P-Bass (PBA-4)

Hey all,

My new P-Bass kit arrived yesterday, and I'm excited to start working on it.
This is my first experiment with guitar kits, so I'll probably have lots of questions, like, where do I start? :D
Anyway, off to work...

Shimmix

Awesome stuff Shimmix. Ask any questions you want- the only stupid questions are the ones you don't ask.😀

Thank you Bass Guy.
So here comes...
1. In the manual under "Checking the Scale Length" it says:
"The bridge needs to be situated so the saddles are at a position that allows them to be adjusted for setting the intonation later, so set the saddles to the middle of their adjustment and check that it is approximately at the end of your scale length."

Watching the video, they say to bring the saddles all the way to the front (as far as they'll go) and to position that at the scale length (in my case 34"). So i'm wondering what is it, all the way to the front or the middle?

2. under "Test fitting the Neck" it says "With the neck lightly clamped in place and the tuners for both E strings in place" - my tuners have no way to fit them into place without the mounting screws in the back :
Attachment 23768

Should I drill holes and mount it with the screws? and should I mount the bridge with the screws as well?

Thanks

Welcome Shimmix.

It is good to have a bit of adjustment both ways at the bridge. For the bridge on a PB I'd probably set the scale length with the bridge pieces 3/4 of the way to the front. You are more likely to need to pull the bridge pieces back when setting the intonation, but occasionally you will need to move them forward a little bit.

I usually drill all the holes first, but that is for staining. If you are spraying and are going to be wet sanding, our resident experts advise against drilling first to avoid water getting into the wood and causing swelling.

Check out here... http://www.buildyourownguitar.com.au...ead.php?t=3048

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Fretworn

Welcome Shimmix.

It is good to have a bit of adjustment both ways at the bridge. For the bridge on a PB I'd probably set the scale length with the bridge pieces 3/4 of the way to the front. You are more likely to need to pull the bridge pieces back when setting the intonation, but occasionally you will need to move them forward a little bit.

I usually drill all the holes first, but that is for staining. If you are spraying and are going to be wet sanding, our resident experts advise against drilling first to avoid water getting into the wood and causing swelling.

---

Thank you!! that's useful!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Brendan

Check out here... http://www.buildyourownguitar.com.au...ead.php?t=3048

---

Thank you!

I made some progress - I shaped the head stock :) (using hack saw - still have more sanding to do) - let me know what you think..
Attachment 23865

some more questions thou :
should I use grain filler on the body and neck?
if yes, should it be applied before sanding, or after sanding ?

Thanks

Grain filler, and the steps involved, partly depends your on choice of finish. Stain, paint, oil etc.

The neck is maple, so won't need grain filling. The PBA-4 has an ash body, and ash is a timber that requires grain filling (it has large open pores) if you want to a achieve a flat shiny surface on the body. Not everyone does, but you won't get a flat surface all over the body without grain filling it.

You'll want to sand the body as smooth as possible first before grain filling. This smoothness will depend on the finish you want to apply. Using too fine a grit can 'over-polish' the wood so that it won't absorb stain or wax well. A maximum of P240 is best here A sprayed finish will take on a much smother surface, but there is no real point in over-smoothing the wood as you will just have to repeat the process on the finish anyway. So maybe P320 maximum for a sprayed finish. If you are spraying over staining, then stick to P240 as a maximum.

Grain filling will leave a residue on the surface of the wood that will need sanding off, so try to remove as much of the surface grain filler as possible during application. Use a plastic or rubber-edged scraper. And I'd use a light surface sanding before the grain filler sets firmly, as its far less work to remove.

Grain fill twice, as the first application is bound to have missed some areas and the grain lines in ash can have deep pits that are best filled a little at a time rather than all in one go (just like filling any large hole).

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by WeirdBits

Grain filler, and the steps involved, partly depends your on choice of finish. Stain, paint, oil etc.

---

Thanks Scott

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Simon Barden

The neck is maple, so won't need grain filling. The PBA-4 has an ash body, and ash is a timber that requires grain filling (it has large open pores) if you want to a achieve a flat shiny surface on the body. Not everyone does, but you won't get a flat surface all over the body without grain filling it.

You'll want to sand the body as smooth as possible first before grain filling. This smoothness will depend on the finish you want to apply. Using too fine a grit can 'over-polish' the wood so that it won't absorb stain or wax well. A maximum of P240 is best here A sprayed finish will take on a much smother surface, but there is no real point in over-smoothing the wood as you will just have to repeat the process on the finish anyway. So maybe P320 maximum for a sprayed finish. If you are spraying over staining, then stick to P240 as a maximum.

Grain filling will leave a residue on the surface of the wood that will need sanding off, so try to remove as much of the surface grain filler as possible during application. Use a plastic or rubber-edged scraper. And I'd use a light surface sanding before the grain filler sets firmly, as its far less work to remove.

Grain fill twice, as the first application is bound to have missed some areas and the grain lines in ash can have deep pits that are best filled a little at a time rather than all in one go (just like filling any large hole).

