Pablos RC-4

[pablopepper]

It's here and looking way better than I had imagined. :D Really happy with the quality of the kit. As with all of my builds, this will probably be a long process as I have a few mods that I need to get my head around. Let's take a look, shall we?
http://i.imgur.com/lkoVs9H.jpg?1
Nice.

First thing I noticed, I don't think that fretboard is rosewood. It is quite a bit darker than any other rosewood I have. I'm sure someone will have a better opinion than mine, but is that ebony?
http://i.imgur.com/buXN6Gq.jpg
Top is the neck from my IB-1 for comparison.

Have to point out the quality of the cut going on here. Not even a hint of tearout anywhere on the body. I might have just been lucky and got the first or second body cut with a brand new router bit or the factory is getting better. Either way, I'm pretty happy.
http://i.imgur.com/iaVNr2G.jpg

Mod number 1. I've had this Fender humbucker sitting around since half way through last year and I think this is probably the best use for it. So, there is some routing to be done. Shouldn't be too difficult.
http://i.imgur.com/IlnZAGD.jpg

All in all, this is a fantastic new kit. Pitbull has come through with the goods once again. Got some research to do on staining ash and a few little surprises up my sleeve to nut out, but happy to be working on a new project.

[gavinturner]

Looks amazing Pablo! Will be following your build with keen interest. This kit is definitely at the top of my to-do list!

cheers,
Gav.

[wokkaboy]

wow Pablo looks awesome, nice kit mate, sometimes the factory manufactures a faultless kit so you scored big time. Look forward to seeing the mods and plans for the future !

[jarrod]

or man that is sexy as . I can't wait to see the progress Pab

[Timsan]

Looking good, mate! Can't wait to see how this one comes up.

[pablopepper]

Warning: Hardware porn

This week has seen the arrival of my hardware orders. So happy. :D

The choice of bridge took way longer than I'd have imagined. Originally, I planned on using a ridgy didge Rickenbacker bridge, but as I discovered the string spacing is wrong. Rick basses have a 2" spacing where as this one is 2.5". Doh. After that, to say I looked at every other bridge on the market wouldn't be far from the truth. Badass, Hipshot, Babitz and the KSM foundation were all in the running, but I finally ended up with a Kahler 7440.
http://i.imgur.com/9FMdfhsh.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/IeUNpjV.jpg
Solid steel, each saddle has an unbelievable range of movement (side to side, back to front and up and down), all moving parts lock down for stability, vibration transfer and no rattly springs. In short, the ultimate bass bridge. :P

For the neck pickup, I had my eye on a TV Jones Thunder’Mag but at almost $200 after shipping couldn't justify it. Decided on a Gretsch Filtertron (still made by TV Jones but half the price).
http://i.imgur.com/ZDNvNgDh.jpg
Oddly enough, these have six pole pieces like a guitar pickup but I have been assured that this is normal.

I also picked up a couple of bone nut blanks.
http://i.imgur.com/WlGReFkh.jpg
One for this and the other for my TL-1. I might be a little over my head with this idea, but what the hell, fortune favours the bold or something.

[bargeloobs]

That Gretch! Goddam, talk about bits n pieces porn alright. That bridge is hella sexy too. This is shaping up to be a one sick hotrod.

[wokkaboy]

nice hardware Pabs, thanks for the porn warning !
should sound very nice when its finished.

[ihasmario]

I reckon the fingerboard is 'ebonized' (fancy word for stained dark) rosewood, could be wrong though. Usually ebony has a very tight grain, and I think the grain is very similar to the rosewood here. I've only seen/touched high grade ebony that is 'finished' though, so it could be that...

Sweet looking kit.

[gavinturner]

Love the hardware mods Pablo! She's going to sound amazing when you are done!

Cheers,
Gav.

[lawry]

Yeah. What they said. The bridge setup in particular has me intrigued. Cool bit of kit, Pabs!

[pablopepper]

If your interested, here's a video demo of the bridge.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2eO3TwrhIM
Demo guy strikes me as a massive douchebag, but it gets the point across. I have high mass bridges on all my basses now, one of the best upgrades you can make IMHO.

[Fretworn]

Man, I really want to get one of these kits. I better get off my butt and sell my old Kramer P-bass.

[pablopepper]

Massive colouring fail. I've been searching for the right shade of blue for about a month now. Thought I had it, I was wrong.

Here's how this stain is advertised on the sellers page.
http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/NDAwWDY3NQ==/z/52sAAOSwbqpTxKei/$_12.JPG

Here's how it looks for me after three coats.
http://i.imgur.com/yjl1ejs.jpg

Sure it's a different wood, I didn't expect exactly the same, but I expected close. That is nowhere near close. The search continues.....

[west0288]

Oh man, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you've been duped... :(

That build was by a blogger. He used printer's ink to achieve the look there. Incredible axe when he finished it.

http://fredyen.com/diy-les-paul-guitar-kit-part-2-staining-the-guitar/

Maybe you could have a go with something along similar lines? You never know, might be just the colour you're looking for! :D

[pablopepper]

Dang, Brodie. Top bit of internet detective work. 100 internet points to you.

Thanks heaps for that link, I'll definitely look into that.

[west0288]

Haha! No detective work. :P

I happened to have already looked at his build before I ever started any of my own. His success was a bit of my inspiration for having a crack, because that LP is phenomenal. Thus, I've never forgotten it. :)

But yes, ink could definitely be an option for that really rich blue you want. Plus, non-toxic and you can vary your intensity with water. Keen to see what you come up with mate. If your other builds are anything to go by, it will undoubtedly be quality. ;)

[pablopepper]

Just realised I've watched that video before too! Damn my addled brain.

