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So now Happy Jack has a Mike Lull 5-string neck...


Andyjr1515

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Strictly speaking, because the Fluence is an active pickup, the circuit shouldn't need shielding - but better safe than sorry:

 

whTD7Vel.jpg

 

The knobs and inset straplock ferrules have arrived too.  The body has buffed up nicely - the stripes are a reflection of the bars of the grandchild's cot:

RC4Wh9rl.jpg

 

The trussrod is on its way - hopefully with me tomorrow.   Main activity tomorrow, regardless, will be drilling for and fitting the bridge earth, drilling and fitting the ferrules - and then, all being well, wiring it all up  :)  Then it's just refitting the fretboard and finalising the neck angle.

 

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On 01/10/2022 at 17:48, Owen said:

At the risk of getting the thread locked, so do I. 

I have been thinking about this and if it was the government it would be the only joined up bit of thinking they would have managed recently. 

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Well, that's gone surprisingly pleasingly well!  :)

 

YgcRbJrl.jpg

 

And even more surprising pleasing, is that it's flat!  :

JWVDcNjl.jpg

 

So tomorrow, when the glue is fully cured, I'll get it on the bass and see what I need to do to get the action where it should be   :)

 

Bridge earth is also done so pretty soon I can see if I can get it wired up and making a sound or two.

 

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And - the action is perfect!  :party:

 

That is a genuine surprise.  And it's useful too because it means that @Happy Jack will still have a fully-interchangeable-with-no-adjustment-needed fretless neck when he gets bored with the whiteness of his Mike Lull and decides he wants that repainted in pink too!   :D

 

There is very little to do with the neck other than sand any glue wipes away and re-slurry and buff it.  Same with the fretboard.

 

It's starting to look like a bass:

SI0JHvlh.jpg

 

2mP6ZH8l.jpg

 

If I get some time this afternoon or tomorrow morning, I'll have a bash at fitting the electrics.

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Someone asked if I was going to add a fingernail scoop for the control hatch.  I solve the hatch access in a number of different ways and sometimes do carve a scoop in the body.  However, I'm no skilled nitro painter and couldn't be sure that it wasn't going to look a bit naff, so used an alternative that has worked pretty well on a number of builds.  It's simply to shave half a mm or so off at one end of the rebate, so that a firm push in the right place lifts the whole thing that can then be just lifted off:

ZRLDzwIl.jpg

 

I've had a decent day at it today:

- fretboard re-dressed

- neck re-slurry-and-buffed

- still have to tidy up the wiring with some ties, but we have sound!

 

kN42GjTl.jpg

 

So far I've just tried the 'tap test' - but the sound difference from the three different voices of the Fluence bodes very well indeed :)

 

Tomorrow I'll get the neck and strings back on and see what we've got. 

 

Then that leaves just a tidy up around the now-fitted Dunlop flush strap locks and I reckon it's done.  :party:

 

And the plan is to meet @Happy Jack at the forthcoming SE Bassbash, in a couple of weeks' time, and hand it across.   :)

 

 

Edited by Andyjr1515
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10 minutes ago, TheGreek said:

I can confirm that this works perfectly having it on all three of my AJR builds.

Much better system than screws, which I regularly lose.

 

In all fairness, Mick, you can only really lose them once ...

 

 

😉

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3 hours ago, Andyjr1515 said:

Someone asked if I was going to add a fingernail scoop for the control hatch.  I solve the hatch access in a number of different ways and sometimes do carve a scoop in the body.  However, I'm no skilled nitro painter and couldn't be sure that it wasn't going to look a bit naff, so used an alternative that has worked pretty well on a number of builds.  It's simply to shave half a mm or so off at one end of the rebate, so that a firm push in the right place lifts the whole thing that can then be just lifted off:

ZRLDzwIl.jpg

 

I've had a decent day at it today:

- fretboard re-dressed

- neck re-slurry-and-buffed

- still have to tidy up the wiring with some ties, but we have sound!

 

kN42GjTl.jpg

 

So far I've just tried the 'tap test' - but the sound difference from the three different voices of the Fluence bodes very well indeed :)

 

Tomorrow I'll get the neck and strings back on and see what we've got. 

 

Then that leaves just a tidy up around the now-fitted Dunlop flush strap locks and I reckon it's done.  :party:

 

And the plan is to meet @Happy Jack at the forthcoming SE Bassbash, in a couple of weeks' time, and hand it across.   :)

 

 

Looks great. Shame I can't make that bash.

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And we have tunes!

 

Still one or two cosmetic things to finish off, but the wiring is tidied up:

fKXeZfRl.jpg

 

And I've been able to string it up and play it through my valve guitar amp (yes, I know...).  Sounds great and the 'mwaah' of the original has been retained :)

 

Over the knee it is comfortable with no obvious neck dive tendencies and on the strap.  Hands off, it basically stays where you put it:

XRa2uRvl.jpg

 

vaa9oCOl.jpg

 

ChNxaJZl.jpg

 

Finished weight 6lbs 15oz (3.15kg).  I have an aesthetic tweak I might suggest that would take a couple of ounces off but that would be for the looks rather than weight.

 

So just some final set up stuff and a couple of aesthetic tweaks and ready to pass across to Jack at the SE Bassbash  :)

 

I'll take some arty farty shots when the lighting is better.

 

 

 

 

 

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