Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
2020 Winter Build Off - 4000LS
- Thread starter ctmullins
- Start date
- Apr 18, 2008
- 16,008
- 1
- 31,709
- Disclosures
- I'm highly opinionated and extremely self-assured
Ouch! My Father and his wife inexplicably decided to go through with a one week ocean cruise to the Bahamas, your basic floating Petri dish. The assisted living place they live at called me and said they would not pick up anybody returning on a cruise ship, and they will need private transport. Nice of them to decide that AFTER they left. This sh*t is getting out of hand quick.
- Apr 18, 2008
- 16,008
- 1
- 31,709
- Disclosures
- I'm highly opinionated and extremely self-assured
Vacation still on, just domestic instead of European. Still mad. But still have my deadline tomorrow night. 
Pickup and bridge are installed, and I’m ready to finish soldering my controls. But first I have to put my plexi panels together.
First I cut out my Rowlux, just slightly smaller than the plexi.
Then I use double-sided clear tape (it’s not quite as clear as I’d like, but oh well) along the top and bottom edges. I have to cut kerfs into it for the curves.
Then I carefully flip the Rowlux over onto the plexi, straight and centered. Carefully!
Now it’s over to the drill press. I’ve already marked where I want my holes, so first we countersink...
... then we drill through, using a bit that’s slightly larger than the shank of the screw.
Now we place it on the body and mark the holes with an awl.
Drill those holes, and we’re ready to assemble!
Looks pretty good to me.
Pickup and bridge are installed, and I’m ready to finish soldering my controls. But first I have to put my plexi panels together.
First I cut out my Rowlux, just slightly smaller than the plexi.
Then I use double-sided clear tape (it’s not quite as clear as I’d like, but oh well) along the top and bottom edges. I have to cut kerfs into it for the curves.
Then I carefully flip the Rowlux over onto the plexi, straight and centered. Carefully!
Now it’s over to the drill press. I’ve already marked where I want my holes, so first we countersink...
... then we drill through, using a bit that’s slightly larger than the shank of the screw.
Now we place it on the body and mark the holes with an awl.
Drill those holes, and we’re ready to assemble!
Looks pretty good to me.
That looks awesome! 
I know the original had bare-metal screws holding the panels on the front, but I'd spray paint your screw heads white. Your plastic seems a bit more opaque and the screws stick out. (Just a minor detail, I dont mean to detract from how great of a job you've done).
I love the utilization of the air space. Not only have you built a killer piece in its own right, you really met the design challenge (I feel the same way about the sub-on-a-stick build by @2groggy)
I know the original had bare-metal screws holding the panels on the front, but I'd spray paint your screw heads white. Your plastic seems a bit more opaque and the screws stick out. (Just a minor detail, I dont mean to detract from how great of a job you've done
).I love the utilization of the air space. Not only have you built a killer piece in its own right, you really met the design challenge (I feel the same way about the sub-on-a-stick build by @2groggy)
Arrrrrggghhhh! Lightshow Ric! waiting for the full demo....
- Apr 18, 2008
- 16,008
- 1
- 31,709
- Disclosures
- I'm highly opinionated and extremely self-assured
Yes, @Reedt2000 , nobody hates pickguard screws more than me! You are right; that’s something to add to the ever-growing list entitled “Details to sort after the voting is over...”.
- Apr 18, 2008
- 16,008
- 1
- 31,709
- Disclosures
- I'm highly opinionated and extremely self-assured
In a mad dash to finish by tomorrow, I’m making hasty, pragmatic last-minute changes. I decided that it’s easiest to just run the East preamp off of its own 9V battery, held in place with a bit of Velcro for now.
Then I soldered in my controls. The pickup feeds into a CTS 500kohm volume pot, with a push/pull for active/passive. From there into the East, and out from the East to both the jack and the color organ input. I had marked the lower plexi for control holes, based on where I had routed clearance, but the low-profile CTS push/pulls are bulky, and I found I needed more clearance on one side. So I carefully taped nearby wires out of the way and made some Forstner holes with my hand drill. This is not a good time to catch a wire in a drill bit! It worked out fine.