[wokkaboy]

where is that blue stain from Pablo ? 3 coats and its got no depth at all.
Send DB and email and see how he's going with Dingotone bondi blue

[pablopepper]

Wokka, I'm not proud about this, but let's just say one of Pitbull's direct competitors. Not gonna make that mistake again. Pretty damn unhappy. At least I didn't put it on the guitar.

[wokkaboy]

no worries Pablo, oh well lesson learnt and as you say at least you don't have to sand back the body/headstock.
Did you look at Stewmac colortone or from memory may have been a compatibility problem ?

[pablopepper]

It was advertised as Stewmac Colortone......

[west0288]

OH! I know exactly where you got it from!

I ordered three stains from there (a red, a blue, and a black) assuming it would be ridgy didge Colortone, just repackaged for Aus. When they arrived, they were a pre-watered down mess. Went through all of the red and all the blue trying to get the depth I wanted on the SG (see below). $45 for coloured water was not a fair deal in my books. Left reviews on all three stains for 3 stars, saying genuinely why I thought they were useless, and the administrators of the page refused to post them! Talk about dodgy!

I will never, ever order from them again, and I always hold my breath when someone on here says they are purchasing something there. :/

http://i.imgur.com/AbCBMC8.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/bM0yukn.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/e8acaab.jpg

Never buy this stain! False advertising at it's worst:
http://www.diyguitars.com.au/product/blue-colortone-stain/

If only they had posted the review(s), then you would have been somewhat pre-warned Pabs... :(

[pablopepper]

Dude was pretty cool with me. He said he'd just taken over the business and was using the pics that were already there. He was quick to offer a refund.

I did send him that link, so I guess we'll see.

[west0288]

Yeah, nice. Glad there is a positive coming out of it for you. :)

[lunaticthighs]

Glad I just read this thread. I was thinking of trying that guys stuff for a future build. You guys just saved me time and money cheers.

[Brendan]

Funny - the bloke has also copied (traced) the Putbull wiring diagrams as well. There seems to be an originality gap as he's even copied the mistakes that I made with the look of some of the components.

[pablopepper]

Shady. Very shady. He is still using the same pic on ebay and his site even though I let him know exactly where the original pic came from and he was able to send me example pics of how his stain came out (badly; surprise, surprise).

Anyway, to more pleasant subjects. Grain filling.

My first experience with Timbermate has been a very positive one. Easy to use, great result. I used a lighter shade than the wood to hopefully brighten the colour.

Before:
http://i.imgur.com/u6aHIP6.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/YClwThg.jpg

After:
http://i.imgur.com/86hfbqQ.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/OjYcDhw.jpg

Smoooooooth.

Dropped in to Officeworks to get some stamp pad ink ala Brodie's suggestion and accidentally picked up 'flash stamp ink' which stubbornly refuses to mix with water. Oh well. Read the freaking label next time! Tried some out on my tester anyway. Whoa, as a proof of concept, I am freaking out about this colour.
http://i.imgur.com/jjtiqrY.jpg
It's perfect!

[wokkaboy]

wow Pabs the grain filling has really highlighted the grain and that shade of blue looks what your after, good score ! Look forward to seeing a coat go on the body and neck

[stan]

Awesome Craig- like green, we need more blue guitars, and this will be a beaut

[pablopepper]

Agreed Stan. Just realised this is my third blue build! Couldn't go past blue for the RC though. This has been the background image on my phone for about a year and the main influence colour wise.
http://www.buzzardsbass.com/bass-guitars/rickenbacker/Rickenbacker%204003,%20Blue%20Burst.jpg

But when we talk influence, who could go past Haruko Haruhara...
http://static2.minitokyo.net/view/18/25/228768.jpg
The real reason I have coveted a blue Ric bass for almost 10 years.

[west0288]

Oooo yeah, baby!

That colour has come up a treat! Keen to see it on the actual guitar now. :D

[pablopepper]

Routing for jazz humbucker done. Not gonna lie, that was terrifying.
http://i.imgur.com/XwgFmmv.jpg
Still might need to dremel out the corners slightly, but the scary part is over now. Phew!

[wokkaboy]

nice job Pablo, yes using a router is terrifying !

[pablopepper]

I use routers daily, so I don't usually have a problem with them. Just didn't want my template to move or drop the bastard. This really should have been my first job.

[wokkaboy]

yer fair enough Pablo, as you have already put a grain sealer on and sanded the body.
All good the stressful part is done !

[pablopepper]

The carpet tape I used to stick the template down pulled a bit if the grain out, so there's still some work to be done. In hindsight, I should have made the template bigger and used clamps. Live and learn.

[wokkaboy]

hell yeah, I'd only use a router with the template clamped. Hope you didn't tear too much grain out !
is it the white mark on the top of the bottom horn ?

[gavinturner]

Looking awesome Craig! I love your inspiration, and the blue ink is looking like it just might get you there!! Gonna look superb when the colour goes on dude!

cheers,
Gav.

[bargeloobs]

That rout looks like it was there all along, sweet!

[jarrod]

Geez pab that colour is gonna look sweet man. Been thinking about a ricky myself.

[pablopepper]

Cheers guys. Wokka, only pulled a few tiny bits you wouldn't be able to see and that white mark is just a smudge of timbermate, gone now.

Since there's been a bit of interest in the templates etc. Here's a just before pic.
http://i.imgur.com/nKpW1Nw.jpg
Because this rout will be completely exposed, if I buggered it up it would have meant going with a solid colour or improvising some sort of cover neither of which I want to do. Still have to carve out the corners a little to get the pickup to fit. Fingers crossed.

