Get off my LAWN! "Grumpy Old Farts"

[ric426]

Not to change the subject, but I was going to post this in the P-Bass club or the Warmoth club or something, but this is the best club and your opinions are the only one's I care about.
My darlin' wife bought me a Warmoth P bass body and J neck for Christmas and I finally completed it today. It's a roasted swamp ash body and roasted maple neck. I finished the neck in wipe-on poly and the body with Tru-oil with Renaissance wax polish on both. Passive wiring using Dunlop Super Pots, orange crop cap and Nordstrand Power Blade pickup (though I've got others I'll try, then stick with the favorite), Hipshot hardware. Completed it weighs 7lbs 1 oz! Just right for an old fart. It sounds as good as it looks, even with me playing it, and I'll be trying various string sets and couple other pickups that I've got to find the combination I like best.
Feels good to be posting something positive for a change, especially with good friends
Here it is:

 

[Al Kraft]

The first thing that comes to mind... we got an antenna in for a whop-whop that arrived in a cardboard tube that must have had 1/2" thick walls. As soon as night shift AT's worked off all the gripes (pretty easy for AT's if the whop-whops were flying around breaking themselves), it took about an hour to make a perfect a potato cannon like thing to shoot bubble pack "bullets" across the hanger, onto innocent bystanders. It took a while to make the "rounds" rolled very tight and taped. They had to be a good fit, so shimmed with more tape. We we about 20 ft up from the deck, I guess. They added on a mezzanine as they called it and half the shops moved upstairs. So the protocol was to get it ready, open the door, fire at the target and retreat to the shop before anyone saw us. we all ran over to the window to watch the poor mech or hydraulicsman picking up the projectile and looking around, a bit bewildered. We did this for weeks. I don't remember how or why it ended, probably just got bored and moved on. I do recall the store clerk was not happy that his entire stock of packing tape when missing.

Why does this not surprise me that: 1) you didn't even have to think to come up with an example of bad behavior, and 2) your targets were ADJs and AMHs? Never mind, you were an AT, that explains both!!

 

[Al Kraft]

Not to change the subject, but I was going to post this in the P-Bass club or the Warmoth club or something, but this is the best club and your opinions are the only one's I care about.
My darlin' wife bought me a Warmoth P bass body and J neck for Christmas and I finally completed it today. It's a roasted swamp ash body and roasted maple neck. I finished the neck in wipe-on poly and the body with Tru-oil with Renaissance wax polish on both. Passive wiring using Dunlop Super Pots, orange crop cap and Nordstrand Power Blade pickup (though I've got others I'll try, then stick with the favorite), Hipshot hardware. Completed it weighs 7lbs 1 oz! Just right for an old fart. It sounds as good as it looks, even with me playing it, and I'll be trying various string sets and couple other pickups that I've got to find the combination I like best.
Feels good to be posting something positive for a change, especially with good friends
Here it is:
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WOW!! That may be one of the classiest looking instruments I've ever seen.

 

[Old Garage-Bander]

Not to change the subject, but I was going to post this in the P-Bass club or the Warmoth club or something, but this is the best club and your opinions are the only one's I care about.
My darlin' wife bought me a Warmoth P bass body and J neck for Christmas and I finally completed it today. It's a roasted swamp ash body and roasted maple neck. I finished the neck in wipe-on poly and the body with Tru-oil with Renaissance wax polish on both. Passive wiring using Dunlop Super Pots, orange crop cap and Nordstrand Power Blade pickup (though I've got others I'll try, then stick with the favorite), Hipshot hardware. Completed it weighs 7lbs 1 oz! Just right for an old fart. It sounds as good as it looks, even with me playing it, and I'll be trying various string sets and couple other pickups that I've got to find the combination I like best.
Feels good to be posting something positive for a change, especially with good friends
Here it is:
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View attachment 2929771

That's a peach!

 

[Old P Bass Guy]

Not to change the subject, but I was going to post this in the P-Bass club or the Warmoth club or something, but this is the best club and your opinions are the only one's I care about.
My darlin' wife bought me a Warmoth P bass body and J neck for Christmas and I finally completed it today. It's a roasted swamp ash body and roasted maple neck. I finished the neck in wipe-on poly and the body with Tru-oil with Renaissance wax polish on both. Passive wiring using Dunlop Super Pots, orange crop cap and Nordstrand Power Blade pickup (though I've got others I'll try, then stick with the favorite), Hipshot hardware. Completed it weighs 7lbs 1 oz! Just right for an old fart. It sounds as good as it looks, even with me playing it, and I'll be trying various string sets and couple other pickups that I've got to find the combination I like best.
Feels good to be posting something positive for a change, especially with good friends
Here it is:
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View attachment 2929771

It's a beauty! Good job. Bet it sounds as good as it looks.
E

 

[BassmanPaul]

Watch out for belt rash. Don’t want to mar that finish! My first thought was: It’s only got four strings!

Damn where’s that Hiding icon when you need it. LOL

 

[BadExample]

Not to change the subject, but I was going to post this in the P-Bass club or the Warmoth club or something, but this is the best club and your opinions are the only one's I care about.
My darlin' wife bought me a Warmoth P bass body and J neck for Christmas and I finally completed it today. It's a roasted swamp ash body and roasted maple neck. I finished the neck in wipe-on poly and the body with Tru-oil with Renaissance wax polish on both. Passive wiring using Dunlop Super Pots, orange crop cap and Nordstrand Power Blade pickup (though I've got others I'll try, then stick with the favorite), Hipshot hardware. Completed it weighs 7lbs 1 oz! Just right for an old fart. It sounds as good as it looks, even with me playing it, and I'll be trying various string sets and couple other pickups that I've got to find the combination I like best.
Feels good to be posting something positive for a change, especially with good friends
Here it is:
View attachment 2929767 View attachment 2929768
View attachment 2929769
View attachment 2929771

Absolutely beautiful, bro. ric!!! WOW!

