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Virgin voyage (first build)! 6 string "P Style" bass
- Thread starter yoshi
- Start date
Thanks Lon! As cheesy as it sounds, I'm not sure if I would've taken on this project were it not for your advice and encouragement on my barrage of PMs to you. Thanks a lot buddy!
Layer 2 of tung oil is currently drying. I think I'll give it a couple more, then do a full set up and see how she handles/sounds before making any (hopefully minor) adjustments.
Forgive my feeble documentation skills...!
I have oiled it, 3 layers with tung over several days and then a good waxing with Warwick lemon wax. Assembled it all and soldered the wiring (18v set up). It sounds great! And plays great too. Definitely needs some setting up (I've done the intonation and initial setup). The action's still a little higher than I like but I can't lower it any more on the G and D strings or it buzzes around fret 12.
The tone's killer - very deep and boomy just as I hoped for. In honesty, I am shocked at how well this has turned out. There's a hundred mistakes which I'll document in photos as a warning for next time/other builders.
I'll take some proper photos for you guys soon. Until then, here's a working teaser! Quite different to the designs on page one.
I have oiled it, 3 layers with tung over several days and then a good waxing with Warwick lemon wax. Assembled it all and soldered the wiring (18v set up). It sounds great! And plays great too. Definitely needs some setting up (I've done the intonation and initial setup). The action's still a little higher than I like but I can't lower it any more on the G and D strings or it buzzes around fret 12.
The tone's killer - very deep and boomy just as I hoped for. In honesty, I am shocked at how well this has turned out. There's a hundred mistakes which I'll document in photos as a warning for next time/other builders.
I'll take some proper photos for you guys soon. Until then, here's a working teaser! Quite different to the designs on page one.
Here's a v rough soundclip with no mixing etc. Recorded straight in to garage band. Backing ditty (the high bit in bg) is just some little improv on the bass's high C with some reverb. Quite happy with it so far! Just need to iron out this action and fretbuzz... disco-melon-man.mp3
Really beautiful build. I love the headstock shape and color. I hope it brings you all kinds of joy 
Awesome, thanks!
Still tidying it up 'round the edges: removed a bunch of higher frets and sanded the fretboard down a tiny bit as it was a bit bumpy and causing weird fret stuff on some higher notes. After this I did a bit of fret levelling on 2 or frets and have managed to get the action right down, buzz free! It's still a little higher than my Warwick, but for a tenth the price and 1% the skill/knowledge what can I expect!
This baby's coming to a jam on Saturday. I'll keep you all posted!
Also, I'm fully intending on getting a camera and taking some good quality pics of the bass, plus a series of closeups of the mistakes and rubbish bits to serve as encouragement/warning to anything thinking of getting started!
Cheers! Not quite sure how I can cut the mids as it's only got tone and volume (maybe I am being stupid). Let me know and i'll get you a (badly recorded) clip uploaded here!
Sorry for the wait. Just boshed this short loop out now. Well, I was just jamming along to some garish house drum beat I found and plugged in the 6 string (guitar) to spice it up. The slap tone sounded pretty banging so thought I should upload another sound clip here.I meant the eq on amp or interface, and you play well, better than me!
The strings are actually about 12 years old - used once or twice by a gigging bass player who would give his used ones to me (I was about 18 at the time and had no money!). Sat in my bass bag all this time and were all I had lying 'round when stringing this up and I still didn't get new ones. Not making excuses, just sharing a story!
Anyway! I've taken this bass to 2 jams. It's an awesome instrument. Weighty but exceptional balance/ Very rough around the edges and smells like chip fat from the oil finish still. The action's a little higher than I like and the neck's quite chunky, but it's strangely playable (even my guitarist, who owns a 5 string MM Bongo said it's easier to play than his 5 string toilet-seat, i mean bongo). But anyway, I love it. I find myself playing it a lot more than my warwick thumb...!
I promise to take some proper photos soon. And I really should attach the cavity cover with more than sellotape...oo-er!
