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Hi all,
I usually like to do my stuff ups in the solitude of my workshop, but since I have no idea what I'm doing with this guitar build, I've decided to expose my mistakes and share the build as I go along. Hopefully getting great input from the good folk in this community. So thanks in advance. Here we go!
I'm building this bass for my 9 year old so I went for a 30" sclae PB-30R with rosewood fretboard.
Now to *shock* read the instructions.
Hi and Welcome.
Is this your first guitar build? Are you a guitarist also?
Welcome LuthNoob! If you have any questions just post them to your diary and you’ll get all the advice you could ask for.
Look forward to seeing your build start!
Hi Trevor,
Thanks for saying "hi".
No, I'm not a guitarist. Actually I play the violin but my kids are far cooler than me and want to play guitar ;)
I've done a search on this forum for "PB-30R" which is the kit I bought. It found zero hits. I also looked at all of the "how to solder" videos, but couldn't see any reference to the PR-30R again. Does anyone know an existing Build Diary they could point me to?
Also, I bought the bone nut to replace the plastic one that comes as standard. The plastic one is already fitted in the top of the fretboard. Is it just a matter of pulling the plastic one out and then friction-fitting the bone one? Or is there glue involved?
Thanks in advance for any help!
Luthnoob
I’d imagine the wiring diagrams for the PB 4 would be the same as for your PB30. Weird bits or one of the electrickery gurus may be able to offer some more advice on that.
to all intents and purposes the PB4 and the PB30 are the same kit just one is shorter so some of the PB4 diaries might serve you for info.
In regard to the nut, take a scalpel or a razor blade and score down the sides of it where it joins the fretboard. You might be able to just pull it out but typically they’re pretty well stuck in there. You might have some luck tapping it out sideways but you run the risk of maybe pulling some of the board out with it.
I typically have used a thin razor saw to saw through the middle of the nut across its entire width, and almost it’s full depth, then used liners or pincers to collapse it in on itself and then pull it free.
normally, the bone nuts may require a little fitting, and a small drop or two of glue to hold them in place. Titebond or wood glue is fine. You can use very small drops of medium consistency super glue, but if you have to remove it in future this can be a pain.
Hi Luthnoob,
Sorry to say that I'm not sure about this kit.
Have you tried looking under the PBA-4 kit (or PBH-4 or maybe the GPB-4M)? This looks to be a bigger version of the PB-30R with a different body wood. I would expect that the soldering would be similar.
As far as the nut in concerned - I use a wooden block and a hammer - a gentle tap on the nut and it comes off. I usually use a few drops of CA glue to fix the nut on (But was told last week that I should not ! see below)
Quote from McCreed:
"As for nuts, Titebond works also but I prefer PVA. However I would advise against CA (sorry Trevor!).
If (more like when) the nut needs to be removed (for a refret; or repair etc) CA can result in tear out from the fret board or nut slot. PVA will come out cleanly and has a quicker set time when installing the nut."
Taken from https://www.buildyourownguitar.com.a...410#post209410 - post 6.
Ha ha SNAP Trev!Quote:
Originally Posted by Trevor Davies
You're already in good hands Luthnoob!
I'm not a bass player nor have I built one, but happy to help in any way through your journey.
Cheers,
Mick
What a great community! Thanks for the redirect to the PBA/PHA-4 builds. I'll check them out now. Also for the guidance on the nut. Who knows how long I would have mucked around trying to find out that intro by myself!
Hi all,
I got distracted by another job for a while (replacing carpet with new timber floors) but that's done so hopefully can make more progress on the guitar.
Good news first:
I've swapped out the nut. A sharp chisel at 45 degrees had the plastic one out in a jiff and PVA glue worked a treat for the bone nut.
I've found the right instructions for the electronics and feel like I understand it (although it took me a while to sort out that the black lead goes to the bridge itself, not the bridge pickup)
I also figure out that the small hole between the cavity and the bridge is for that earthing wire to the bridge
Now for the question:
Reading the manual it says that I should tape up the fretboard, use texta to mark up each fret and then lightly sand back any high spots. But at this stage the strings aren't on so there's no pressure on the neck and the convex shape from the factory hasn't been stretched back to straight. I would have thought that if I flatten the frets now and then add pressure to the neck with the strings, I'll end up with a concave shape and the frets in the middle being too high. Am I over-thinking this? I really don't want to stuff up that beautiful rosewood neck!
Thanks.
Sorry, that should have read "the frets in the middle being too low". In any case, I'm concerned that the frets won't be even once I've tightened the strings.
