Sorry, the pics are just after the color coats with no sanding. I'll post some sanded pics today. I haven't buffed it yet as I am (not so) patiently waiting for a delivery of 3M Finesse It II, which should be here by Monday.
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First Kit Build: Pit Bull EX-5
- Thread starter stuffnjunk84
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Sorry, the pics are just after the color coats with no sanding. I'll post some sanded pics today. I haven't buffed it yet as I am (not so) patiently waiting for a delivery of 3M Finesse It II, which should be here by Monday.
I actually finished it this afternoon. I'll try to get some pics up tomorrow.
This is before the final wipe down and I haven't had time to do an actual setup. I'll get some better stuff up tomorrow.
As a side bar whenever I put a fragile sticker on a shipping box it shows up all mangled like that. The shipping goons do it on purpose (they don't get treated very well by their employers so they take it out on the customers). Total BS. You're almost better off without a fragile sticker, or if it's something important, fork out some extra cash to insure it for $1500 to $2000 and they'll tag it as a high value item in their computer.
Anyway, nice build. Never tried a kit yet. Maybe someday.
Anyway, nice build. Never tried a kit yet. Maybe someday.
Sorry for the delay in responding. I have been working with the setup for a week now to get it the way I like it.
I don't have a lot of experience with other instruments since the closest music store is more than 90 miles away so you may want to take this review with a grain of salt. I have a Peavey Foundation 5 and a Squier VM Jaguar V to compare.
The neck plays great. The neck on the Explorer is similar to the Jag: it feels thicker at the nut. I prefer the thinner feel of the Foundation, but its not a huge difference. The frets feel even, the ends are not sharp, and I don't seem to have any dead spots.
The nut and bridge need to be replaced soon. I put some EB Cobalt flats (also what I use on my Foundation) on it and the .130 B string would not fit in the nut slot or the bridge. I had an old SS string that I used as a file to make a bigger groove in the nut, and I had to widen the hole in the bridge with a drill bit. Both feel flimsy and cheap but are functional. The tuning machines feel the same but seem to do a good job keeping the instrument in tune.
I'm not sure how the stock pickups sound as I put some EMG 40HZ's in it. Maybe its my lack of experience with humbuckers or maybe its the EMG sound but this bass appears to have a much darker tone than my other two. After a few EQ adjustments I can say I am really digging the sound.
The output level seems to be somewhere between the low output of the Jag (with the preamp bypassed) and the high output of the Foundation. I play through a Behringer BX3000T (which sounds like crap when overdriven): the Foundation overdrives the preamp with the gain set at 8:00 when plugged into the passive input. The Explorer only overdrives the pre (at 8) when I really dig in.
It took a while to get the action set the way I like it. I don't know if new necks with string tension take some time to settle or what, but it seemed that any small change I made became drastic within a few hours. I ended up making small changes and playing the next day, lather, rinse, repeat, until I was able to get everything as I liked it. I prefer my action on the high side since I tend to really dig in. For those who like a low action the neck would most likely have to be shimmed. I have the neck set up with a slight bit of relief and the bridge saddles are quite low and the action is still med/high. Intonation was fairly simple to set though.
I am unsure of the weight. Its lighter than the Foundation, about the same as the Jag. I know both the Explorer and Jag bodies are made of basswood and the Foundation is not. This is purely an estimate, but I would think it weighs around 9ish pounds.
I tried to take some more pics of the finish up close, but the gloss just makes an insanely bright shine. I should have sanded with 2000 grit but I stopped at 1500. As a result, there are a few pinprick spots that are shinier than the rest across the body. It gives it a kind of "dark night sky with stars" look from a distance. Up close it just looks like I should have sanded it a bit more.
TL;DR: For under $300 and about a month of work, I am completely satisfied. It sounds great, is fairly light, and looks good. I would recommend Pit Bull to anyone, but I would be prepared to spend a bit more for a good bridge/nut.
I just bought this same kit. I was told I got the last one. I plan to do a gloss black finish as well. The build will begin in the Spring. I need finish, sandpaper, maybe a better bridge (I have a bass with a bridge like the one on the EX-5 and the hex screws cut my hand!)
Based on this info, I might get a graphtech nut, too.
Big plans! I should have a goal of making the build last 6 months instead of trying to get it done by a certain date. It seems like patience is the key. This will be my first build.
I'm leaning toward a durable hard black spray paint and might not use the traditional stuff from reranch or stew mac. Any thoughts on something unorthodox like engine enamel?
Based on this info, I might get a graphtech nut, too.
Big plans! I should have a goal of making the build last 6 months instead of trying to get it done by a certain date. It seems like patience is the key. This will be my first build.
I'm leaning toward a durable hard black spray paint and might not use the traditional stuff from reranch or stew mac. Any thoughts on something unorthodox like engine enamel?
Hello! I am 3 years late to this thread, but I finally built mine. We had a similar experience with the beat up box and bridge placement. My kit came with a boot print on the box but nothing inside was broken.
I learned a lot:
1. Paint runs and even mild paint wrinkling can be wet sanded and buffed out. I learned this after painting, wrinkling, resending, re spraying, more wrinkling, etc....all I needed to do was sand out the problem areas! The time I wasted!!!
2. There’s no need for a drill. I used a hand drill bit vise and carefully made little pilot holes with it. No screws broke.
3. Flat paint on the neck and gloss paint on the body and headstock is the way to go!
Check out my little slideshow if you like:
That looks great! Can you take a couple of neck measurements for me? What is is the width at the nut, 12rh fret, and 22nd fret in mm? This will help me in deciding whether or not to pull the trigger on one of these. Thanks!
Sure. It may take me a Little while to find the right ruler but no problem.
The only issue I had with the kit involves the nut. The strings are going to pull it to the side big time. I compensated with a string retainer (not included - I bought it separately) which caused a couple of tuners to work too hard because of binding and caused one of them to strip. Other than that workaround, the kit is great.
Here is a possible string guide fix.
Gibson Moderne repro string guides in polished brass, by Bennett Music Labs | Bennett Music Labs | Reverb
KB5, my photography skills stink.
I contemplated that Moderne string guide idea but since these are bass strings, I’d have to find some rollers somewhere strong enough. The retainer I’m using works well enough for now, when tuning up, I push and pull the strings out of the retainer and nut to alleviate any binding. I could also smooth and polish the insides of the retainer and apply graphite.
The beauty of this kit is that Gibson didn’t make a whole lot of 5 string Explorer basses. This is a unique instrument and I love it.
The thing comes in a really RAW form (which is good) and the Australian owner, Adam Boyle will respond to your questions. That whole community over there is full of experienced builders. I hope you build it!
A better shot of the 22nd fret and string guide:
A sort of related subject....after playing a 5 string for a while, I can’t go back to playing a 4 string. Now the quest is to find a conventional looking 5 string bass kit that could be played in a church or some other serious setting. An Explorer wouldn’t be an instrument I’d be comfortable playing in that environment.
My next build - I think the kit (I’ll get the fretted version) will look like the K-Tone when done: (Unless I change my mind, lol!)
My next build - I think the kit (I’ll get the fretted version) will look like the K-Tone when done: (Unless I change my mind, lol!)
