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Winter Build Off 2022 - Curly Redwood 4 String
- Thread starter dmarino
- Start date
Starting to get that build going. Not sure how far to take it yet, but planning to keep going for a few coats yet.
Well, the finish seems glossy enough, and it's dry enough to start assembly.
I was going to go ahead with my rounded truss-rod cover, but the universe is telling me that wouldn't be the best plan! I have one last piece of ebony that is probably big enough for two covers. I guess I'll be making some new ones to try, hopefully less brittle
I placed the pot holes in the top. For some reason I was always thinking 4 knobs, but the preamp I chose is actually a stacked treble/bass pot, so 3 knobs. I knew this in the back recesses of my brain, but I'm glad I double-checked before doing any work!
The only remaining question is whether to use a blend pot or 2 volumes. I'm thinking two 250k volume pots which I have on hand. 250k is recommended by Aguilar for the single-coils. The stacked pot came included with the preamp.
I also did the nut slot, which turned out fine. I have some bone blanks to use for that. Someone commented a couple of weeks ago about the 'unique' smell you get when grinding and cutting those bone blanks, and I remember it well, I'll probably have the pleasure today sometime
I may dip out of work some today and get this thing assembled. I think I can finish it up today and hear it play!
My next post will probably be the submission post! I can see the finish line, just have to not rush this part and make sure it all goes well. Soldering and wiring are some of the weakest parts of my game.
Oh yeah, I also have to make and oil up some new truss rod covers!
I was going to go ahead with my rounded truss-rod cover, but the universe is telling me that wouldn't be the best plan! I have one last piece of ebony that is probably big enough for two covers. I guess I'll be making some new ones to try, hopefully less brittle
I placed the pot holes in the top. For some reason I was always thinking 4 knobs, but the preamp I chose is actually a stacked treble/bass pot, so 3 knobs. I knew this in the back recesses of my brain, but I'm glad I double-checked before doing any work!
The only remaining question is whether to use a blend pot or 2 volumes. I'm thinking two 250k volume pots which I have on hand. 250k is recommended by Aguilar for the single-coils. The stacked pot came included with the preamp.
I also did the nut slot, which turned out fine. I have some bone blanks to use for that. Someone commented a couple of weeks ago about the 'unique' smell you get when grinding and cutting those bone blanks, and I remember it well, I'll probably have the pleasure today sometime
I may dip out of work some today and get this thing assembled. I think I can finish it up today and hear it play!
My next post will probably be the submission post! I can see the finish line, just have to not rush this part and make sure it all goes well. Soldering and wiring are some of the weakest parts of my game.
Oh yeah, I also have to make and oil up some new truss rod covers!
Looks awesome, that top is total wood porn...Well, the finish seems glossy enough, and it's dry enough to start assembly.
I was going to go ahead with my rounded truss-rod cover, but the universe is telling me that wouldn't be the best plan! I have one last piece of ebony that is probably big enough for two covers. I guess I'll be making some new ones to try, hopefully less brittle
View attachment 4608355
I placed the pot holes in the top. For some reason I was always thinking 4 knobs, but the preamp I chose is actually a stacked treble/bass pot, so 3 knobs. I knew this in the back recesses of my brain, but I'm glad I double-checked before doing any work!
View attachment 4608359
The only remaining question is whether to use a blend pot or 2 volumes. I'm thinking two 250k volume pots which I have on hand. 250k is recommended by Aguilar for the single-coils. The stacked pot came included with the preamp.
I also did the nut slot, which turned out fine. I have some bone blanks to use for that. Someone commented a couple of weeks ago about the 'unique' smell you get when grinding and cutting those bone blanks, and I remember it well, I'll probably have the pleasure today sometime
I may dip out of work some today and get this thing assembled. I think I can finish it up today and hear it play!
My next post will probably be the submission post! I can see the finish line, just have to not rush this part and make sure it all goes well. Soldering and wiring are some of the weakest parts of my game.
Oh yeah, I also have to make and oil up some new truss rod covers!
I prefer a blend because a single volume allows for killing the bass' signal in one easy motion, as well as fading it in smoothly and easily (just MHO)
Hmm... that's a good point.
The other factor at work is the only blend pot I have on hand is 500k. I don't know enough about it all to know how much, if any difference that would make in the resulting sound. Is a stacked blend pot more like two 250k pots in one, or is it more like a single 500k pot?
I do know that the 250k individual pots are recommended. I also have a Kiesel JB4 that is wired V-V-T and I've always liked blending the pickups that way.
The other factor at work is the only blend pot I have on hand is 500k. I don't know enough about it all to know how much, if any difference that would make in the resulting sound. Is a stacked blend pot more like two 250k pots in one, or is it more like a single 500k pot?