I think you may have skipped the part of the manual about the truss rod...Quote:
Reading the manual it says that I should tape up the fretboard, use texta to mark up each fret and then lightly sand back any high spots.
You need to use the truss rod to flatten the neck. The PBG necks are fitted with a two-way truss rod which allows adjusted in both directions (convex, concave).
You will need a notched straight edge to accurately get the neck flat before levelling the frets. I see if I can find the section and link it here rather typing an entire tutorial.
I'll be back...
OK, second half of page 13, below the headstock shaping stuff
Thanks McCreed
I did read that section, but it then says
Don't be too critical on the neck bow just yet, as the string tension will change the curve
once it's all set up.
That's why I was concerned about the effect of the string tension on the curve of the fretboard.
In any case, I'll move ahead with changing the truss rod to get as straight as I can and then steal one of the kids' textas!
Thanks,
Luthnoob
Hi all,
So I've managed to get myself in a bit of a bind and am looking for some urgent help from the excellent members of this forum! My son has his first bass lesson scheduled for tomorrow morning and I'm stuck!
Specifically, I'm stuck with stopping the strings from rattling against the frets near the head of the guitar. I believe the problem is with the truss rod. I've tried tightening it(turning clockwise while looking down the string from the head to the body). It was very still and while I did manage to get it to move, it's not moving any more and I think I might have maxed out the adjustment (or perhaps have a dodgy truss rod mechanism).
If anyone has any ideas I'd really appreciate it. At this stage my only thought is to put a shim under the bottom of the neck to try force the nut-end higher. But I'm sure I shouldn't have to do that.
Thanks for your help! Looks like it could be a LONG night.
That should have said the truss rod was very "stiff", not very "still".
OK. So I'm an idiot. I'm quite sure I read that I should turn the truss rod clockwise to pull the neck away from the strings but I figured that I'd clearly maxed out the truss rod's extensions so I decided to just try it anticlockwise, since I had nothing to lose. And that fixed it.
Now my problem seems to be that the bone nut that I installed is slightly lower than the original plastic one so the strings are rattling against the first fret. I'm going to try to remove the nut and shim that up a bit to see how that works
So that worked. Now that I adjusted the height of the nut, all the strings are clearing the first fret. I also raised the saddle heights slightly and that also reduced buzz.
Now the only remaining buzz happens when I'm playing open strings. And that disappears completely if I hold down the string at the nut. So I think the issue is with the slots in the nut. I don't have files small enough for that job, so I'll have to pop out to the hardware store before my son's lesson tomorrow. Or borrow my wife's nail files ... but I don't think she'd like that :)
If you've got a small round needle file, it may be quicker to drop some superglue and baking soda/bicarbonate of soda into the slots, to create a quick-setting very hard filler. I mask off the sides of the nut to keep the CA in the slots. Then use the tip of the nut file to deepen the slot depth. Also best to run some P400 or finer paper through the slots to get the bottom smooth again.
Several videos on YouTube about the technique (even Stew Mac use it occasionally on vintage instruments where they don't want to change the nut).
If the action is very low at the moment, then you may find that adding a bit more anti-clockwise turn on the truss rod, and a slight raising of the saddles, might move the strings off the first fret (if they are only just touching).
Hi Simon,
Thanks for your note. I think the issue is that I need to make the slots deeper, rather than shallower. Certainly the top string keeps on popping out of the slot. And when I press the string down into the nut while playing with the other hand, there's zero buzz on the open string.
Now that I've raised the nut height I no longer have the issue with the strings touching the first fret.
Ah, you've got to that stage already. I always use a needle file for deepening bass nut slots. You can get bass nut files, but a needle file does the job just as well (and for a lot less money)
Have you fitted the string tree for the D and G string? (big round button with a screw that fits through the middle) That should hold the two treble strings in place If it's not doing the job, it may need lowering, or you've mounted it too far back on the headstock to be effective.
Like this:
Attachment 40242
The string break angle over the nut will be too shallow without one.
Hey Simon,
Thanks for your note. I found the string tree in the pack of screws after I thought I'd finished and wondered what it was for :) After I figured it out, I installed it and it worked perfectly. No need to file the nut slots for the upper two strings.
I only now have one remaining issue, which is that the A string buzzes slightly when it's played loudly. The E was always solid, and the tree string fixed the D and G. I've tried to string the A as low on the tuner as possible to maximise the downward angle from the nut to the tuner, but I can't get it low enough.
Is there anything I can do to help the A? For example, is there a tree string for the A?