deaver Posted March 9, 2009 Share Posted March 9, 2009 My first dip into the world of bass building. Those of a nervous disposition or with a modicum of technical skill look away now. This will require the sort of stomach and mental stamina to make it through an Andy Warhol movie. The general idea was to source all the parts off Basschat so far we have: Westfield Precision neck and tuners from WarPig; Sorry old Mex Precision body from Buff; Artec P pickups from Prosebass; Bridge from Clarky In the coming months I'll be after: White scratchplate; Musicman type pickup; Pots; Strap buttons; Shielding stuff First pics: Rear of body prior to attempt at chemical stripping Deaver Junior fully kitted out in accordance with heath and safety After much angst I took a tile file to the end of the neck to get it to fit the body Well the body wouldn't strip with the Nitromors spray but the head thankfully did. If I'd looked into this properly on here I would have known better Next instalment will include lots of sanding and decisions over finish. There may even be some shielding action but I'm not promising anything yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neepheid Posted March 9, 2009 Share Posted March 9, 2009 Well done on embarking on this, you'll have a lot of fun, maybe a little frustration but ultimately you'll learn a lot. I'll be keeping an eye on how you're getting on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deaver Posted March 9, 2009 Author Share Posted March 9, 2009 [quote name='neepheid' post='429340' date='Mar 9 2009, 01:31 PM']Well done on embarking on this, you'll have a lot of fun, maybe a little frustration but ultimately you'll learn a lot. I'll be keeping an eye on how you're getting on.[/quote] Thanks for that. I'd pour yourself a strong drink before checking out the next instalment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve Posted March 9, 2009 Share Posted March 9, 2009 [quote name='deaver' post='429327' date='Mar 9 2009, 01:22 PM']Deaver Junior fully kitted out in accordance with heath and safety[/quote] tut tut, I don't see any breathing apparatus. Have fun tho' - I got a real sense of achievement doing my frankenP project Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neepheid Posted March 9, 2009 Share Posted March 9, 2009 [quote name='deaver' post='429395' date='Mar 9 2009, 02:18 PM']Thanks for that. I'd pour yourself a strong drink before checking out the next instalment.[/quote] I don't need encouragement, only help with choosing which malt to quaff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deaver Posted April 10, 2009 Author Share Posted April 10, 2009 OK Part II (smaller picture sizes this time, thankfully) Just about finished the sanding. Down to the bare wood in parts, so I need to have a think about sanding sealers, finishes etc. Front and back [attachment=23569:Build02_002.jpg] [attachment=23570:Build02_003.jpg] [attachment=23571:Build02_006.jpg] I'd like to end up with something that looks a little like this finish wise. A mixture of stains, waxes and/or staining waxes will have to be mulled over first: [attachment=23575:kaibuild.jpg] A word of caution, leaving your workbench outside for a couple winters leads to extreme relicing: [attachment=23574:Build02_012.jpg] Coming up in Part III, soldering and waxing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Foxen Posted April 10, 2009 Share Posted April 10, 2009 I spend some of my unemployed time scraping a neck thinner to fit a body, ended up with such a tight neck pocket by it was ludicrous amounts of time to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EBS_freak Posted April 11, 2009 Share Posted April 11, 2009 Looking forward to the progress! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deaver Posted September 7, 2009 Author Share Posted September 7, 2009 It's taken a while but we're starting to get there now. The body has been finished with a couple of coats of Colron staining wax, a couple more coats of Lord Sheraton's Beeswax, and a polish with Gibson guitar polish. Haven't sorted the electrics yet, I may replace one of the pots with a blend pot (Volume/Volume) for the pickups. Hopefully finished before a popular seasonal winter holiday (I don't want to be the first to mention it) [attachment=32371:BuildLat1.jpg] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charic Posted September 7, 2009 Share Posted September 7, 2009 Thats actually come up looking pretty nice. Almost 3D should be a great looking bass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deaver Posted September 8, 2009 Author Share Posted September 8, 2009 [quote name='charic' post='592172' date='Sep 7 2009, 03:44 PM']Thats actually come up looking pretty nice. Almost 3D should be a great looking bass [/quote] Cheers, I've got a better photo here- I've manipulated it slightly to get as true a colour as possible. The big thing now is wiring the pickups, I think it's going to be two volume controls and no tone rather than a blend volume and tone but I need to look into it. [attachment=32458:BuildLat3.jpg] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EdwardHimself Posted September 8, 2009 Share Posted September 8, 2009 I personally never ever use tone so i took mine out of all my guitars and basses so i'd go with the 2 volumes were it me. I'm liking the musicman pickup in the bridge position, i did a similar thing with my jazz copy the other day. Love the tone from it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deaver Posted September 8, 2009 Author Share Posted September 8, 2009 [quote name='EdwardHimself' post='593144' date='Sep 8 2009, 06:18 PM']I personally never ever use tone so i took mine out of all my guitars and basses so i'd go with the 2 volumes were it me. I'm liking the musicman pickup in the bridge position, i did a similar thing with my jazz copy the other day. Love the tone from it.