Wademeister Posted August 20, 2004 Author Report Share Posted August 20, 2004 Where did you get your truss rod again? LMI? Bingo! I don't think I had mentioned where I got it though. How did you know, to they whack stuff with the truss rods there so they're bent before they send them out? hahah! Ok so sounds like the quick and simple way for this is to just run it on the table saw. And for lengthwise location, I guess I should align the end of the adjustment socket with the tuner side of the nut. Sound about like the usual location? Oh, and doggone Rock City doesn't have the P5J in stock. 3 weeks lead time they say. And Charlie is on vacation this week. 3 weeks! I could be dead by then! I just have no patience whatsoever. I might break down and buy the ones I found online even though they are more expensive. Or an alternative if anyone knows of something cheap good and versatile all at the same time... I'm thinking of putting my 4 string on Ebay instead of using it for a donor. The 5 I bought was going to be great since I could use all the hardware including the bridge, but I'm keeping that one and the electronics are all I'll use from the 4. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
litchfield Posted August 20, 2004 Report Share Posted August 20, 2004 Grrr. That sucks. The online one wasnt a terrible deal tho Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Setch Posted August 20, 2004 Report Share Posted August 20, 2004 If you glue with titebond you'll have to clamp a good straight piece of wood or metal bar to the neck whilst it sets. I've had problems with the water in titebond inducing a backbow in my necks, which is set in as the glue dries, and I recall others on here having the same trouble. I plan to use epoxy from now on (on the advice of a *very* experienced MIMFer) to avoid this problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skibum5545 Posted August 24, 2004 Report Share Posted August 24, 2004 I'd get the P5J set from Guitar Center, if they stock it. I got the 4-string EMG PJ set for my bass from guitar center, and for a really reasonable price too. I'd call them up and see what they have in stock. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wademeister Posted August 26, 2004 Author Report Share Posted August 26, 2004 Oooohh, I got a bad case of Ebay-itis. I need to take that thing off my bookmarks! Bought some pickups anyway. Would have been the P-J set if I found any going for a nice price, but I think these will do just fine. I like the look of the soapbars better if all other things are reasonably equal. So if you know about these I'd like to see what you have to say! Tons of Jazz pickup info on the web, not so much on these things, darnit. Bartolini XX M55C-T & M55C-B set 5 STRING bass pickups I think I'll order a Bartonlini preamp too since I expect it should be well matched to those pickups. I'm thinking of getting this one: 3.3 A/P - Click here for layout diagram 2 Pickup - 3 knob configuration Oh yeah, and my myrtlewood arrived today! I pretty well did all I was comfortable doing without that. Now back to work! Controls: - Volume (w/Active-Passive Push-Pull) - Blend - Treble/Bass stack. 3.3 A/P - In Stock! - $100 - [ Add to cart ] since it has only 3 knobs and the price is decent from bestbassgear.com. So if I'm an idiot for going that way just say so, I can take it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
litchfield Posted August 26, 2004 Report Share Posted August 26, 2004 No clue about the bartonolinis, but FWIW Flea used them and gets great tone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skibum5545 Posted August 26, 2004 Report Share Posted August 26, 2004 Bartolinis are INSANELY good pickups. You found an incredible deal there. Also, consider Aguilar preamps as well as bartolinis. They're just as good, and although I don't know about the controls layouts, you might get some more options with a second brand to look at. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wademeister Posted September 4, 2004 Author Report Share Posted September 4, 2004 Looks like I'll be going with this Bartolini preamp: 4.6 A/P - Click here for layout diagram 2 Pickup - 4 knob configuration Controls: - Volume (with Acitve/Passive push-pull) - Blend - Mid (push pull freq selector) - Treble/Bass Stack. I like the layout and the active/passive ability of it. Also I can get it with chrome knobs which I wanted rather then the usual black that I've seen. The Bart has everything I want. Well, I would like to have a stacked volume/blend but I haven't seen that option available anywhere so I gave up on that! So far since last post I have cut the truss rod channel, made a peghead veneer from my myrtlewood board, glued it up and cut the peghead. Laminated my topwood to some mahogany and glued the wings onto the neck. This weekend I'll taper the neck, make the fingerboard and glue that on with epoxy. Next up will be cutting the basic body shape, control cavity and pickup sockets, but I need to get my preamp and pots before I do that step. What's left after that? Contour the body and back of the neck and it's ready for finish right? I'll post some more pics