Winter Buildoff 2022: Still A Diva

[BishopJP]

@TerribleTim68 I feel your pain! I wanted to set fire to my build when I realized routed the pick-up cavity in the wrong place but the missus wouldn't let me...

Once the pressure of the Build-Off is over you can take your time getting it right.

 

[TerribleTim68]

I'm still waiting for better weather so I can get decent photos. I don't really have a good place inside to do it, and apparently we're in the thick of this "atmospheric river" that is just dumping rain on us. It started raining last Saturday and hasn't stopped since. Long range forecasts show rain at least through Sunday, that's about as far as they reliably want to try to forecast.
Have I ever mentioned how much I hate this place and all this God forsaken rain?
It's no wonder why the Seattle area has such a massively high suicide rate. They are sick of the rain!

Anyways,... yeah...giggity. Rules say "must be giggity". I'll turn a knob at some point this week, maybe add some finish to the area I burned through and call it "giggity". Technically I don't even need a knob to be giggity, I think that's what they call "punk".
I mean...it makes noise. I can actually "fret" notes on it. I can't really "play", but that's on me, not the bass. It sounds pretty decent.

I'll post my entry post later, after I make a knob and figure out how to get a half way decent pic that somehow hides all my mistakes.
#HangTight

 

[T_Bone_TL]

a half way decent pic that somehow hides all my mistakes.

Something or other about vaseline on the lens, I think?

 

[Beej]

Hands down the worst part of living on the Pacific Rim is the winter rainy season. Well, and maybe all the earthquakes and volcanoes too...

 

[Matt Liebenau]

Hands down the worst part of living on the Pacific Rim is the winter rainy season. Well, and maybe all the earthquakes and volcanoes too...

So Godzilla and Mothra are ok?

 

[Beej]

So Godzilla and Mothra are ok?

Ever since we got the Jaegers and nuked the portal, we've been good.

 

[RichterScale]

Isn't their an extra tax you can pay to help prevent quakes and eruptions?

 

[TerribleTim68]

Isn't their an extra tax you can pay to help prevent quakes and eruptions?

Trust me when I say, we pay PLENTY of extra taxes here!

 

[RichterScale]

Oh good. Then you're safe.

 

[Beej]

Trust me when I say, we pay PLENTY of extra taxes here!

Taxes? Hold my beer. I'm Canadian.

 

[postalflunkie]

Never known a Canadian to give someone his beer

 

[Beej]

View attachment 4625048 Never known a Canadian to give someone his beer

Well, I gots another one under my toque, eh?

 

[Matt Liebenau]

View attachment 4625048 Never known a Canadian to give someone his beer

@Beej tricked you. He handed you the empty…

 

[Level5wizard]

Not to get to political. But politicans suck.

 

[Beej]

@Beej tricked you. He handed you the empty…

You guys are funny with these worries about beer. It's like the government doesn't subsidize your beer or something. You guys have Beericaid in the US, right?

 

[TerribleTim68]

Don't Be Such A Knob -
A custom bass needs a custom knob. I had any offcut from the lower wing, so I chucked it up on the lathe, gave it some shapely curves and then flipped it over, put a recess on the bottom side and drilled a hole in it so it would slide over the shaft of my pot with just a nice friction fit. On pics of the process because it'll be in my woodturning YouTube channel later.
But here's some pics of it on the bass -

Yup, it's probably taller than it needs to be and probably taller than most of you would have made it. But it's my bass and I like it.

Now I just need this rain to stop so I can get some pics, otherwise I'm rigging up some stupid photo booth in the garage.

 

[Beej]

Fantastic! But your E string ball end looks like it's about to pop out.

 

[TerribleTim68]

Yup, it's being problematic.

 

[TerribleTim68]

Believe it or not, it’s actually held rather well, it’s just held differently. That one for some reason wants to be basically “hooked” on the ledge of the inner hole in the ferrule. It is held at the little groove in the ball end that the string wraps around. I’ve yanked on it and it won’t pop out. It’s held better than the other three.

 

[TerribleTim68]

This is my submission for the Winter Build-Off 2022:
For details, please read my build thread
Winter Buildoff 2022: Still A Diva
This is the "Partial Build" category because I glued up the neck blank about a year before the WBO started.

Solid Body Electric based on the Marleaux Diva design. My “Rebirth” theme stems from the fact that the majority of this wood (aside from the top) was all leftover offcuts from my first build, so why not rebirth them as another bass?

Specifications:
Body: Wenge-Purpleheart with bookmatched Flame Maple top, dyed using Crimson Guitars "Stunning Stains" water-based purple and water-based blue.
Neck : Wenge-Purpleheart
Finger Board: Bolivian Rosewood w/ Luminlay glow in the dark position markers
Fingerboard radius: 20°
Scale Length: 34"
Tuners: Guyker
Bridge: Tune-O-Matic with Custom Retainers
Pickup: Delano Xtender 4HE/S
Electronics: Passive with Single Volume Knob
Finish: Purple to Blue “Reverse Burst” dyed top and matching Headstock.
Strings: DR Legend stainless flatwound 45-105
Other: Matching Flame Maple headstock cap, custom woodturned wenge/purpleheart volume knob.
Weight: 9lbs 6oz

This is by far the fastest I’ve ever tried to build (it's also my 2nd bass I've ever built), and it came with a lot of problems along the way. I want to thank several people for all the help and support, the list will get pretty long.
@Rôckhewer for your guidance, input and late-night phone calls. One day we will meet in person, I swear!
@Bruce Johnson for your wealth of knowledge and your willingness to share it. If I’m ever passing through Fillmore…
@BishopJP for sending me the dye "just to see what I would do with it". Here you go, hope I made you proud.
@Beej for keeping the WBO tradition alive, even tho I'll prolly never attempt this again.
All the rest of the LC regulars for your support, encouragement and suggestions when I made far too many mistakes. You guys are all great and it would take an entire page to list all of you. I really appreciate the comradery and encouragement. There were times I wanted to just light it on fire and walk away all Jimmy Hendricks style, but you guys ALL pushed me to keep going, offered suggestions, help and ideas to dig myself out of my mistakes and my attitude. The LC is bigger than any one member, and you guys all continue to show that day in and day out. This is an amazing place, and I'm glad I found all of you.

Here are my final WBO pics -