Build #4 Custom HB-4

[fender3x]

I think the jack is connected properly. Since you hear the pickups (even if they are quiet) it's probably installed correctly. You can probably tell that I don't like barrel jacks. They are literally then only kind of jack that has failed that in one of my basses. My G&L came with one, and I actually modified it to use a Les Paul jack plate and open frame jack. But they work fine for a lot of people.

The DiMarzios may be louder. On the other hand if it's too quiet, you may want to at least be able to adjust the pickup height. In my case it usually takes me a few weeks to decide what height I like the pickups best.

I have only worked on one fretless neck, and it was originally fretted. After I pulled the frets and put some veneer in the fret slots, I had a lot of sanding to do. Once I started, I could see that it was much more uneven than I had imagined. The sanding takes a while, but is not difficult. Mine is not bound, however, and I can see how you might not want to have to re-paint the binding. As to the finish, I think I am a bit odd her in that I did not put finish on my fingerboard. It is rosewood, and very hard. I am using flat-wound strings. If the strings wear the fretboard I figure I can just sand it again. I can say that I played an upright bass for many years with an unfinished rosewood fingerboard without problems. Rosewood is pretty hard ;-)

[Alexej]

Yeah, there is not much need for a barrel jack, especially on a hollow, but it looks fine and accurate on the body
I would not say that the bass is very quiet, but will try to get the humbuckers a bit higher...

I put a metal ruler on the fretboard and it seems, that it is not totally even and flat, like having slightly waves, maybe two, about 3th-5th fret and somewhere between 8th-9th...should have checked right at the beginning of the build...lesson learned
I adjusted the trusrod in the concave direction a bit and it got better with the rattling...I am afraid the sanding is inevitable
But I can't bring myself to do it at the moment, so I will give it some rest

Wanted to order a sandblock for the fretboard, but how do you define the radius usually? fender3x, you said 12", I would order that one, but have no idea why this is right...

[Alexej]

And here are some pics of the result..."soundable", but still in progress...

[fender3x]

Wanted to order a sandblock for the fretboard, but how do you define the radius usually? fender3x, you said 12", I would order that one, but have no idea why this is right...

To my knowledge all PitBull necks (and most other kit necks, I think) have a 12" radius. You'll see that in posts on the board occasionally. I actually checked mine, as well as a Kmise neck I bought for a project, and all were 12" so I think it's accurate.

It's easy to check, and raises the point that you may want a couple of other tools to do a setup. You might consider getting a very small, finely calibrated ruler (if you don't already have one), and a set of over/under string radius gauges, like these:



I saw these packaged together on Amazon for under US$9.

https://www.amazon.com/Pieces-Luthie...zcF9hdGY&psc=1

You can run the radius gauge along the neck to see when you have sanded down to the point where everything is flat and has the proper radius. Also, if you don't like the 12", the radius gauges will help you tell when you have it flatter or rounder ;-) They are also useful for setting up bridges with individually adjustable saddles. You set the lowest and highest string to the height you want, and then put the radius gauge under the strings to set the center string heights.

I don't like to have to buy too many specialized tools for luthiery...but these are are among the few that I do own ;-)

[Trevor Davies]

+1 for the Pitbull necks being 12 " radius.

And the bass looks awesome. Great work.

[fender3x]

I forgot to ask, Alexej, how did you make the cut for the access panel in the back? It looks amazingly clean.

[Alexej]

Thank you Trevor!

I opened the back using a scalpelknife, you can see it on the first page of this diary
Just cut slowly layer by layer. Same I did with the holes for the Humbuckers.

I ordered now some tools...pandoras box is open now sanding and adjusting ahead...

What I do not totally understand is the development of vibrations and rattling. I can imagine rattling on the fretboard, but somehow I have vibrations on the bridge and stringholder...if I just hit an open string it is fine, but hitting while pushing on the fretboard, some really ugly vibrationsounds, snattering and scrambling appear...it sounds where the bridge is...so the output sound of the bassin headphones is nice, but the physical sounding is horrible...I am not even sure, if it comes from the fretboard, because it does not matter, which fret I push...

[Trevor Davies]

About the rattling:
Just brainstorming
- I have had bad rattles when the tuner nuts are not tight enough, or come loose with time, as their washer rattles!

- You are not using the kit strings - so it should not be them.

- did you use the springs on the screws that push the pickups out?

Maybe try wrapping a rubberband, or hair tie, around the headstock and strings to determine if the rattle is there. Or around the Tailpiece.

[Alexej]

Well, since the open strings do not cause the vibrations and rattling, I suppose it must be the fretboard, right? Not sure how to use a hair tie or rubberband

One thing I am also thinking of is the bridge. I did not glue it to the body, but fixed it with a tape. But it is not moving and is pressed to the body by the strings. Might it still be an issue?
And I am not sure about the metal "sticks", over which the strings run on the bridge. They seem to be very thin, if I compare them to original ones on a Höfner bridge. But actually I do not really think of this being the cause.

Somehow I feel, that sanding the fretboard will be the only chance...
The sandblock arrived...just have to find the power in me to start

[fender3x]

If there is no rattling with with open strings, the problem is probably not on between the headstock and the nut, especially if you have tightened down the nuts on the tuning posts. It's possible, but pretty unlikely.

It's probably not on the bridge. You should not glue the bridge to the body, tape is fine. The way you intonate your bridge is by moving it physically so you don't want it glued. One advantage to the flying bridge and trapeze tailpiece is that it pushes the bridge into the bass, so everything should be held firmly by string tension. The only place you might get a rattle is near the saddle (the metal sticks) if they are too short and the string vibrates against the wood in the bridge. That is unlikely because the amplitude of string vibrations close to the saddle are at their smallest. Also you would probably only hear the rattle on the lowest strings, and not on the G string.

So, my bet is that it has either to do with the fretboard not being completely flat, the action or the truss rod adjustment. This is what I would do, and the order is important.

1) Take the strings off and adjust the truss rod to make the neck as flat as possible. I do this by putting the straight edge on top of the fingerboard and looking for light between the straight edge and the fingerboard.

2) Sand the fingerboard until it is totally flat, with a 12 inch radius.

3) Put the strings back on and set the truss rod as in the video, so that it has just a tiny bit of relief.

4) Set the action at the bridge as in the video.*

5) If necessary, adjust string height at the nut.**


* On your type of bridge typically you only test the outer strings...but you might test the inner string heights as well. If the bridge is flat, the you may need to adjust the bridge to be a bit higher. You can also test the bridge to see if it has a 12" radius like the finger board if you have radius gauges like in the pic above. There's a way to adjust the radius of your bridge, but I wouldn't do that until the rattle is out.

** It is very unlikely that string height at the nut that is too high would make the string rattle. If the height at the nut is too low, you may need a new nut...or use the baking soda and superglue trick. AKA the bone shavings and superglue trick... but we'll save that for later...and hopefully you wont need it. Even if you did have nut heights that were too low, the sanding may have taken care of that problem.