EX-5 Build Diary - My First Build Bridge Pilot Hole Question

[wazkelly]

That Washburn does look a bit like a butchered Lefty Explorer. Explorer shape is surprisingly ergonomic considering it's rather long and angular shape. The EX5 is very, very neck dive heavy and suggest locating the strap button in the middle of neck mounting plate as I have done recently. If placed on the upper horn/lump I found it wanting to drag down all the time and couldn't seem to find a balance point. All good now. Guitar is not such a problem as the neck is way shorter but I may still get around to relocating strap button too.

In case you were interested in doing a matching guitar here are the comparison shots taken late Jan 2016....

[MusicStudent1]

That Washburn does look a bit like a butchered Lefty Explorer. Explorer shape is surprisingly ergonomic considering it's rather long and angular shape. The EX5 is very, very neck dive heavy and suggest locating the strap button in the middle of neck mounting plate as I have done recently. If placed on the upper horn/lump I found it wanting to drag down all the time and couldn't seem to find a balance point. All good now. Guitar is not such a problem as the neck is way shorter but I may still get around to relocating strap button too.

In case you were interested in doing a matching guitar here are the comparison shots taken late Jan 2016....

I’ve always liked the Explorer shape but whenever I played one, it just didn’t fit in my lap. I remember Ritchie Stotts of the Plasmatics playing a light blue Ibanez Destroyer II back in the early ‘80s and always thought that’d be a cool guitar to have. Building a replica of the Destroyer II would be a fun project. I probably wouldn’t modify the body, but maybe that’s not that hard to do with a coping saw and some sandpaper. I don’t like the rhythm pickup being too close to the neck problem, though...



I am expecting neck dive, so thanks for the strap button tip. The BC Rich players have reported the same solution to neck dive with their guitars. I am ready to deal with it and plan to use a strap while playing seated. I’m going to work around the bass’s shortcomings because it looks cool, and I am dedicated! Ha ha!

Thanks for the comparison photos. I think you answered a question I had about the EX-5 fitting in a Pit Bull hard case. I believe it’s probably their largest solid body bass and aren’t sure it’ll fit. It looks like it isn’t that much larger than the EX guitar so I’m guessing, yes. After all this work, the thing is going in a case! (Unless my paint job ends up looking like a two year old painted it with a water color set!)

Here are some lessons learned:

1. Clean cotton cloths fresh out of the washer and dryer still contain detergent soap! That fact probably doesn’t do anything but I realized I was wiping my body and neck with sudsy water to raise the grain. I rinsed the cloths, wiped again, and sanded a bunch more when the wood dried so I doubt any soapy residue is left anywhere.

2. Stew Mac grain filler should be mixed with water. That fact is left off the jar but I saw it later on their website. Today, I glopped a bunch of it in the body and neck with a brush as instructed and let it dry. After a few hours, I sanded it back and re applied with water. No harm done, I guess. (There is no question that I’m sanding way more than necessary but sanding seems to cure any mistake!)

Grain Filler properly mixed with water!