[wokkaboy]

nice work Pablo, love the idea of a clear router baseplate so you can see what you are cutting. Next time make the template 3 or 4 times bigger so you can clamp it !

[pablopepper]

Alrighty, exciting progress!

First up, I carved out the corners ever so slightly so now the pickup fits very snug. Happy times.
http://i.imgur.com/hpYf39K.jpg
Not totally perfect, but good enough.

Shielded the cavity with conductive paint.
http://i.imgur.com/yOHZ3HK.jpg
After a final sand, ready for colour.

First go around with the ink. I was going to thin it out with some water, but that never got me a colour I was happy with. So, straight ink.
http://i.imgur.com/8Tf4gWn.jpg
This was the last of the sunlight for the day, so it's the best pic. Promising.

It was a still a tad too light, so after a couple of hours, I hit it with another round but only on the outside and then feathered it into the middle for a subtle burst.
http://i.imgur.com/y3jxETG.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/h9yS1T9.jpg
Crappy pics under a flouro light so the colour is not too accurate, but it's darker and I'm quite pleased with the result. I'll see if I can get a better pic in daylight this afternoon.

A nasty surprise confronted me when I pulled up the tape though.
http://i.imgur.com/kvlDijx.jpg
Ouch. I'm using 3m painters tape, but it might be getting a bit old. Must be more careful from now on. But, this pic has the best representation of the actual colour.

Tonight I will scrape the binding and possibly put one coat of tru oil on to seal it before masking again and fixing the damage. :)

[bargeloobs]

Jeez that cavity is clean as a whistle pabs, beautiful. That blues damn stunning too, what's the plans for the back?

[pablopepper]

Thanks mate. Back will be the same as the front.

[wokkaboy]

looks awesome Pablo, glad the ink worked out, so your going to do another colour coat to deepen the blue ?

[gavinturner]

Really awesome colour Pabs. Got me very interested in using ink now! Thus is going to be a killer bass!

Cheers,
Gav.

[jarrod]

That is a fricken outrageous colour Pab, gonna look stunning.

[west0288]

That is sweet as mate! Stunning colour. :)

I'm glad the ink suggestion worked out for you. Now I've finally helped you out, to start making up for all your helpful suggestions for me! :D

[pablopepper]

Cheers fellas. Brodie, you are a frickin champ. The ink has been a tremendous success. It is the easiest stain I've ever used. I highly recommend giving it a go, Gav. It is close to idiot proof to apply. Uploading some more pics to imgur atm. :D

[stan]

Great job Craig, very neat work and the blue is just right

[wokkaboy]

Pablo can you please post a pic of the ink you used ? wouldn't mind giving it a crack sometime !

[pablopepper]

Here you go Wokka.
http://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/wc-prod-pim/JPEG_300x300/JA0315BE_deskmate_d_mate_stamp_pad_ink_rf_50ml_be_ blue.jpg
About $10 from officeworks. Probably enough to do two guitars.

[wokkaboy]

cheers Pablo, look forward to seeing yours after clear coats. Will you be using naughty room oil ?

[pablopepper]

Indeed Wokka, will be starting tonight.

Made some good progress last night. Cleaned up the binding.
http://i.imgur.com/MXecDSO.jpg

Masked off the front and hit the back and sides with more ink.
http://i.imgur.com/mgIDJyy.jpg
Some of it ended up a little green, nothing off-putting though. The back has come out a bit darker than the front, unintentionally, but works really well. Happy little accident.

Masked off the face of the headstock and coloured that too.
http://i.imgur.com/UX0qKhz.jpg

And started messing about with designs for the truss cover. Went through a few ideas, from really tame...
http://i.imgur.com/8EhXqqV.jpg
to a little bit crazy...
http://i.imgur.com/f3uvhym.jpg
which I really like. I think this will be the basis for the end product.

Then managed to put it all together for a peek at how it will end up looking. I'm gonna keep those pics to myself though. You guys are gonna have to wait. :)

Also ordered the last few bits and pieces like smaller footprint tuners and a 3 ply pickguard blank. Applying the tru oil, polishing and setting the neck should keep me occupied until they arrive. Things are happening!

[west0288]

Looking schweet! The ink even takes to Rock Maple nicely, which can often be a problem with other stains.

I reckon that second truss cover looks a bit like a massive tongue. :P
Kinda quirky, which I like.

Keen to see this baby done!

[wokkaboy]

wow Pablo love how this is turning out. Another GOTM major contender I can see in my crystal ball !
How many coats of ink did you put on the front and back/sides ?

[bargeloobs]

Damn that's looking nice, I love the vibrancy of the headstock, what colour tuners you thinking about?

[pablopepper]

Thanks guys.

@Brodie. Haha, yep now I can't see anything but a tongue! I've still got plenty of time to refine the shape of it, but maybe I should call it 'bluetongue'. Lol.
@Wokka. One and a half on the front and one on the back. The wood just sort of stops taking any more ink when everything is covered evenly, the excess just rubs off. It's a bit odd, but it makes it dead easy to come back 10 minutes later and fix spots you missed first time around. My 'subtle' burst has faded to almost nonexistent.
@Barge. Tuners are just a fairly simple chrome number. Had to do something a little different from the old elephant ears.

[lunaticthighs]

Sexy colour man. Gonna be killer when complete, can't wait to see it all shiny.

[vh2580]

That colour just jumps out at you, that is going to look sweet as when complete.

[jarrod]

Pab might sound like a dumb arse question but does the ink dry to the point of rubbing and no ink comes off.

