bloke_zero Posted October 15, 2020 Share Posted October 15, 2020 I bought a bass body from eBay that I thought was one thing and turned out to be a bit different. Caveat emptor or whatever! It’s not a full scale neck pocket but exactly the size of the Warmoth short and medium scale necks. It’s a Jaguar body with a stingray pickup route as well as a p-bass which made me think of the island of Dr Moreau and his man beasts. Currently it’s got a black stain which I might take off, a bridge which is askew which I will remove and I’m hoping to build a preamp from @Passinwind I’m expecting to get a warmoth neck soon and start! Here is the body now with some wonky holes, a couple of snapped off screws in the mm pickup space and the misplaced bridge with knackered screws. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpondonBassed Posted October 15, 2020 Share Posted October 15, 2020 It looks like the grain might be nice under that. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bloke_zero Posted October 15, 2020 Author Share Posted October 15, 2020 1 minute ago, SpondonBassed said: It looks like the grain might be nice under that. I think it might be! and I've seen some really nice natural mustangs recently that made me think a more natural stain could work. Though I can't see a jaguar any other colour than black in my head. I'll see what speaks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpondonBassed Posted October 15, 2020 Share Posted October 15, 2020 (edited) On 15/10/2020 at 14:27, bloke_zero said: I think it might be! and I've seen some really nice natural mustangs recently that made me think a more natural stain could work. Though I can't see a jaguar any other colour than black in my head. I'll see what speaks! Have a look at the one I sometimes play. It is a burl veneer rather than grain but it might help you with your thinking. It belongs to a friend of mine. Squier VM Jaguar (Modified by AJR Guitar Mods Edited November 5, 2020 by SpondonBassed 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bloke_zero Posted October 16, 2020 Author Share Posted October 16, 2020 18 hours ago, SpondonBassed said: Have a look at the one I sometimes play. It is a burl veneer rather than grain but it might help you with your thinking. It belongs to a friend of mine. Squier VM Jaguar (Modified by AJR Guitar Mods) Nice - I like the offset pickguard! I'm hoping I might get away without a pickguard, but I like the way it reveals the burl 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bloke_zero Posted October 18, 2020 Author Share Posted October 18, 2020 Sending back starting to reveal the grain. I’m thinking it looks good! Thinking about filling the pick guard screw holes and maybe a white stain. Though I’m worried that could be a bit “Habitat” 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpondonBassed Posted October 18, 2020 Share Posted October 18, 2020 That grain is astonishingly good! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bloke_zero Posted October 20, 2020 Author Share Posted October 20, 2020 Preamp PCB arrived courtesy of a bass chat member! I read through the complete 38 page thread on talk bass and I think I’m ready to start sourcing the parts. Now committed to having a six pot monster. Vol, vol, mid, bass, cutoff and resonance. I guess monsters are what it’s all about on the island of doctor Moreau! Though I’m wondering about a switch for resonance. https://www.talkbass.com/threads/the-passinwind-open-source-preamp.1259692/ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bloke_zero Posted November 5, 2020 Author Share Posted November 5, 2020 All parts neck arrived today from the US looking like a good pairing. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bloke_zero Posted November 15, 2020 Author Share Posted November 15, 2020 Dry run build. It’s playing really well. After a lot of thought, research and some I went for a low mass babicz bridge because who doesn’t like the idea of full contact? 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted November 16, 2020 Share Posted November 16, 2020 Very nice lines. And I agree with @SpondonBassed - that grain pattern is lovely. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bloke_zero Posted November 20, 2020 Author Share Posted November 20, 2020 So I tried a trans white effect. The Mrs said it was more IKEA than Habitat. And even Habitat was er, not very rock n roll. So I sanded it back and left it basically natural with the slightest white ghosting. Here it is with pick guard template 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted November 20, 2020 Share Posted November 20, 2020 Looking good! Assuming that you are going for a relatively natural finish, wiping it with a damp (squeezed out - not sopping wet) cloth will give you a pretty good idea of what the colour and grain will look like once pretty much any clear finish is applied. If that turns out darker than you wanted, I have a good recommendation of a 'wonder finish' I can pass on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bloke_zero Posted November 20, 2020 Author Share Posted November 20, 2020 (edited) 24 minutes ago, Andyjr1515 said: Looking good! Assuming that you are going for a relatively natural finish, wiping it with a damp (squeezed out - not sopping wet) cloth will give you a pretty good idea of what the colour and grain will look like once pretty much any clear finish is applied. If that turns out darker than you wanted, I have a good recommendation of a 'wonder finish' I can pass on. Thanks! That is with a few coats of Crimson guitar penetrating oil on it. There is some of the original stain in bits of the end grain that I cannot get out, so I'm sort of on pause with the finish while I figure out what I can live with. In some ways like it as it has character, some sense of having lived a previous life. I'm interested in your wonder finish! My feeling is that I'll dissassemble it and have another go at the end grain and try and do a better job of the sanding. I like the really pale grain. Hoping will be better set off by the white pick guard and metal control plate which I'm going to cut this weekend. On the sound side it's zingy! Really bright - can't wait to get a pickup or 2 in there and see how that translates on to the real side! Edited November 20, 2020 by bloke_zero Added picture Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted November 20, 2020 Share Posted November 20, 2020 3 minutes ago, bloke_zero said: I'm interested in your wonder finish! It's this: https://www.wood-finishes-direct.com/product/osmo-polyx-oil-raw-3044 It is one of the excellent Osmo Polyx range (pro-finish stuff that's been made available in small tins in the past few years) and can be wiped on or brushed. For the 3044 RAW, wipe on is better because it is quite important that each coat is quite thin. It is specifically designed to try to preserve the fresh-sanded colour of light woods while adding a durable finish to them. It actually does contain a very subtle whitener but works very well. On @TheGreek 's Psilos bass, this was the fresh sanded Sycamore and maple: Then this was how it darkened and yellowed with the application of Tru-oil. It would have done the same with Crimson oil: And it's OK - but it isn't what we were aiming for. So I sanded it off and tried the 3044 RAW: It's good stuff. Keeps the whiteness but doesn't lose any of the figuring. Low odour, wipe on, very tough once it's fully cured. But remember (with any Polyx) to stir it before each use; to apply a thin coat (thicker will appear milky); let each coat dry - one coat a day is best, but it doesn't need many coats. