Friday, October 5, 2012
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Bass guitar build Post #33
IT'S ALIVE!!!!!
Doing some finishing work. Yesterday and today I spent a few hours filing, shaping, and fitting the nut.
Rough fitting...
More filing and rounding...
Final fit.
Barely any adjustment to the truss rod and the action is looking really good. The neck was damn near perfectly flat/straight. I guess I did something right along the way. Still have to adjust the bridge and intonate the strings.
Tuned up and wiring tested. Sounds pretty damn good. After the intonation/bridge adjustments all that is left is one pesky switch (I bypassed it for now) which is on back order.
Rough fitting...
More filing and rounding...
Final fit.
Barely any adjustment to the truss rod and the action is looking really good. The neck was damn near perfectly flat/straight. I guess I did something right along the way. Still have to adjust the bridge and intonate the strings.
Tuned up and wiring tested. Sounds pretty damn good. After the intonation/bridge adjustments all that is left is one pesky switch (I bypassed it for now) which is on back order.
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Bass guitar build Post #32
Buffing completed and hardware installation underway.
Soldering leads to the input jack.
Input jack installed.
Finished recessed input jack.
Installed dedicated volume knobs for each pickup as well as a concentric knob (bottom of the knob controls bass and the top controls treble) for the on board preamp.
Wiring so far. Waiting on a switch before I can finish up the electronics and test it out.
Nut blank in place. Still have to file the string slots and shape the nut.
Barring any issues with parts being shipped or electronics giving me a hard time this should be finished up within the next week or so.
Soldering leads to the input jack.
Input jack installed.
Finished recessed input jack.
Installed dedicated volume knobs for each pickup as well as a concentric knob (bottom of the knob controls bass and the top controls treble) for the on board preamp.
Wiring so far. Waiting on a switch before I can finish up the electronics and test it out.
Nut blank in place. Still have to file the string slots and shape the nut.
Barring any issues with parts being shipped or electronics giving me a hard time this should be finished up within the next week or so.
Friday, August 31, 2012
Bass guitar build Post #31
It has been a while since I posted. The main reason behind that is the length of time it takes to build up the finish on this bass and the sanding that needs to be done between applications. I have finally finished buffing out the final 18th coat of clear, sanded the fretboard to 600 grit and oiled it, and started assembly.
There are issues with the finish (which irritates the hell out of me). I will never again use this product. Following the manufacturers instructions precisely did not put me in a happy place. Curing times were incorrect and subsequent coats did not merge with the previous coats properly. There is a little haziness in spots below the surface that is infuriating. Perhaps some day I will strip it back to bare wood and redo the finish but at this point I just want to finish the project and play this instrument.
Final buffing completed on the face of the bass.
Fretboard sanded and oiled.
From a distance of a foot or so the finish looks great. Nice reflections from the top coat.
Assembly begun. If all goes smoothly I should have this beast put together in short order. I still have to shape and file the nut as well as set up the bridge, intonation, and truss rod adjustment which will take a little while to fine tune.
There are issues with the finish (which irritates the hell out of me). I will never again use this product. Following the manufacturers instructions precisely did not put me in a happy place. Curing times were incorrect and subsequent coats did not merge with the previous coats properly. There is a little haziness in spots below the surface that is infuriating. Perhaps some day I will strip it back to bare wood and redo the finish but at this point I just want to finish the project and play this instrument.
Final buffing completed on the face of the bass.
Fretboard sanded and oiled.
From a distance of a foot or so the finish looks great. Nice reflections from the top coat.
Assembly begun. If all goes smoothly I should have this beast put together in short order. I still have to shape and file the nut as well as set up the bridge, intonation, and truss rod adjustment which will take a little while to fine tune.
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Bass guitar build Post #30
Yep, I am still working on the finish. Just a quick update. After about 6 hours of scuffing back the last 3 coats, the final coats (16-18) have been applied to the bass. The cavity cover has already cured and is being buffed out. Just a few minor scratches left to remove.
Monday, August 13, 2012
Bass guitar build Post #29
Not much to show. Finish has been leveled and coats 13-15 have been sprayed. I just have to sand and apply the final 3 coats before I can sand/buff it out to a high gloss. Can't touch it now until thursday so it will be a little while before the final coats go on.
Thursday, August 2, 2012
Bass guitar build Post #28
Headstock faceplate leveled and buffed to 12000 grit. Barring any major defects I think I will be ok with 12 coats.
The bright spots in this photo are the flood lights in my garage ceiling.
The bright spots in this photo are the flood lights in my garage ceiling.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
