MiKro

7 minutes ago, Lumberjack said:

This will be the 378th time I’ve read that in the last few months - I was expecting to hear it again though! One of the books I’ve been reading had a fairly detailed list of instructions for what to do when you get a voltage so high through your arm that you can’t unclench your hand to move it off ... it was written in a way that makes me think the author had some experience in the matter, which I’ll be trying desperately to avoid.

 I remember the first time I modded an amp some years back I was literally sweating from nervousness around the filter capacitors. Fear not, I have a healthy respect for the electron. 

At least you already have that Healthy Respect ingrained as you move forward.

Mike

Just remember that Tube amps have HIGH VOLTAGES. They can kill you.

I'm sure you know the warnings though.

Other than that it is looking good.

MK

I made this some years ago. Maybe this time is the charm?

Jet Jons Jag.

Build here:

SPECS:

3 piece Alder body

Maple Neck, EIR Fretboard 34" scale Tele Headstock

Jag bass redesign by my self.

All redesign, cnc cut by me and finish work by hand.

Finish was done with lacquer and 2 k clear coat.

BadAss 2 bridge,

EMG active pickups w/ three volumes and one master volume control

Hipshot tuners, 1 is a Drop D

Banjo Frets, ( John likes them crisp as he places his fingers on the actual fret, the harmonics on this are a beast)

Sorry I lost many pictures in a HD Crash, so this is the best I have at present, had to get the owner to get me some.. LOL!!! Pictures from the owner John, Gigging ones are John in his Brian Adams Tribute band. This thing rocks. The first Bass I ever built. I let John finish sand the hand, arm and belly carve to suit him. He also wanted to spray the color.  LOL!! Now it is one of the new models I will be using. 

Well I am done with it. started it up with my variac at 80VAC  now at 100VAC and all looks good and I am able to plug it into an amp and it sounds great so far.

 A few more hours of variac time and bringing the voltage up to spec, then totally done and will do all final testing. YEAH!!! So far no magic smoke.

MK

Did the Scsi Mod for the internal 5volts  on the 25th pin of the connector.

mk

Got the digital board and the analog board done as well.

mk

HI all, I am in the process of doing a full electrolytic recap on an Ensoniq TS-10 synth/workstation. Man this is a PITA.

It happens to mine and I have not used it for about 7 years. I decided before I sell it as it sometimes has errors to recap this thing from end to end and fix any other problems I can find and fix.

So far just caps and one "A" key has a problem and I found a replacent key and waiting for it to arrive.

I will also go ahead and do a mod for the scsi board that will allow onboard 5volts for using the newer scsi5.5SD2 board as a plug in unit without outside need of usb power. That requires a 1n5819 schottky diode to be installed. Also be changing the soldered battery which is dying to a new clip in 2032 easy to replace battery.

So this is my day so far.

MK

Coilboards recapped for the keybeds. The new light blue caps

And the PSU using the same type blue plus two that are the black ones.

36 minutes ago, Drak said:

>snip<

It's yours, on the house, as they say.

>snip pics<

 

 

 

NIce one there @Drak. A true gentleman in all of the senses.

MK

Congrats on the GOTM win.

mk

I see you will be going the bolt on way. A good choice based on not having or wanting the equipment to work with the dovetail. When I made acoustics I went to the bolt on direction much easier in my opinion. I tried the dovetail way and it is a very tedious process.

Good luck and stay with it slow for now.

mk

2 hours ago, Bizman62 said:

I'm with that "someone", the top wood simply requires the horns. And since she was born a longhorn, cutting them now... Well, living in the Longhorn State you should know!

@Bizman62, Too funny my friend, thanks for the laugh. I get your point.

I put a light very thinned coat of blonde shellac on to see where any problems may be as far as blotching, scratches and such. It sure changes the color of it. Not great pics but it let's me see my problem areas.  Most will get sanded back and not show but I will need to be careful when I use a clear to not let it get into the grain and color it to dark.  I will test some sealer on scrap first if that wont work then it will be a slow light spray and build up LOL

mk

1 minute ago, Gogzs said:

I'm actually glad this isn't sitting in my shed. One one hand I really love the cut horn drawing, on the other hand, the way it sits now, it's such an oddly beautiful instrument... hammer frets in, varnish it and enjoy. Looking forward to see whatever you'll do with this

@Gogzs,Funny you say that, as I too think it would be better looking as a cut horn. I have someone that wants it when done as it is, so I will just continue on with it and leave it alone. LOL

Mike

8 hours ago, Gogzs said:

Uh uh, I really wanted to see this just being finished and playable, but I love the cut horn look, I say go for it. Nice job on the neck joint. 

Also, as for the recesses for the pickup rings, how feasible would it be to make em from ash and have them flush with the body? The build looks so nice and clean, I wouldn't want to disturb the front with pickup rings of any colour. 

