Build #4 Custom HB-4

[Alexej]

It is definitely helping getting additional information and advises from experienced people
So, I am always grateful...

It's hard to learn to play guitars and building them at the same time and then the experimenting with hardware... it is always a compromise between staying superficial or going into details...but I try

[fender3x]

It's hard to learn to play guitars and building them at the same time and then the experimenting with hardware... it is always a compromise between staying superficial or going into details...but I try

You join a fine tradition.... Eddie Van Halen, Brian May, Les Paul... Hard to find a bass player in this category but Lee Sklar comes close (he and John Caruthers built his Frankenstein bass). Norm Sundholm, the bass player for the 1960s band The Kingsmen, designed the first Sunn amplifiers (my first bass amp ;-) ), Everett Hull invented a pickup that attached to the sound peg of his standup bass...in other words he amp'd the sound peg....and went on to co-found Ampeg. Paul Tutmarc was a guitar/ukulele/lap-steel player who invented built and sold the first electric bass guitars...

[Alexej]

You join a fine tradition.... Eddie Van Halen, Brian May, Les Paul... Hard to find a bass player in this category but Lee Sklar comes close (he and John Caruthers built his Frankenstein bass). Norm Sundholm, the bass player for the 1960s band The Kingsmen, designed the first Sunn amplifiers (my first bass amp ;-) ), Everett Hull invented a pickup that attached to the sound peg of his standup bass...in other words he amp'd the sound peg....and went on to co-found Ampeg. Paul Tutmarc was a guitar/ukulele/lap-steel player who invented built and sold the first electric bass guitars...

Those are very inspiring words, fender3x Every instrument opens a new world and dimension...
And this fretless creature keeps capturing every minute of my free time

[fender3x]

Those are very inspiring words, fender3x Every instrument opens a new world and dimension...
And this fretless creature keeps capturing every minute of my free time

I know what you mean. And it continues when you are done. I recently finished a fretless version of an ESB-4. I am a long way from mastering it, but I have a hard time passing it without picking it up to play at least a little. A fretless is a very different animal.

[Alexej]

I know what you mean. And it continues when you are done. I recently finished a fretless version of an ESB-4. I am a long way from mastering it, but I have a hard time passing it without picking it up to play at least a little. A fretless is a very different animal.

Checked your build of the ES4-B. Looks great and I like the color sheme, it has a noble touch.
I did not check enough about fretless guitars before building, I think. Maybe I should have considered making some marks on the fretboard, which would definitley help to orientate especially someone who is not a good player.

But for the moment I have completed building the project...so technically, teh bass is ready and now I have to move on with adjustments and finding out, how to handle the beast

[Alexej]

The build is finished, but not without some issues...

Mounting the humbuckers was very tough...not being able to see inside...and I made some measurement mistakes in my head...the distance between the holes for the screws should have been bigger than that on the humbucker itself...with some force and pressure it worked, but is very tight now...



Second is the outputjack...somehow I had no signal at the hot end, but on the one for battery I had signal...is it a mistake? The bass sounds a bit more quiet, comapred to my IB-4...maybe this connection is wrong?



And I am not sure about the height of the action. Somewhere I read that on a fretless bass the string height is much lower than on the normal one...atm I have some rattling on the first 5 "frets" on every string...but I can not go much lower with the bridge for example...
Only thing I have still to check is the bend of the neck, it seemed quiet straight...



So, I have to check out some of the issues but some tones are coming out already...quiet dark and deep...

And I went for the Thunderbird Jazz Bass wiring, nothing special

[fender3x]

Maybe I should have considered making some marks on the fretboard, which would definitley help to orientate especially someone who is not a good player.

Thanks for the kind words. You can't really see the fretboard when you are playing, particularly when you are standing. But you can see side markers. On mine, since I pulled the frets off, the side markers are a little behind where the fret would be. I used a lighter wood to fill the fret so I can see it in good light, but I see the dot marker better. It has taken some getting used to to make sure I fret a little higher than the dot. On yours, you might consider putting side markers exactly where the frets would be. I did it on a lefty neck that I bought on sale (I am a righty). It's easy, quick and makes a difference for me ;-)

I have some thoughts about your next post. Will comment when I get a few minutes.

[fender3x]

The build is finished, but not without some issues...

Mounting the humbuckers was very tough...not being able to see inside...and I made some measurement mistakes in my head...the distance between the holes for the screws should have been bigger than that on the humbucker itself...with some force and pressure it worked, but is very tight now...

Looks good...and as long as you can adjust the pickup to where you want it tight should be fine.

Second is the outputjack...somehow I had no signal at the hot end, but on the one for battery I had signal...is it a mistake? The bass sounds a bit more quiet, comapred to my IB-4...maybe this connection is wrong?

Your picture has the ground correct, but I think you've reversed the hot and battery posts. The hot should be the shortest one. The battery should be a little taller. It's easy to check with a multimeter and a guitar cable. Plug in the guitar cable. The "hot" terminal should have continuity with the tip of the guitar cable. The battery and ground should be continuous with the shaft with the cable plugged in.

It may be quieter than your other bass. This could be for a variety of reasons. Pickups could be too far from the strings. They could just be less "hot" than your IB-4...also IIRC doesn't your IB-4 have a battery and pre-amp? That could make a difference. My guess, though is the pickups are just a bit far from the strings.

And I am not sure about the height of the action. Somewhere I read that on a fretless bass the string height is much lower than on the normal one...atm I have some rattling on the first 5 "frets" on every string...but I can not go much lower with the bridge for example...
Only thing I have still to check is the bend of the neck, it seemed quiet straight...

The action looks high, but I would be more concerned with the rattling. Did you make sure that the neck was absolutely flat? If not you might want to get a 12" radius sanding block...

https://www.amazon.com/KAISH-Fingerb...hyprod-20&th=1

...and make sure the neck is absolutely flat. You need to adjust the truss rod to get the fretboard as flat as possible, and then sand, sand, sand until you have a perfectly flat, perfectly radiused fingerboard for the full length of the fingerboard.

Then do a full setup like this...

[fender3x]

Speaking of the jack, you might consider getting rid of the barrel jack and replacing it with an open frame, mono switchcraft jack or, even better, a mono PureTone jack. These are smaller, and MUCH more reliable than your barrel jack. They just have two terminals so they are easier to install as well. There is no reason to have a barrel jack in your build that I can think of.

I have swapped out most of my jacks for PureTones. https://puretonetechnologies.com/pro...-4-output-jack

[Alexej]

Thanks for the input! Really appreciate it...

Have to check the truss rod and neck adjustments/shape because of the rattling...the fretboard seems to be flat...never sanded fretboards before and I am a bit afraid of it, for it will destroy the finish (white binding painted black and sealed with transparent lacquer...) but on the other hand it is still an instrument and should be playable and not being just an object...so I have to play around a bit, but actually not much to adjust at this stage...maybe giving it a bit of rest and tehn move on, but I already looked up for the sand block...haha

As for the jack, I had connected the shortest one, so it should be right? Just the description I found on the internet was reversed, for the shortest it sayed battery and middle one for hot. My problem is, that I like the barrel jack visually coming out of the body. That is the only reason I used it (also on the IB-4).

And about the loudness of the bass...I think I have to reinstall the humbuckers, for atm there is no way for them to come out more out of the body, it is already tight. And if they should move more to the strings, I have to make the adjustment.
The IB-4 is actually passive P-Bass with diMarzio pickups, maybe they are just louder, thats why it seems more silent on the HB in comparison...

So, the work is finished, but it also goes on Have to make some marks for the frets on the side ans move on with measuremnts and adjustments