The Hossenfeffer IV Build

[Gilmourisgod]

It works! Spent hours wiring the pickups. Luckily all my wiring hackery is concealed, not the most aesthetically perfect job, but all the pickup combinations work, and it's dead quiet due to a thorough shielding job. I'll call that a win. I feel like I finally got the neck carve right, this one feels PERFECT in my hands, and the 32" scale makes it a little easier to play. Now I gotta get some chops back to do it justice...

Now I have to cut some foam for a custom case liner, NOBODY but Ric makes a fitted case for these. I was going to build a flight case, but by the time I priced out all the parts, I realized it was far cheaper just to buy one and make a custom liner.

Now it's time (finally) to finish the Hossenfeffer III........

 

[Mickey666]

Lemmy would be impressed!

 

[Gilmourisgod]

Hey TB hive mind, is there an accepted “standard” for spacing between strings and pickup poles? I used Ric OEM foam pickup rings, which rely on the compression of the foam to raise the pickups, the screws just pull down. They don’t seem to be raising as smoothly as I want, have to finesse that a little, but they sound reasonably balanced just roughly set. Thanks to @ctmullins for the Freeway switch suggestion, it works really well, and extracts every useable combination of pickups I can imagine wanting. They have an even more complex version for coil splitting humbuckers, but I’m a sucker for single coil clank.

 

[mapleglo]

That came out really nice, congrats!

 

[Beej]

Wow, incredible as usual. So many cool details and fine finishing work. Total beauty!

 

[InstantEctobass]

What a beauty! Congratulations on achieving such a project. I'm jealous

 

[Isaac_James]

It works! Spent hours wiring the pickups. Luckily all my wiring hackery is concealed, not the most aesthetically perfect job, but all the pickup combinations work, and it's dead quiet due to a thorough shielding job. I'll call that a win. I feel like I finally got the neck carve right, this one feels PERFECT in my hands, and the 32" scale makes it a little easier to play. Now I gotta get some chops back to do it justice...

Now I have to cut some foam for a custom case liner, NOBODY but Ric makes a fitted case for these. I was going to build a flight case, but by the time I priced out all the parts, I realized it was far cheaper just to buy one and make a custom liner.

Now it's time (finally) to finish the Hossenfeffer III........

Stunning work! This is a thing of exceptional beauty, even if I hadn't been following your process the care and attention to detail are obvious just from looking at it. I'm also very excited now for how my walnut and myrtle neck is going to look once I finish it with tru-oil. Do you anticipate having to re-apply the oil at some point?

 

[Gilmourisgod]

Stunning work! This is a thing of exceptional beauty, even if I hadn't been following your process the care and attention to detail are obvious just from looking at it. I'm also very excited now for how my walnut and myrtle neck is going to look once I finish it with tru-oil. Do you anticipate having to re-apply the oil at some point?

Hopefully not for a good long while, but when I eventually do, it's a pretty easy process. Basically just scuff it up with a grey scotchbrite and add more oil. It's not as durable as something like wipe-on poly, but much more easily "repaired". I don't play out anymore, so I tend to baby my basses at home, always kept in the case when not in use. My second oldest son plays bass, I made this figured walnut one for him a couple years ago for college graduation, also Tru-Oil, and it's holding up really well. He'll probably inherit the Lemmy too.....eventually.

 

[ctmullins]

Dude!!!

That's just - wow -

DUDE!!!

 

[Gary_M]

 

[Gilmourisgod]

Played it for a couple hours last night, my God are my chops nonexistent. Painful too, my arthritis announced it's arrival, but I'm not giving up. Fingerstyle is more or less excruciating, but I can still use a pick. I definitely have some work to do getting the pickup heights right, the E string is noticeably louder in almost every pickup combination. I used machine-thread stainless screws just self-threaded into the wood, but the "sawtooth" of the screw threads are preventing the pickup from going up and down smoothly on the screws. I think I'll have to revert to traditional pickup screws, which have a smooth shaft for the top 1/2" or so for the pickup to ride up and down on smoothly. I may ditch the Ric standard pickup foam rings too, seems to be conflicting with wiring below, causing the the pickups to tilt a little. Jazz bass type foam or springs might work better, I cut the pickup recesses as shallow as possible, so not much space left for wiring under the pups. Minor teething pains, really. The neck feels REALLY good, no sharp fret edges, no fret buzz, and it's QUIET, which is a welcome surprise. Good sweep on the tone knob. Freeway switch is awesome, smooth and positive.