---

Thank you Simon! a lot of info, very helpful indeed!

Hey all, Happy good year!

I've been sanding the neck for two hours last night with 600 and 1200 grit, the neck felt very smooth and silky until I gave it a good clean and removed all the dust... is it something familiar? should I go back to sanding?

another question, I want to apply teak oil to the neck but I want the front face of the headstock (where the logo will be) to be clear coated on top of the teak oil - will it be a problem? (I'll be using the Rust-Oleum Clear gloss spray can).

Thanks!!

Attachment 23880Attachment 23881

I'd test the oil/decal/clear coat combination on some scrap wood first. Sometimes that's the only way to be sure that you won't have compatibility issues.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Fretworn

I'd test the oil/decal/clear coat combination on some scrap wood first. Sometimes that's the only way to be sure that you won't have compatibility issues.

---

Thanks! I'll try that

After reading quite a lot of posts on the forum , I finally understood what I should achieve by sanding (removing all the machine/saw marks and small dents) - so I got back to sanding and after about 4 hours I was satisfied with how the neck turned out.
the next step was applying the teak oil to the neck, after testing on a scrap wood the teak oil - clear lacquer combination I decided to apply the teak oil only to the neck and not the head stock..

Attachment 24106

I applied two layers of teak oil with 6 hours cure time between each layer.
After let it cure over night (after the second layer), I attended to the head stock.
I masked the neck (where the teak oil is) and sprayed a thin coat of lacquer , after 3 hour cure time I applied my logo

Attachment 24107

Now,(finally),comes a question...:o
should I wet sand between the coats of lacquer? should I wet sand the first layer on top of the logo as well, or only the second/third layer? and with what grit?

Thanks

I'd get several clear coats over the decal before sanding back. Lacquer normally goes on pretty smoothly and without at least two coats on top, you'll be in danger of sanding through to the decal.

Thank you Simon! very helpful as always.

Dig the unique headstock!

Agreed, I like seeing something a bit outside the box, tricky thing to do well.

Working at my back yard had this couple of weeks a challenge (due to stormy weather).
But finally the neck is ready, and I'm about to start working on the body.
Should I sand it before fill in the grains, or fill the grains and than sand?
(I will intend to apply two thin layers of primer before applying the color and clear coat, and yes, I'm after the glass shiny look)

Thanks
(I will post pictures/video of the neck soon)

I had researched this a bit. A lot of people seem to sand up to 180 or 240p and then grain fill. Then cut back the grain filled timber with 240p and then go up to 320/360

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by churchie

I had researched this a bit. A lot of people seem to sand up to 180 or 240p and then grain fill. Then cut back the grain filled timber with 240p and then go up to 320/360

---

Churchie is spot on, sand perfectly first otherwise grain fill will sit in the machine marks and look awful. Then grainfil, then sand back.

I usually only go to 240 grit before staining.

Thank you churchie and Andy40 I guess that what I will do than :)

So I promised to post some pictures of the neck.
Here goes:

Attachment 24522


Attachment 24523

I've sanded the body with 240 as suggested by churchie and Andy40, and filled the grains (apparently the grain filler was white....), and then sanded again with 240 and 360:
look of the back:
Attachment 24601
look at the front:
Attachment 24602
That was yesterday, today I applied primer to the body, but I'm not sure if this how it should turn out:
a look of the problematic piece at the side
Attachment 24603
a look at the problematic piece at the back:
Attachment 24604
Hanging to cure
Attachment 24605
any way I will leave it to cure for the next 24 hours before I'll do anything
I wonder should I sand it off? Will it be a problem when applying the paint (I use Rust-Oleum spray can)?
and another question regarding the paint, should it be wet sand in between layers, or only when applying the clear coat?
Thanks

It simply means that you either needed another application of grain filler, or you didn't sand it flat enough afterwards. It is really hard to see a lot of imperfections until you put some paint on. Also, unless you've put some sanding sealer on first, the paint will sink into the wood to start with.

You are going to need several coats of primer, enough to sand it back to flat without breaking through back to the wood. This should smooth out those imperfections, though you could do it now, after the first coat has dried and do the worst of it, then let the next coats fill in and small dimples left.

Only use dry paper for the primer, but the colour and clear coats can be wet sanded between coats. However, avoid water getting into any holes already drilled into the wood as you don't want the wood to swell and then crack the paint finish, so plug them as well as possible.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Simon Barden

It simply means that you either needed another application of grain filler, or you didn't sand it flat enough afterwards. It is really hard to see a lot of imperfections until you put some paint on. Also, unless you've put some sanding sealer on first, the paint will sink into the wood to start with.

You are going to need several coats of primer, enough to sand it back to flat without breaking through back to the wood. This should smooth out those imperfections, though you could do it now, after the first coat has dried and do the worst of it, then let the next coats fill in and small dimples left.

Only use dry paper for the primer, but the colour and clear coats can be wet sanded between coats. However, avoid water getting into any holes already drilled into the wood as you don't want the wood to swell and then crack the paint finish, so plug them as well as possible.

