source for a custom control plate?

[reddog]

Life aint easy when you're medium scale.

I want to put a "stack knob" control plate on my medium scale jazz.

Anyone know a source for making this non-standard size plate?

Thx

 

[charlie monroe]

loaded stack knob control plate - Google Search

 

[reddog]

Thanks for the effort.
Unfortunately, I need one sized for a medium scale jazz.

 

[charlie monroe]

What is on it now?

Do you know the dimensions required?

 

[reddog]

An SX medium scale jazz, approx 5 3/8" long.

 

[Bruce Johnson]

This sounds like a job for.....You! Make it yourself. It isn't very hard, really. Vise, drill press, coping saw, files. About an hour job. Make it from 0.090" 6061 aluminum with a light sanded finish. Or polish it up and have it plated.

 

[reddog]

Make it from 0.090" 6061 aluminum with a light sanded finish.

Sounds good. know where i can find such a beast? Thx!

 

[Bruce Johnson]

Buy a small rectangle of 0.090" 6061 aluminum plate stock from any metal supplier. I'm sure there's a local place around Philly (I used to live there!). Or, you can order some online from various places.

Here's a 12" x 12" piece on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/RMP-090-6061...pID=41wKcUYihsL&preST=_SX342_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

Lay it out, drill the holes, saw it out to shape with a coping saw (or bandsaw, if you have one). File the edges to shape and bevel. Lightly sand it with 400 grit paper and coarse Scotchbrite to a nice satin finish. It isn't much more complicated than that. Most aluminum is only slightly harder to work than wood.

 

[reddog]

Nice! hmm. now you have me thinking..... zinc?

 

[Bruce Johnson]

Nice! hmm. now you have me thinking..... zinc?

I'd stay away from that stuff. It's aluminum plate with a thin zinc plating on both sides. It's kind of dull looking. And if you saw and file the edges, the plating will chip and leave ragged sharp edges. I had some here that I picked up in a surplus shop.

 

[BassHappy]

Life aint easy when you're medium scale.

I want to put a "stack knob" control plate on my medium scale jazz.

Anyone know a source for making this non-standard size plate?

Thx

Hey Reddog

Bruce's suggestion is a decent one and I am not sure what kind of budget you have - but if you are really looking for something killer and special I recommend Christianne Ertner.

Not cheap ($32 - $39) and shipping from Germany can be a drag.

From her website:

Link Removed

The J Bass control plates:

Link Removed

Here are a few:

Christiane Ertmer was born in Eisenach, Germany, 1983. She studied engraving at the Berufsfachschule für Büchsenmacher und Gravuer in Suhl (School for gunsmiths and engravers, Suhl) from 2002 - 2005.
Christiane was a national winner (Bundessieger) for engraving at the 'Praktischer Leistungswettbewerb der Handwerksjugend' in 2005.

Christiane resides and works in Treffurt, a small town in Thuringia right in the middle of Germany.

While much of the stuff on her website is standard full scale Jazz Bass size, I hear that she does do custom orders, could be a few more bucks but might be worth an email to her. No CNC all done by hand.

 

[reddog]

Maaaannn, those are sweet!
That gave me an idea... she studied gunsmithing....
There's a gunsmith 2 miles from me.
Handy people are amazing.

I think I'll give them a try and then her, if they're not up to it.

The goal is a "Flea Jazz", medium scale . . . on the cheap.
I purchased a recommended pink paint to put over an SX sunburst jazz.
I'll use one of my Gypsy Rose necks with rosewood to complete it.

(Either CS60's or Fralin pickkups to bring on da funk!)

 

[BassHappy]

Maaaannn, those are sweet!
That gave me an idea... she studied gunsmithing....
There's a gunsmith 2 miles from me.
Handy people are amazing.

I think I'll give them a try and then her, if they're not up to it.

The goal is a "Flea Jazz", medium scale . . . on the cheap.
I purchased a recommended pink paint to put over an SX sunburst jazz.
I'll use one of my Gypsy Rose necks with rosewood to complete it.

(Either CS60's or Fralin pickkups to bring on da funk!)

Hey Reddog

Sure, sounds like a great idea! Local is great if you can find someone special. The bass sounds barkin'!

You can see here that she does do custom work, I would probably send the actual plate rather than a tracing. I have been burned a couple of times on the tracing thing:

Let us know how you make out, pics a must!

 

[Bruce Johnson]

If you want to get fancy, with etched lines and patterns, many trophy and print shops now have tabletop laser engraving machines. The guy down the hall from me who prints T-shirts just bought one. I haven't had a chance to play with it yet, but it is supposed to be able to do intricate engraving in aluminum plate. It's not powerful enough to cut out the plate, but you can use it to draw all the lines. Draw it all up in the computer and take a thumb drive and a piece of aluminum to the shop. For a low fee, they'll draw it all on there, including the outline and the holes. Take it home, drill the holes, saw it out, and file the edges. Satin sand the surface.

 

[BassHappy]

I have been thinking about toggle switch covers for my upcoming LP Bass. For $12 - $18 bucks it isn't worth the hassle for me to make one and then have it plated, etc. But she does some really nice stuff. I will have to mock some of these up in order to pick the "one":

Of course, my wife likes the flower, but too girly for me. Not sure how it would look on the bass, but I really like the 45 RMP converter on the end.

 

[reddog]

yeah, that 45 converter is a jewel:

celtic meets art nouveaux meets The Monkees!

 

[BassHappy]

Might look pretty cool, but I have to see how it looks with the "goldfoil" pickups.

 

[Matt Liebenau]

I have been thinking about toggle switch covers for my upcoming LP Bass. For $12 - $18 bucks it isn't worth the hassle for me to make one and then have it plated, etc. But she does some really nice stuff. I will have to mock some of these up in order to pick the "one":

View attachment 3170097View attachment 3170098 View attachment 3170099 View attachment 3170100 View attachment 3170101 View attachment 3170102 View attachment 3170103 View attachment 3170104

Of course, my wife likes the flower, but too girly for me. Not sure how it would look on the bass, but I really like the 45 RMP converter on the end.

The 45 adapter is what caught my eye also.

 

[reddog]

for reference purposes down the road >>
Making A Brushed Aluminum Pickguard