Rumple Posted July 14, 2010 Share Posted July 14, 2010 (edited) I have put together a few bitsa 4 string Fender Jazz basses over the years and had an Overwater 5 made for me but this time I'm going to get more involved and go somewhere between the two. I have bought a Jazz Bass 5 string style Ash body from the Bass Doc and ordered a set of Nordstrand Big Splits from Bass Direct, the body has a neck pocket size of 70mm slightly less then a Fender or Lakland this suits me fine as I want to keep the string spacing narrow, the pups are a custom order in 17mm rather then the usual 19mm. Bass Doc (Howard) has kindly offered to route the body for the pups and make me a suitable pickguard before sending it on to me. Hers's a pic of the body, at the moment it has a stained finish to it but I'll probably change that at some point. [attachment=54211:DCFC0005_lr.jpg] R. Edited August 6, 2011 by Rumple Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Metalmoore Posted July 17, 2010 Share Posted July 17, 2010 I look forward to seeing it finished and hearing it. What kind of neck are you gonna use? I have been tempted to build a jazz fiver lately. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rumple Posted July 19, 2010 Author Share Posted July 19, 2010 [quote name='Metalmoore' post='897708' date='Jul 18 2010, 12:00 AM']I look forward to seeing it finished and hearing it. What kind of neck are you gonna use? I have been tempted to build a jazz fiver lately.[/quote] I'm not a fan of 4+1 headstocks and also want to keep it clean and simple so I will probably get something made in the Lakland style only a little thinner, with a rosewood board without dots. The pickups are going to take about 3 weeks to arrive so not much is happening at the moment apart from trying to decide on a bridge which will probably be a Hipshot Type A. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rumple Posted August 1, 2010 Author Share Posted August 1, 2010 Nordstrand Big Splits are on their way from the US factory to Mark at Bass Direct so I should have them soon and today I have ordered a Hipshot A Style bridge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rumple Posted August 18, 2010 Author Share Posted August 18, 2010 Pick-ups have arrived and I have sent them on to Howard (Bass Doc) so he can route the body and make the scratchplate, I have also asked if he can route a hole for adjusting the truss rod at the body end of the neck. Still no sign of the bridge from the USA I ordered 2 weeks ago. I should be getting 4 Hipshot Ultrlite tuners soon, I will need to get an odd one to make a set of five but as long as I have one for now I can start thinking about the neck design. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Metalmoore Posted August 18, 2010 Share Posted August 18, 2010 have you ordered the ultralites yet? I have 5 black clover 1/2" for sale in my bass parts clearout thread (link in my sig) Cant wait to see this done, hope you get your bridge soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rumple Posted August 18, 2010 Author Share Posted August 18, 2010 [quote name='Metalmoore' post='928902' date='Aug 18 2010, 06:37 PM']have you ordered the ultralites yet? I have 5 black clover 1/2" for sale in my bass parts clearout thread (link in my sig) Cant wait to see this done, hope you get your bridge soon.[/quote] Thanks very much for the offer,but I'm going to go for chrome 3/8 tuners on this bass. Hopefully I'll have some more to report soon on the build. Good luck with your sale items. R. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rumple Posted September 4, 2010 Author Share Posted September 4, 2010 A wee update to my Jazz 5 build. The body has arrived from Howard and has had the pups and scratchplate fitted, I have to make a choice on what control plate to fit, a 62 stacked knob or a Varitone, the scratchplate or the control cavity with have to be filed or sanded a little depending on what route I take. Hipshot bridge looks like it will fit the 3 original holes in the body. At the mo' I'm not going to have the body refinished, I'll wait until the build is complet and I can play it for a while before shelling out for a spray job as it will be the most expensive part of the build. Next thing to do is line someone up to make the neck and I think I know just the guy R. [attachment=58101:DSCN1284.jpg][attachment=58102:DSCN1285.jpg][attachment=58103:DSCN1286.jpg] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rumple Posted September 11, 2010 Author Share Posted September 11, 2010 Things have moved on a little bit recently, I have picked up a set of Hipshot Ultralites and been in talks with our own Lawrence (Henry Norton) about a neck, I'll be sending him a neck pocket template and a headstock design next week. The neck will be slab maple, ebony board with no front dots and a Lakland shapred 3+2 headstock. I'm thinking of getting a waterslide made for a professional finishing touch. R. