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Ares Bass (SX Build #3)

neurotictim

neurotictim

Jan 2, 2008
2,637
2,101
Virginia Beach, Virginia
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#1
This bass is a direct result of the Python Bass' paint time being in excess of a month. I'm just not a patient person, so I decided to "build" a bass for the meantime.

More backstory is that I lost out on a nav unit for my Magnum, and decided to spend the money I was going to spend on the nav on a bass...

Anywho, this will be another "love it" or "hate it" bass, for most people. It's being built, like the Python, specifically for the band I'm in now, tuned DGCF/CGCF, passive with Precision-style pups.

Just a few photos at the moment. For the record, I was inspired by the "Red Geddy" - but I wanted that fat P-sound.

I'm sure the headstock logo design will be the most controversial part, so let's get that out of the way.

DSCF2127-1.jpg


I will always include the SX logo somewhere in my many logo ideas, just so there's no issue with claiming the bass is something it's not.

Since the bass started as an SX SJB-75 B, and I wanted to do Precision-style pickups, I had to make a pickguard that would suit. I just took my time, with a cheap soldering iron and a few files...

DSCF2117.jpg


It will eventually be painted black with sparkly red pinstripe, and I've got all-black hardware, but for a test fit...

DSCF2121.jpg


This will be the "make or break" for this project. I oriented the pickups opposite from the Python bass, to see how much of a difference it will make in the sound. And since the route would have looked like ****, I decided to make a pickguard for the bridge pup.

DSCF2124.jpg


I still have to do the routing, and finish the headstock, and replace the nut, wire it up VVT, figure out where I'm going to put the series/parallel switch, but it's moving along...

:hyper:
 
#6
Thanks guys. I like to do things differently, see what works and what doesn't, and I suffered over the placement and content of the logo for a while.

The bridge pickguard had to be changed - my router skipped whilst routing and carved something of a gouge right where the two pickguards meet. :spit: A dum-dum mistake I won't make again, but easily enough covered up, since there has to be some sort of surround. I like the new shape better, more complimentary lines. Pics tomorrow. On the upside, I'm getting way better at making pickguards.

Anyway, just finished routing and shielding, gonna paint the pickguards tomorrow and wire it up... Just waiting to finish the headstock and pick up some Black Beauties, just in time for me to show it off at practice Tuesday, hopefully.
 
#8
Eric618 said:
I (personally) think a pickup ring would look better than that extended guard. That doesn't look great to me. If you're gonna pop the P in the same area as the J (which it seems like you are), then a pickups ring would look much better, IMO.

...Don't hate me, I *did* say the logo was killer! ;)
Click to expand...

im going to agree.. and the logo is pretty nice

or maybe just a different guard altogether minus the metal control plate. marcus miller comes to mind.
 
#9
Well, there have been a few problems along the way the last couple of days, chalk 'em up to experience.

DSCF2136.jpg


My measurements for the pickups was based on the jazz pickups - basically I just made sure the tops of the Ps were on the same line as the Js... and now I'm all crooked. :scowl: It sounds okay, which means I wired everything correctly, but this is gonna **** me off no end. To that end, I'm going to make a new one, possibly like Sonic Assassin said and ditch the control plate/pg thing, one solid piece. Not that I think it looks bad:

DSCF2140.jpg


Fortunately, I can spend less than $10 for a sheet of plexi, and have whatever pickguard I want - the plus side of the experience. So I'm going to tool around and see what designs I can come up with - I have a 4-day weekend with nothing else to do.

Yes, I still have to set the intonation and action, and figure out the D-tuner, but it's chugging right along. You'll know it's done when it's sporting DR Black Beauties. :hyper:
 
#15
So this is the (almost) finished product. I went through a few different paint schemes for the revised pickguard, but I wanted to do something that wouldn't overwhelm the bass with black plastic.

SDC10009.jpg


Still need to figure out how I'm going to string it - since it's getting tuned DGCF, with the regular dropping of the D to C, I think I'm going to string it with a 5 string Black Beauty set, the BEAD strings, which will require massive changes to the truss rod, and most likely intonation, which has been very roughly set in these pics.

Obviously, there's a thorough cleaning due as well, after all is said and done, but the pg matches the finish fairly closely.

SDC10013-2.jpg


Next up, sound clips with the Basslines, and then I'm switching out for the Lace AlumaP I got in the mail earlier this week.
 
#20
The pics don't really do justice to this bass - the routes look funny around the pg for two reasons: 1, the shielding in the cavity reflects light weirdly, especially the flash, and 2, the clear coat on the pg caused some of the red paint to "pull" from the edges, for reasons unknown... Except that I apparently didn't let the red dry for long enough.

Ok, so here is an video/audio clip of Ares.

Two riffs, repeated three times - once with just the neck pickup, then once with the bridge pickup, then once with both.

The tone is rolled off about 10% or so, and I'm still tweaking the setup. As always, overlook the sloppy playing and dig the tone... I do. :)

 

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