Yes.

Quote

  

On 19/08/2017 at 18:24, SpondonBassed said:

Wired as per diagram except that I used wire colours differently from the diagram. The jack and pups will be soldered in situ when the body is fully finished.

The humbucker pups have been supplied thus: an earth screen twisted with a green wire, a red wire twisted with a white one and a single black wire. The wiring diagram shows only an earth and a single signal wire from each pick up. I can understand that a humbucker, having two coils, might have four signal wires but these have four plus the braided strand. I don't know enough about this so I will go and read a few things before I decide. It might be that I could introduce a switch to separate the outputs of the humbuckers and allow individual or summed output in series or parallel. Not knowing if these pups are any good I'll probably play it safe and leave it at the four pot control configuration.

Update: I have looked at lots and lots of humbucker diagrams and I can see how they are mostly supplied with the option of taking a coil tap from between the opposing coils. These pups are an unknown and I will install them as single units rather than muck about on my first build. Splitting the coils is a modification that could be done later if so desired.

 

 

[SpondonBassed]

Hahaha!  Snap.

If I recall the wiring diagram showed the jack socket connection the wrong way around.  It says "hot wire to short pin" and it produced no signal that way.  I reversed the wires and presto!.  Also, the socket itself was rubbish so I replaced it.

Edited May 6, 2020 by SpondonBassed

[SpondonBassed]

If you haven't already, have a search through Repairs and Technical for further ideas:

 

[caitlin]

Oh heck, I wonder how stable this will actually turn out to be.

[SpondonBassed]

Whilst not being the most refined of instruments, I was pleased how well mine came out.  I practised with it for ages until I made my mind up to get the actual bass it resembles - the Ibby SR605.

Seeing this has made me decide it's time to get it out again.  Currently I am practising fretless full-time on another bass so I can happily have this standing by to relieve the inevitable frustration now and again.

My neck has a shim in it at the moment but one of the jobs I have promised it is to flush mount the bridge as I reckon that will make the shim unnecessary.  The pickups aren't bad.  They're nowt special like but they have got the potential to have split coils by putting in a switch.  This is also an upgrade that I have planned for it.

I might now have to do those.  Ah well... it's not like my social calendar is full these days is it?

I bet you're starting to get exited about yours...

[caitlin]

I actually punched the electrics in and put the pickup close to my other bass and it MADE BASS NOISE!

So I've lemonned the fretboard to celebrate.

[Richard R]

Exciting times.

As long as the noise wasnt a constant Ab, in which case it might have just been mains hum.

[caitlin]

10 minutes ago, Richard R said:

Exciting times.

As long as the noise wasnt a constant Ab, in which case it might have just been mains hum.

Zoom pedal on batteries that would be some TERRIBLE induction, were it mains

[caitlin]

COME AT ME!

Now the infinite job of setting it up, it's sharp at the 12th fret, the arc over the fretboard is lousy, the drop from the B to the E is 100 feet and I've never done a neck relief in my life ever. BUT that it's nominally together and makes a sound out of the sound holes is the biggest squee I've done in a long time. it really is the look I was thinking of as well. super clean, really sharp.

[caitlin]

It sounds 'good' and it's fun playing an uppy down the neck song in all one position but the wiring is mince, the tone knobs do NOTHING and it's pretty hissy. So I think sod all that and lets get an active EQ for it, I don't know if the ARTEC BE2 fits or not, so it's time to do some measuring, I guess.

[SpondonBassed]

It looks smart.

Tweaky tweaky.