WB0 2023: Olbers Paradox Jazz

[AudioTaper]

Here is my WBO 2023 submission thread for the assembly build category.

So why the name Olbers Paradox Jazz? We all know Olbers Paradox, which is the apparent paradox that if stars are distributed evenly throughout an infinite universe of infinite age, the night sky should display a uniform glow, since every line of sight would terminate at a star. But with an expanding universe of finite age, visible light from very distant stars has not reached the Earth.
I remember asking this to my parents as a kid and getting a total garbage answer because they didn't know. About that same time, I was a huge fan of Star Trek: The Next Generation. My favorite characters were Worf and Data. I always loved the very beginning of the opening credits and seeing how dark space was portrayed. Only a few scattered stars.

So what goes hand in hand with Star Trek? A Theramin! This build will be a Jazz bass with PJ pickups, and a built in Theramin.

Pile of parts photo with more details below

And yes, that's the Kingon translation on the paper. I usually dont go around translating things into Klingon, but I felt this was an appropriate time due to the theme of the build and for having mentioned Worf.

 

[AudioTaper]

The body and neck are both 2001 Squier Std jazz bass, but are parts leftover from seperate basses. I'll have to open up the neck pocket a tiny bit before the neck will fit properly.
The body has some deep scratches, but is pretty solid. The neck needs fretwork done, but has a cool pattern to the Laurel board.

 

[AudioTaper]

The hardware is pretty standard (so far) Stock Fender bridge from my MIM Jazz (I upgraded that one to a USA Deluxe bridge)

Tuning machines are ...?
They might be the MIM tuners from that same MIM Jazz mentioned above, I kinda lost track of stuff in the parts bin.

The neck plate and control plate probably came with the body. I'll probably make my own control plate along with a new pickguard for the P pickup. I want a reverse P, but we'll see if I feel like routing that far back in the body. I make a pickguard awhile ago (the black one in the photo) but it's pretty rough all over.

 

[AudioTaper]

The pickups are passive Aguilar AG 4P/J-HC I bought used here on TB. Rotary switches shown for fun, I'm not sure what controls I want so far.
I'm thinking V/V/T with mini toggles to make the P series/parallel and another to make both pickups series/parallel.

Backup plan pickups are EMG X-series. Perfboard shown for fun.

 

[AudioTaper]

Back in 2002 when I was in college for Electronic Engineering, I make a digital Theramin out of a hex inverter and PLL as part of a project. it outputs a square wave with a lot of overshoot. I at one point I started making an integrator circuit, but never completed it. I even brought my Fender Rad Bass practice amp (25 Watts into a 10") to class for the presentation. The board is single sided FM4 I etched with Ferric Chloride.

I found another schematic that doesnt use the PLL and supposedly sounds better... but uses obsolete transformers. I think I found some replacements. More on that later

 

[AudioTaper]

I do have some hex inverters left over from 2003, shown with reference material

Other logic and ICs that I may or may not need. These ESD-safe nerd binders look like the sort of thing you would find hidden under C3PO's bed

 

[Crawforde]

Cool.
This looks like fun.
Separate jacks for the theramin and bass?

 

[AudioTaper]

And for full nerd-dom, my bookshelf. Note the Tolkien books and Orbiter from Gary Ellis. The copy of Stainless is autographed, too bad it wasnt autographed in person.

I have scattered electronics and physics books that arent on the regular bookshelf.

If I hadn't gone with the ST:TNG theme I would have gone with LOTR, Harry Potter, something with ancient Egypt

Edit: dang, I forgot to mention Star Wars and Monty Python.... I even set it up by mentioning the Laurel fingerboard. Ni!

 

[AudioTaper]

Cool.
This looks like fun.
Separate jacks for the theramin and bass?

No, I'll have an onboard blend and maybe some other tricks to have one control the other. The Theramin output just might () be used to control something else onboard, like variable overdrive for the magnetic pickups, maybe a variable mid sweep/wah. I'll play around with what I have and see what I can cram in there.

 

[Max Bogosity]

Can you use the strings as the pitch antenna?

 

[Flamingo21]

If I hadn't gone with the ST:TNG theme I would have gone with LOTR, Harry Potter, something with ancient Egypt

You have quite a big nerd flag.

 

[Crawforde]

I’m sure many nerds had choices to make deciding what to build. The nerdverse is diverse and huge.
It was hard picking which nerdverse to lean on for my builds, except my Underhill Upright which was startled in the summer, but is better suited for this build off. that one just kind of fell into place.
But for the 5 string, Pern was my original plan because those book’s inspired me to build and listen to more music as a youth, but I also wanted the bass to have a pickup to be able to amplify when needed so the Bassilet will hopefully have a Frank Herbert aesthetic. Of course, it will probably take a few months to finish, and I’ll probably change my mind a few times by then. if I do it right then maybe the influence will not be obvious, but could easily be seen as appropriate for either.

 

[AudioTaper]

Can you use the strings as the pitch antenna?

Dang, that sounds like a great idea!

 

[AudioTaper]

You have quite a big nerd flag.

Thanks!
You should see me nerd out on soldering specs and techniques

 

[Max Bogosity]

Dang, that sounds like a great idea!

Maybe. But if you have a separate antenna, you could simultaneously play a bass line with your left hand and a theremin melody with your right.

 

[boxerrider]

I was thinking endpin antenna, so you could use your right elbow to play it.
Just a few more things and you'll be a genuine one-man-band!

 

[Matt Liebenau]

What about a powered antenna like cars used to have? Press a button and the antenna “rrrrrrrr” out of the body! Total nerdness!

 

[AudioTaper]

Maybe. But if you have a separate antenna, you could simultaneously play a bass line with your left hand and a theremin melody with your right.

Who said I ever planned to only have one antenna?

 

[AudioTaper]

I was thinking endpin antenna, so you could use your right elbow to play it.
Just a few more things and you'll be a genuine one-man-band!

I'll make a video for YouTube and be one-man-banned. Ha!

 

[Beej]

soooo.... 26 days to go... how y'all making out?