Blondes have more fun - a weekend build.

[ChickWithaRic]

My first post here in the corner. I'll try to play nice.

This has been my side project for a while, and now I'm just going to get it done. It's partly a recycling of a bass I built which suffered a failed neck/ body joint due to a poor material choice for which I accept all responsibility.

In short, it's a parts bin Jazz bass, or, in other words exactly like the real thing.

The body came from guitarbuild.co.uk, it's American ash and is stunning both in terms of craftsmanship and materials. The neck is from the failed body project, and is a Chinese manufactured all maple item with two carbon fiber reinforcing spars and black block inlays. I gave it a tele style headstock and fitted it out with Guyker tuners and a hipshot string retainer. The frets have been levelled, crowned, and polished. The fingerboard edges have been lovingly hand rolled. This thing is smooth.

The other parts we shall meet in due course. They are quite nice.

 

[ChickWithaRic]

So, working outside because it's a beautiful day in the neighborhood, the first task was to carefully measure everything with a digital vernier caliper. This was done because I know the neck was made to a non 7ender thickness, and the Guitarbuild body is a perfect replica of a 1960 J body, complete with router hump.

The neck heel is too thick. There should be 1/8" between the fretboard extension and surface of the body. I was 5/32 out.

I marked everything up and began to remove material from the neck heel with a Japanese Shinto rasp. Once I was close to my scribed line, I switched to a block plane and worked at 45 degrees across the grain from both sides initially, and then along the grain to finish. All the time I checked for square and flatness.

The dark spots are beech dowels filling the old bolt holes. They are unusually large because I had used threaded inserts. The old inserts were removed with an EZ-out screw extractor.

It's time to meet the body. It's sweet.

After temporarily clamping the nack to the body, I spotted the screw holes with a brad point 5/32 drill, then removed the neck and drilled 1/8" screw pilot holes.

The pencil lines were drawn in to double check for square and dimensional accuracy.

Next job was to mount the neck. I have cheekily used a genuine 7ender neck plate and screw set. It was in my Big Box Of Useful Things. I used my Hitachi impact driver with a brand new PH2 driver bit set to its "fine" mode. I'm often told I shouldn't use power tools on a musical instrument. My answer is, what do you think they use in the factory? The screw fairy?

There is a slight mismatch, maybe a 64th or so, on the treble side. It's hardly worth setting the router up for it. I think I can get that with a bullnose plane.

Jazz Bass experts will be able to see the router hump in that picture. This body really is a very faithful reproduction of the 1960 J.

And, heeeeeeeeere's Blondie...

Next we are going to meet the electronics, and do some routing. I hope you're all having a great day.

 

[Black Out Jazz]

Where did the neck come from? Is it good quality? I am kinda looking for a black block jazz neck.

 

[ChickWithaRic]

Where did the neck come from? Is it good quality? I am kinda looking for a black block jazz neck.

Give me a while to look through my old shipping receipts and I'll tell you. The carbon fiber reinforcing sold me on it. It arrives completely unfinished with a paddle headstock so there is work involved, but I like that.

 

[Black Out Jazz]

Hey thanks. I have a MIA Geddy I have been modding and now I want to put it back stock. The MIA neck is pearloid blocks, not black. So I am wanting a project Jazz that I can really go hog wild blacking out.

 

[Gilmourisgod]

Your methodical and detailed approach will produce a fine bass. Very clean work. Whats the weight looking like? Standard jazz headstock profile, or are you going one-off funky? I always meant to buy one of the Carvin/Keisel paddle headstock neck blanks, but missed my chance.

 

[ChickWithaRic]

Your methodical and detailed approach will produce a fine bass. Very clean work. Whats the weight looking like? Standard jazz headstock profile, or are you going one-off funky? I always meant to buy one of the Carvin/Keisel paddle headstock neck blanks, but missed my chance.

Tele shape head. Because 7ender never did a tele head Jazz, and they should have. Weight wise, the body is American ash just like a 60s Jazz, so you're looking at the upper end of mid weight. The body I think weighs around 5 1/2 pounds and to me that's perfectly acceptable.

