P-Bass (PBA-4)

[Shimmix]

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?
Anyway, off to work...

Shimmix

[Bass Guy]

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

[Shimmix]

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 :


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

Thanks

[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.

[Brendan]

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

[Shimmix]

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!

[Shimmix]

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

Thank you!

[Shimmix]

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


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

[WeirdBits]

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

[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).