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Winter 2017 Build Off - Speak of the Devil

#541
Tuned to pitch.

tunedtopitch.jpg


I'm going to need a neck shim - the action is as low at it can go on the bridge, and I'm still a bit too high. I tend to make instruments thin, with the neck pretty close to the body surface, like a neck through. I need a little nut work as well. My Husband just woke up, so I can finally plug it in and hear how it sounds.

I can't seem to find the strap side of the strap locks. I'll have to stop by GC and pick up a set.

The bass is coming in at about 9 pounds. Not bad for an all maple instrument.
 
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#545
Bruce Johnson said:
Another thing you could try: Cut a teeny rectangle of copper shielding tape and wrap a little collar around the end of the string, like two wraps. The setscrew will then smash the copper down into the gaps between the windings, adding to the surface area and increasing the grip. Soft copper sleeves are used when crimping fittings onto wire rope, for that reason.

Also, before you cut off the end of the string, bend a sharp 90 degree hook, facing up, right after where the setscrew would be with the tuner head fully extended. Then cut the string off, leaving a small hook, just low enough that it will fit in through the hole and hook behind the setscrew.

@michaelwayneharwood as a future design change, you might consider adding a drilled hole in the top surface, just behind the setscrew, leaning back at maybe 45 degrees. The idea is that, with the setscrew loosened, you would feed the end of the string in through the end hole and out the angled hole on the top. Then you could pull on the extended end to get it taught, while tightening the setscrew. And, tightening the setscrew would force a small kink into the string, which would add to the grip. After tightening, you clip the string off.
Click to expand...

Another minor change would be to drill the hole for the set screw to be a bit deeper than bottom of the string hole forming a recess and using a conical tip set screw so that the set screw deflects the string into the recess. This would have a similar effect (or amplify the effect) of Bruce's 45 degree string hole.
 
#546
Hey 'glo

Amazing work, amazing project, and I too love the strap, it's a match made in heaven - even with the devilish-ness!

After you have lived with the Delano's on here for a while - it would be great to get your 25 words or less on the Delano's vs. the Lace pickups - and geeeeeeez, well, your thoughts on pickups in general on your nice collection from bass to bass. You seemed to really like the Lace, so I am curious how you might rank and compare these Delano's. If and when you have some time, of course.

I am already perusing the LC to see if I have missed the beginnings of your next NEW build!

:D:D:D:D:D:D
 
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#547
FYI about the tuners - I believe the set I have are a pre-production set. I was supposed to provide input before they went into production - I apologize to Michael for waiting so long before trying them. That said, once I understood that it's ok to crank down on the set screws, they work fine. Though it certainly couldn't hurt to add a small depression, an exit hole as Bruce suggested, or as Kathy mentioned, even threading the hole, just to provide a little more security in grabbing the string.

On top of that, I am using them in a manor for which they were not designed - they're were meant to go behind the bridge, not on the headstock. Though I don't know that would have an effect on their functionality. That said, I wouldn't mind getting 4 more allen wrenches, to keep permanently in the tuning screws, perhaps with a knobbed top as opposed to the bend top per the standard allen wrench.

tunerdetail.jpg


In other news, I put the strap on (sans strap locks) just to see how it balanced, and it's perfect. I was afraid of neck drive, but the Devil would have no such thing. Additionally, I have two truss rods and an aluminum stiffening bar in the neck (which I thought may cause neck dive). When I tuned the bass to pitch, the neck laughed at me saying "Is that all you got?". No adjustment on the truss rods needed. The neck was straight when I installed it - still straight after stringing it up. The Devil's neck laughs at my measly string tension.

BassHappy said:
Hey 'glo

Amazing work, amazing project, and I too love the strap, it's a match made in heaven!

After you have lived with the Delano's on here for a while - it would be great to get your 25 words or less on the Delano's vs. the Lace pickups - and geeeeeeez, well, your thoughts on pickups in general on your nice collection from bass to bass. You seemed to really like the Lace, so I am curious how you might rank and compare these Delano's. If and when you have some time, of course.

I am already perusing the LC to see if I have missed the beginnings of your NEW build!

:D:D:D:D:D:D
Click to expand...

Thanks Rick! Coming from you, that is high praise indeed. I'll post a report on the pickup once I play with it a while. Next build is already in progress - a neck through version of the Devil bass. There are a few updates in this thread - neck is together but needs shaping and the fret board, and the body wings are cut out. Once I'm done with this one, I'll update the neck through.
 
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#549
There's a few finish issues, but overall, I'm pretty happy with it. Still working on the setup, but it's playing fairly well now. I have to pick up a set of strap locks, but other than that, the bass is done, fully playable, and gig-able.
 
#559
mapleglo said:
I wouldn't mind getting 4 more allen wrenches, to keep permanently in the tuning screws, perhaps with a knobbed top as opposed to the bend top per the standard allen wrench.
Click to expand...

I think you might run into mechanical issues with that. If all were in place at once, you could not have a knob any larger than the string spacing, and your mechanical advantage would be very small - i.e. I think they would probably be difficult to turn. If anything, a T-handle might be more handy than the standard L.

Nice job!
 
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#560
T_Bone_TL said:
I think you might run into mechanical issues with that. If all were in place at once, you could not have a knob any larger than the string spacing, and your mechanical advantage would be very small - i.e. I think they would probably be difficult to turn. If anything, a T-handle might be more handy than the standard L.

Nice job!
Click to expand...

if the Allen lengths were staggered, the knob diameter could be almost twice the string spacing. might be hard to turn still though.

and yes, nice job.
 
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