EX-4 Bass First Build

[starsloth]

It finally arrived!


Here are the specs, customizations, and planned upgrades:

BODY
Explorer Style
Alder
No bridge holes drilled
Musicman pickup route (this was messed up at the factory, got a humbucker in the wrong position)

NECK
Medium Scale (32")
Maple fretboard
Black dot inlay (painted on though... kind of disappointing)
Explorer headstock (modifying the shape to look more like the Fernandes BXB headstock)

Hardware
Fender style bridge (probably the Gotoh 201b-4)
Stock tuners (i'll possibly upgrade but not a top priority)
Bone nut? (probably should have just added that on to the order but totally forgot)

Electronics
Nordstrand MM4.4 Quad Coil pickup
3-way rotary switch for series, parallel, and "single" coil
Tone 250k audio w/ 1uF cap
Volume 500k linear

[starsloth]

My first big mission is to plug that humbucker cavity. Pitbull was great and sent along some scrap basswood to help with that (they didn't have any alder).

I've read that lots of people use bondo to fill in any gaps and make it smooth but I'm worried that since the plug is a different wood than the body that over time you'll be able to see the outline. Am I being too paranoid about that or is there a better method that allows for more natural "breathing"?

[Andyxlh]

The painted dots look great under clear coat , don’t worry
When I built my Frankenstein copy (in signature) I used scrap timber and builders bog to fill the humbucker holes, 3 years and no cracks. I’d say the bonding of the bog and the size of timber slab would keep it still enough, the hole is centre of block

[Simon Barden]

I've used basswood to plug up the ends of a pickup rout in a JB kit as the pickups I'm using are shorter but wider than the standard JB pickups. I used Titebond to glue it in place, then filled the gaps with an UV-curing resin. Then sanded the top flat and routed out to the right size. With primer and paint on top, you'd never know.

Wood doesn't breathe, but it can dry out or absorb moisture, which is one good reason for putting a finish on the guitar, to prevent this happening as much as possible and stop it shrinking or expanding slightly with changes in climate conditions.

I've never used Bondo itself, but I've used similar products for filling and you should be fine with it.

[starsloth]

Great to know about the painted dots, now I won't be tempted to do something dumb that might mess up the neck :P

Thanks for the reassurance about plugging the pickup cavity, that hole will be a distant memory in no time!


Headstock Update
I wanted to mirror the lines in the body a little more and get away from the hockey stick aesthetic!

[starsloth]

To fill the humbucker cavity I sanded down a chunk of basswood until it just barely slid in without any force. I glued it in place with Titebod, followed by LiquidWood epoxy to fill in the gaps. I finished it off with Minwax High Performance Wood Filler (basically Bondo). Then I went over the whole body with 120 grit sandpaper to smooth out the plug and get out any scuffs and dings from the factory/shipping process.

The neck heel and the pocket didn't use the same radius corners so I ended up sanding down the heel to make it fit better. There is still a very very small gap under the fretboard where the heel meets the body. When I firmly push the neck towards the bridge it feels solid, but if I move the neck even slightly up or down (maybe towards or away is more accurate?) there is some play there. I'm not sure how to decide if I need to do more or if I should leave well enough alone.

[Rabbit]

The neck heel and the pocket didn't use the same radius corners so I ended up sanding down the heel to make it fit better. There is still a very very small gap under the fretboard where the heel meets the body. When I firmly push the neck towards the bridge it feels solid, but if I move the neck even slightly up or down (maybe towards or away is more accurate?) there is some play there. I'm not sure how to decide if I need to do more or if I should leave well enough alone.

Yeh, the neck pocket has the radius of the router bit, and the corners of the neck heel appear to have been done with a belt. I also had to work on the corners to get a better fit. The problem I then had was that there was some side to side play with the sides of the neck route being parallel and the neck heel sides being tapered following the fretboard. The gap was small, but I ended up sanding some veneer down and shimming the sides.

[Simon Barden]

Remember that the size of the pocket gap will be reduced when you put finish on the neck. You don't want too tight a fit when it's unfinished for that reason. But you may have a slight gap at the end of it all. If the neck's pushed over to one side so that's the total gap, then I wouldn't worry about it. It looks to me like you won't have enough of a gap to shim and still have room for finish.

Are you planning to paint or clear coat the neck?

[starsloth]

Planning on tru-oil for the neck

[starsloth]

I’m less worried about the side gaps (my fender zone’s neck heel is totally exposed on one side!). My concern is that when I go to bolt the neck on it will be a little askew. I’m just not sure how to make sure it’s perfectly squared up with the side to side wiggle I’ve got going on!