ThunderTwins!

[Splods]

If the grain is really open, then yes. Makes it easier to smooth out.

 

[Dadagoboi]

It will make the finishing process a lot quicker. This is the rattlecan version of what I use over stains.
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
Unfortunately no distributors in MS. Closest is Hammond or New Orleans.

 

[ctmullins]

Ah, I see. Might have to use some of that next time!

The maple is pretty closed grain, of course. The walnut isn't; it has slightly open pores (you can see them in the last photo). I happen to like a natural finish over the natural surface of the wood. I've never used grain filler for that reason (also because I'm a bit lazy...). But it sounds like the sanding sealer isn't designed to do that either, just make it quicker to get to a smooth finish.

 

[ctmullins]

After several rounds of clear lacquer and wet-sanding (and a week or so of cure time), I now have a decent semi-gloss finish. Truth is, I'm not a fan of high-gloss anyway, so this is a good stopping point for me.

Starting assembly - The Schaller roller bridge in place, along with the pickups. These are Nordstrand Big Splits, in EMG40-sized cases. Found 'em on the TB Classifieds a couple of years ago.

(I swear, you never know what kind of color these automatic cameras are going to give you… This is not the real color!)

If I have time later tonight I'll work on installing the John East preamp.

 

[ctmullins]

God I hate soldering.

After several hours of wiring, I got the East preamp installed. Plugged it in, and got sound, but the bass/treble controls did nothing. Fought with it a bit more, and just made it worse - no sound at all. Just as well, because I couldn't quite cram it into the cavity anyway.

So I ripped it all out and started over with an EMG BTS I had stashed for another project. These are nice little units, although I don't care for the boost/cut on the bass control - who cuts bass on a bass guitar? Seriously?? Anyway, this went much better, being much more compact, and I like being able to wire to the connector and then just press the connector onto the PCB when installing. Still took me two hours though...

Controls are - master volume, four-way rotary switch, active bass, active treble. The four-way does bridge/both/neck, with the fourth position (fully clockwise) serving as a failsafe in case of preamp failure - it just routes the neck pickup straight to the jack. It's all working now, mostly; the middle position is dead, so I need to revisit my rotary switch still....

God I hate soldering.


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[Jay Jillard]

Man, i was about to comment on how much i like the color in the last pic, but if that's not what it really looks like, how far off from that is it?

and how do you like the big splits? i've been meaning to try them

good work =]

 

[Dadagoboi]

I like the way that color looks, too! Sort of 'pomegranate'. Automatic digital shots look very different depending on background, light source, reflections, etc.

 

[ctmullins]

This is a much truer shot of the color:

(Sorry for the grainy cellphone pic...)


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[Splods]

Noice

 

[wraub]

Very pretty indeed,

Congrats!

 

[ctmullins]

Thanks! It's been a loooooooong time coming, but I'll work through the last of my wiring issues soon, and dial in the action, then this build thread will finally be complete.


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[gmjhowe]

Yeah, I had never really been a fan of died woods till I started following this project. Looks excellent.

I guess once you know what woods it will work well on they jump out quicker.

 

[ctmullins]

Thanks! Yeah, it's pretty hard to beat figured maple for spectacular-ness. Takes dye and clear-coat really well in my experience.

So I got the wiring fixed and buttoned up, then was able to install the knobs - the final bit of hardware! Yay, it's a real bass now!

Been playing it the last couple of days and getting to know it. The three-piece maple neck is very stiff, even though it's not particularly fat; it's actually a bit slimmer than most of my other builds, yet very comfortable. In fact, the whole instrument is comfy. I've gotten so used to playing the RayBird and the OctoBird that a "normal" bass with an upper horn feels cumbersome in comparison. Weird, huh? I tend to wear all of my basses fairly low, so the upper horn usually winds up around the middle of my belly, whereas the 'birds sit nicely just a bit off to the side. The contouring helps a lot here too. Ergonomics are so personal and so varied from player to player…

Do I like the Big Splits? Yes. Mostly. I think. They have a lot of upper mid content ("zingy" is how another reviewer described them), which is altogether different than the dual-coils that are on the other 'birds. They seem to be missing that thick fatness that the SGD Neos do so well. When I play the OctoBird I can leave the BTC completely flat and get a nice thick tone with plenty of top-end. With the Big Splits on the PentaBird I'm finding that I have to roll in a good amount of bass boost on the BTS to get anything close. But strings may be a factor here - the OctoBird has nice thick Circle K Kalium nickel strings, while the PentaBird is wearing a secondhand set of Ken Smith stainless rounds, in gauges that are likely a bit too small for a 33" scale. So today I ordered a matching five-string set of Circle K Kaliums. That should help some. In the end, though, there are lots of other choices in the EMG40 size, so I might try something different. Still, I love the idea of the Big Splits, and I love that twisted-polepiece aesthetic.

 

[Dadagoboi]

That's a beautiful brace of birds, Todd!

 

[ctmullins]

Thanks! That means a lot coming from one of the premier 'bird builders!

Further observations on the Big Splits - I read a review somewhere in which the reviewer compared them to the DarkStar, in terms of responsiveness, and I've discovered that this is true. The tone can vary quite a bit depending on plucking/picking technique and position. I think some of the twanginess might have been due to me picking too near the bridge. Also, the OctoBird's pickups wound up closer to the neck than the PentaBird's, so that's a contributing factor as well. I'm taking it to rehearsal Monday evening, and that will be the real test!

 

[Dadagoboi]

Thanks! That means a lot coming from one of the premier 'bird builders!

It's a lot easier building boltons!

 

[ctmullins]

Took the PentaBird to rehearsal last night. My initial impression of the Big Splits was wrong! Plugging in to my rehearsal amp (a 150w Carvin ProBass 15" combo that I purchased new in 1994) revealed no lack of bottom end. Yes, it's a 15" driver, but the difference between this amp and my home practice amp (a cheapo Acoustic B20) is night and day! A very pleasant surprise indeed. Still getting to know it, but there seems to be plenty of tonal difference among the three pickup selector combinations.


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[ctmullins]

It's a gorgeous (if blazingly hot) day today, so I took some outdoor shots of the Pentabird:

 

[Nocturnal]

That really turned out nice!!!

 

[ctmullins]

Thanks! The flame in the neck is just unreal. Puts a smile on my face every time I pick it up.