All that fiddling with wires and clearance caused a couple of wires to come loose from the screw terminals on the East, grrrrr. But I finally got everything reconnected, tested, tucked into the cavity, tested again, closed up, tested again, and knobs installed.
I’m pooped. But I’m nearly there now!
Then I soldered in my controls. The pickup feeds into a CTS 500kohm volume pot, with a push/pull for active/passive. From there into the East, and out from the East to both the jack and the color organ input. I had marked the lower plexi for control holes, based on where I had routed clearance, but the low-profile CTS push/pulls are bulky, and I found I needed more clearance on one side. So I carefully taped nearby wires out of the way and made some Forstner holes with my hand drill. This is not a good time to catch a wire in a drill bit! It worked out fine.
All that fiddling with wires and clearance caused a couple of wires to come loose from the screw terminals on the East, grrrrr. But I finally got everything reconnected, tested, tucked into the cavity, tested again, closed up, tested again, and knobs installed.
I’m pooped. But I’m nearly there now!
- Apr 18, 2008
- 16,008
- 1
- 31,709
- Disclosures
- I'm highly opinionated and extremely self-assured
Forgot to mention: I think mirror-imaging the lower bout would make a sweet looking symmetrical double-cut guitar or medium-scale bass.
Repeat after me: "I have too many basses. I have too many basses. You are getting sleeeepppyyyy......
- Apr 18, 2008
- 16,008
- 1
- 31,709
- Disclosures
- I'm highly opinionated and extremely self-assured
Well, she’s done. Obligatory jammie pants shot:
Got the tuners installed and the TRC too. Then it was time for first string-up, with a fresh set of DR HiBeams, of course!
But I’m a little bummed.
Everything works, mostly. But it buzzes like a mofo. And it’s not because of the LED lights, because it buzzes even when the LED circuit is powered down. And my nice CTS volume pot must be defective, because right when it’s turned down to zero, it generates this weird scratchy thump, and (I swear I’m not making this up) right before you turn it all the way down it picks up a fire-and-brimstone preacher. Seriously. I did it three times. (By the way, we’re all going to hell RSN...). And I have a high fret somewhere around the 16th.
The good news - all the lights work and work well. It weighs 8.75 lb fully assembled, and balances beautifully. And it looks great, if I do say so myself.
I took a craptastic phone video, but for some reason it came out huge, so it’s not uploaded yet.
Now I have to hastily throw some clothes in a bag for vacation!
Got the tuners installed and the TRC too. Then it was time for first string-up, with a fresh set of DR HiBeams, of course!
But I’m a little bummed.
Everything works, mostly. But it buzzes like a mofo. And it’s not because of the LED lights, because it buzzes even when the LED circuit is powered down. And my nice CTS volume pot must be defective, because right when it’s turned down to zero, it generates this weird scratchy thump, and (I swear I’m not making this up) right before you turn it all the way down it picks up a fire-and-brimstone preacher. Seriously. I did it three times. (By the way, we’re all going to hell RSN...). And I have a high fret somewhere around the 16th.
The good news - all the lights work and work well. It weighs 8.75 lb fully assembled, and balances beautifully. And it looks great, if I do say so myself.
I took a craptastic phone video, but for some reason it came out huge, so it’s not uploaded yet.
Now I have to hastily throw some clothes in a bag for vacation!
wmhill
Inactive
- Aug 20, 2012
- 4,054
- 17,209
- Disclosures
- MTD basses endorsed artist Bartolini pickups emerging artist TECAMP bass players gear endorsed
- Apr 18, 2008
- 16,008
- 1
- 31,709
- Disclosures
- I'm highly opinionated and extremely self-assured
So cool! I wanna see the light show!
I’m not a member of any mainstream media site, so the “embedded video” feature isn’t an option for me. But you can see it if you click this link: 4000LS test 2
- Apr 18, 2008
- 16,008
- 1
- 31,709
- Disclosures
- I'm highly opinionated and extremely self-assured
HOLY MOLY that's awesome!
I’m not a member of any mainstream media site, so the “embedded video” feature isn’t an option for me. But you can see it if you click this link: 4000LS test 2
