Dub's Wacky Project Guitars Thread--we're baaaaaack

[dubkitty]

got the Lead II fretboard done, much to my relief. seems not to have aggravated the existing reaction, which is still a bit bothersome. so that's another one done. if i want to be thorough i should do the Jazz Bass neck shim(s) which is relatively simple. then it's back to regular projects. this weekend would be the perfect time to unpack the soldering station and practice a bit. on deck: Jetstar painting, fine-tuning the Galaxiemaster pickguard template and working out the spring chamber, wiring the Esquire and M-77T.

[dubkitty]

i think the FJB is now about as good as it’s going to get without professional intervention. two shims allowed me to loosen the truss rod a bit…though it went most of the way back during the process, there’s still room to adjust it a bit. the action is now ~3 mm off the fingerboard, which isn’t marvelous but is about as good as i think i can expect with that long, long neck, and it doesn’t buzz anywhere. it’s reasonably comfortable for a fretless Jazz Bass, and i’ll leave it for awhile before adjusting it any more.

i got the switch tip for the Telecaster in the mail, but lost it. it’s OK, because i found a Tone Ninja tortoise tip that’s the nicest of the three i’ve seen. since i was being charged for shipping i got a set of compensated saddles for the Duo Sonic as well.

i think i’ve done enough for today. tomorrow, other stuff.

[dubkitty]

turns out that i let the truss rod on the JB way out when i put the low-tension flats on, so there was a ton of adjustment room. i got the neck quite a bit straighter and there’s still adjustment room. it’s almost comfortable to play now, which may be the best i can expect from a fretless bass with such a long, thin neck. it came out much better than i expected. sometime soon i’ll get out the Squier CV Mustang bass and optimize it, too.

[dubkitty]

after sittting for a bit i can take at least one shim out of the Jazz Bass neck. the action is now too low at the high end of the neck, the exact opposite of the original problem.

curiosity got the best of me and i got out the Mr.Base primer. as a test i used it on the Dremel dings on the Duo Sonic. it's perfect for my uses. it's apparently solvent-based acrylic, is nice and thick, and dries almost instantaneously. later today i'm going to try to sand down the primer with very careful use of 2000 grit to level the surface. after that i'll either try cobbling together a tint from the lacquer pens or order some Mr.Hobby paints to color-match. i'm not going to do any more nitro on the Jetstar because the time expended doesn't justify the results, and will definitely do Mr.Hobby tints for that.

parenthetically, when i had the neck off the JB i was astounded by how yellowed the paint is compared to its original shade. i remember when people used to say, back in the 70s, that poly finishes wouldn't color-age any more than they'd let the wood age. all i can say 50 years on is: LOL.

[dubkitty]

the Mr.Base does pretty much exactly what i wanted it to do, actually help fill the areas it’s used on. i didn’t want to do too much on the Duo Sonic because the satin faded Sonic Blue finish is so thin it’d scrub off with an alcohol sponge, so it’s not perfectly flat in the dings. it’s much better, though, not as deep or as obvious. you can’t see the bare wood dings across the room any more. i think i can come up with a tint from the Sonic Blue and Amber markers that’ll do, maybe with a bit of white if that’s available.

so tomorrow or Wednesday i’ll tape off the fingerboard edges and headstock and set Mr.Base on the neck. i’ll probably wait a day before doing the body…it’ll dry quickly enough that i could get it into one day, but there’s no point in rushing. i have high hopes for the results of 2 coats of primer and judicious sanding.