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Winter Build-Off 2022: Speed Bass
- Thread starter rojo412
- Start date
That does look killer, and extra credit for making the speed bass have to live up to its name 
The Good:
Got the shielding done -
The Bad:
The intended preamp didn't fit in. So I tried to make another one I had work. It was a Duncan 2B with a stacked control, which would be too deep for my body -
Modified it -
Then wired everything in and... it no longer works. My guess is, the modification took out something on the board, because when in active mode it just sounds like static hiss. No signal, no pops, nothing. HSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS.
So this is likely going to be functional passive and "giggity" as was required by the deadline, because I don't really have another preamp I can use at the moment.
Passive, though, it was making noise. So I can at least get a sense of that by Sunday.
Gonna do my best to bust my hump today. I basically lose tomorrow for any work, so it's do or die.
Got the shielding done -
The Bad:
The intended preamp didn't fit in. So I tried to make another one I had work. It was a Duncan 2B with a stacked control, which would be too deep for my body -
Modified it -
Then wired everything in and... it no longer works. My guess is, the modification took out something on the board, because when in active mode it just sounds like static hiss. No signal, no pops, nothing. HSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS.
So this is likely going to be functional passive and "giggity" as was required by the deadline, because I don't really have another preamp I can use at the moment.
Passive, though, it was making noise. So I can at least get a sense of that by Sunday.
Gonna do my best to bust my hump today. I basically lose tomorrow for any work, so it's do or die.
I don't like where this is going.....
SON OF A......
GITERDUN!!!!
This one is fighting me hard. Not only did the preamp not work out, but something is amiss with one of the 4 pickups (and yes, I know which one), the bridge cutout went too deep, so I had to shim that back upwards (never needed to do it, dammit!), and I wasn't quite sold on the viability of the rotary switch dues to the lack of function from the pickup.
- Swapped the rotary for a 3-way for pickup selection
- Need to figure out if the one pickup is toast or if it's just bad wiring/bad switch
- Likely will be temporarily plugging holes that won't be usable before Sunday
On the plus side, the tuners went in okay and the nut is pretty much cut properly.
(oops, forgot pics)
Losing pretty much all day Saturday for any work. Deadline is 7pm my time Sunday (I believe?), so Sunday will be a race for me, indeed! Fix wiring to make giggity, fretwork (luckily, it's not bad as is), polish nut, plug holes.
- Swapped the rotary for a 3-way for pickup selection
- Need to figure out if the one pickup is toast or if it's just bad wiring/bad switch
- Likely will be temporarily plugging holes that won't be usable before Sunday
On the plus side, the tuners went in okay and the nut is pretty much cut properly.
(oops, forgot pics)
Losing pretty much all day Saturday for any work. Deadline is 7pm my time Sunday (I believe?), so Sunday will be a race for me, indeed! Fix wiring to make giggity, fretwork (luckily, it's not bad as is), polish nut, plug holes.
A few extra holes never hurt anyone. They’re lightening holes to make it speedier!
Air holes for that blue hedgehog you stuck in the control cavity.A few extra holes never hurt anyone. They’re lightening holes to make it speedier!
This is my second submission for the Winter Build-Off 2022:
"Speed Bass"
This was the first project started this year for the build off, but second to actually finish. The idea for the bass was to make a bass that was very fast to play and incorporated various aspects to reflect that. And to follow the theme for this year, I did what I could to make various aspects of it "reborn" from what they could have ended up becoming.
The body shape was based off of the first bass I ever built from scratch (using the same template), which fit the theme nicely. Though that one was headless, this is headed. The top wood was essentially going to become firewood. And the pickups were 4 leftover units from a parts box buy, which were reborn under covers as 2 new pickups.
As the design went, I wanted to incorporate aspects that make a bass feel "fast." Shorter scale, flat radius, small frets, light strings, slim neck, ergonomic designs that allow for maximum movement when playing. Even the pickup configuration was called "TURBO" (as Modulus used for the name of this configuration).
SPECIFICATIONS
Body - African mahogany back with a bookmatched spalted hickory top. Chambered for weight reduction, as well as very slim front to back.
Neck - Quartersawn maple with DA truss rod and dual graphite supports
Fingerboard - Richlite black, 20" radius, 32.5" scale length, 24 small stainless frets, aluminum rod side dots
Pickups - Seymour Duncan STK J pickups (4), under mahogany covers in pairs
Electronics - Volume, tone, 3 way selector for both pickups, 3 way switches on each pickup pair (north, both, south), mute switch (the original plan was for active EQ, which failed at the moment)
Hardware - ABM-style bridge, light tuners, Hipshot string tree, brass nut, aluminum knobs, Dunlop straplock buttons, electrosocket jack
Strings - Ken Smith Slap Masters 30-90 stainless
Other notes: 8.2lbs, dual strap buttons on the bottom are a "built in stand", chrome plugs for empty face holes, magnetic control cover, made from spalted hickory as well, fully shielded with nickel paint, painted-on headstock logo
... and with a whopping 4 hours to spare before the deadline, I think it's time for a beer.
Sound clips to come soon.
"Speed Bass"
This was the first project started this year for the build off, but second to actually finish. The idea for the bass was to make a bass that was very fast to play and incorporated various aspects to reflect that. And to follow the theme for this year, I did what I could to make various aspects of it "reborn" from what they could have ended up becoming.
The body shape was based off of the first bass I ever built from scratch (using the same template), which fit the theme nicely. Though that one was headless, this is headed. The top wood was essentially going to become firewood. And the pickups were 4 leftover units from a parts box buy, which were reborn under covers as 2 new pickups.
As the design went, I wanted to incorporate aspects that make a bass feel "fast." Shorter scale, flat radius, small frets, light strings, slim neck, ergonomic designs that allow for maximum movement when playing. Even the pickup configuration was called "TURBO" (as Modulus used for the name of this configuration).
SPECIFICATIONS
Body - African mahogany back with a bookmatched spalted hickory top. Chambered for weight reduction, as well as very slim front to back.
Neck - Quartersawn maple with DA truss rod and dual graphite supports
Fingerboard - Richlite black, 20" radius, 32.5" scale length, 24 small stainless frets, aluminum rod side dots
Pickups - Seymour Duncan STK J pickups (4), under mahogany covers in pairs
Electronics - Volume, tone, 3 way selector for both pickups, 3 way switches on each pickup pair (north, both, south), mute switch (the original plan was for active EQ, which failed at the moment)
Hardware - ABM-style bridge, light tuners, Hipshot string tree, brass nut, aluminum knobs, Dunlop straplock buttons, electrosocket jack
Strings - Ken Smith Slap Masters 30-90 stainless
Other notes: 8.2lbs, dual strap buttons on the bottom are a "built in stand", chrome plugs for empty face holes, magnetic control cover, made from spalted hickory as well, fully shielded with nickel paint, painted-on headstock logo
... and with a whopping 4 hours to spare before the deadline, I think it's time for a beer.
Sound clips to come soon.
This is the absolute best way I can think to celebrate another winter being over:
And here's a shot of "the siblings":
The oldest bass I've built and the youngest.
And here's a shot of "the siblings":
The oldest bass I've built and the youngest.
