Winter 2017 Build Off - Speak of the Devil

[GKon]

So I'm on my way home, and I'm passing by Bloody Basin Road.

And there at the intersection of Bloody Basin and 13th, there's this odd looking fellow. He comes up to me and says that I'll be needing a gig bag for that bass I'm building. A Jackson will do it. So he takes my twenty dollar bill and it vanished in the air. In it's place, I'm holding this gig bag.

Very strange.

That is the perfect bag for this bass.

 

[mapleglo]

So we stopped by Harbor Freight this morning.

They exchanged the old compressor with no questions asked. They didn't even ask what was wrong with it. The 1 year warrantee apparently is good for one exchange, so we bought another year for $35.00. I'm thinking I'll exchange this one right before it expires if it should last that long, and maybe save up for one of better quality. I have to say that the exchange process was exceptional, so while the quality leaves much to be desired, the customer service is top notch. I also bought a new air hose as the one I have has started leaking. I should look into a better quality hose at some point. I got a straight hose instead of the curly style.

I guess I'll have to spend a little time setting up this new compressor. Well, I have the time, as I'm still waiting for the epoxy to cure.

 

[Jisch]

Every time I've been to Harbor Freight there is a line of people returning stuff. I wonder how that business model works out - there must be enough profit to support whatever their return rate is (it seems really high).

 

[Korladis]

Every time I've been to Harbor Freight there is a line of people returning stuff. I wonder how that business model works out - there must be enough profit to support whatever their return rate is (it seems really high).

If it's anything like Home Depot, where my friend works, a lot of people try to pull return scams.

 

[SLivinghouse]

[/QUOTE]

Um, You're not planning on showing up at too many church gigs with this rig are you?

 

[mapleglo]

Worked on my fret bender this morning.

Now I can set my fret wire and start fretting the neck. But first, some chores...

 

[BassHappy]

Worked on my fret bender this morning.

Now I can set my fret wire and start fretting the neck. But first, some chores...

To the 'glo.....

Just wanted you to know, even though I haven't weighed in much (other than a profusion of "likes") I have been following along like the rabid fan that I am!

Good to hear about the compressor and I love the gig bag and accompanying story. The flames and pickup cover are outrageously cool - and I can't wait to see it in all it's glory~

Best of luck with the frets!

 

[mapleglo]

The fret bender project is successful.

Now I can start fretting.

There's still a few bubble pits. I'll decide if I want to fill them with epoxy, which may be too thick to fill them, or just fill them with finish. I have a few more chores to do, and have a woodworking tool use class at the Tech Shop this afternoon (analogous to Jimmy Page taking guitar lessons, in my mind, but whatever), so I may be done for today.

 

[mapleglo]

OK, fret board is all filled and smooth.

And the side dots are in.

Now I'm ready to start putting in the frets. Next couple of days.

 

[wraub]

So I'm on my way home, and I'm passing by Bloody Basin Road.

And there at the intersection of Bloody Basin and 13th, there's this odd looking fellow. He comes up to me and says that I'll be needing a gig bag for that bass I'm building. A Jackson will do it. So he takes my twenty dollar bill and it vanished in the air. In it's place, I'm holding this gig bag.

Very strange.

Was this guy there to meet Robert Johnson, maybe?

 

[Hopkins]

Every time I've been to Harbor Freight there is a line of people returning stuff. I wonder how that business model works out - there must be enough profit to support whatever their return rate is (it seems really high).

I have yet to have to return anything to harbor freight, but I don't buy the tools that are obviously junk. You can tell which tools are good and which are not.

 

[Hopkins]

OK, fret board is all filled and smooth.

And the side dots are in.

Now I'm ready to start putting in the frets. Next couple of days.

With that inlay, I think I would finish and polish the board before installing the frets.

 

[Bruce Johnson]

With that inlay, I think I would finish and polish the board before installing the frets.

I would too. Just to make sure that there are no rough spots that you missed. Much easier to fix before the frets are in.

 

[mapleglo]

With that inlay, I think I would finish and polish the board before installing the frets.

I would too. Just to make sure that there are no rough spots that you missed. Much easier to fix before the frets are in.

So would I put in the brass strips into the frets again for the clear coat? I guess I'll have to wait for the weekend to start that. Too many things...

 

[Bruce Johnson]

You don't have to put on all the finish before the frets, just a coat or two to check that the surface is smooth and sufficiently sanded out. You don't want to have to do any sanding after the frets are in.

 

[mapleglo]

Ah, much better. Thanks Bruce!

 

[Hopkins]

Surface tension has a tendency to make the finish creep up on the fret wire. It makes it a difficult, tedious job to level sand between the fret wire.

 

[Basshappi]

Was watching a video about Geddy Lee and near the end he is showing off some of his bass collection and he takes down a Devil bass, noodles a bit and says that if he had had one at the time he would have recorded "Madrigal" with it.

On a side note, his baseball memorabilia collection is AMAZING!!

 

[mapleglo]

Did a little work on the neck-thru.

Routed the truss rod channel and the two aluminum stiffener channels. I have an appointment with the laser cutter tomorrow morning, so I can do the fretboard inlay. I'll do that first, and then cut the fret slots. I'll also work a little more on the neck blank and body wings. If it warms up a little, I can start laying down a few coats on the bolt-on neck, and start fretting.

 

[Rôckhewer]

You don't have to put on all the finish before the frets, just a coat or two to check that the surface is smooth and sufficiently sanded out. You don't want to have to do any sanding after the frets are in.

....Nexy, please forgive my interruption, but I would really like to ask Bruce to expound on this subject, if that's ok...

So then, it is ok to install frets on top of finish coats?
I wanted to do that on a maple boarded build I did, but I was concerned that seating the frets on top of finish would somehow make them ...unstable?.
So I sprayed over them afterwards. And of course due certain...circumstances ...I got some pretty intense orange peel texture that needed to be sanded out. Thus began an extremely painstaking process of level sanding by starting at the first (widest) fret with a thin strip of wood for a sanding block...and hand planing it down to the proper width for each subsequent fret.
It came out ok...but I vowed to never do it again, that way....
But, if is is acceptable to apply a thin layer of finish prior to fret intallation... would it be prudent to make sure each fret was thoroughly glued in?
I'm not sure why I feel it would be dangerous to install (seat) frets on top of finish coats...
BUT if I need not worry...that would be fantastic!
Please share any reassurances if so inclined?
This is the maple board I spoke of.
I would love to do more....just not the way I did this one.