[pablopepper]

Not a dumb question at all Jarrod, because as I found out this afternoon, no. After scraping the binding, I had a slight blue tinge to my hand. No smudges though, I guess by it's nature it's supposed to stay a bit damp. I was a bit worried that the tru oil would make the colour run, but seems to have worked well.

[gavinturner]

Looking absolutely stunning Pabs. Interested to see how the blue stands up under the Tru-oil. I did a Turquoise top recently and the amber in the Tru-oil turned it basically green. Just something to be aware of. Looking at Fred Yen's build though it didn't seem to happen to him.

cheers,
Gav.

[pablopepper]

All good so far, Gav. I think ash has a tendency to green a bit under blue and there are greenish patches but nothing I can't live with. Question: when you wet sanded your Florentine, did you use water or more tru oil?

[pablopepper]

Tried my hand at wet sanding today, here's the result.
http://i.imgur.com/zqYwxXfh.jpg
Didn't go so well, lol.

Don't know if I haven't put enough on (8 coats) or I didn't use enough oil to lubricate, but started taking colour off fairly quickly.
http://i.imgur.com/0Cti4WXh.jpg
Oh well, start again.

More timber mate, more sanding, more colour, more scraping and we're back to a respectable stage.
http://i.imgur.com/SRmKUkNh.jpg

On the other hand, the neck is coming along nicely.
http://i.imgur.com/DWVhJ1V.jpg

[west0288]

What a bummer, ay... :/

Lookin' good again now though, so hopefully it all works out this time around. :)

[pablopepper]

I was going to say the tru oil has been going on thick and fast, but in truth it's been thin and slow. Very boring process, but after 10 coats I think I'm almost done.

http://i.imgur.com/b5SYFMi.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/wIi6CPZh.jpg

Not quite as smooth as I'd hoped and after the last wet sanding debacle I'm not too sure how I will proceed. Anyway I need to leave it for a week to cure now. Ho hum.

[wokkaboy]

looks nice and shiny Pablo, good job. Yes 10 thin coats of tru oil can be monotonous

[stan]

it looks killer Craig, very cool

[maxaxe]

Yeah, that's a really cool shade of blue & the finish looks great. I've never fooled with Tru Oil, but after seeing results like yours I will definitely give it a go.
Always nice when a project is on the home straight - isn't it?

[pablopepper]

Thanks guys. I've pretty much decided to just polish after the week is up and see how that goes. I really want to start putting this thing together, don't think I could deal with another redo.

[andrewdosborne]

The blue look great under the Tru-Oil and well framed by the binding

[jarrod]

Looks great Pab. I cant think of anything worse than a redo. Ive had do it and really takes the enthusiasm out the build, so ten out of ten for jumping straigbt back on to it.

[ihasmario]

The blue looks awesome.....

[bargeloobs]

This looks just epic Pabs, I thought it looked cool before the tru oil went on but... damn!
It's gonna be fricken mind blowing once all the shiny bits go on:-)

EDIT: hey nice comeback from the wet sand disaster too man, definitely a devastating blow.

[pablopepper]

Thank for the kind words guys. To be honest, I have been really quite disappointed in how the tru oil has been going on until the last few rounds. Frustrating mix of the ash not really giving me the colour I wanted and the oil exaggerating my not quite fine enough sanding. Pushing on though. Here's hoping the polish brings out a decent shine.

While I love how tru oil goes on necks, not sure I'd use it on a body again. We'll see, probably just the mid way doldrums.

[pablopepper]

Bumping this thread just because....

1000 POSTS!!!!!!!
http://molempire.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/happy-troy.gif

Also going to see Veruca Salt tonight! Today is a good day. :)

[bargeloobs]

1000 posts, correct me if I'm wrong but I'm pretty sure that's your shout, Scotch for me thanks;-)

[pablopepper]

http://hugelolcdn.com/comments/1618469.gif

[wokkaboy]

well done Pablo, sure after a week of curing and a polish you will be happy with the tru-oil on the body.
Well done on 1000 posts, I'll be celebrating my 3000th post later today or tomoz

[pablopepper]

It's taken you less time to go from 2000 to 3000 than it's taken me to go from 800 to 1000 Wokka. Thanks though bud.

[wokkaboy]

haha all good Pablo, everyone gets busy at times and don't get enough time on the forum. I wasn't sure who Veruca Salt were till I searched them in youtube, should be a cool show tonight, enjoy

[Tim]

Congrats on the 1000 posts and Veruca Salt,, NOICE
Oh the build is looking noice to :)

[lawry]

Congrats on the 1000 mark Pablo. Oh yeah, the axe is cool too. Very cool!
8-)

[pablopepper]

Cheers Tim and Lawry.

Today is the one week mark, so tonight I begin the polish stage. Kinda nervous. I really don't want to mess it up.

Got a few things done in the meantime. Started the wiring, but figured I should get the pickguard sorted first so my spacing works out. Speaking of the pickguard, the one that came with the kit wouldn't fit without major modifications, so I decided to draw up my own (like I wasn't going to that anyway). I so didn't realise the effort that would be involved in getting it perfect (to my standards at least). Last version with revisions below.
http://i.imgur.com/fpECCa4.jpg
I'm cutting them out of 3mm mdf to test fit and note where modifications need to be made. Revision number five (I think) ready for a test cut. Getting there slowly.
http://i.imgur.com/Rp8OQio.jpg
At least this is going on file and I can bust anther one out nice and easy in the future. Now that 3 ply blank I ordered almost a month ago would just show up....

