Howzit,
My EX-4 kit arrived today and I couldn't be happier.
I did a mock build, checked scale length, string spacing etc and all is good :D
I'll be waiting until the weekend to get started but figured it was time to start the diary.
Howzit,
My EX-4 kit arrived today and I couldn't be happier.
I did a mock build, checked scale length, string spacing etc and all is good :D
I'll be waiting until the weekend to get started but figured it was time to start the diary.
...and one without my shadow
Glad the kit all fits nicely.
The bridge is the weakest part of the kit. It's a not-so-great copy of a pretty poor original bridge design. The post inserts are quite shallow and they do have a tendency to pull out. Also, the black coating isn't conductive, so you need to scrape it away where the bridge parts touch each other in order to ground the bridge and strings.
Best of luck with your build!
This, and my own experience with a bridge not fitting makes me wonder why PBG doesn’t at least offer the option of ordering a blank, undrilled body, so the builder could add the parts they prefer.Quote:
Originally Posted by Simon Barden
Regardless, it looks like a fun build. Keep us updated.
Hey Simon thanks for your input.
I own a Gibson Thunderbird so I’m pretty familiar with the 3 point bridge (which I really don’t mind), so I’ll see how this one goes. Worst case scenario I’ll replace the bridge if it causes too much drama.
Will do metal axe man
GThe post holes on mine were actually fairly deep and tight enough that I needed to help them in with a rubber mallet. You can lower the action a bit by counter sinking the heads of the posts.Quote:
Originally Posted by Simon Barden
Hey rabbit, my post holes seem plenty deep enough so hopefully I’ll be fine.
I think I’m one of the very rare people that actually like the 3 point bridge, yeah they can be a pain but after playing a thunderbird for the last 10 years set up is a breeze for me.
Fingers crossed it’ll be fine.
I’ll start sanding and staining this weekend, then it will be a month or so hanging in cupboard to dry the oil based stain I am making before putting any clear coats on.
So I didn't do anything Saturday, but I've sanded the body now (120/180/240). It looks and feels good.
I finally bought my oil paint and medium today. I went with Langridge "Transparent Red Oxide" and "Green for Oil" by Sennelier.
The medium is odourless and environmentally friendly, which helps as the body and neck will be hanging in a cupboard for a month or two drying.
I did this tester piece.
1:Oil down first, then Medium was added
2:Medium down first, the Oil was added
3:Mixed approximately 5:1 ratio Medium:Oil
4:Mixed approximately 3:1 ratio Medium:Oil
This picture is after 30 minutes, but I will leave it for at least 24 hours before I do some more testing on the other side of the scrap wood.
My electronics arrived today;
1x Switchcraft 1/4" mono jack
1x Sprague .047mfd Orange Drop capacitor
3x 500k CTS Audio Taper Mini Pots
1 foot of black cloth wire
1 foot of white cloth wire
Not required for a few more months yet, but I'm glad to have them though as despite ordering "mini pots" it is now clear that I'll have to drill larger holes because the pre-drilled holes are 8mm and the CTS pots are 3/8".
8mm seems like a strange size to me as I've only ever had 3/8" pots in every guitar I've ever worked on, but I am quite thankful to discover this before painting/finishing.
8mm is a fairly standard Asian mini-pot size. less metal, less overall cost I expect. When you are making the pots as cheaply as you possibly can, then all small savings make a difference when scaled up to a run of 100k pots or more. 'Mini' only refers to the pot diameter.
You'd probably need new knobs as well. The kit pots and knobs will have 18-spline shaft fittings. Whilst you can get CTS pots with 18-spline shafts if you look around, the standard CTS pot is 24-spline, and 18-spline knobs don't ft on 24-spline shafts.
Making the holes larger is easy. I normally use a reamer rather than a drill.
I actually got some speed knobs the other day but yeah they are metric ones, I’ve since worked out the 18/24 spline thing.
I’m hoping the shaft length is long enough now because the length is the same but the thread ends shorter than the stock pot, I’ll know for sure once I acquire an 3/8” drill bit or reamer.
I’ll track down a good deal on some imperial knobs soon, thankfully it’ll be a couple months before I can install them anyway.
This is how we learn.
I used a step drill to enlarge my pot holes. I got full sized pots with long shafts because the picture looked the same proportions as the kit supplied minis. Didn't realise they were full sized pots hehe.Quote:
Originally Posted by Fuzzyworbols
And you've also got a spare set of knobs for another guitar. Alpha pots are good, as good as CTS IMO, and they normally come with 18=spline shafts (though some suppliers will offer a 24-spline version).
Yeah it doesn’t hurt to have spare parts.
Painting: week one
I started my painting/staining today.
I basically applied the oil paint directly to the wood, then rubbed it in with a cloth. After the surface was covered I added a small amount of the medium to the cloth and wiped it in until I got a fairly even coat.
Now it will hang to dry for a week or two until touch dry and then I'll do the front and sides of the body.
..........
,,,,,,,,,,
Looking pretty good so far. Always good to see something different in progress.
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So I painted/stained the front and sides this morning and I'm pretty happy with how its turning out so far.
There is some thicker patches of excess paint on the sides from when I painted the back, so once its dry I'll sand the sides back and repaint them.
It's been a learning experience, but it just makes me excited to do my next build.
Here are some photos; the first is the oil paint roughly rubbed on and the second is after adding some medium to thin/even out the finish.
No we play the waiting game for another two weeks for it to dry.
I reckon that's going to turn out really well.
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Thanks muppet, I'm happy with it so far.