 

[goodkingzog]

Super nice! Congrats!

 

[InstantEctobass]

Played it for a couple hours last night, my God are my chops nonexistent. Painful too, my arthritis announced it's arrival, but I'm not giving up. Fingerstyle is more or less excruciating, but I can still use a pick. I definitely have some work to do getting the pickup heights right, the E string is noticeably louder in almost every pickup combination. I used machine-thread stainless screws just self-threaded into the wood, but the "sawtooth" of the screw threads are preventing the pickup from going up and down smoothly on the screws. I think I'll have to revert to traditional pickup screws, which have a smooth shaft for the top 1/2" or so for the pickup to ride up and down on smoothly. I may ditch the Ric standard pickup foam rings too, seems to be conflicting with wiring below, causing the the pickups to tilt a little. Jazz bass type foam or springs might work better, I cut the pickup recesses as shallow as possible, so not much space left for wiring under the pups. Minor teething pains, really. The neck feels REALLY good, no sharp fret edges, no fret buzz, and it's QUIET, which is a welcome surprise. Good sweep on the tone knob. Freeway switch is awesome, smooth and positive.

How old are you if I may ask? I'm worried about having early arthritis myself...
A friend of mine lent me his '73 4001 Rickenbacker for the summer. While this bass has a wonderful patina, wear, great sounding pickup (low ouput, very open tone), no sharp fret edges... but the neck tires my left (fretting) hand a LOT. It doesn't happen on any of my FSO basses... And yes, both pickups are quiet, even though they're not hum-bucking.

Ricks are great looking, your builds are waaaaaaaaaay more beautiful... but why do these RSO (if I may) have to be so uncomfortable?

 

[Gilmourisgod]

I'm 62, developing arthritis in my right hand, at the base of the thumb. The cartilige pad is basically gone, so it's bone on bone. I had a couple cortisone shots that were the single most painful experience of my life, and only improved it for around two weeks. There are some surgical options I may have to consider eventually.The "pinching" motion required for fingerstyle with an anchored thumb is pretty painful, but oddly, a similar "pinch" to hold a pick doesn't bother me (yet) I'm trying to adapt to "floating thumb", but it feels pretty weak and awkward. So... I'm re-learning all the old Chris Squire basslines that made me want to play bass in the first place, and that's all pick. Win! And yeah, Rics are a little sharp and uncomfortable, at least the bound ones. My forearm tends to lift a little playing fingerstyle, but with a pick it rubs right on the binding. I'm going to get one of those cloth wrist guard/sweatbands, which should help. We must SUFFER for that Ric tone....or get an "S" model.

Ric necks are all over the place, some of the more recent ones of a few years ago were classic baseball bats by all accounts. I spent a LOT of time getting the neck on this one right, 1.5" nut width, and a very slim "flat D" profile that just works in my hand. My first bass, a 78' 4001 had the proverbial "scary-thin" neck, but in consequence, it wasn't too stable., I was constantly fiddling with the action on that one. They vary wildy by year, the last person who sanded it, etc, so finding the "right" one for your hands is a total crapshoot.

 

[InstantEctobass]

I'm 62, developing arthritis in my right hand, at the base of the thumb. The cartilige pad is basically gone, so it's bone on bone. I had a couple cortisone shots that were the single most painful experience of my life, and only improved it for around two weeks. There are some surgical options I may have to consider eventually.The "pinching" motion required for fingerstyle with an anchored thumb is pretty painful, but oddly, a similar "pinch" to hold a pick doesn't bother me (yet) I'm trying to adapt to "floating thumb", but it feels pretty weak and awkward. So... I'm re-learning all the old Chris Squire basslines that made me want to play bass in the first place, and that's all pick. Win! And yeah, Rics are a little sharp and uncomfortable, at least the bound ones. My forearm tends to lift a little playing fingerstyle, but with a pick it rubs right on the binding. I'm going to get one of those cloth wrist guard/sweatbands, which should help. We must SUFFER for that Ric tone....or get an "S" model.

Or a 3001?

 

[/\/\3phist0]

@Gilmourisgod
That bass is exceptional. From the wood selection to the binding to the open pore finish. The attention to detail and the overall execution.

My hat off to you sir!

 

[ctmullins]

There is no better use of walnut anywhere else in the world than at Chez Gilmourisgod!