Eight String Custom T bass build > to Z Bass

[amigarobbo]

:doh:

Not totally unexpected delays in getting the fancy Vintage copper finish, which means I won't get it till January. Oh well.  And the Vintage copper thumb rest that I also ordered, cuz it looks pretty has been discontinued. 

:sad1:



Actually https://www.banzaimusic.com/ have been pretty good in keeping me informed, unlike a certain other German behemoth retailer who send you your order no matter how many times you tell them it's wrong.

 

[amigarobbo]

Slight update, as I said, still waiting for the parts, so it looks like this I'll be on hold till next year.

But I think I'll give it one last coat of true-oil and that's done, it's darkened the maple quite a bit, which means it matches the maple with the Bubinga a bit more. To be honest, I was regretting not getting an all Maple body, if just for looks. the Bubinga is a loverly piece of wood, but what in retrospect I was after was a Mapleglo Rickenbacker 8 string 4005. On the cheap.

And I've put the logo on the headstock:

I clipped the musical notes off as I though they looked a bit cheesy, a happy little Turtle having a stroll while playing a guitar is badass, obv.  :headbang1:


I put it there in tribute to the logo that Shergold guitars had:

Just look at those strings..  :doh:



Here's the finish under old filament light:

 

[amigarobbo]

Slight update

Still waiting on the parts from Schaller, the people I've ordered it off have everything else but still waiting on the bridge. Which should be here sometime in February  :sad1: Wonder how many of those they've made in Vintage copper?

Anyway, finished the err. finish, just left the Tru-oil  to fully harden since xmas. Nice and shiny.

Ordered the electrics, Went for a Bourns Push pull for the volume the Lace Bass bar is, i would say tappable, but I'm not quite sure what with the funny design. On my fretless it thins the sound out a bit, does make it sound rather Jazz bass pickup in sound. A bit more tonal options on a single pickup bass. Maybe I should have gone for a MusicMan style pickup with a Serial/parallel/single could option? Too late now!

Tone is a no-load linear Bourns pot PDB241-GNL01-254B0, as it's a 8 string I'll want the full twang, I pushed the boat out a bit and got a NOS K40N-2a Paper in oil 0.022µ cap, anyone want a pair of 0.22 caps? Oopsie! Still waiting for the tone pot and I'll start on the soldering when it turns up. Also got a Switchcraft output jack socket.

I've lined the control panel with copper, I've left a gap what with it being hollow bodied , but I've covered the front and back when the electrics are.

And I've also got a set of Rotosound Swingbass 8 set which was cheaper to import from USA, go figure. I was thinking that the 45-105 was too heavy for a 8 string set so I also got a set of 40-60-80-100 which I might mix and match, the 45-105 can go on my Peavey T-40 I accidentally bought around Xmas  :laughing7:


So the only thing I also need is the neck plate, For some reason Schaller don't make a Vintage copper neck plate, so I'm trying to work out what metal colour choice, as well as the design of course..

 

[amigarobbo]

Oh, and last thing, I'm not sure about putting the grooves into the bridge saddles I think I might have notch it to hold them in about the strings in correct position then to take it to someone with a correct sized nut files for the final fitting.

 

[amigarobbo]

Slight update, the no load tone pot turned up yesterday, so I've managed to fit the pickup and soldered all the electrics together, I followed the official Lace design; 

http://www.lacemusic.com/pdf/12.pdf

Push pull on the volume for coil split/tap/dunno? Makes the sound thinner anyway

http://www.lacemusic.com/pdf/13.pdf

it all seems to work correctly as establish by holding the pickup to another bass's strings, and twanging them, dead scientific like.  :toothy12:

I'll spare you the horror pictures of my soldering  :sad:

But I've managed to get this neck plate

from http://www.axetremecreations.com/Antique-Bronze-Fender-Style-Neckplate-and-Screws-5931

Hopefully it'll match the Schaller stuff, I think it's one of those things you can only tell in the flesh. The Schaller vintage copper seems to look different in different photos, so we'll see when it all turns up.  :dontknow:

(still can't find a picture of the vintage copper 8 string bass bridge)

 

[Logrinn]

Cool, very steampunk!

 

[Bob Hoover Ross]

This is great! I'm an 8-string bass fanatic (currently own a Frankenbass made from an ancient Warmoth Jazz Bass body and a custom Michael Dolan neck, w/ Schaller bridge, Gotoh machines, and EMG pickups/electronics). That vintage copper finish is off the hook! Should look killer w/ your TruOil finish.

 

[amigarobbo]

:toothy10:


Neck plate arrived

Goes nice with the bubinga

And all the machine heads, bridge knobs etc should all be coming on Tuesday, and I'm not in work that day!

 

[treyhaislip]

Awesome awesome awesome! Love the antique bronze look!

 

[rgand]

Very cool. Looking forward to more progress pics.

 

[amigarobbo]

Turned up today!

Need to put the little screws in

 

[stratamania]

They look cool... Don't forget to wax your screws  :icon_thumright:

 

[amigarobbo]

I learned that lesson the hard way with the last one, special lightweight aluminium (?) screws I got them in, but at what cost to the heads, never mind my Carpal tunnel!


Right, electrics tested as working, even with only the main strings on sounds like a monster, but that's as far as I can go, the grooves I cut in the bridge saddles are nowhere deep enough to keep the strings in position, I'll need to cut proper sized grooves for them, which  to do a proper job will require heavy duty nut files, and skill in using them neither of which I have, so I'll have to pass that bit on to a professional.


But have a poor light bad quality picture.

That wallpaper doesn't look that bad in real life...

 

[rgand]

That looks great! Nice job.

 

[treyhaislip]

Sweet! Looks awesome and I really dig the copper hardware! Congrats and enjoy!

 

[ByteFrenzy]

Nice! I just hope you won't find it neck heavy. I have a Custom T in four string, and of all my basses, it's the one where the headstock has most tendency to sag. It's pretty OK while I play but you have to pay attention when changing sheet music and that sort of thing. With eight tuners it probably won't be any better...

 

[amigarobbo]

Nice! I just hope you won't find it neck heavy. I have a Custom T in four string, and of all my basses, it's the one where the headstock has most tendency to sag. It's pretty OK while I play but you have to pay attention when changing sheet music and that sort of thing. With eight tuners it probably won't be any better...

Not quite got around to fitting the strap locks, but first impressions are it's slightly neck heavy.  But not unreasonably.

While I'm here, have some pictures of the bridge/knobs

 

[AutoBat]

That hardware looks fantastic with the maple grain!

 

[amigarobbo]

Not the best picture, but...

Just chillin' with my pet sparrow canary in front of the telly.

Back from having the saddles grooves cut, I just need to put the strap pins in, and a setup and we're finished!

I'll try to get some sound samples up, yep it's a beast! And the bass sounds good too.

 

[Logrinn]

Wow, cool picture.
You supply the low end and the bird the highs.