 

[BadExample]

Why does this not surprise me that: 1) you didn't even have to think to come up with an example of bad behavior, and 2) your targets were ADJs and AMHs? Never mind, you were an AT, that explains both!!

We got some tinsmiths too!

 

[RandM]

Well done that man - very tastefully executed.

Maurie.

 

[Ken Morgan]

Ric, how are you keeping the neck bolts from sinking into the wood?

 

[beans-on-toast]

Not to change the subject, but I was going to post this in the P-Bass club or the Warmoth club or something, but this is the best club and your opinions are the only one's I care about.
My darlin' wife bought me a Warmoth P bass body and J neck for Christmas and I finally completed it today. It's a roasted swamp ash body and roasted maple neck. I finished the neck in wipe-on poly and the body with Tru-oil with Renaissance wax polish on both. Passive wiring using Dunlop Super Pots, orange crop cap and Nordstrand Power Blade pickup (though I've got others I'll try, then stick with the favorite), Hipshot hardware. Completed it weighs 7lbs 1 oz! Just right for an old fart. It sounds as good as it looks, even with me playing it, and I'll be trying various string sets and couple other pickups that I've got to find the combination I like best.
Feels good to be posting something positive for a change, especially with good friends

That’s a stunning finish. Very well done.

 

[Stumbo]

Ric, how are you keeping the neck bolts from sinking into the wood?

How?

 

[spiritbass]

Not to change the subject, but I was going to post this in the P-Bass club or the Warmoth club or something, but this is the best club and your opinions are the only one's I care about.
My darlin' wife bought me a Warmoth P bass body and J neck for Christmas and I finally completed it today. It's a roasted swamp ash body and roasted maple neck. I finished the neck in wipe-on poly and the body with Tru-oil with Renaissance wax polish on both. Passive wiring using Dunlop Super Pots, orange crop cap and Nordstrand Power Blade pickup (though I've got others I'll try, then stick with the favorite), Hipshot hardware. Completed it weighs 7lbs 1 oz! Just right for an old fart. It sounds as good as it looks, even with me playing it, and I'll be trying various string sets and couple other pickups that I've got to find the combination I like best.
Feels good to be posting something positive for a change, especially with good friends
Here it is:
View attachment 2929767 View attachment 2929768
View attachment 2929769
View attachment 2929771

What a wonderful wife and beautiful bass!

 

[ric426]

Ric, how are you keeping the neck bolts from sinking into the wood?

Pretty much the same way a lot of builders do it. I made some brass bushings to distribute the load. You'd think a neck plate would distribute it better, but they don't make them thick enough and unless the body is hard enough, the plate will flex and the corners sink into the wood. I used stainless threaded inserts to mount the neck so that I could really torque it down. I mounted the bridge with threaded inserts too for the same reason. The more the bass can act as a single piece, the better the sound tends to be.
The picture describes it better than I can:


I really appreciate all the positive comments from you guys. The bass turned out even better than I had hoped, though I must admit, finishing the wood is my least favorite thing and I started over from bare wood about 5 times before I got the results I wanted. I was being really particular because one of my goals was to make it nicer than the Fender limited edition roasted wood P bass. I was really interested in those until I found out they were $2000, so I decided to build/assemble my own. There were several times during the finishing process when I was considering a spray can of flat black Krylon as an option.

 

[Old P Bass Guy]

Ric, how are you keeping the neck bolts from sinking into the wood?

Great Question.

 

[Ken Morgan]

Thanks, Ric...good explanation. I’ve never built a bass, never tried. Seen a similar technique on Telecaster builds...

You da man of the week with that thang

 

[ric426]

Because the body was exceptionally light weight, I was concerned about neck dive problems, but it turned to be a non issue. If it had been, I was going to inset a brass or tungsten block under the bridge with it bolted and or expoxied solidly to the body and use machine screws to mount the bridge to the block for maximum vibration coupling with the body.

I recently made some custom knobs for my Ibanez 6 string because I don't like the knobs they put on the Premium line basses.

 

[Al Kraft]

Because the body was exceptionally light weight, I was concerned about neck dive problems, but it turned to be a non issue. If it had been, I was going to inset a brass or tungsten block under the bridge with it bolted and or expoxied solidly to the body and use machine screws to mount the bridge to the block for maximum vibration coupling with the body.

I recently made some custom knobs for my Ibanez 6 string because I don't like the knobs they put on the Premium line basses.
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You sir have talent and good taste!

 

[ric426]

Thanks again you guys! I'm a hard core tinkerer and would rather make things myself when I can, rather than buy them. My motto is "Why buy something when I can make it myself for twice the price with uncertain results."
I come from a family of engineers, though I never had formal engineering training myself. I learned a lot from watching my dad making things when I was growing up and carried on the tradition. My son is a mechanical engineer and has taken the DIY he got from me and has become a pretty skilled metal fabricator. He builds hardcore offroad Jeeps and custom suspension systems for offroad vehicles in his spare time. He also provided a major step up the tinkering ladder for me when he got a bunch of relatives to chip in to buy me a benchtop mill for Christmas about 5 years ago. I've added a benchtop lathe and lots of tooling so I can make stuff for my basses, bicycles, target guns and reloading gear.

 

[Old P Bass Guy]

Wether you know it or not,.you may be on your way to become a Luthier.

I wish you the best!