The Hossenfeffer Bass Build

[Gilmourisgod]

Thanks All, a bit torn if I should keep messing with it to get a mirror shine. I figure I’ll probably scuff it someplace anyway during assembly, so I’ll get through that and see if it needs a bit more buffing. I don’t want to be That Guy, the one who burns through the clear right on the front, trying to coax out that last bit of elusive shine. You can see the slight distortion in the reflection of the fan blades, which means I never got it absolutely dead flat anyway, not for want of trying, but this IS my first rodeo, so to speak. The neck beam/body wing joints telegraph through faintly on the back. They do that on real Ric’s too, so I don’t feel too bad.

 

[Englishman]

They do that on real Ric’s too, so I don’t feel too bad.

Real Rics are far from perfect. I'm always running my finger over the bump between the lower horn and the binding on my 4003.
Great job on the build, looking forward to seeing it all together. Knowing when to stop is difficult sometimes.

 

[Gilmourisgod]

Based on the look and smell of it, I think I just overpaid for a small bottle of the same stuff I have a quart of out in the garage labeled... Watco Danish Oil. Sigh. It says it has "extra driers", maybe that's true. I'll go with that! At any rate, it pops the bubinga nicely. The board drank it up like water, so I'll keep adding coats every 24 hours until it seems like no more are absorbed, just like Watco, then buff it out by hand. I never liked the heavily laquered finish on Ric boards, it always seem to pull away from the frets eventually, leaving whitish lines along the fret edges. this should be renewable/repairable with minimal effort. Realized I didn't have enough copper foil to do the shielding, Dang, had to order more. I'm pretty hot to finish this thing now, wanna get started on the Hossenfeffer II.

Edit:
The Stewmac Oil is bone dry to the touch in a few hours, which is WAY faster than Watco, so whatever additional evil additives are present works quite well.

 

[T_Bone_TL]

Based on the look and smell of it, I think I just overpaid for a small bottle of the same stuff I have a quart of out in the garage labeled... Watco Danish Oil. Sigh. It says it has "extra driers", maybe that's true.

Use gloves, wash your hands well. Extra driers, and "driers" means Heavy Metal, and not the music kind.

 

[Gilmourisgod]

Thanks T Bone. Yep, used purple nitrile gloves, I've already absorbed enough industrial carcinogens for one lifetime. Anybody know, is this stuff any different than Tru-Oil? I could probably do 50 fingerboards with this little bottle, I'm wondering if I could do a body with it? My experience with Watco is that it can't be buffed up to more than a satin sheen, too soft. Tru Oil looks like you can get it to gloss based on gunstocks I've seen done with it.

 

[Axstar]

I never liked the heavily laquered finish on Ric boards, it always seem to pull away from the frets eventually, leaving whitish lines along the fret edges.

I think part of the issue you report here is that Rickenbacker just can't level and buff the lacquer right up to the edges of the frets. Some of that narrow whitish line is simply unbuffed lacquer on a fair few Ricks I've seen.

Some people do report separation issues. I guess frets expand and contract slightly? Each lacquered fretboard area is just a small square of lacquer, on an oily wood, that has to expand and contact in unison with seasonal changes, truss-rod changes etc.

 

[Gilmourisgod]

It definitely the laquer separating from the frets, happened on my old 4001, kind of inevitable over time, differing rates of expansion for wood/metal. It looks good for a while. Then not so much. The thick laquer also prevents Ric frets from being fully crowned, they cut them flat to avoid scratching the laquer. I think this will look good if I can get some shine on the bubinga. My inlays are shinier than the Ric plastic ones too, adds a little bling.

 

[Gilmourisgod]

I haven't shielded a bass in a while, and I'd forgotten what a PITA this copper foil is. Might try the conductive paint next time. Got ugly with stuff sticking to my fingers during inept fumblings, but it looks OK complete. I'll tack-solder in some copper tabs at the pickguard holes once I have the pickguard back all coppered up. Any reason to shield the cavity under the bridge? I will have a ground wire going ionto the main control cavity to ground the bridge.

Question for the Electrically Inclined:
The mono and stereo jack holes are pretty tight. Should I be extending the copper foil into these holes? Will the jack blades just ground out on the copper foil?

 

[Jon Clegg]

No reason to shield the cavity under the bridge. I do sometimes put copper tape under the bridge for better contact with the ground wire though.

 

[Gilmourisgod]

Jon,
Any advice on the jack holes? I took out as much wood as i dared, and those jacks are still plenty tight. I know Im trying to build a Faraday cage of sorts, not sure how much difference shielding the jack holes makes. I kinda expect Ric single-coils to be noisy regardless, but i figured this shielding couldn't hurt....

 

[ctmullins]

I vote “no” on extending the shielding tape into the jack holes. Don’t want the tip contact to touch ground when the plug pushes it sideways.

