PaulThePlug Posted July 9, 2021 Share Posted July 9, 2021 (edited) Delivered.... and after a few hours of faffing... I am quite happy... great general fit 'n finish... some better pics and some blah blah tomorrow Edited July 9, 2021 by PaulThePlug 4 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulThePlug Posted July 10, 2021 Author Share Posted July 10, 2021 (edited) Bass arived by DHL... Had a quick look over, then... Squeaky Phospher Bronze Stings off, masking tape along the back of the bridge to reduce the chance of scratches. noted that the ball ends had been filed down a bit both sides to reduce the width and to tuck under the back of the bridge when flat to the body, string spacing is 19mm Headstock shown on the website looks to have a veneer front, Mine isn't, and i think the better for it, simple and less chance of glue edge. Cheap tuners are surprisingly smooth, although alignment seems a little out, mainly when viewed from the back, seems some being 90 deg to the tapered headstock edge, some more 90 deg Hoz. No biggie, maybe a little wringle room slackening front nut and single rear screw [Edit: Sorted] Logo and Initials looks nice... black plastic triangle TRC didnt.. Got a more curvasious Rosewood-ish TRC from the bay and stained it black. Fretboard is listed as 'Roseacer,' a thermaly treated form of mapel, and looks a lot darker than the website, again for the better, almost ebony black, but rosewood type grain, felt dry so had a lemon oiling (don't start!) 'Snowflake' inlays are so neatly done (I think they maybe painted on to be that neat) Neck is Mahogony 42mm @ nut, 60mm @ 16th / body join, and quite a consistant depth along the length, 20-21mm @ 1st, 24-25 @ 12th... Frets were smooth, ends and binding all good, Gave the frets a quick Duraglit and buff. Gave the laurels a rub with some fine wet/dry, particularly around the soundhole edges and just to remove any glue residue and grease. Six coats or so, every now and again with Morells Black Wood Stain (little tester pot of the bay is more than enough) was still looking dry and purple-ish... 2 light coats of danish oil to seal, smooth and satin, almost matches the fretboard. Out with the dremel to grind each side of the ball ends of the Adagio flats (masking tape around the silk)... a bit of a faff but worth the time as they are prolly gonna live on there for ever. Body finish, edge binding, back join is all good, although as Gloss Black is gonna be polish swirl and fingermarked from now on! (mmm... Should I of stuck to the Natural finish version!) All strung up, neck relief is good at 'paper business card' at 7 and 9, haven't had to touch the truss rod after fitting the flats. Action is 4mm E and 3mm G, maybe a little high but OKish for an Acoustic i think? I'll check under the bridge and piezo element for any shims... that would be simple and handy way of dropping the action a mm or so across all 4 strings... [Edit: Removed the shim (1.6mm) Action now 3mm / 2.5mm - Sorted!] Nut is gonna need a look at with the slots widening [This is new to me and something i have never done before so i'll search and raise a help thread] for the E and A... Didn't check too closely with the original strings before taking them off, listed as 40-100 and mic'ed up at 42/62/80/95 - The Adagio flats are listed as 45/65/85/100 and mic'ed up at 44/63/77/99 Found some round needle files, just need to work out how... [Edit: Now sorted] Sound is nice and balanced and well... 'acoustic-ey'... Haven't tried it plugged in, perhaps i should of before doing all the above? Just in case of any piezo or pre-amp issues (Built in tuner is handy) although it is very unlikely i'll be using it plugged in, It's gonna be more of a 'Corner-Noodler' All-in-all, I'm quite impressed with the guitar and very happy with the outcome of the above... What do you recon? I can now also join in on the 'Show Us Your Harly Benton' and again on the 'Black Guitar' Threads... Edited July 14, 2021 by PaulThePlug 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waddo Soqable Posted July 10, 2021 Share Posted July 10, 2021 Cool 👍... I'd maybe stain the headstock face ? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulThePlug Posted July 10, 2021 Author Share Posted July 10, 2021 (edited) If it was a veneered face as in the website pics i prolly would of, as it was another colour of wood, but as the neck, headstock and face are all the same i'll leave it. I have a pair of Rosewood TRC's, £3 from the bay, gonna keep one Rosewood and stain the other Black like the laurels, see what looks best... Edited July 14, 2021 by PaulThePlug 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waddo Soqable Posted July 10, 2021 Share Posted July 10, 2021 Looks great anyway, I'm sure it'll be good fun... I bet the dog jumps up and down on it tho ! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulThePlug Posted July 10, 2021 Author Share Posted July 10, 2021 (edited) LOL... I'll use it as a bat for his ar$e! The different black hews from the different grains as the light catches the laurel pieces reminds me a little of his black coat, may engrave Diesel in the new truss rod cover and name the bass after him... I'll have to use the excuse that my Wife's name is too long! I'm a soft sod really... Got a 'Diesel' decal made in the Harley Benton Font... (Xtreem)... Edited September 24, 2021 by PaulThePlug 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waddo Soqable Posted July 10, 2021 Share Posted July 10, 2021 Diesel is a great name for a murky coloured bass !👍 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulThePlug Posted July 11, 2021 Author Share Posted July 11, 2021 (edited) So, after sorting the nut slots yesterday... I slackened off the strings and took out the bridge blade, and there was a shim between the bridge body and the piezo bar. It was lightly glued in so hooked that out with a pin and pair of tweezers, shim measured 1.6mm. Bridge blade back in, a better fit with no 'bridge roll' due to the increase in fitting depth... and a lower action by about 1mm at the 12th fret... E now 3mm and G now 2.5mm... Just about bloody spot on! Get a slight buzz when 'plucked hard' (Don't we all! 😉)... Intonation is also now just about spot-on... shows a couple of cent sharp on the tuner, but less than with the shim in. Real happy with the Bass and the outcome of the tweaks... Yet to try it 'plugged-in'... but i don't think it will be 'Any Good For Metal'... Edited July 12, 2021 by PaulThePlug 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waddo Soqable Posted July 11, 2021 Share Posted July 11, 2021 (edited) That's a result then.. easier than having to laboriously file a bit off the bottom of the bridge ( and then find you've hacked too much off) ps.. No one listens to the bass in metal.. Edited July 11, 2021 by Waddo Soqable Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stewblack Posted July 12, 2021 Share Posted July 12, 2021 Nice work. You obviously know your way around the workings of a bass. Is it comfy to play? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulThePlug Posted July 12, 2021 Author Share Posted July 12, 2021 (edited) Obviously gonna be Headstock Heavy, so Neck Dive, but thats largely overcome by the simple action of having ya right arm resting over it... and a little slippy on the knee, might hunt out a bit of grip tape, will only need a couple of inchz or so in the curve... quite shallow at about 110mm at the deepest point... and comfy slouched on the sofa! Although i'm now thinking of patenting an inverse bowl back design - bowl forward back, bowl back forward... you get the idea... gonna call it a 'Beer-Belly-Bass'... With no pickup, I'm a bit 'thumb on the end of the fret board', might go small stick on thumb rest while i try n master this floating thumb thing... which feels weired as i put fender style thumb rests on the 2 Ibby GSR200's and the SR600 has a flat top pickup. Edited July 12, 2021 by PaulThePlug Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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