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Scarab Deluxe Bass

#101
Indiedog said:
VERY clever, Bruce!
These sorts of hidden structural supports always intrigue me.
Click to expand...

I'll ponder Bruces suggestion - perhaps there's a way I can still use it if I can also incorporate small points at the exit-hole to interface with the floor... something that looks stealthy and deliberate and provides the body to earth touch-points.
 
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#102
Got the heads up from Pat - the Scarab body ships today so I may have it by Saturday! :hyper: This is going to be a stunner for sure - will post full pics once it's here. I have to do the neck finishing - it's been on the back burner until now, I've had a few things come up recently to attend to. This is going to be good! :bassist:
 
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#104
1935 Stout Scarab

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#107
It only gets better from here on in!

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Hard to make out but in person you can see the subtle wood grain through the trans green - couldn't look more perfect! Pat - is - the - man!
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Hidden pick compartment!
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Possible miscommunication - the black plastic control cover didn't get painted - but... I think I have a better idea anyway. I'm going to have a metal plate made and chromed - that way the rare-earth magnets only need to be imbedded on the cavity ledge and will hold the metal plate on, because it'll be metal! :thumbsup:
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#108
JIO said:
It only gets better from here on in!

View attachment 3691213
Hard to make out but in person you can see the subtle wood grain through the trans green - couldn't look more perfect! Pat - is - the - man!
View attachment 3691215
Hidden pick compartment!
View attachment 3691216
Possible miscommunication - the black plastic control cover didn't get painted - but... I think I have a better idea anyway. I'm going to have a metal plate made and chromed - that way the rare-earth magnets only need to be imbedded on the cavity ledge and will hold the metal plate on, because it'll be metal! :thumbsup:
View attachment 3691219
Click to expand...
Wow, that is a nice job. He managed to capture the vibe of the old school MIJ finish, but make it not as cheap-looking. This should come together quickly now, stoked to see it finished up! :thumbsup:
 
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#110
Reedt2000 said:
Wow, that is a nice job. He managed to capture the vibe of the old school MIJ finish, but make it not as cheap-looking. This should come together quickly now, stoked to see it finished up! :thumbsup:
Click to expand...

The company known to do the green/black burst was (Jim) Burns of London - they were very copied by the '60s Japanese factories in design and finish.

UNADJUSTEDNONRAW_thumb_26f2.jpg
 
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#118
On to the fussy-work. The Dano specific stack-pots won't fit in my control cavity - way too long. So I got two mini-stacks/with detents. They give me plenty of room in the cavity, but the above-board section sits high. Plus, the shafts are bigger than the Dano-specific knobs/collars.
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Sooo, I had a couple very nice nickel-chrome plated brass cabinet drawer-knob skirts that are a perfect diameter and thickness for filling the gap. And I had some red knobs with inset screws that fit the top shaft both diameter and height-wise. I just needed to open up the center hole - step drill-bits to the rescue!
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Hogged the hole to just larger than the nut. I'll super-glue the brass collar to the black Dano collar/ring, drill a channel in the side of the Dano collar and tap it for a set-screw for locking to the shaft. As you can see in this pic, the black Dano collar hole had to be drilled bigger - original Dan knobs/collars are press-fit.
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Next step is routing the lipstick pu openings in the pg. Shown is the Coral-style pu surrounds that Jon fabbed for me out of thin aluminum. The rest will follow.
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