Frets have been leveled, crowned and polished. Each time I do this it gets easier, quicker and the results are better. Practice pays off eh?
http://i.imgur.com/x9nygtD.jpg

And, in a moment of weakness last week, I emailed Dingobass to get him to cut me a bone nut. He never got back to me, so I'm taking that as an unspoken "man up and do it yourself". So thanks DB, I will take your sage unspoken advice and do just that.
http://i.imgur.com/k1XsQIk.jpg
Just messing about the other day I found out the bone was forgiving enough to make excellent slots using just the strings, so this has allayed my worries about not having the correct bass nut files somewhat.

[pablopepper]

Things left to do:

1. polish
2. cut and shape nut
3. set neck (brown trousers on standby)
4. final cut of pickguard and truss rod cover
5. electronics.

This is comforting and daunting at the same time.

[wokkaboy]

pickguard looking good Pablo, what colour will it be ?
Looks like you are on the home stretch !

[pablopepper]

Just a plain old white/black/white number Woks.

[wokkaboy]

cool Pablo should look sweet. Is it the larger pups that require you to make a new pickguard ?

[gavinturner]

Great work Pabs. You are the master of all things pickguard! This build just went interstellar. Can't wait to see it all put together :) . Awesome job!

Cheers,
Gav.

[pablopepper]

/<\\/p>[/<\\/p>[]<\\/p>/]<\\/p>/Quote from wokkaboy on September 30, 2014, 12:36
cool Pablo should look sweet. Is it the larger pups that require you to make a new pickguard ?

A few different issues; the pickup is a slightly different size and I wanted it closer to the neck, I wasn't that happy with the shape of the stock guard (mine is a bit closer to the original) and where my neck sits it pushes the guard back enough that there is a gap into the control cavity and the curve doesn't follow the body.

Mostly little things, but once I start something like this I can get a wee bit obsessive. :)

Thanks Gav, I think interstellar might be overstating it a bit. :D

[wokkaboy]

cool, sure the new pickguard will be a big improvement

[pablopepper]

Mate, I'm almost positive I will be the only one that can tell. Lol.

[pablopepper]

Double post. 8O

[pablopepper]

It's not perfect by a long shot, but I'm pretty happy.
http://i.imgur.com/tSFoOJj.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/cuzChul.jpg

[bargeloobs]

Damn this build just gets better and better. I know it's easy to pick holes in your own work but it looks pretty special from where I'm sittin'!

[WeirdBits]

mmm... saucy.

[jarrod]

Dam pab, that looks sweet.

[wokkaboy]

nice and shiny Pabs looking great

[pablopepper]

Thanks guys. :)

[dingobass]

Whats there not to like?
Its a Bass, its a Riccy and that blue is divine......

What is the product you used there Pabs?
Sure hope it hasn't got silicone in it or that will be an automatic six months in the naughty room :p

[pablopepper]

Well thank you, DB. I used two products to polish (all by hand, I was too scared to go through layers). First was a Meguiars that I can't remember the name of, but I did specifically check for silicone and it was one of theirs without. Second was Big Bends Gloss Sauce, which is just a standard guitar polish.

I was under the impression that I was already a life member of the naughty room club with my flagrant use of tru oil, spray cans, 2 pack, pickguards, guitar fetish products, etc, etc. :D

[wokkaboy]

its getting pretty crowded in the naughty room Pabs, so until DB extends it to a naughty warehouse he isn't taking any more dudes in. I'm flat out 80% of the time pouring pints for others so I'm not getting much building done !

[pablopepper]

Got a majority of the wiring done last night, totally standard layout and for the first time I'm 100% that it will work. New iron works a treat.
http://i.imgur.com/tRYGYFy.jpg

And part 1 of neck fix. The bottom end of my neck was cut rather crooked.
http://i.imgur.com/jaJtSwV.jpg
Measured 60mm on one side and 63mm on the other. This was giving me hell every time I tried to seat the neck properly. Instead of trying to make a weeny little wedge, which was my first thought, I measured 53mm on each side, cut (and then sanded) to that line and then cut a 10mm chock to make sure everything sits nice and flush.
http://i.imgur.com/x8Ieqzv.jpg
Much better. Now I have to add 'wings' on each side of the tenon because the pickup I'm using screws into it and as it is the screws are lining up with the edges, so chances of a blowout are high. Easier to do it now than after the neck has been glued in.

I'm starting to get really excited. Just need that bloody pickguard blank to show.

[gavinturner]

Great fix Pabs. Wanting to see this baby put together!

Cheers,
Gav.

[lunaticthighs]

I had the same issue with the neck not cut straight too lol.

Nice to see it on the home stretch mate. Can't wait to see it all together.

[pablopepper]

/<\\/p>[]<\\/p>/Quote from lunaticthighs on October 2, 2014, 11:54
I had the same issue with the neck not cut straight too lol.

Nice to see it on the home stretch mate. Can't wait to see it all together.

Did you end up doing anything about it Looney?

Guys, believe me when I tell you, no-one is more keen than I to see this guy done. :)

[wokkaboy]

good work Pabs nice workaround the neck heel.
Are you cutting the pickguard ? who you waiting for if not ?

[pablopepper]

I'm cutting it dude, just waiting for the 3 ply material to show up. :)

[bargeloobs]

/<\\/p>[]<\\/p>/Quote from pablopepper on October 2, 2014, 12:24
I'm cutting it dude, just waiting for the 3 ply material to show up. :)

wbw?

[wokkaboy]

ah all good Pabs, I re-read your post and worked it out you are waiting for the blank

[lunaticthighs]

/<\\/p>[]<\\/p>/Quote from pablopepper on October 2, 2014, 12:11

/<\\/p>[/<\\/p>[]<\\/p>/]<\\/p>/Quote from lunaticthighs on October 2, 2014, 11:54
I had the same issue with the neck not cut straight too lol.