 

[ChickWithaRic]

Hey thanks. I have a MIA Geddy I have been modding and now I want to put it back stock. The MIA neck is pearloid blocks, not black. So I am wanting a project Jazz that I can really go hog wild blacking out.

I've always loved block inlays. My first ever bass was a J copy with RW and pearloid block. It was made in some mystery Japanese or Korean factory and I still love that plank to this day, 21 years later.

 

[Black Out Jazz]

I've always loved block inlays. My first ever bass was a J copy with RW and pearloid block. It was made in some mystery Japanese or Korean factory and I still love that plank to this day, 21 years later.

I have no faith in the MIM Geddy necks, too many instances of them being problematic. The MIJ Geddy necks were real black block inlays at first but they were so thin the cracked and broke. Fender's solution? Paint them on. :/ So my goal is to source a 70's spacing black body and a good (real) black block inlay neck. I have been looking for a Fender neck for many months and haven't seen anything that wasn't old and ridic expensive.

 

[ChickWithaRic]

Time to introduce the electronics. It's Guyker's Korean made active setup. I have high expectations based on my experience with Guyker hardware. The gain is adjustable via a trim pot, and you have +/- 15dB of boost/ cut on treble and bass via a stacked pot with no center detent. It looks well made, and the construction is neat and tidy. There is a zip tie eyelet on the board for strain relief. That's a nice, thoughtful, touch that other people would do well to copy.

It **should** drop directly into **most** J cavities, but my vernier tells me that my own cavity is 0.5mm too narrow. Stop sniggering at the back.

After a few careful measurements, imagine my delight at finding that Guyker have left almost enough room beneath the circuit board for a 9 volt battery. Just a few minutes with a router will give me enough space underneath for the battery, meaning I don't have to have a nasty snappy cover battery box on the back of the instrument. I would like to think they did that on purpose.

Either way, I am spared the hell of the snappy cover box. It's only a matter of time with those things before your intimate body piercing engages the spring tab, your battery falls out, and you are on your hand and knees on stage suffering indescribable pain and you're not even being paid to be in the Marilyn Manson Band. That kind of thing really sucks.

Bring forth the router. Let's do this.

 

[ChickWithaRic]

Sidenote: Eagle eyed readers will have determined that I am using metric system units of measurement at times. That's because I use a Mitutoyo digital sliding vernier for precise critical measurements, and it makes more sense to use its default metric setting, especially when setting up Japanese made routers whose depth scales are also metric system. And anyway, Oregon is practically Canada, albeit with fewer fur coats.

 

[Black Out Jazz]

Time to introduce the electronics. It's Guyker's Korean made active setup. I have high expectations based on my experience with Guyker hardware. The gain is adjustable via a trim pot, and you have +/- 15dB of boost/ cut on treble and bass via a stacked pot with no center detent. It looks well made, and the construction is neat and tidy. There is a zip tie eyelet on the board for strain relief. That's a nice, thoughtful, touch that other people would do well to copy.

It **should** drop directly into **most** J cavities, but my vernier tells me that my own cavity is 0.5mm too narrow. Stop sniggering at the back.

View attachment 4403160

View attachment 4403172

After a few careful measurements, imagine my delight at finding that Guyker have left almost enough room beneath the circuit board for a 9 volt battery. Just a few minutes with a router will give me enough space underneath for the battery, meaning I don't have to have a nasty snappy cover battery box on the back of the instrument. I would like to think they did that on purpose.

Either way, I am spared the hell of the snappy cover box. It's only a matter of time with those things before your intimate body piercing engages the spring tab, your battery falls out, and you are on your hand and knees on stage suffering indescribable pain and you're not even being paid to be in the Marilyn Manson Band. That kind of thing really sucks.

Bring forth the router. Let's do this.

LOL

 

[Flamingo21]

There is a zip tie eyelet on the board for strain relief. That's a nice, thoughtful, touch that other people would do well to copy.

Thanks for pointing it out.