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rumple Posted September 25, 2010 Author Share Posted September 25, 2010 The template has arrived from Lawrence as has some pics of the wood blanks, he's going to try and get a darker piece of ebony for me. [attachment=59651:fit_main.JPG][attachment=59650:wood_blanks_lr.jpg] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rumple Posted October 23, 2010 Author Share Posted October 23, 2010 Work has started on shaping the neck wood. [attachment=62016:PA210064_lr.jpg] I have had to make the hole hole under the control plate wider in places to fit the Varitone in, heres a pic of the body with the control plate laying in position, I have changed the knobs for some similar to the one's on Sadowsky's. [attachment=62017:100_0758_lr.jpg] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squire5 Posted October 23, 2010 Share Posted October 23, 2010 Maybe it's the angle,but that bridge does not seem central to the pickups.It's as if the bass side of the bridge is level with the bass side of the pickups,but on the treble side the pickups seem to extend further than the bridge.Could be just camera angle though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rumple Posted October 23, 2010 Author Share Posted October 23, 2010 [quote name='squire5' post='998253' date='Oct 23 2010, 05:09 PM']Maybe it's the angle,but that bridge does not seem central to the pickups.It's as if the bass side of the bridge is level with the bass side of the pickups,but on the treble side the pickups seem to extend further than the bridge.Could be just camera angle though.[/quote] Very observant squire5 your not wrong the bridge was just screwed on using the existing holes for the sake of a picture, I will have to fill these holes and move the bridge so that everything lines up properly, as you say it's too high on the bass side at the moment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squire5 Posted October 23, 2010 Share Posted October 23, 2010 Roger on that Rumple.Looking forward to seeing the finished bass.Those pups are the Canine's Cahoonas!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rumple Posted November 7, 2010 Author Share Posted November 7, 2010 Here we go with a couple of new pics of the neck, in the close up of the end you can see the slight overhang Lawrence has fashioned for me to fit an extra fret in. [attachment=63244:PB060077_lr.jpg] [attachment=63245:PB060080_lr.jpg] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rumple Posted November 20, 2010 Author Share Posted November 20, 2010 Just received this pic from Lawrence of the neck now that it's been carved. [attachment=64440:PB190077_lr.jpg] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rumple Posted December 2, 2010 Author Share Posted December 2, 2010 Here's the latest pic of the neck, it's been carved and fretted and iis nearly ready for the logo and varnishing I'm going to wait until I can put the whole thing together and try it out before deciding what to do with the body, I have a couple of ideas about what colour to have it finished in but no point shelling out on a spray job yet just in case it's not as fab a bass as I hope it will turn out to be. R. [attachment=65505:PC010078.JPG] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rumple Posted December 11, 2010 Author Share Posted December 11, 2010 Not much has happened with the body recently but the neck is nearly done and is looking great, I'm hoping to have it here by Christmas I can then get on with putting it all together. The fretboard has a slight overhang to take 21 frets and is squared off so I know I'm going to have to get a new scratchplate made or have the one on there amended. [attachment=66221:PC070079lr.jpg] [attachment=66222:PC070077lr.jpg] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rumple Posted December 14, 2010 Author Share Posted December 14, 2010 The neck is in transit from France to Sarf london sans the nut which will follow later:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rumple Posted December 20, 2010 Author Share Posted December 20, 2010 Bloody snow, still no sign of the neck there was a moment of excitment today when a Parcelforce lorry made it down the street to the house but it soon faded when I saw the guy unloading a very square box, turned out to be some picture frames ordered as a Christmas pressie. Q: thinking ahead a bit is there any decent refinishers close to South London? Sims maybe? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimBobTTD Posted December 25, 2010 Share Posted December 25, 2010 I've been following this thread. This is pretty much exactly what I am considering at the moment...I am tempted to ask the two gentlemen above for quotes of my own! Keep us posted. Hope your neck arrives soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rumple Posted December 26, 2010 Author Share Posted December 26, 2010 The neck arrived Christmas Eve! I'll take a couple of snaps of the body and neck sitting together with a glass of port later on Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimBobTTD Posted December 26, 2010 Share Posted December 26, 2010 Nice. What is the body like now that it has been routed for the new pickups? Warmoth, for example, will not do EMG 40-size neck pickups (EMG 40s are 102x38mm) on their top-routed bodies. How big are those pickups? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rumple Posted December 27, 2010 Author Share Posted December 27, 2010 [quote name='JimBobTTD' post='1069597' date='Dec 26 2010, 02:29 PM']Nice. What is the body like now that it has been routed for the new pickups? Warmoth, for example, will not do EMG 40-size neck pickups (EMG 40s are 102x38mm) on their top-routed bodies. How big are those pickups?[/quote] Hi, The pups are Bart sizes and I make then 30mm x 105mm, I guess you could get a Warmouth body without the pick up routing and get it done over here ot in Sweden? but it would probably be easier to get someone like Howard or Lawrence to make you exactly what you want. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimBobTTD Posted December 27, 2010 Share Posted December 27, 2010 Thanks, Rumple. I shall most likely be dropping the good Doctor a line in the New Year, after I have worked out whether I want EMGs or something more vintage. I'm completely torn between the EMG 40P (with that excellent P growl) and old-school Jazz. What made you go for the Nordstrands? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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