I do know that the 250k individual pots are recommended. I also have a Kiesel JB4 that is wired V-V-T and I've always liked blending the pickups that way.
Stacked are just two individual pots connected to concentric shafts, so a 500K stacked pots is equivalent to two - 500K pots.
I needed to make a new truss rod cover for this bass since I cracked the ebony one I made.
I went with the crowd-sourced design.
@TerribleTim68 recommended using the tung-oiled redwood.
@1n3 was kind enough to submit a design for the correct shape.
This bass is basically finished and almost ready to submit for the build-off. The setup is settling in, but it plays and sounds good. Everything works as designed and all the controls function. It's more or less dead quiet in both-pickups humbucking mode, acceptably quiet in one-pickup single-coil mode.
I'm going to re-make the nut because you can see in this photo for some reason I cut the E string slot too close to the A string. I don't think I've ever nailed the nut build on the first try yet in all seven basses I've made. I've made three before getting it right at least a couple times.
Once I re-make the nut, I'll drag out the DSLR, take a few proper photos and get this thing submitted!
I went with the crowd-sourced design.
@TerribleTim68 recommended using the tung-oiled redwood.
@1n3 was kind enough to submit a design for the correct shape.
This bass is basically finished and almost ready to submit for the build-off. The setup is settling in, but it plays and sounds good. Everything works as designed and all the controls function. It's more or less dead quiet in both-pickups humbucking mode, acceptably quiet in one-pickup single-coil mode.
I'm going to re-make the nut because you can see in this photo for some reason I cut the E string slot too close to the A string. I don't think I've ever nailed the nut build on the first try yet in all seven basses I've made. I've made three before getting it right at least a couple times.
Once I re-make the nut, I'll drag out the DSLR, take a few proper photos and get this thing submitted!
This is my submission for the 2022 Winter Build Off - Scratch Build Category
I had a great time building this bass, and I'm glad for my renewal and rebirth as a builder after over a year of not building anything for various reasons.
It's been a lot of fun to build along with all the other participants and see all the different builds and different methods folks use. Thanks for all the comments and likes along the way, they are appreciated!
DGM Original - Curly Redwood 4-String Bass
Specifications
Body: Poplar core, Black dyed veneer, Curly redwood top
Neck: 5-piece laminated Paduak and Hard Maple
Fingerboard: Ebony with 1/4" round pearloid position markers. 41mm wide nut with J-Bass string spacing
Frets: 24 Stew-Mac wide/tall frets
Scale Length: 34"
Headstock: 2x2 setup, maple/padauk core with ebony veneer facing
Tuners: Hipshot ultra-lite with Y-keys
Bridge: Hipshot A-Style String-through-body brass bridge
Pickups: Aguilar Super Singles
Preamp: Aguilar OBP-2 SK, 18-volt setup
Controls: Individual 250k volume pots, Stacked treble and bass preamp controls
Finish: Minwax Tung-Oil Finish
Strings: Ernie Ball Hybrid Slinky .045 .065 .085 .105 round-wound
Final Weight: 8.3 lbs.
Photos:
I had a great time building this bass, and I'm glad for my renewal and rebirth as a builder after over a year of not building anything for various reasons.
It's been a lot of fun to build along with all the other participants and see all the different builds and different methods folks use. Thanks for all the comments and likes along the way, they are appreciated!
DGM Original - Curly Redwood 4-String Bass
Specifications
Body: Poplar core, Black dyed veneer, Curly redwood top
Neck: 5-piece laminated Paduak and Hard Maple
Fingerboard: Ebony with 1/4" round pearloid position markers. 41mm wide nut with J-Bass string spacing
Frets: 24 Stew-Mac wide/tall frets
Scale Length: 34"
Headstock: 2x2 setup, maple/padauk core with ebony veneer facing
Tuners: Hipshot ultra-lite with Y-keys
Bridge: Hipshot A-Style String-through-body brass bridge
Pickups: Aguilar Super Singles
Preamp: Aguilar OBP-2 SK, 18-volt setup
Controls: Individual 250k volume pots, Stacked treble and bass preamp controls
Finish: Minwax Tung-Oil Finish
Strings: Ernie Ball Hybrid Slinky .045 .065 .085 .105 round-wound
Final Weight: 8.3 lbs.
Photos:
Wow! That is stunning. Looks like a boutique bass, which it is!
Fantastic! Such great attention to detail, and that finish looks amazing. Excellent work! 
It turned out awesome! I still think it's your best build yet. You are certainly getting better every time! 
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Post a funnier picture than the one above - Parallel Universe Edition
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