 

[b/o 402]

Nice bass project!
Can I just say, I'm already a fan of the snarky writing too.

Sidenote: Eagle eyed readers will have determined that I am using metric system units of measurement at times. That's because I use a Mitutoyo digital sliding vernier for precise critical measurements, and it makes more sense to use its default metric setting, especially when setting up Japanese made routers whose depth scales are also metric system. And anyway, Oregon is practically Canada, albeit with fewer fur coats.

 

[ChickWithaRic]

Alrighty then, we done some routery. For little things like this I don't mess around making templates. This is what double sided tape is for.

I decided to leave a little extra room all around, because getting control sets out of over tight recesses is a great way of overstressing and eventually breaking soldered joints. I will admit now to a schoolgirl error and I stupidly removed the router from the cut before it had stopped fully, and nipped the edge of the cut. If I were selling this, the body would now be B grade at best. I'm quite angry at myself for this stupid failure to observe not only basic routing but also basic woodworking safety.

There's no real damage done, the control plate will easily cover the nick, but all the same... you know.

Anyway, it works, it all fits, and I am delighted with this elegant and almost "zero mod" approach to an active J.

First task was to fit my Makita trimmer body into the plunge base. That gadget is worth a million bucks but costs less than 80. You do the math. I installed a top guided template cutter, and then using a scrap of ash with a known perfect straight edge, I made my guide with good quality double stick tape. I use Tesa, I don't think there's anything better and it's reasonably priced, and it sticks like it's going to prison tomorrow and really doesn't wanna go.

I made an initial cut with my shortest template cutter, then switched it out for a medium length to go full depth using my first cut as a guide, rather than the tape secured straight edge. I cut an additional 1/8" depth for the battery and the double layer of electrical tape that it shall eventually receive.

And does the control plate go on flush with no need to force anything? If you need to apply pressure, you need to re-cut.

That works. Now, if you like to change your battery for each and every performance, you would probably want to use threaded inserts and machine screws to secure your control plate. That's a future modification that I may make.

I'm quite happy with that solution to battery space. Really, quite happy.

 

[ChickWithaRic]

Nice bass project!
Can I just say, I'm already a fan of the snarky writing too.

It's my default setting.

 

[ChickWithaRic]

There shall be a short interlude as I watch The Walking Dead on AMC+ and strip the bridge right down to its base plate ready for marking out and installation. I doubt I shall finish this today because obviously the body needs its final Tung oil finish (it currently has a protective/ penetrative Danish oil finish) and the soldering needs to be done. It's a nice, enjoyable, stress free parts bin project that I've been collecting the parts for over a period of several months. Peace x.

 

[ChickWithaRic]

Bridge stripped to the baseplate, and it's on its marked out position. I have to drill through the body for the string through configuration. I may get to that today but we have weather coming in and I'm not keen on working inside today. I've used a genuine 7ender pickguard to get the control plate into its correct position, and have marked that out for pilot drilling.

I may not use a pickguard at all, and if I do it will be the black tort. I will, however, 100% use the neck pickup cover. But really, I like this look. It's a way of saying "this is a trick bass" without actually saying it's tricked out.

I think I will make a start on fitting the bridge, as soon as I can find my string thru ferrules in my Big Box Of Useful Things.

 

[dbsfgyd1]

There shall be a short interlude as I watch The Walking Dead on AMC+ and strip the bridge right down to its base plate ready for marking out and installation. I doubt I shall finish this today because obviously the body needs its final Tung oil finish (it currently has a protective/ penetrative Danish oil finish) and the soldering needs to be done. It's a nice, enjoyable, stress free parts bin project that I've been collecting the parts for over a period of several months. Peace x.

I can’t wait for the next installment. These projects that pop here are TB are absolutely amazing for a person that couldn’t put two pieces of wood together if his life dependent on it.

 

[ChickWithaRic]

I can’t wait for the next installment. These projects that pop here are TB are absolutely amazing for a person that couldn’t put two pieces of wood together if his life dependent on it.

Dude, I can barely do Lego.