JazzBlaster project just arrived!!
- Thread starter tylereot
- Start date
Not content to sit around waiting for pearl and pickups to arrive next week, I had to put it together and string it up.
I did a little fret level/crown/ dress on it first following the plan by Ron Kirn here:
http://www.tdpri.com/forum/tele-technical/201556-fret-leveling-yer-tele-101-a.html
Really, putting the neck on, getting the bridge set up, spring tension set, intonation set was just a breeze. You really never know how these things are going to play until you string it up and give 'er a smack, do ya?
Well, with a few tweaks of the truss rod (quartersawn maple is pretty stiff!) and a little dancing with the allen screws of the bridge, it was a highly satisfying experience. Nice neck, thinner than I'd expected, but I'll get used to it. Great body hugging shape as you'd expect from a Jazzmaster. And a real ring to the whole machine when played. Very...organic?
This baby really dials in to an amazing degree of precision as well.
Now....take it all back apart, and wait. :sad:
I did a little fret level/crown/ dress on it first following the plan by Ron Kirn here:
http://www.tdpri.com/forum/tele-technical/201556-fret-leveling-yer-tele-101-a.html
Really, putting the neck on, getting the bridge set up, spring tension set, intonation set was just a breeze. You really never know how these things are going to play until you string it up and give 'er a smack, do ya?
Well, with a few tweaks of the truss rod (quartersawn maple is pretty stiff!) and a little dancing with the allen screws of the bridge, it was a highly satisfying experience. Nice neck, thinner than I'd expected, but I'll get used to it. Great body hugging shape as you'd expect from a Jazzmaster. And a real ring to the whole machine when played. Very...organic?
This baby really dials in to an amazing degree of precision as well.
Now....take it all back apart, and wait. :sad:
Note to self and everyone else who decides to try these things:
1) Have patience enough to wait for all the ingredients to arrive before you start cooking.
2) Do the difficult one first. You've got a better chance of fixing a mistake that way.
I shot the headstock in black lacquer, as you've already seen. Then I started inlaying the 'stars', while waiting for the main moon inlay. The 'stars' were straight pins, cut off so the heads would be the smaller stars, and 3/16" pearl dots became the brighter ones. The moon arrived, and I'd already done the other inlay. So, when I slipped with the knife scribing around the moon, it left a scratch that I need to 'heal'. So... I shot more black lacquer, and now will need to clean up the 'stars' that got oversprayed.
Once that dries, I'll mix the black epoxy, and set the moon in it's heavens.
1) Have patience enough to wait for all the ingredients to arrive before you start cooking.
2) Do the difficult one first. You've got a better chance of fixing a mistake that way.
I shot the headstock in black lacquer, as you've already seen. Then I started inlaying the 'stars', while waiting for the main moon inlay. The 'stars' were straight pins, cut off so the heads would be the smaller stars, and 3/16" pearl dots became the brighter ones. The moon arrived, and I'd already done the other inlay. So, when I slipped with the knife scribing around the moon, it left a scratch that I need to 'heal'. So... I shot more black lacquer, and now will need to clean up the 'stars' that got oversprayed.
Once that dries, I'll mix the black epoxy, and set the moon in it's heavens.
reluctant-builder
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I put a roller tree on my Jazzmaster. The guitar keeps its tuning remarkably well, even when I use, gently, the tremolo.
The moon inlay finally arrived from the DePaul family. It's a custom, as they do this design regularly, but facing the right. For obvious reasons, this works better facing left, so they did one for me.
I got the rest of the stars in, and left a little room for a string T in case I need it (got a couple of Tusq T's from Stewmac since I had to order again anyway).
I shot a couple of coats of lacquer on it, and here it's still wet. I noticed some flaws I'm hoping to fix this morning with wet sanding and more nasty black epoxy.
Clear lacquer does NOT fix textural flaws, it accentuates them.
(Tip for you first timers reading this: that StewMac stain comes in handy for a lot of things, like making black epoxy for inlays. However, when you first open it, cut the tip of the bottle so you make a TEEEEEEENNY tiny hole. Or you'll have it all over EVERYthing. I've got a thumbnail that will need to grow out before I stop looking like an auto mechanic back in the day before they used gloves. Um... GLOVES. Why didn't I think of that?)