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bloke_zero Posted November 20, 2020 Author Share Posted November 20, 2020 Lovely - I'll order some for the final build - that is pretty much bang on what I'm after - thanks! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bloke_zero Posted December 3, 2020 Author Share Posted December 3, 2020 Update - phase 1 complete: playable bass. It's great to play, I love the PJMO allparts neck - baseball bat in a good way. At 40mm it's a bit narrower than my other necks but very chunky front to back - 1" at 12th fret. The Warman p-pickup is great - maybe a bit too hi-fi, but strong lows and detailed highs, and £15 it's an amazing sounding thing! It'll be interesting to put it up against the handwound one from Monty's - apples and oranges I know. I think the 70's wind from Monty with alnico's will be a better compliment in some ways to the Delano MC 4 HE/S which is super hi-fi, but I'm into the Warman sound - crisp and modern. I've put some shady temporary wiring in with some B250k's I had lying around, CTS A250's coming + a linear for the tone - why have all the adjustment in the tone in 20% of the travel? I will definitely be bringing the parallel/single/series switch out round the front - I think the single pickup mode will work best with the p-pickup, parallel is classic MM and the series mode is fat, which is good for the passive. I really like the Delano - I'm getting that disco pop from it when playing towards the bridge. What I'm finding interesting is how much closer to the sound in my head with this build compared to my previous build which was a Warmoth p-body with a MM route, maple neck and Nordstrand pickup + a John East MM pre. This build is much brighter and has that bark, and I don't know why, though it seems like it might be a combination of the body wood (I think the Warmoth must be alder), the pickup being 2 CM closer to the bridge on this build and maybe the pickup. I went with a Nordtsrand MM4.4 and I've since regretted the additional coil, suspecting it's making the tone bloated and less crisp. I think my knob game is strong at the moment. Things I'm not decided on: Pickguard - I have some white single ply Control panel - depends partly on if I go active and need 6 knobs! If I did that I might fit it out like a jag guitar and get the preset roller pots and control panel fro the upper horn. I quite like the Jaguar control panel below but I'd have to re-drill the knobs or route a cavity. Active? At the moment I'm liking the ramshackle look and the passive tone, but I'll let it sit for a while! Defintely going to re-finish the body at some point. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpondonBassed Posted December 3, 2020 Share Posted December 3, 2020 20 minutes ago, bloke_zero said: Pickguard - I have some white single ply I have no strong preference Mind you, with that grain being so consistently good across the extent of the top plus the fact that I am in the market for some cheap pickguard material, I am going to try and pursuade you to go without and flog me your PG sheet for peanuts plus postage. Go on. You'll make an old man very happy. Heeheehee Even if you don't want to part with the PG sheet, I'd suggest you show off as much of that grain as you can. Especially as you are considering an additional control plate on the upper horn. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bloke_zero Posted December 3, 2020 Author Share Posted December 3, 2020 17 minutes ago, SpondonBassed said: Mind you, with that grain being so consistently good across the extent of the top plus the fact that I am in the market for some cheap pickguard material, I am going to try and pursuade you to go without and flog me your PG sheet for peanuts plus postage. I hear you! I got it from ebay: https://www.ebay.co.uk/usr/earlpilanz?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2754 - the thing is that so much of the look of the jaguar is the scratch plate, and if I cut it it'd hide the screw holes from the first round. I'll let you know! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGreek Posted December 3, 2020 Share Posted December 3, 2020 Love the natural finish. I'd be looking for some cream pick up covers to keep the theme going. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpondonBassed Posted December 3, 2020 Share Posted December 3, 2020 2 hours ago, bloke_zero said: so much of the look of the jaguar is the scratch plate You seen this haven't you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bloke_zero Posted December 3, 2020 Author Share Posted December 3, 2020 16 minutes ago, SpondonBassed said: You seen this haven't you? I have I have, but in a way that speaks to my point as it clearly echoes the original scratchplate! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpondonBassed Posted December 3, 2020 Share Posted December 3, 2020 (edited) 27 minutes ago, bloke_zero said: I have I have, but in a way that speaks to my point as it clearly echoes the original scratchplate! There's less of it though. I think Andy might have been reluctant to use the original full scratchplate shape because he'd got some nice burl veneer to show off. I like it for that and the fact that it isn't too conservative in its looks yet still recognisable as a Jag. Edited December 3, 2020 by SpondonBassed 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bloke_zero Posted December 31, 2020 Author Share Posted December 31, 2020 (edited) Monty does great package: I've been recording the bass through it's various pickup/electronics so I'll post up the results. I think I can say that when people say that pickups make no real difference to the sound and you can get there with EQ... Well, lets just say I disagree 😉 Passive: Active: Need to tidy the wiring and revisit the shielding - single coil is pretty noisy on the P - I think I need to shield the top cavity. Waiting for an order of knobs that I placed in november - the post has gone totally to hell here! The LusitHand preamp is another post - I'm very happy with it. Edited December 31, 2020 by bloke_zero tidying 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bloke_zero Posted January 20, 2021 Author Share Posted January 20, 2021 Knobs arrived after getting lost for a month in the North London christmas post black hole: Just waiting for a lost batterybox and to cut the pickguard 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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