Winter Build Off 2022 - The PeavEsh StinGer

[AudioTaper]

The wood is down to the 6-9% range (depending on where I measure it) It took probably 15 hours in the oven at 150°F, maybe I should have bumped the temperature up a little, and I havent figured out how much it will add to the electric bill.... but its done!.

I cant cut this well on my newly re-branded table saw, so I'll plane it down.

Better

I'm changing up my build plans slightly because the wood isnt thick enough to use without having a few layers. The ash is heavy (like, Really heavy) so I'll make 3 layers with that piece of lightweight alder in the core. (The alder is in my lumber photo at the beginning of the thread, listed as 'backup lumber' or something like that)

Tell me you're in the Winter Build Off without telling me you're in the Winter Build Off

 

[AudioTaper]

I'm nominating myself as "Least likely to win the @Sushi Box FX prize"

 

[AudioTaper]

I've had enough time spent failing on the wood, so on to the electronics.

The preamp is a 2-band Uncle Fluffy MM design, the board and opamp was supplied by Passingwind Electronics.

I didnt want a big surprise of it not working, so I built up a bench test jig (which I'll reuse on future projects, so it's not a bunch of unnecessary work)

And since I seem to refuse to take the easy way out and buy a wiring harness from EMG, I added the necessary Molex SL connectors to my Digikey order to build my own harness. This is less than two dollars worth of parts

Hmmm.... crimpy.

 

[AudioTaper]

Let's test it! I set up the MM5TW on my test sled (dont bash it! It works and actually plays really well) and ran it at 9V.

I added in a temporary coil tap switch since I'll probably use a push/pull on the actual build. I wanted to make sure the pot values worked well before I order them. I used some basic Alpha 24mm I had on my parts stash to test it out.

It works! First try! Let's see what it does at 18V....

Wow, it actually works really well. Punchy, and clear. Surprisingly quite when you consider theres no shielding and the leads are long and intertwined. Definitely going with 18V. The bass pot is a A100K and the treble is a B500K. Not what's recommended, but I'm not concerned with a center detent, I'll pretty much have to use what I find in stock.

This mess actually works.

I'll clean it up and make it purdy for the install.

 

[Matt Liebenau]

I sincerely hope you’re using the purple knobs.

 

[AudioTaper]

I sincerely hope you’re using the purple knobs.

Unfortunately I had something else in mind. I just got those in on my Tayda Electronics order for the preamp parts so I had them handy.

 

[Flamingo21]

I'm nominating myself as "Least likely to win the @Sushi Box FX prize"

You don't stand a chance against me.

 

[AudioTaper]

You don't stand a chance against me.

Oh yeah? ITS ON!

 

[Matt Liebenau]

Unfortunately I had something else in mind. I just got those in on my Tayda Electronics order for the preamp parts so I had them handy.

The obvious solution is to immediately begin construction of a purple bass…

 

[AudioTaper]

The obvious solution is to immediately begin construction of a purple bass…

Maybe next build, I have a really cool piece of Purpleheart sitting here...

And my fretless has oversized purpleheart lines

 

[Matt Liebenau]

Maybe next build, I have a really cool piece of Purpleheart sitting here...
View attachment 4581661
And my fretless has oversized purpleheart lines
View attachment 4581658

There ya go! It’s fate. Don’t fight it!

 

[AudioTaper]

Time for the MM5TW routing template!
Once again, I used the free Front Panel Express (not affiliated) program to lay out the corners and sides which is printed out 1:1. The corners are drilled out first and the straight lines are done with a scroll saw on 1/4" acrylic.

Action shot with the step bit

Scroll saw time

I used sandpaper to clean up the sides. It's not 100% perfect, but it's pretty good in my opinion

 

[AudioTaper]

Bass building purists should probably stop reading this thread now.

The ash I had isnt thick enough to use a single piece, and I really dont have enough to piece it together (if I had better tools, it would probably work out, but I dont)
And as I mentioned it's really heavy.

I had an 8' long 4/4 thick piece of alder sitting here as a backup. It's been cut to length (lower left corner in the photo) and the sides prepped for glue.

And the prize for worst planeing setup goes to.... me!
Attempting to get the ash squared away. This was actually quite horrible to do, I really need to finish building a good setup.

The body shape that had been projected and traced onto craft paper was cut out and traced onto an old 3/8" MDF sheet that used to be a shelf at work. They set it out by the dumpster and I grabbed the sheets (the frame was bent)

Cut and shaped. The body shape is slightly different than a real Esh since it's a longer scale length with fewer frets. Close enough though.

 

[Flamingo21]

worst planeing setup

It is probably just my inexperience, but I don't see what's so horrible about this setup. What was the problem?

 

[AudioTaper]

It is probably just my inexperience, but I don't see what's so horrible about this setup. What was the problem?

Tons of friction, cant get low enough for thin boards, no way to clamp the workpiece in place, and tons of friction.

The table has T-slots built in to it, so I can make a way to clamp it down.

I keep hearing about that wax you can put on wood to reduce friction, I have to remember what its called and get some. I looked into some thin strips of UHMW, so that's an option as well.

If I do another build off in the future, it's not going to be a winter builfoff. Working outside in the snow and mud really takes the fun out of it.

 

[Matt Liebenau]

Floor wax like Johnsons paste wax should work. Minwax also has a wood finishing wax. It helps if the surfaces are sanded and smooth before you apply the wax.

Grocery store:

Hardware store:

 

[Flamingo21]

If I do another build off in the future, it's not going to be a winter builfoff. Working outside in the snow and mud really takes the fun out of it.

Yes, I noticed what seems a snowy lawn in your photos.

It's the same over here, but a large room suitable for a workshop will become available in about two months. So, next winter....

 

[AudioTaper]

Floor wax like Johnsons paste wax should work. Minwax also has a wood finishing wax. It helps if the surfaces are sanded and smooth before you apply the wax.

Grocery store:
View attachment 4586977

Hardware store:
View attachment 4586980

That's the stuff! Thanks!

 

[NKBassman]

If I do another build off in the future, it's not going to be a winter builfoff. Working outside in the snow and mud really takes the fun out of it.

If you have mud, it can’t be that bad .
Luckily I have that nice big garage, though. One of these days I'll build a bass back there.

 

[AudioTaper]

If you have mud, it can’t be that bad .
Luckily I have that nice big garage, though. One of these days I'll build a bass back there.
View attachment 4587069

The snow/ice last week was actually easier to work in than the mud.