Got an email from Ken (Roadhouse Pickups) that my pickups are ready!! :cool01:
Happy monday, guys!
I got the rest of the stars in, and left a little room for a string T in case I need it (got a couple of Tusq T's from Stewmac since I had to order again anyway).
I shot a couple of coats of lacquer on it, and here it's still wet. I noticed some flaws I'm hoping to fix this morning with wet sanding and more nasty black epoxy.
Clear lacquer does NOT fix textural flaws, it accentuates them.
(Tip for you first timers reading this: that StewMac stain comes in handy for a lot of things, like making black epoxy for inlays. However, when you first open it, cut the tip of the bottle so you make a TEEEEEEENNY tiny hole. Or you'll have it all over EVERYthing. I've got a thumbnail that will need to grow out before I stop looking like an auto mechanic back in the day before they used gloves. Um... GLOVES. Why didn't I think of that?)
Got an email from Ken (Roadhouse Pickups) that my pickups are ready!! :cool01:
Happy monday, guys!
:icon_thumright:reluctant-builder
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Just out of the box: http://www.unofficialwarmoth.com/index.php?topic=17748.0
Work in Progress: http://www.unofficialwarmoth.com/index.php?topic=17778.0
Misaligned neck panic thread: http://www.unofficialwarmoth.com/index.php?topic=17809.0
That headstock is freakin' awesome.
Work in Progress: http://www.unofficialwarmoth.com/index.php?topic=17778.0
Misaligned neck panic thread: http://www.unofficialwarmoth.com/index.php?topic=17809.0
That headstock is freakin' awesome.
Thanks, RB! I love reading your exploits with that build. I think half the fun of this sort of thing is finding your way out of trouble once you've gotten in.
There are still some flaws on my inlay, and I've just had a Phuket moment. I'm electing to just live with 'em.
Better luck (and skill) next time. Also, I won't paint before I inlay. I'll talk to someone who's actually DOING great inlay work for some tips on how to finish an inlayed headstock.
There are still some flaws on my inlay, and I've just had a Phuket moment. I'm electing to just live with 'em.
Better luck (and skill) next time. Also, I won't paint before I inlay. I'll talk to someone who's actually DOING great inlay work for some tips on how to finish an inlayed headstock.
alterbridgefan
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He means a bass six, not a standard 6 string bass, this. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fender_Bass_VI
a1 is pretty shmexy.
a1 is pretty shmexy.
reluctant-builder
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Altar said:
I second A1.
Leumasd said:
You should! I might! Just listened to a couple of youtube vid's of Bass VI's. Not quite sure where I'd use one, until I did have that surf band together.
I think A would be pretty tricky to inlay, compared with B. I'm being very conservative with my meager skills in doing that.
And Thanks Great Ape!
A tidy little package arrived from Ken at Roadhouse pickups!
Containing: Hand wound (and tapped) Jazzmaster pickup and cover. Triple Crown humbucker, pots, caps and a Superswitch!
Thank God Ken is going to help me make sense of how to put these bits all together. But it's worth the effort for me to look through other wiring diagrams on the web, and try to sus it out. I haven't found anything out there like what I want to do:
1- Bridge Humbucker, series
2- Bridge Single coil
3- Neck Full, HB
4- Neck tapped, Bridge single coil in series
5- Neck full
Number 4 is the wild one, basically giving it a wide humbucker position up forward.
Hm...so where do all the wires go.... :icon_scratch:
Containing: Hand wound (and tapped) Jazzmaster pickup and cover. Triple Crown humbucker, pots, caps and a Superswitch!
Thank God Ken is going to help me make sense of how to put these bits all together. But it's worth the effort for me to look through other wiring diagrams on the web, and try to sus it out. I haven't found anything out there like what I want to do:
1- Bridge Humbucker, series
2- Bridge Single coil
3- Neck Full, HB
4- Neck tapped, Bridge single coil in series
5- Neck full
Number 4 is the wild one, basically giving it a wide humbucker position up forward.
Hm...so where do all the wires go.... :icon_scratch:
