Cheers folks, but turns out I'm not done yet. It is noisy AF and I get about a 20dB leap in noise when I touch the strings. Need to check the continuity but also I'm not convinced the wiring diagram is completely correct. :(
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Cheers folks, but turns out I'm not done yet. It is noisy AF and I get about a 20dB leap in noise when I touch the strings. Need to check the continuity but also I'm not convinced the wiring diagram is completely correct. :(
I'm really not up to speed on the wiring side, can anyone cast an eye over this and see if there's anything remotely off?
https://www.pitbullguitars.com/wp-co...pot%202017.pdf
If that's ok I can at least put it down to my soldering...
Diagram looks ok. Noise increase when you touch the strings often indicates the hot and ground are reversed on the jack.
Hmm. On further checking it would appear that I have managed to wire the output socket back to front. I have continuity from the back of the pots to the tip of the guitar lead.
And that's sorted it.
Sweet. Nothing worse than a fault you can't trace.
Well done, Drew. Now you've got the output jack fixed, how does it sound?
Minimal noise, reasonable tonal range, nicely metallic if that makes sense? But definitely going to need a shim in the neck. With the saddles at their lowest the action is about 4mm or so at the 14th fret.
It looks good Drew, love the colour scheme.
I had to shim mine as well. In fact - some three months later, hopefully when everything had settled down, I took the neck off last weekend, altered the shim, taped up the neck and redid some of the frets (didn't do them properly first time round it seems!) and then did another setup. As a result it plays beautifully now. Shame about the operator!
I'm very impressed with yours, looks gorgeous. You'll be ordering another (I'm close to getting another - wondering how easy a fretless would be!).
Thanks Stuart, 3 other studio projects and the bastard guitar to do before I order another. Also (whisper it) I don't need another guitar... ;)
When the shims arrive I'll try another polish on the top and just hope I don't tear out the finish again.
You could always consider routing or chiselling out the other end, to inset the bridge into the body by 5mm, or would that cause problems with string height over pickups?
I think that might take me into that kind of territory - the pick ups are about as low as they can go so I'd rather have the flexibility upwards.
Also if I was to do that I'd have no excuse not to get the finishing right! :D
The you just make the pickup cavities deeper, or hand-wind your own thinline bass pickups. All these amazing possibilities to keep you occupied on a cold winters evening. ;)
Or, you know, maybe playing some of them... ;)
You weirdo! ;)
So, veneer finally turned up. My fault, ordered in mid-September and misread the delivery date as 23rd September but it was actually 23rd October. So I guess it was early technically...
Anyway, cut a flat sheet to size then filed / sanded it to a suitably shallow angle:
https://i.imgur.com/rHP7npJ.jpeg
Spot of black paint and it blends in nicely:
https://i.imgur.com/4ZQlleB.jpeg
Which brings the strings right down to the fretboard with the bridge at its lowest:
https://i.imgur.com/p7E8Xyj.jpeg
So after setting up I've still got the action a little higher than I'd like (got a high fret at the 10th I think), but I'm not really sure what a good bass set up should be like:
https://i.imgur.com/pnkDWko.jpeg
The bridge now reflects the fretboard radius a bit:
https://i.imgur.com/oNbpzvK.jpeg
So now it plays nicely and sounds ok, the finish is still a mess though. As soon as it goes warm (e.g. from sitting in your lap) it goes all tacky.
Just thought I'd pop back and say hello to folks, and let you know that as soon as the warm weather has reached us I can confirm that, seven months later, the finish is STILL tacky!
Time to get out the sandpaper, rub off the finish and start again then! Hours more fun for minimal extra cost!
That is a bit disappointing for you though.
Good to hear from you, bummer about the finish...
I agree with Simon, the only way to fix it is a do-over.
If you're still keen on a natural finish, maybe try something tried and true like Tru Oil. It's reasonably low-odour if you're still only able to work in the house.
Another option is an oil based DIY wipe-on poly with a known/popular brand (don't know if they sell Cabot's in the UK). It can be mixed with a low-odour turps which can make it somewhat more house-friendly.
Sorry to hear of your dilemma. I know the pain of the "guitar finish blues".
The front is fine, even in the warm weather, it's the satin finish on the rear and sides that just doesn't want to play. I have another project waiting so when I get round to that one I'll be biting the bullet and making it all gloss. Probably go back to tru-oil as well.
If you want a satin finish, there's no reason you can't achieve it with an oil based satin poly. You will likely need to sand the back & sides down to bare timber again, as trying to apply over the existing tacky stuff is just asking for trouble IMO.Quote:
Originally Posted by blinddrew
I would really encourage you try my 50/50 mix of satin poly and mineral turps (aka white spirit in your country) and wipe it on.
You can also go 60/40 poly/white spirit for the early coats to get a bit quicker build, then go 50/50 on the last few coats for a smoother more flowing consistency.
If you choose Tru Oil for reasons of familiarity and consistent results, you can de-gloss it with wet sanding to have a more satin-like appearance. However it will not give a true satin finish because real satin clear coats contain a small proportion of solids that diffuse light (minimise reflection).
Good to know, thank you. I'm leaning to the easy (for me) option with this now.
On the more positive side I like playing it and it's found its way onto several songs that will be on the new album later this year. :)