---

Thank you Simon!
Regarding the sanding sealer - should it be applied on top of the primer, before the paint?

You'd apply it first, before any primer. This will sink in, so you expect that to, then the primer will sit over the top of that. But you'll be better to press on now and add a few more primer coats. Sanding sealer isn't mandatory, but it does make life a lot easier for you.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Simon Barden

You'd apply it first, before any primer. This will sink in, so you expect that to, then the primer will sit over the top of that. But you'll be better to press on now and add a few more primer coats. Sanding sealer isn't mandatory, but it does make life a lot easier for you.

---

Thanks a lot! I'll do that (I really want that shine :) )

Apparently sanding sealer is not as common as I believe it would be, where I'm living, but I managed to get a can, it's Nitrocellulose sanding sealer.
My question is how will it work with my primer and color, both are acrylic?
Anything I should be aware of?
I've searched Google quite a lot in the past three days, trying to find a definitive answer, a black or white, yes or no answer, what I found was lot's of similar questions - not one definitive answer.
I hope some of the experienced members here could help with this.
Thanks

The best answer is to try it first on a piece of scrap wood. If the sealer and acrylic colour aren't compatible, then you'll soon know. Poly and Nitro are supposed to be compatible, nitro and acrylic less so, but sometimes it comes down to exactly what people have put in each can.

If it doesn't work, then shellac has been recommended as a sealer that is compatible with everything, but it's just that bit messier as you have to warm up the shellac beads with water, then brush or wipe it on (or a mixture of the two).

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Simon Barden

The best answer is to try it first on a piece of scrap wood. If the sealer and acrylic colour aren't compatible, then you'll soon know. Poly and Nitro are supposed to be compatible, nitro and acrylic less so, but sometimes it comes down to exactly what people have put in each can.

If it doesn't work, then shellac has been recommended as a sealer that is compatible with everything, but it's just that bit messier as you have to warm up the shellac beads with water, then brush or wipe it on (or a mixture of the two).

---

Thank you Simon. Much appreciated.
One more question this time regarding the pick guard - I want to replace the stock white pickguard with a black one - I ordered a 3 ply blank - what is the best way to cut it into shape? (Jigsaw,hacksaw)?

Thanks

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Shimmix

Thank you Simon. Much appreciated.
One more question this time regarding the pick guard - I want to replace the stock white pickguard with a black one - I ordered a 3 ply blank - what is the best way to cut it into shape? (Jigsaw,hacksaw)?

Thanks

---

HI Shimmix,

you can cut the pickguard material with a fine bladed saw, but it is far easier to use a coping saw as it is far more maneuverable. You can cut it roughly to your required shape with a hacksaw and then tidy up the detail work with sandpaper/files.
the other thing you can do is to make an MDF template, and then use a small trim router to cut to shape. you can get a 45 degree trimming bit with a guide bearing which will also allow you to bevel the edge.

FOrum member Pablo pepper also custom cuts these for people and he may be able to help if you are not sure how to go about doing it yourself.

Cheers and good luck with your build!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by FrankenWashie

HI Shimmix,

you can cut the pickguard material with a fine bladed saw, but it is far easier to use a coping saw as it is far more maneuverable. You can cut it roughly to your required shape with a hacksaw and then tidy up the detail work with sandpaper/files.
the other thing you can do is to make an MDF template, and then use a small trim router to cut to shape. you can get a 45 degree trimming bit with a guide bearing which will also allow you to bevel the edge.

FOrum member Pablo pepper also custom cuts these for people and he may be able to help if you are not sure how to go about doing it yourself.

Cheers and good luck with your build!

---

Thanks FrankenWashie!
That's helpful. Since I currently don't have a router (was stolen when my shed was ransacked), I will try the hacksaw and sanding paper/files method.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Shimmix

Since I currently don't have a router (was stolen when my shed was ransacked), I will try the hacksaw and sanding paper/files method.

---

Man, that sucks. Did you lose much stuff? For what it's worth, the hacksaw/sanding process isn't very difficult or even particularly tedious, so you're not losing out particularly by not having access to a router.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Shimmix

Thanks FrankenWashie!
That's helpful. Since I currently don't have a router (was stolen when my shed was ransacked), I will try the hacksaw and sanding paper/files method.

---

You're very welcome; Dirty rotten light fingered mongrels, hope they get their karma payback.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by FrankenWashie

You're very welcome; Dirty rotten light fingered mongrels, hope they get their karma payback.

---

Thanks, I hope so too :cool:
I found an amazing store I didn't know existed, that sells Shellac and pigments of all sorts... I was like a kid in a candy store..
anyway - will continue my work tomorrow on the body - re sanding the primer coat untill smooth and applying the shellac.

After applying the shellac , the color received is kinda old, relic like (because I sanded some of the primer below off and you can see the wood ), Now I'm not sure if I want to paint it with the ultra marine blue or just apply the clear coat on top of the shellac to keep this color.
Attachment 24894

Tough decision :)

It kinda reminds me of old farmhouse furniture. I like it, it will be interesting to see as a mock build, check out what the jewellery does to it.