soon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ford Posted September 6, 2004 Report Share Posted September 6, 2004 I got one of those Ibanez Ergodyne basses too. I get good snap/warmth/punch out of it... though I dont know if I'd buy it again. I'd probably go with a wooden one. The Ibanez doesnt hold up to my 4001 Rick one bit, I love that thing! Love the bass... bass... thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wademeister Posted September 6, 2004 Author Report Share Posted September 6, 2004 The Ibanez doesnt hold up to my 4001 Rick one bit, I love that thing! I'm with ya Ford, I'll probably sell the Ibanez once the fish is all done. I might look for a Rick or something like that for growly sounding stuff. I don't think the one I'm building will have a very edgy sound being fretless and using flatwounds and all. We shall see! While on Vacation, I picked up some strings from a big music store. LaBella Deep Talkin' bass strings. Black nylon tape wound... I heard they are great from the TalkBass forums, but as I checked them out I found they are too short for a 35" scale! I'm not sure at this point if I'm going to change the plan over to 34" or if I'm going to buy the extra long set. I may not like these strings when everything is put together, and it seems that having a 35" scale limits string choices about as much as having 5 strings instead of 4. 35" 5 string flatwound sets seem to be sort of uncommon from what I've been able to find so far. Then again I may go with roundwounds...decisions decisions. Here's where the project stands right now. Body and head are cut out, waiting on my preamp and electroncsso I can rout the pockets for everything and carve the body countours. I really like the way the grain came out in that the fish body lines work with the wood grain and the figure works well for the fish scale effect. The peghead veneer came out right for the tail I think too. I really hate that I got one of the neck lams out of position but I'm tempted to use a clear finish on the back of the neck anyway. I'll have to see how it all looks when the coutours are done. So far overall I'm very happy with the way the project is going and especially relieved that it will be comfortable to play while sitting. My knee fits right between the lower fins just like I hoped! Even with the square cut edges, it doesn't dig into my ribs, so it should really feel great when all the body contours are done. The pics! The back will be hollow contoured down to the neck. Love the way the grain and flame lined up! Is it the head or the tail?! Good grain again. Close but no cigar. Already looks like a fish! More wood grain. I never get enough of this stuff! Even looks the right size for a bass! Guitar that is... I come from Alabama with a bass-o on my knee....*groan* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigtommyb Posted September 6, 2004 Report Share Posted September 6, 2004 hahahhaha Looking good! im really looking foward to this 1!! BigT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skibum5545 Posted September 7, 2004 Report Share Posted September 7, 2004 Man, seeing this thing going from CAD to real life is truly amazing! I like what you've done with it so far, and I can't wait to see this thing really come to fruition. By the way, how thick is that body?!! On a similar note, how much does that thing weigh? Looks like you might have caught yourself a 20-pounder (yeah, we all know that sucker was THIIIIIIIIS big (outstreches arms)!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wademeister Posted September 7, 2004 Author Report Share Posted September 7, 2004 By the way, how thick is that body?!! On a similar note, how much does that thing weigh? Looks like you might have caught yourself a 20-pounder (yeah, we all know that sucker was THIIIIIIIIS big (outstreches arms)!) Haha! It's not that bad really. It's 1.84" thick at the moment, or a hair under 1-7/8. I don't have a fish scale handy but it looks like about 7.5 on my bathroom scales. Hopefully it will end up under 10 when complete. I have quite a bit of wood to take off still, but have to add the fingerboard, tuners, bridge, pickups(heavy ones!) electronics, knobs and some pretty substantial strings. It may be pretty close! Better go weigh the stuff I have that isn't on yet I guess... As a point of reference, the Ibanez comes in at 10.5 on my bath scale. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