It's been easier than I had imagined it would be, so less chance of mistakes for a novice like myself.
As I said I'll sand back the sides an repaint them once the front is dry. I may even just do the solid red for the sides, but that's a decision for another day.
Looking good.
Interesting concept... you're "staining" with "paint"!
Man that is cool. How are you going to seal/finish this? Wax or something?
I have a process of applying a Feast Watson proof tint stain...then Feast Watson Fine Buffing Oil and finally seal and protect with carnauba wax. This idea of suspending the stain/colour in an oil medium from the get go is cool....or are you applying the stain/coplour then rubbing down with the oil?
Either way it is a great concept.
Hint:- 0000 steel wool from the BIG GREEN SHED in a red and yellow "Tradie" pack about the size of a pack of crumpets is an amazing material to use to apply your oil over the stain. It also smooths the wood and removes a little of the colour as I can see has happened in you pics.
With FW Buffing Oil I apply once a day for 7 days....the first three or so days with the steel wool until I am happy with texture of the wood and the colour....then the last few with a piece of old T shirt cloth.
Planning on using Golden MSA spray varnish
I must say that it doesn't sound particularly tough or will provide long-term protection for the bass if it can be easily removed by turps. But then I've never used it, so don't know what it's like. But reading the product description, it doesn't sound like something I'd chose as an instrument finish.
What would you suggest?Quote:
Originally Posted by Simon Barden
Lots of options, all providing a more durable finish. What I don't know is how many of them will be compatible with the oil paint stain you've applied. TruOil would probably work well, but I don't know about poly or acrylics. I use nitro for my guitars, but it's expensive and you need a well ventilated area to use it (I do it outside in a tent for wind and dust protection). That Golden spray seems to be a single coat spray that provides UV protection for oil paintings but is easily removable, whereas you want something that you can apply several coats of and provide a tough protective finish that will stop the bass from getting easily damaged.
I'd prepare some test pieces of wood with the oil-paint stain you can try out prospective finishes on to see if they react or not.
I don’t want to use anything that will change colour with age like TruOil, Nitro, etc. and you definitely can’t use acrylic over oil.
Rest assured I’ll be doing several coats of the Golden.
Another option would be resin.
If in doubt, test on a piece of scrap.
I agree with the compatibility testing, but I'd bee surprised if polyurethane wouldn't work over it, providing the colour coat has had sufficient time to dry.
Poly would be my choice for both durability and little to no colour change over time.
Edit in regard to post #34 below:
Yes, I should have specified oil based polyurethane. TTBOMK, water based poly is not recommended over any oil based undercoat/base coat.
Depends on if it’s an water based polyurethane or a solvent based polyurethane, obviously I’d use solvent based if I were to choose that option.
Going to test on the piece of basswood I tested the paint on either way.
In my experience (degree in Art Studio with a minor in Art History/former portrait artist/published illustrator), canvas discolors and breaks down over time when directly exposed to oil paint. It usually requires a gesso primer coat to protect the substrate. I have been curious how it will react with unprimed wood bodies as I have a plenty of oil paints and dye is expensive. It is usually linseed oil based so it might not be a problem in this application since LO can be used as a finish itself. Keep in mind that artist's oil paints have a very long drying time on their own. While the surface of an oil painting dries to the touch within a day or so, some oil paint can take up to 8 years (yes, years) to completely dry. Reading up on the medium you are using, it appears to lengthen drying time when a lot is used. There are other mediums that shorten drying, but can alter the reflective qualities making a matte paint glossy. The thin amount of pigment you have applied shouldn't take years, that is usually with impasto applications. Just give it a little extra time before top coating. Just a thought, you could add a layer of dewaxed shellac as a seal coat and that should free up your options for clear. It's looking good so far! I may do some paint experiments myself for future builds.
For a timber finish you need to make sure it's boiled linseed. I'll stick to automotive sealers and base coats. Expensive, but I tend to be project oriented rather than using what's at hand.
True. Boiled is catalyzed and has additives so it dries quicker. Artist oil paints usually use raw or refined linseed oil, hence the drying time. My long term goal was to incorporate painting and woodcarving into my guitar projects. I wasn't sure if the primer coat would be necessary. Fuzzyworbols has me thinking about it again.
Hi Toolman
Happy to hear from another artist :)
I well aware of the longer drying time with oil paint, which is actually part of why I chose oil so I can tweak the colour or fix up inconsistencies in the finish easily.
The amount of "Green for Oil" I used was quite minimal, basically a few tiny dabs onto the paint that I then rubbed (lightly) into the body like a stain or dye and then wiped the excess off (working in the direction of the grain).
I started by doing a few different tests on a scrap of basswood to get an idea of how it would turn out. The finish is touch dry in two weeks, but after I've fixed up the sides (in two weeks from now) it will stay in the cupboard for at least a month or two to continue to dry before even considering applying any clear coats.
I know all about using gesso on canvas etc, but this is more of a stain than a "paint job" so no primer required.
My wife has worked for a reputable local art supply company for 12 years and has a wealth of knowledge and experience with various paints etc, I've also been consulting some of her colleagues (who are accomplished artists in their own rights) for advice. We have also talked about possibly using shellac to seal the oil.
I'm really happy with the results so far and would highly recommend this method because it's very easy to do for novices and experts alike.
Sounds a little like the first generation candies my current paint system used which were pigment based rather than dye based. The downside was once you hit a certain level of saturation, the colour ceases to darken, but then again my brushes start with a 0...usually with a decimal point after it ....
I must say, it does produce a beautiful stain!