My thought s back then were to make custom rings from black ebony. Still on the fence with this process.

9 hours ago, Bizman62 said:

LOL! So you already have a guitar that's way better than most of those on the upper shelves and you're not happy to leave it that way...

Makes me think that you must be an artist of sorts. That reminds me about Terry Pratchett whose books had to be ripped off his hands to be published - he always found something that required changing or at least adding something.

No I am just picky as hell. I never finished this one for reasons that I was not happy with the way it was looking then. Now, I am rethinking the whole thing. LOL

mk

If I were to cut the horns I can just plug the ends. This should keep most of the wood as is. then since I plan on a cheruse black finish on the back do a slight black burst to the cap and then go from there?

mk

Making a bridge doctor was the right call. The side to side variance is most likely the radius built in to it.  It does look like a lot though? Most I have seen are in the 40ft min to up to 80 ft radius. Very few actual flat tops made in the past century if I am not mistaken? Then again I am old and my brain is fried to a crispy critter at times. LOL.

Looking good,

MK

I am thinking maybe to cut the horns back like my Cut Horn series style? Problem is I will have to cap the ends as the chamber goes into the area of the cuts.

Then I would have to do a burst with solid color sides? Hmm, Have to think on that one. It is doable though.

I need to look at it in 3dCAD first. Maybe narrow the lower bout some as well?I think I can remove about 0.25" in that area if I am careful.

mk

13 minutes ago, ScottR said:

Yep, that's looking better.

SR

Your hands often know better than your eyes.

SR

I agree, the way it was, it was more like a Strat Transistion ( bumpy step ). Now it has some flow not exactly what I would like but still 100% better than before. I took a little more off and it is better. Will revisit it in a day or so. I think I need to work on the pickup ring problem next. LOL

mk

@ScottR So I took it back some more. I cannot go much farther as this is a fully chambered body with thin walls. I am afraid I will break through if I continue to bring back the hand cutouts any more.  It weighs in at 4lbs 2 oz currently. That was me weighing it with me on the scales. I think it is less than that. Well I am taking a little more off. Damn I wish I could find my card scraper. So much easier to control on flame maple than a rasp.

It is getting much better though, not blunt like it was. Much more pleasant of a feel. I knew I did not like the original shape I had at the transisition. LOL

Mike

41 minutes ago, ScottR said:

Mike, I would transition the curve of the neck carve further up to where it joins the body, even feathering it into the back side of the cutaways.

I personally like inset pickup rings because it allow me more flexibility with the body carve. As long as I don't get into the base of the inset, I can carve up into the pickup area and still have a flat level spot to mount the rings.

SR

Thanks Scott, looking at the neck join I don't have a lot of material so I can only go into it a small amount more. I am taking it slow as my design back then is far from what I do now. Having to look at my old work is rather spooky. LOL

MK

11 minutes ago, ScottR said:

 

Thanks Mike.

She's looking dangerous then?

She often looks totally different to me when I post the pictures than she does when I've been turning her around in my hands all day.

Perspective, I guess. Her head looks much more strangely proportioned in the pictures. But what the hell, she's a gnome. There's not a damn thing about her that is reasonably proportioned.

SR

Annie is looking Dangerous. Remember that. LOL!!!  WHOOP WHOOP. 

I am thinking about the lady in the Red Dress mixed with the Suicide Blonde.

She is looking great Scott.

mk

So I have been sanding the rasp marks out of the neck transition and moving it back some more. A slow process. It is looking better and feeling better as well. A lot more to do here before I move on to other issues.

mk

So some of the things I don't like.

First is the neck to body transition, It is too blunt. I am deciding how to tackle that one first? I may steam out the neck or do an inlay of some sort with the cnc to add more wood and redo the transition?

Next I am not sold on the head stock shape anymore? May have to rethink that as well?

Pickup rings are another problem area. I recessed them and now I am rethinking that idea.

Any good suggestions  are welcome.

My first thought is to get some reference points so I can put it on my CNC and know exactly where I am again. So I will have to make some jigs for that. So using the 6 string through holes I can base everything from those points. This will give me an X and Y I can then use and apply to my original CAD drawings to check all cut areas that were done by CNC years ago. I also have a reference hole in the bridge pickup area for center line.  Using these I can then triangulate the position. LOL

I have other builds on the table as well but this one needs to get done.

MK

Okay, I have been shamed the past few months for letting this one linger for so long. I have officially started back on it again for the forth time. LOL

It was sitting back in the corner of the shop patiently waiting on me and my stubborn ass to move forward with this one again.

So I will do my best to not let my earlier issues with this one bother me anymore and get it done.

I started sanding again and figured out what fret size I used. LOL!!! Need to sand more, make a cover, pickup rings, and install frets.

mk