 

[Jon Clegg]

Jon,
Any advice on the jack holes? I took out as much wood as i dared, and those jacks are still plenty tight. I know Im trying to build a Faraday cage of sorts, not sure how much difference shielding the jack holes makes. I kinda expect Ric single-coils to be noisy regardless, but i figured this shielding couldn't hurt....

No on the jack holes.

 

[chinjazz]

Nice looking Shielding job. I agree with @Jon Clegg and @ctmullins on their replies. The last time I shielded with copper about 9 months ago I thought the same thing about using shielding paint the next time. It's sort of a pain. My issue is it looks so cool, and It's what I know works for me.

 

[Jon Clegg]

Nice looking Shielding job. I agree with @Jon Clegg and @ctmullins on their replies. The last time I shielded with copper about 9 months ago I thought the same thing about using shielding paint the next time. It's sort of a pain. My issue is it looks so cool, and It's what I know works for me.

Every time my wife see's me shielding a guitar or bass with copper the says "Ooh that's pretty!" Maybe I should use a transparent pickguard.

 

[Gilmourisgod]

Yeah, that makes common sense, I’ll leave it out of the jack holes. Thanks All. The adhesive is supposed to be conductive, but I always tack solder the pieces together anyway. It may not matter much with the bridge pup up out in the breeze, so to speak.

 

[mellowinman]

4 hours of hand-buffing with Fine Cut and swirl remover has taught me that.... its better to have a buffing wheel. Jesus I'm tired and sore! In the absence of such, I think it came out pretty good. I tried to keep the excess spooge out of the screw holes, fingers crossed. Not a factory-mirror shine, but the best I can do by hand. Still a faint haze of super-fine scratches, like a floor model at GC that's been touched by misc. clothing. I may risk an electric buffer on the flats, the edges actually look damn-near mirror shine, not sure why that is, maybe you just notice the flats more. My wife said, and I quote: "You are an OCD Lunatic". Long haul getting here. Next up, some Stewmac Fingerboard oil on the Bubinga, then copper foil shielding of the cavities. Thanks for looking.

For me, that would be way past "good enough." For you? I think you're close enough to perfection that you might as well go that last little mile. You may be an OCD Lunatic, but when we say that, it's meant as a compliment. I've been watching this build since the first day you posted it, and I am mighty pleased. Mighty pleased! You totally rock!

 

[chinjazz]

Every time my wife see's me shielding a guitar or bass with copper the says "Ooh that's pretty!" Maybe I should use a transparent pickguard.

I haven't made one myself yet but yeah it’s subjective.

 

[rojo412]

@Gilmourisgod, if you end up with shielding paint in the future, definitely go with the nickel shielding paint. It conducts very well and only really needs like 1 coat (but I do 2 anyway). And it dries super fast.
The brush on StewMac stuff requires at least 3 coats, takes a day to dry for each, and frankly is messy. And it doesn't have nearly as much conductivity. Yeah, you don't need much for shielding, but still, the prices are similar and the nickel stuff goes a long way.

You done good with the copper though! Any cuts on the fingers? That was my least favorite part of copper.

 

[Gilmourisgod]

@Gilmourisgod, if you end up with shielding paint in the future, definitely go with the nickel shielding paint. It conducts very well and only really needs like 1 coat (but I do 2 anyway). And it dries super fast.
The brush on StewMac stuff requires at least 3 coats, takes a day to dry for each, and frankly is messy. And it doesn't have nearly as much conductivity. Yeah, you don't need much for shielding, but still, the prices are similar and the nickel stuff goes a long way.

You done good with the copper though! Any cuts on the fingers? That was my least favorite part of copper.

No cuts, more like frantic thrashing with bits of copper sticking to my fingers, bit wrinkly, that. This stuff seems a little thinner than the last batch I got, very easy to tear it.

For me, that would be way past "good enough." For you? I think you're close enough to perfection that you might as well go that last little mile. You may be an OCD Lunatic, but when we say that, it's meant as a compliment. I've been watching this build since the first day you posted it, and I am mighty pleased. Mighty pleased! You totally rock!

Thanks Mellow. I think I probably just didn't go far enough with the fine-cut, and there's more than the swirl remover can take off. The more I look at it, the more it bugs me. Not sure what to try next, another whack of the swirl remover, or try something finer? I have some really super-fine stuff, Novus Plastic Polish, I think I'll try it someplace covered by the pickguard and see it if takes out that last bit of haze.

 

[Gilmourisgod]

Got a foam buffing pad kit off evilbay, worked quite well with just my cordless and some swirl remover. Again, not perfect, but it's a shiny as i am ever going to get it, that's plenty good enough. It gets covered with fingerprints intantly anyway, which is how I remember my old 4001.

After 4 years, assembly begins. I gotta say, it feels a bit surreal.

Ric labeled Schaller tuners are nice.

Something missing here.... hmmm, what could it be?

Primates like Shiny Things

A little teaser with the pearloid PG. I still have to wire it, a major hurdle for an electro-tard like me. Gotta study my Ric wiring diagrams again.