Nice to see it on the home stretch mate. Can't wait to see it all together.

Did you end up doing anything about it Looney?

Guys, believe me when I tell you, no-one is more keen than I to see this guy done. :)
I did exactly what you did only the piece at the end was a little thinner than yours. Didn't want to say at the time coz I read elsewhere about never cutting the neck and didn't want to get told off lol.
Was obvious it wasn't right though, mine wasn't even finished timber just a rough cut end.

[pablopepper]

Yeah man, I hear ya. I was kinda wary about altering it in any way, but it was bugging me no end. That point of contact on to the body seems pretty crucial

[pablopepper]

Something I didn't think about was the height of the bridge.
http://i.imgur.com/DUnM4dwh.jpg]
As you can see, at its lowest setting, it's still significantly taller than the stock bridge.

Hoping to get the neck glued today, I mounted the bridge and clamped the neck in to see where everything was.
http://i.imgur.com/SZe9nHch.jpg

String height at the last fret is too high.
http://i.imgur.com/cOXn91yh.jpg
Looks like I'm gonna have to shim.

Here's where I need to consult the great hive mind. I've shimmed a few bolt on necks before with one or two layers of card and it's worked well, but I have a feeling this method might not be suitable for a set neck. I assume a thin wooden wedge would be the way to go, but fabricating something like this accurately seems a bit past my skill level. Any ideas, good folk of the pitbull forum?

[lunaticthighs]

Yeah i had to shim mine too. Pain in the arse it was. I cut a wedge (or 10) with my compound mitre saw and then hand sanded it. Used a bit of hardwood i had lying around and cut with the grain. Still tended to feather at the edge coz its so thin though. Took a few goes before i finally got it right. At least you sussed it before you started gluing, I didn't check and then had to clean all the glue off doh.
Tis hard with a bass coz the tension pressure is greater and those fractions of a mm change things so dramatically.

Probably easier ways of doing it though I just did it with what I had available to me at the time.

[Brendan]

Simpler solution? You could recess the new bridge. Once it's in place, draw around it, then out with the dremel. Used that solution on my Jazz bass that had a similar issue with a new bridge. Saves shims, but does commit you to that bridge.

[pablopepper]

Thanks for the advice guys. I did think about sinking the base plate for the bridge, but it could only go down 1 or 2mm before it would interfere with the saddles meaning I'd still have to shim and I really don't want to mess with the finish now.

I'll have a go at making a wedge tomorrow when I'm back at work. This could get rather tedious.

[stan]

good luck Craig, always fun when you need to modify

[pablopepper]

Pretty chuffed with the shim I made.
http://i.imgur.com/TcKmrW2h.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/jV1YLQHh.jpg
Took a bit of stuffing about, but got there in the end.

Glued the shim in first.
http://i.imgur.com/8mTkm9Bh.jpg

Then glued in the neck.
http://i.imgur.com/NIWZ6Jih.jpg
Now, we wait and hope I haven't overlooked anything. Fingers crossed. Tomorrow...

[Nickosaurus]

Looking good mate. Can't wait to see what happens tomorrow!

[ponch]

Winning!

[Fretworn]

You have great patience Grasshopper!

[wokkaboy]

looks good Pablo,
with any luck the action at 20th fret will be sweet.
Can you see any gaps from the bottom front where the shim is ?

[pablopepper]

Cheers guys, I'll keep you updated when I get home and nervously attempt to string it up.

@Wokka, there's a gap of less than half a mm on the backside of the neck join. I could only get the narrow end of the shim down to 0.35mm. Hopefully it's good enough.

[wokkaboy]

NO worries Pablo, sure you won't even notice a tiny gap in the neck pocket join

[pablopepper]

Strings are on. Everything lines up and it feels very solid. Still got a few things to do to get it playing properly, but so far it's looking good.

Phew!

[wokkaboy]

good stuff Pablo that must be a relief.
So sound demo by end of the week ?

[pablopepper]

We'll see. Still waiting for my bloody pickguard blank, so it won't be 100% finished until that shows.

[wokkaboy]

as long as it makes sound Pablo, or presume you need the pickguard for the neck pup mount ?

[bargeloobs]

/<\\/p>[]<\\/p>/Quote from pablopepper on October 13, 2014, 15:07
Strings are on. Everything lines up and it feels very solid. Still got a few things to do to get it playing properly, but so far it's looking good.

Phew!

Cool beans....exciting!!

[pablopepper]

Exciting indeed! Just sat down and had a bash, fretting out in a few spots but I haven't adjusted the bridge or truss yet. Sounds nice and loud acoustically, that's gotta be a good sign.

@Wokka, I've done a temporary one up in the meantime. If I get time I'll try to get it mostly together tonight and bang some pics up. :)

[pablopepper]

:D
http://www.pitbullguitars.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/9we5c-PicsArt_1413202656855.jpg

[bargeloobs]

OOooooooooo.... well done Pabs, looks absolutely beautiful mate.

[pablopepper]

Thanks Nige.

Things left to do:

1. polish
2. cut and shape nut
3. set neck (brown trousers on standby)
4. final cut of pickguard and truss rod cover
5. electronics.
6. Setup
7. Rock out \\m/

Emailed the place I'm buying the pickguard blank (I need an oversized one) and got them to send me a replacement because after 42 days I still don't have it. Groan. I hope this one doesn't take long to get here.

[stan]

nice, and should make Nov GOTM easily....

[gavinturner]

OMG Pabs, that's just gorgeous. Love it man. just love it. Can't wait for the sound test :) !

cheers,
Gav.

