Mooncaster SSB

[Cagey]

How can it be permissible
She compromise my principle, yeah yeah
That kind of love is mythical
She's anything but typical
She's a craze you'd endorse, she's a powerful force
You're obliged to conform when there's no other course
She used to look good to me, but now I find her
Simply irresistible

Her loving is so powerful, huh
It's simply unavoidable
The trend is irreversible
That bass is invincible
She's a natural law, and she leaves me in awe
She deserves the applause, I surrender because
She used to look good to me, but now I find her
Simply irresistible

(She's so fine, there's no tellin' where the money went)​

 

[rgand]

Bella Luna is most appropriate, ghotiphry. It's just beautiful. Outstanding!

 

[BigSteve22]

Bellissimo! A stunning bass to be sure!  :headbang:

As for the shim, I highly recommend the StewMac variety. Not cheap, but when only the best will do.....

 

[ghotiphry]

Thank you, guys.  Yes, I'm probably needing the stewmac shims.  And I will let you guys know how the mustang strings work out.

 

[Cagey]

They're (the stewmac shims) a good way to go. Fills in the entire floor so there's no distortion of the heel when torqued down (which can affect upper fret leveling), and a good connection of the neck to the body so you don't get any tone-sucking from a soft neck joint.

 

[ghotiphry]

But it looks like they are all made to shim the opposite end of the pocket?  I need to increase the action height, not decrease it.

 

[bagman67]

Flip it over, end-over-end, and trim off any excess that sticks out past the pocket edge.

 

[dmraco]

But it looks like they are all made to shim the opposite end of the pocket?  I need to increase the action height, not decrease it.

turn it around. :icon_thumright:
Sorry...I am not being a smart a$$.  But it should work and give you all the benefits Cagey described.  You will just drill thru the plate and make new holes.

 

[Cagey]

Flipping won't work.  They're asymetrical for the bass. Fortunately, they make blanks, so you can orient as needed, drill/shape to suit, and life will once again be good. And fair! :laughing7:

Edit: They're kinda pricey, but it may be worth buying two smaller ones rather than one bigger one. First, it usually takes less shim than you think to get the angle you want. Second, if neither one is enough, both together may well be. Shipping is the same, so... what's the worst that could happen? The dreaded Drawer of Misfit Parts gets a new friend who'll come in handy some day.

Damn. Just lost power again. You kids behave yourselves! I'm outa here!

 

[dmraco]

  They're asymetrical for the bass.

I did not know that...how so?
IF you are referring to the holes, could you just not drill new ones?

 

[ghotiphry]

Well, I just ordered a set of these, .25, .5, and 1 degree increments.  Should get me where I need to be.

 

[ghotiphry]

Almost forgot to post an update.

It's not the cleanest shim job, but it worked, does the trick, and presents a solid surface all around.  I ended up just using the 1 degree shim.  I probably could have dialed it up to 1.25 degrees.  I might play with that a bit more later.  (No pics as yet.)

Those Mustang strings are perfect, for length, feel, and sound quality.  I ordered a backup set.

One other thing.  I ordered the neck with SS6100 frets.  The nut is cut a little too low as shipped, and I think it might be the higher frets.  It's bothering me.  I'm trying to decide if I want to take a whack at it myself or get Cagey involved.

It feels absolutely great.  My white '54 P is still my favorite go-to instrument, but the shorter scale makes it much more manageable for longer reaches.

 

[Cagey]

It's unusual for slots to be cut low, but then 6100 frets are unusually tall. Be happy to help if need be. My investment in bass string-sized nut files has yet to be returned due to their rare usage :laughing7:

 

[dmraco]

Where did you get these?

Well, here's the latest.  I got these this week, but had very little time to install.

 

[Cagey]

Dollars to donut holes uncle Dougie made 'em.

 

[dmraco]

Dollars to donut holes uncle Dougie made 'em.

I figured.  I do like black.  I did get a set of flat ring from tv Jones and the damn rings cracked when mounting.  I barely applied pressure.  I will see if they hold up but going to get steel next time.  Even if I have to paint them black.

 

[Cagey]

I'm not saying he did, just that it wouldn't surprise me. He's made mounting rings, knobs, bridges, one-piece rear string ferrules, jigs, templates, numerous neck plates and other things for me before. A guy with a CNC machine and the talent to program it is a mighty handy resource. Lets you get stuff you just can't buy anywhere else. Plus, he's damn good at it.

 

[dmraco]

I'm not saying he did, just that it wouldn't surprise me. He's made mounting rings, knobs, bridges, one-piece rear string ferrules, jigs, templates, numerous neck plates and other things for me before. A guy with a CNC machine and the talent to program it is a mighty handy resource. Lets you get stuff you just can't buy anywhere else. Plus, he's damn good at it.

Yes....Doug is making me some cool brass knobs and a new neck truss rod cover with my logo that are on the way. ccasion14:

 

[ghotiphry]

I forgot to finish this off!  :doh:

When I finished this, I wanted to love it. I tried to love it. I played it but it just wasn't working.  I had fret buzz for starters. Something was just not right. So I put it away and decided to deal with it later.

A few months later I took it out of its case, and it was massively out of tune.  But it was sharp! I tuned it, and started playing it. And dammed if it wasn't just the sweetest thing. Everything just feels so good. The shorter scale is a godsend. The action is perfect. Now, I can't put it down. My white bass is the one in the case now.

I also hadn't resolved my wiring issue. I ended up rewiring the whole thing in classic Gibson VVTT with switch configuration. For me it's a bit quirky, different from a jazz bass in the way it works. And there is a bit of interference hum, which likely stems from unshielded wires. But the sound is spot on, so I'm not going to mess with it!  If I ever decide to change things, it will just be to use shielded wires.

AA in a post somewhere (video?) said it might just be his favorite bass for sound. I second that!

 

[dmraco]

What changed? 

Honestly I was scared a bit screwing mine together.  It went perfect with no need to shim and perfect action.  I did 32 inch scale.   

I am still perplexed with not reversed shim but glad it worked out in the end