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Another 27" Short Scale Mini Bass (but with LEDs)


Jabba_the_gut

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More sanding and now time to shape the neck. Shinto time again!!

Started off by taking a bit off the back of the neck with a router then fitted it back to the body and sanded the join.

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Started the rough sanding of the volute

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It does make it much easier to say 'Here's one I made earlier' and take all measurements from that. The new one has a slightly longer lower horn to help it balance on the leg a little better. It's not a lot bigger but from what I can tell so far it will make a difference.

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Back to more shaping and sanding!!

Cheers!!

 

 

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Not terribly exciting but I've completed the shaping of the back of the neck. Can't say enough good things about these Shinto saw rasps - marvellous things!!

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Gave this a very light coat of sanding sealer to stop an grubbiness from my fingers getting into the wood but primarily to make any little dents or imperfections stand out. I find that I can't always find the really small dents with bare wood but always a little sealer they become obvious. A little more sanding to remove these and back of the neck is done. Next task if to radius the fretboard and cut and install the frets. And the LEDs still work after all which is the main thing!!

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Not got round to the neck yet, but I've sorted the control cover magnets and sorted the layout of the controls.

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This bass only has a small cavity so it can take a bit of organising!! The controls are going to be volume, tone, coil split and LEDs on/off. I've tried these in a dummy piece to see how they are, re-jigged it and ended up with this.

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With a bit of luck we'll have some decent weather this weekend and I'll get a couple of coats of lacquer on the body whilst  get on with the neck.

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A little more progress. Got a couple of coats of lacquer on the body (then ran out of spray...doh!). Thought I had another can but I didn't - schoolboy error!!! Never mond, will only be a couple of days before some arrives.

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I've also cut all the frets and nipped the tangs off the ends. I always do this so I can fill in the fret slots at the ends making the fretboards sides look neat. A bit of faff but worth in the end I think.

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Next task is to radius the board then fit the frets.

Edited by Jabba_the_gut
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8 hours ago, Jabba_the_gut said:

I've also cut all the frets and nipped the tangs off the ends. I always do this so I can fill in the fret slots at the ends making the fretboards sides look neat. A bit of faff but worth in the end I think.

Definitely worth it.

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Hey Jabba, even more of a faff, on your next build you should try binding the fingerboard with pieces cut from the fingerboard. Cut fret slots after you cut these pieces off. Then glue them back on. The result doesn't look bound, but you don't see fret tangs.

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6 minutes ago, Chopthebass said:

Hey Jabba, even more of a faff, on your next build you should try binding the fingerboard with pieces cut from the fingerboard. Cut fret slots after you cut these pieces off. Then glue them back on. The result doesn't look bound, but you don't see fret tangs.

I wanted a way to have the ends of the frets inboard of the fretboard edge slightly as opposed to flush with them.  It could work well.

Cheers.

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38 minutes ago, Chopthebass said:

Hey Jabba, even more of a faff, on your next build you should try binding the fingerboard with pieces cut from the fingerboard. Cut fret slots after you cut these pieces off. Then glue them back on. The result doesn't look bound, but you don't see fret tangs.

Cheers - I might just give that a go. It might actually be easier and cleaner than what I'm currently doing. Always good to try new things and learn different methods to achieve the same intended result.

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Frets are in and ready to fill the slot ends and dress the frets. I'm also going to get the electric bits sorted - they shouldn't be too bad as there is no preamp on this build. I've tried the LEDs and will connect them to a switch for off/dim/bright positions - I'm pleased with how white LEDs look on this.

So this is where I'm at currently. 

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Both of these basses came from the same relatively small slab of beech - there wasn't much waste from this slab at all which is quite pleasing. If I had made a bass with a normal shape/size I would have only got one bass from it. I'm on the look out for another slab of spalted beech for future projects.....

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I'm also quite looking forward to trying this bass as I have never played a bass with Bartolini pickups - most things I've done have used different types of active EMGs.  I'm really curious as to how this bass will sound being passive and having a coil split switch. Just need to get it finished!!!

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22 minutes ago, Jabba_the_gut said:

If I had made a bass with a normal shape/size I would have only got one bass from it.

More importantly I think, you would not have made such a sensuously curvy and voluptuous body shape.

All your builds are somehow, dare I say... sexy?

I'm not the only one thinking that am I?

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21 minutes ago, Jabba_the_gut said:

I'm also quite looking forward to trying this bass as I have never played a bass with Bartolini pickups - most things I've done have used different types of active EMGs.  I'm really curious as to how this bass will sound being passive and having a coil split switch. Just need to get it finished!!!

I'm wanting to try Nordies in my Ibby SR605.  I just missed out on a pair that @Hellzero advertised here recently.  My (licenced) Barts are quite uninspiring.  For saying that it is an active bass, it does not have a great voice.  I think the Nordies might address that.

If you have already tried Nordstrand, I am keen to hear what you think of genuine Barts by comparison.

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On 26/07/2020 at 14:40, Jabba_the_gut said:

I'm also quite looking forward to trying this bass as I have never played a bass with Bartolini pickups - most things I've done have used different types of active EMGs.  I'm really curious as to how this bass will sound being passive and having a coil split switch. Just need to get it finished!!!

Barts sound great, I like their defined but woody characteristic. Funnily enough, I just took delivery of 2 EMG MM5CS that will be the heart of the 5 string I plan to start in a few weeks. I generally would use Barts.

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I've completed the wiring - this is passive with volume and tone, a series-single-parallel switch and a off-dim-bright switch for the side dots on the fretboard.

It's not quite finished yet - I still have to dress the frets and spray a final coat of lacquer on the neck but I wanted to assemble everything to make sure the string height etc would be okay and no more sanding was required. Couldn't resist putting a set pf strings on and giving it a go - I'm really liking the Bart pickup from my first impressions.

So here's the headed mini basses:

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On 26/07/2020 at 14:02, SpondonBassed said:

More importantly I think, you would not have made such a sensuously curvy and voluptuous body shape.

All your builds are somehow, dare I say... sexy?

I'm not the only one thinking that am I?

It’s based on my buxom womanly hips

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