What's On Your Workbench?

[Will_White]

I don't have any way to make a decent recording* but it sounds pretty punchy in series and split and the cap smooths it out a little but it still has plenty of punch it's a little P bassish. It's a very resonant body and the note character is kind of reminecint of my hollowbodies.

*I've been meaning to get a Focusrite Scarlette Solo and an AKG P2 for recording demos but I haven't gotten around to it, I'll probably get them when I'm finishing up my 3 pickup build.

 

[wraub]

^^ I have a Focusrite 2i4, highly recommend it.

 

[Rodent]

pickup goodness from this past weekend.

 

[HaMMerHeD]

I need a cnc router.

 

[Rodent]

I need a cnc router.

and a laser cutter. don't forget the laser cutter ... and a cyclone dust collector. that's all you need.

 

[HaMMerHeD]

Definitely need a laser cutter, so that I can make inlay without embarrassing myself.

 

[Jonny5bass]

and a laser cutter. don't forget the laser cutter ... and a cyclone dust collector. that's all you need.

and this lamp...

 

[Rodent]

and this lamp...

don't forget your opti-grabs

 

[wraub]

don't forget your opti-grabs

...and this Thermos...

 

[Rodent]

working their way thru production. wiring complete, time to add the saddle plate and give them a potting dunk

 

[RBS_Johnson]

Hey Rodent, you have an awful lot of pickups come across your workbench. I'm just curious, but are pickups your "day job", or at least part of it?

-Jake

 

[charlie monroe]

...and this Thermos...

... and the remote control. And that's all I need!

 

[Rodent]

Hey Rodent, you have an awful lot of pickups come across your workbench. I'm just curious, but are pickups your "day job", or at least part of it?

-Jake

hey Jake - that would certainly be nice

 

[RBS_Johnson]

hey Jake - that would certainly be nice

I hear you there....

 

[GotRoot?]

I decided I wanted to join the black and maple club, so this is what was on my work bench.
View attachment 948700
A Guitar Fetish scratch and dent guitar body I re-contoured and refinished, a maple/maple neck with mother of pearl blocks, white binding and two way truss rod from rondo music, a 15.8k black on black GFS Power Rails humbucker, cheap 18mm black bridge modified for better intonation adjustment range, cheap black tuners, black floyd rose string retainer, cheap black neckplate, black elliptical strap buttons. I've got a pair of black mini switches coming still along with a new soldering iron (red). Here's a close up of the neck, I'm really impressed with the quality on this thing.
View attachment 948704
Because it was a guitar body I had to route the neck pocket out to fit the wider neck (too wide actually) c and I knocked the gloss off the back of the neck and the body with steel wool. I installed the strap button on the inside of the upper horn to help with neck dive and angled the pickup slightly, I don't think it's really going to make much of a difference. Since I got tired of breaking the tiny little screws that come with the tuners I used some pickguard screws that I had around, I actually like the look better makes it look more substantial. I was actually able to get everything put together tonight except for electronics but because of light I don't have any pictures of it all together. I'll add some tomorrow.
Until then a black and maple teaser.
View attachment 948710

Love this! I have a similar collection of parts from GFS and Rondo strewn about waiting for that day I get off my bum and put something together. I'm pretty fond of the Telecaster body and want to build a bass with one. I also have that very same power rails. How do you like it? How does it sound? How did you wire it? I'm thinking of putting mine into my Rondo short scale "precision".

PS: I just read your description of its sound above

 

[Dean N]

I was routing for binding tonight and blew out the corner of the fretboard:


I pieced it back together:


I have 2 concerns:

1. How frickin' hard is it to find an image hosting site that easily lets me copy Url's these days? I tried to insert the above pics from Flickr but when I clicked on "copy url" it said "link copied" and I can't get a functional url... can someone please advise? I really can't believe how hard of a time I'm having finding a simple pic hosting site that I can use with my phone. /rant.

Edit: I tried to upload files to TB here, and that seems to have worked.

2. I still have to route the entire blown out portion of fretboard. Will the glue fix just blow apart again? I used Titebond 1. How should I go about the routing?

 

[Will_White]

I was routing for binding tonight and blew out the corner of the fretboard:

https://www.flickr.com/gp/143518513@N07/90jwkj

I pieced it back together:

https://flic.kr/p/LxPrbH

I have 2 concerns:

1. How frickin' hard is it to find an image hosting site that easily lets me copy Url's these days? I tried to insert the above pics from Flickr but when I clicked on "copy url" it said "link copied" and I can't get a functional url... can someone please advise? I really can't believe how hard of a time I'm having finding a simple pic hosting site that I can use with my phone. /rant.

2. I still have to route the entire blown out portion of fretboard. Will the glue fix just blow apart again? I used Titebond 1. How should I go about the routing?

I'm not sure about #2 but for the first question this one works just fine, click the upload a file button.

 

[Dean N]

Thanks Will. I tried uploading previously, and it failed for me. This time it failed in the preview, but actually posted ok. I swear technology hates me.

I can't believe there's no straightforward image hosting site that allows for URL use. I just tried Google Photos, but... nope.

 

[pilotjones]

I'm using Photobucket. I don't use it on the phone though, I use it on the compy. But the interface looks like it should be ok on a phone too. Here's what part of my page looks like to me:

As you can see, they even have a box with the [image] tags already added for you.

 

[Will_White]

… so this bass weighs a little over 7lbs? Looked at the workbench link - remember it… no mention of the type of body wood…. so is it a short scale bass? is it a player?

On two postal scales it came in at 5.125 lbs (5lbs 2 oz.) The wood is unknown, probably basswood or paulownia for the main part and for the control cavity area it's something harder but that area is mostly hollow. It's a standard 34" scale, and it is very comfortable a little bit of neck-dive but still better then my hollow bodies. It plays well, the neck could probably benefit from a fret level but its serviceable. I might tweak the cap value of the South coil treble cut to get it where I want it.

I'll probably put it in the rotation as I played it in the Youth Ministry band at my church Wednesday and it sounded pretty good a little bright and grindey but that's probably the Ken Smith Stainless Steel Metal Masters more then the inherent tone of the bass, the character of the note is very similar to my hollow-bodies and the pickup is in the same position as the D/G coil of a P bass so I think with a mellower set of strings, my standard set of Chromes would probably be great, it would fit better with what I usually play.