[/quote] May well do that. Can anyone point me in the direction of a correct wiring diagram for Volume/Volume. Also does leaving the tone and therefore the cap out have any bearing on posiible electrocution? can you tell I don't know what i'm doing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EdwardHimself Posted September 8, 2009 Share Posted September 8, 2009 (edited) [quote name='deaver' post='593153' date='Sep 8 2009, 06:33 PM']May well do that. Can anyone point me in the direction of a correct wiring diagram for Volume/Volume. Also does leaving the tone and therefore the cap out have any bearing on possible electrocution? can you tell I don't know what i'm doing[/quote] Just look up a jazz bass wiring diagram and ignore the tone pot. Also if your MM pickup is 4 conductor like mine then it should be red wire to hot, the black and bare to ground and the other 2 soldered together and taped up. No, the only thing that could possibly give you an electrocution is if you've got a faulty valve amplifier. The only difference is that people regard a guitar or bass with no tone control pot as having it's tone on 11 which i personally quite like although you might find it overly bright, the worst that could happen is you have to re-wire it. Edited September 8, 2009 by EdwardHimself Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
budget bassist Posted September 10, 2009 Share Posted September 10, 2009 that really reminds me of luke's taitycaster looking good! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tait Posted September 10, 2009 Share Posted September 10, 2009 [quote name='budget bassist' post='594753' date='Sep 10 2009, 02:11 PM']that really reminds me of luke's taitycaster looking good![/quote] funny you should say that cos i really really really want this bass already! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deaver Posted September 11, 2009 Author Share Posted September 11, 2009 [quote name='budget bassist' post='594753' date='Sep 10 2009, 02:11 PM']that really reminds me of luke's taitycaster looking good![/quote] [quote name='Tait' post='595111' date='Sep 10 2009, 09:04 PM']funny you should say that cos i really really really want this bass already![/quote] Cheers chaps. The thing is by the time I've finished it your wives won't let you buy it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EdwardHimself Posted September 11, 2009 Share Posted September 11, 2009 [quote name='deaver' post='596045' date='Sep 11 2009, 08:59 PM']Cheers chaps. The thing is by the time I've finished it your wives won't let you buy it.[/quote] blimey, 16 and already tied down! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tait Posted September 11, 2009 Share Posted September 11, 2009 [quote name='EdwardHimself' post='596064' date='Sep 11 2009, 09:36 PM']blimey, 16 and already tied down![/quote] i think the joke was that its going to take him so long to finish it that we'll be married by then and then our wives wont let us buy it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jarhead Posted September 24, 2009 Share Posted September 24, 2009 Do some of us need reminding that jokes aren't funny after they've been explained? Zach Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deaver Posted June 20, 2010 Author Share Posted June 20, 2010 (edited) Ta-daaaaaaaaa. It's taken a while but here we are [attachment=52659:buildred1.jpg] Interesting garden reflections in the scratch plate [attachment=52660:Outbuild_004.jpg] Edited June 20, 2010 by deaver Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tait Posted June 20, 2010 Share Posted June 20, 2010 ooh thats rather nice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EdwardHimself Posted June 21, 2010 Share Posted June 21, 2010 I think the bass looks pretty good. It's obviously not a showpiece or anything but really it doesn't matter as long as it sounds good and feels nice lolz. [quote name='Tait' post='596124' date='Sep 11 2009, 10:47 PM']i think the joke was that its going to take him so long to finish it that we'll be married by then and then our wives wont let us buy it [/quote] oh silly me! I'm usually quite good with jokes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Protium Posted June 21, 2010 Share Posted June 21, 2010 The MM routing look a bit rough, but looks good. Great result for a first time project Also, it looks incredibly similar to my "japcrap" project Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deaver Posted June 21, 2010 Author Share Posted June 21, 2010 [quote name='EdwardHimself' post='873339' date='Jun 21 2010, 11:34 AM']I think the bass looks pretty good. It's obviously not a showpiece or anything but really it doesn't matter as long as it sounds good and feels nice lolz.[/quote] I'm just amazed it works [quote name='Protium' post='873659' date='Jun 21 2010, 05:22 PM']The MM routing look a bit rough, but looks good. Great result for a first time project Also, it looks incredibly similar to my "japcrap" project [/quote] Thanks for all the comments -I'll have look for Protiums project in a while The routing is indeed rough, it's the original routing off a Mex Fender P/MM which had been filled with wood filler then hacked out with a chisel by me. Other rough spots to note - the defret and wood filler on the neck, it was quite a laugh to do though; the interesting neck pocket gap on the upper horn side; the lack of string tree, it was on briefly but when I tightened the strings it went SPROING across the room and disappeared into a pile of crap. It makes quite an interesting noise though, the front pot is a blend pot and it the right position gives a really distinctive tone. Also the wood finish has come out quite well for what was a complete leap into the dark. In time I'd like to put a white blocked and bound neck on and possibly rejig the electrics Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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