litchfield Posted September 7, 2004 Report Share Posted September 7, 2004 Lookin great! I love it. Thats one huge fish.....and it aint the one that got away! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mushy the shroom Posted September 17, 2004 Report Share Posted September 17, 2004 If no one already said this, call it the BASS GUITAR.. bass pronounced like ass. But with a b.. you know.. like the fish? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluespresence Posted September 17, 2004 Report Share Posted September 17, 2004 While on Vacation, I picked up some strings from a big music store. LaBella Deep Talkin' bass strings. Black nylon tape wound... I heard they are great from the TalkBass forums I found the tapewounds to be too "sticky" for fingerstyle. I know a lot of people love them so my opinion is not worth much....just thought I'd mention it. Maybe you can find a bass at a store that has them on it and give them a try. I did like the tone, just not how they stuck to my fingers. If you play with a pick you may not have any trouble at all - I can't play pick style so I'm stuck with my fingers. I ended up taking mine off after a few days and replacing them. BTW very nice work on the bass....bass. Great creativity!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wademeister Posted September 17, 2004 Author Report Share Posted September 17, 2004 I found the tapewounds to be too "sticky" for fingerstyle I'll have to be sure to have a burger and fries before I play, lol. I honestly don't know much at all about those strings, or fretless bass in general. Best way to find out though is to investigate! I'm hoping to make some more headway this weekend. I have the preamp, pickups, knobs, tuners...everything but the bridge and I'm making that too so there's nothing holding me back at this point! Well, nothing but time and energy. Had a nasty cold this week and haven't felt like doing anything but napping =P. Yes, I will be the bass (B+ass) player for my band. No, don't tell me how to say it, just look at the instrument. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wademeister Posted October 2, 2004 Author Report Share Posted October 2, 2004 I'm still working on it! I set out to carve the top today and am just about there. I started off with a surform file but the myrtle grain loves to tear out so I stopped that. I broke out the angle die grinder with some 60 grit 2 inch disks and tore into it! The wood is pretty soft and came off fast. After getting the contour as good as I figured I was going to get with the grinder, I went to 80 grit sandpaper on a rubber block. I'm pretty happy with it so far although when I set it up to look at the shadows I found a few spots still needing some work. It's finally starting to look like what I had in mind! I think I need a tripod to get a decent pic of it since the shutter stays open so long in the low light. That's the best pic I could get. What looks like a gap where the lower jaw topwood meets then neck is just a dark grain. I was very happy to see how tight the joints all are since sanding off the raw outsides. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skibum5545 Posted October 2, 2004 Report Share Posted October 2, 2004 Man, this thing just keeps getting better! What's next? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wademeister Posted October 2, 2004 Author Report Share Posted October 2, 2004 What's next? I'm not sure! That's what slows me up so much, deciding what I should do at each stage. I'm thinking at the moment that I should put the side markers in the fingerboard and attach it. The way the contours are going now I need to work up to the fingerboard and I don't want to take a chance on undercutting it somewhere. After it's on I can tape up the edge of it and run a sanding block right up against the tape if I want. Oh yeah! After it's on I'll be able to get my pickup and bridge height worked out so I can rout those too. Fingerboard next I'm sure! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Setch Posted October 3, 2004 Report Share Posted October 3, 2004 Beyond cool. Aint nothin' slowing you down, it's just reigning you in. You need to keep it in your pants until you know where to point it, and you're doing that perfectly. This whole project rocks because it's so silly, but it's being done so well that you can't help but be in awe. Wade, you RULE! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wademeister Posted October 3, 2004 Author Report Share Posted October 3, 2004 Setch makin me blush over here I really don't know if would be turning out as cool as it is if I hadn't seen the progress of the bouncing Paul. That is truly an awe inspiring piece and I hope the bass will turn out even half as nice. Since the last pic I drilled a 1/16" hole about 3/32" deep near each end of the fingerboard. I pressed a pin in each hole and cut them with the wire cutters to leave sharp points. Set the fingerboard where it needs to go and pushed firmly where the pins are to mark the neck, then drilled on the marks. I don't know if that's a standard method for locating fingerboards or what, but I can now lay this one on exact location and it won't slide at all. On the way home tonight I picked up some epoxy (yep, Setch said use epoxy), Yeehaw! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slabbefusk Posted October 3, 2004 Report Share Posted October 3, 2004 Wademeister you rule Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
american_jesus Posted October 3, 2004 Report Share Posted October 3, 2004 lookin good wade! very nice carving... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aeli Posted October 4, 2004 Report Share Posted October 4, 2004 AAARGH! Can't look at that fingerboard! Did you finish it or something? It shines.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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