[Fretworn]

If nothing else, you have ended up with a beautiful bass. You've scared me off set-neck basses until I have more skills though.

[pablopepper]

Thanks guys.

@Fretworn, not gonna lie, it was tense there for a while. :)

[wokkaboy]

very sexy looking Riccy bass Pabs, well done mate, the 'to do' list is getting shorter !
so the string action is how you like it Pablo or you got some adjustments ?

[pablopepper]

After sitting over night at full tension the action is very close to perfect. Just needs to tweak the neck and get rid of a little buzz. Gonna give it a bit of a set up tonight and get everything wired in.

[wokkaboy]

sounds good Pablo. Sure it will play well once the neck is set in and bridge/nut/truss rod adjustments are made

[pablopepper]

Massively pissed right now. After almost 2 months waiting I finally got my pickguard blank today. Within 15 minutes it was cut and bevelled. I was happy.

Then I pulled up the masking to reveal dirty brown streaks through the material. Not on top, actually cast into the material. Not happy anymore.

http://www.pitbullguitars.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/c26fo-PicsArt_1413851864348.jpg

[Nickosaurus]

Damn.

[wokkaboy]

bummer Pabs that really sucks, especially after the long 2 month wait.
Hope you rip into the supplier and tell them to send a few free blanks on express post !

[WeirdBits]

That's cruel. Looks like the marks are pretty much full thickness in the white too, so no chance to shave a bit off to clean it up. Return/refund prospects?

[pablopepper]

Oh yeah, I'm about to let them know exactly how I feel about the situation. There is enough of the blank left to do another one, but that side is even worse. Crappy quality that I paid a premium for because I needed the extra size.

[wokkaboy]

Pablo what about the other side has the white got marks on it ?
we need to start a new thread name and shame bad companies like Gavmiesters experience at Tonebros

[pablopepper]

I thought of that. The other side is covered in ripples. Woot.

[ponch]

Sheeeet dude that sucks.

[ponch]

Just a thought, my local sign guy carries 3 plY material like pick guard stuff, maybe try one around you.

[pablopepper]

I'm the local sign guy lol. I'm tempted to hit up my supplier to see if I can get something similar. I know they don't carry it in stock, but they might be able to special order it for me. A 1200x2400 sheet would do quite a few I'd say.

[ponch]

Haha true my bad. i heard you were the pickup template guru.

[Brendan]

How about something like this? They also have pearloid and parchment 3 ply. Looks like it should be big enough - would have to get the kit out to find out.
http://www.realparts.com.au/pickguards/pickguard-sheets/pickguard-blank-sheet-white-3-ply.html

[pablopepper]

Thanks Brendan, good to know. You've got me thinking about the parchment coloured one now.

[bargeloobs]

That sux man, especially after such a wait. Where are these dudes based?

[stan]

I wonder if it would bleach out and be useable...

[wokkaboy]

doubt Pablo would want to risk it Stan, if the bleach faded. Might as well order from somewhere else Pablo or find a local supplier so the wait isn't too long

[Brendan]

Quote from pablopepper on October 21, 2014, 20:05
Thanks Brendan, good to know. You've got me thinking about the parchment coloured one now.
No worries Pablo - thought of the parchment one as the guitar is bound in cream binding. Thought it might be a better fit.

[pablopepper]

Ended up going with white again. Should be here pretty soon.

Wiring question: So, after wiring this thing up I've noticed a couple of oddities. The centre position of the switch (both pickups) is noticeably quieter than either of the single pickups by themselves and when the volume of either is dropped (still in the centre position), even very slightly, it kills the signal from that pickup all together. Only get sound from both pickups when the volumes are equal. There is also a loud clack when using the switch.

Does this sound like a busted switch or have I stuffed something up (more likely)?

[wokkaboy]

hey Pablo, thats a strange problem, so does the volume pot work ok when either the bridge only or neck only pup are selected ?
sounds like its not your pots but most likely is your switch if the soldered connections are ok and its earthed to the bridge ok. Have you got the hot tip on the output jack the correct way ?

[WeirdBits]

I have a feeling it could potentially be a combination of things. Your pickups are a Fender bridge and Gretsch neck, right? It's possible there could be a phase issue when they're combined in the middle position which could impact the output level, or it could just be faulty contacts in the switch, or both. But I think there may be something more as well. Are you using the PBG RC4 wiring diagram (http://www.pitbullguitars.com/wp-content/uploads/pdf/PBG-RC-4.pdf), and are your pots 500K A or B? Maybe post some pics of your wiring setup?

[pablopepper]

I am using the same layout as that diagram and yes, Fender in the bridge and Gretch in the neck. Pots are all Bourns 500k audio taper. I was pretty thorough with my soldering and I've gone over it since and everything seems good. I hadn't even considered the phase issue, how would I check that?

Here's the only pic of the wiring I've got
http://i.imgur.com/tRYGYFy.jpg

Thanks Scott and Wokka.

[wokkaboy]

your wiring appears to be ok Pablo, think Weirdy maybe onto something. will be a bugger if you have to match the pups !

[WeirdBits]

Buy some more colours! Easiest way to test the phase issue (assuming at least one of the pups has separate positive, negative and ground/shield) is just reverse the positive and negative connections on that pup then give it a listen in the middle position. If you have a multimeter you can do some specific tests (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UfxQBhqen8).

Edit: Just did a quick search, looks like Fender has red as hot and green as ground, while Gretsch probably has white as hot and black as ground... I think.

The layout is LP style with the pickups on the outer lug of the volume pot and the switch on the middle lug, so if you want Jazz bass style independent volumes you may want to swap the pickup (and tone link) to the middle lug and the switch on the outer lug. Not sure if that would help with the volume sensitivity issue.

[Nickosaurus]

I'd say phasing or the switch's connection/function would be the issue/s here. It's happened to me before in the past mixing pups.

[pablopepper]

Thanks heaps for the help guys, I really appreciate it. :)

It seems phasing is the best explanation for the weirdness. So after reading up a bit and watching that excellent video (thank you Scott), I have three ideas, all of which are probably going to demonstrate exactly how little I still understand. Only dealing with the Fender pickup as it's the easier of the two to move/modify. I'll start with the simplest.

1. Flip the pickup 180 degrees. To me this sounds too simple, but in my mind it does swap the magnets to where they need to go. Might not have enough slack on the wires.

2. Reverse the hot and ground wire. I keep coming across this solution, but invariably paired with folk who say it won't work.

3. Reverse the wiring on the pickup itself. Currently it's wired up like this
http://i.imgur.com/DjUYa8s.jpg
If I swapped it around to this configuration
http://i.imgur.com/9DzWtlG.jpg
will that do what I need it to?

Opinions? Will any of these work?

Thanks again, once again this forum proving invaluable.

[wokkaboy]

hey Pablo, probably best wait for the guru Weirdy to answer that one.
In the meantime I'd try option 1 and flip it 180 degrees, doesn't have to be screwed down (hopefully the screw mount holes should line up). You may have to lengthen the wire but to me this seems the simplest possible solution without mucking around with the pickup wiring configuration

[WeirdBits]

Flipping it may *slightly* change the tone of that pickup by itself, but it won't affect the phasing in relation to the other pickup. That's controlled by the configuration within the pickup itself, regardless of its physical orientation. Options 2 and 3 are essentially the same, it's just that option 3 is doing the reversing within the pickup itself.

What wires do you have coming out of each pickup, are they both two conductor like in the image above? If so, just reverse your hot and ground connections for the bridge pup and give that a try. If that does correct the phase issue, if that's what this is, the sound should be noticeably fatter in the middle position.

[pablopepper]

Aw crap, I never thought about the change in tone. Both pickups are two condutor, the only difference is the Gretsch has one lead with an inner and outer core. I am loving how the fender sounds right now, so I might flip hot/ground on the gretsch and see where that gets me as it's the weaker sounding of the two.

Cheers Scott.

[wokkaboy]

sounds like the way to go Pablo, hopefully you can sort this out

[pablopepper]

Me too. Two days left to get it into GOTM. I reckon I can do it. New pickguard and truss cover are on, I'll try to get some pics together this arvo.

[wokkaboy]

as if the GOTM judges don't have enough headaches already !

[WeirdBits]

Reversing the hot and ground won't change the tone of an individual pickup, just how it interacts when combined with another pickup. The potential slight change in tone I was talking about was only from physically flipping the pickup 180 degrees (though it probably wouldn't be detectable), but as I said that wouldn't alter the phase of the pickup anyway.

Your bridge pup doesn't have a chrome casing so that would be the better option to reverse the hot and ground on. If you reverse the hot and ground on a pup with a chrome casing and that casing is linked to its ground (and it usually is if there's no separate shield wire) then the casing becomes part of your 'hot' and fingers can easily touch a casing when playing.

[pablopepper]

Once again, you are a freakin champion Scott! Another thing I would never have thought of. Bloody legend. You really are the wiring guru.

[pablopepper]

Pic dump
http://i.imgur.com/5hbnuT8.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/5yjstFo.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/guT2ZXW.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/st0y2i8.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/MN0f3Cy.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/N58U2kt.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/dTVrwLX.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/V1PXOa3.jpg
Ok, I'm sticking a fork in this one. There's still a few small issues with the wiring (probably going to tear it all out and start again) but otherwise done. I am tremendously satisfied with how it's turned out. Plays great, sounds great, looks great (I think anyway). Thanks heaps for everyone's help, couldn't have done it without you all. :)







Coming soon......
http://img41.imageshack.us/img41/7303/20090807119.jpg

[vh2580]

Pablo nicely finished. Never been a Ricky fan and i ignore em when i see them in shops, but the colour and look of that bass keeps dragging me back into your build diary. love it.

[Fretworn]

Stunning job Pablo!

[wokkaboy]

turned out very nicely Pablo, so your next project going to be a JM-1 modified ?

[pablopepper]

Thanks guys.

@Wokka, my first scratchie mate. Well, half scratch, buying the neck.

[wokkaboy]

nice one Pablo, sounds awesome. It's such a sexy shape. Not sure how the tremelo system works on the picture you posted, different to the JM-1 has a similar to a strat tremelo

[pablopepper]

I'm gonna hardtail it. I don't really like trems.

[wokkaboy]

cool less routing too !
what timber you got in mind Pabs ?

[pablopepper]

Got some lovely slabs of pine. Enough for two guitars. Or, more likely, enough to recover from a stuff up.

[gavinturner]

Looks amazing Pabs - just freakin amazing. Love this bass to death. Great job!

cheers,
Gav.

[pablopepper]

Thanks Gav, I'm really enjoying it so far. Will get a demo up as soon as I can record one without sucking massively. So, maybe never lol.

[WeirdBits]

Did you get the middle position issue sorted?

[pablopepper]

I think so. I reversed the fender pickup and that seemed to equalize the volumes. The other issues are still there, so I'll probably have to do a full rewire down the track. For now, it works well enough.

[wokkaboy]

good stuff Pabs, pine is easy and soft to work with and cheap to replace.
Glad the volume issues have been resolved. Look forward to a sound demo