Building Slowly

[Matt Liebenau]

It’s all assembled. I didn’t really get any pictures of that but, hopefully, everyone mostly knows how to assemble a bolt neck bass. The electronics are together and work. I initially got the neck and the body together and ran a straight edge along the neck. I felt like the straight edge was hitting the bridge saddles just a little low so I added a shim at the end of the neck pocket and now I feel better about that. I’ll see when I get strings on it in the next couple of days.

 

[BAG]

I got the electronics redone. I didn’t take pictures but imagine a lot of soldering (pronounce the “l”! ) interspersed with wire stripping, shrink wrap shrinking, testing, swearing, repeating.

Yes, there is an "L" in Soldering.
I can just imaging the amount of swearing that would happen having to fish wires and components through a hollow body. It's rare that I do any electronics work without a lot of swearing, usually due to my not planning things out well enough, thinking I've finished and finding that either something doesn't work or I forgot to put something on before soldering a piece.

I'm not the most handy and whenever I get some tools to do something around the house one of my girls (daughters or wife) will usually be heard to say "prepare for the swearing".

 

[Matt Liebenau]

Yes, there is an "L" in Soldering.
I can just imaging the amount of swearing that would happen having to fish wires and components through a hollow body. It's rare that I do any electronics work without a lot of swearing, usually due to my not planning things out well enough, thinking I've finished and finding that either something doesn't work or I forgot to put something on before soldering a piece.

I'm not the most handy and whenever I get some tools to do something around the house one of my girls (daughters or wife) will usually be heard to say "prepare for the swearing".

I was mostly being a smart aleck but the Woodford instruments guy on YouTube must have been getting harassed about it because he had an electronics repair video where he said, “I soldered (no “l”) it with some solllder.” Of course, he often quotes his measurements in fractions, thousands and MM so there’s that…

 

[Matt Liebenau]

The bass ended up with some high frets. I tried tapping them back in place but no dice, which I suppose isn’t the worst thing as it should mean the frets are still well seated in the board. I leveled from 11 up to the end of the neck and knocked the dust off of the dusty ones. The frets are pretty low, as in a vintage Les Paul looking over and saying, “Dang, those are low!” but my crowning file worked so I’ll polish on Friday or Saturday and see what happens.

On the plus side, the adjustments held overnight with full string tension, well, 30” scale length tension anyway, so the headstock repair seems to be good and the truss rod still works. It was a bit nerve wracking to pull on the headstock to help the neck into being straight during the initial truss rod adjustment but all good so far!

 

[Matt Liebenau]

Ok. It’s all together and playable. The 12th fret is still a little funky under the G but only if I play hard which I tend to do. I’m working on that. The playing that is, I might still work on the frets. It sounds pretty good through the amp. The neck pickup is thick and wooly like you’d expect from a pickup right up by the neck. The bridge pickup is midrangey and probably a good tone to switch to when the guitar player in the trio takes a solo. They combine pretty well to. I should try it with a pick and more overdrive.




I’m a little proud of the headstock repair. It came out pretty well. The color match could have been better but it seems to be solid. Time will tell.



The bit of the fill in next to the switch plate could have come out better but you also don’t notice unless you get up close.



The next thing will be less bassy but more colorful.

 

[Flamingo21]

Love it!!!!!!!!! Thanks for sharing.

A detail that suddenly strikes me: is it normal for the bridge base to be the only thing in natural wood look? Everything around it is painted. Not criticism, just something that caught my attention.

 

[Matt Liebenau]

Love it!!!!!!!!! Thanks for sharing.

A detail that suddenly strikes me: is it normal for the bridge base to be the only thing in natural wood look? Everything around it is painted. Not criticism, just something that caught my attention.

I’m pretty sure that’s original. I’ve had one or two other Japanese hollowbody basses and several guitars from that era and bought just the bridges as well and, if memory serves, they all had rosewood looking bases like that.

 

[Matt Liebenau]

One thing I forgot to post. Most of the screw holes needed for the final assembly(ies) were done with the trusty Yankee Handyman push drill / screwdriver / toolkit in a holster. Why? Well…. It was on the workbench, I hadn’t really used it that much and my battery drills are in my work van and it’s chilly out. Actually, it’s kind of a neat tool. I’ve used it to remove and (after starting by hand) drive in screws. For some reason, the name always makes me think of Norm Abrams so every time I pick it up I’m hearing, “Always remember to read, understand and follow all safety instructions that come with your tools and equipment” which is extra funny when it’s basically an overgrown screwdriver.

 

[Lo-E]

One thing I forgot to post. Most of the screw holes needed for the final assembly(ies) were done with the trusty Yankee Handyman push drill / screwdriver / toolkit in a holster. Why? Well…. It was on the workbench, I hadn’t really used it that much and my battery drills are in my work van and it’s chilly out. Actually, it’s kind of a neat tool. I’ve used it to remove and (after starting by hand) drive in screws. For some reason, the name always makes me think of Norm Abrams so every time I pick it up I’m hearing, “Always remember to read, understand and follow all safety instructions that come with your tools and equipment” which is extra funny when it’s basically an overgrown screwdriver.

View attachment 4879993

I have the standard-issue Bell Telephone version of this and it’s really a very useful push drill. I also have a very old, wooden handled Yankee a size or two larger than the one you’ve shown - inherited from my father - but I’m not 100% sure where I’ve put it.

I’ve never used either for guitar, preferring the finer control of a pin vise or “egg-beater” drill but they sure are handy around the house…. Hence the name!

 

[Matt Liebenau]

I have the standard-issue Bell Telephone version of this and it’s really a very useful push drill. I also have a very old, wooden handled Yankee a size or two larger than the one you’ve shown - inherited from my father - but I’m not 100% sure where I’ve put it.

I’ve never used either for guitar, preferring the finer control of a pin vise or “egg-beater” drill but they sure are handy around the house…. Hence the name!

These guys have bits. I’m good for now but it’s nice to know. I do have a brace but it would be nice to have an egg beater as well. I never seem to remember to look for one when I’m somewhere that might have one to look for.

Garrett Wade Push Drill

 

[Bruce Johnson]

I've got a few Yankee drills here in my tool collection too. A fascinating old-school tool. I haven't found much use for them in my work these days. It's too easy to be lazy with a battery powered Makita.

I have about a dozen of the old hand-crank "eggbeater" style drills. I have one Millers Falls that I bought at a flea market when I was in Junior High, and I lovingly restored it. I used it for many years in my basement hobby shop, building model cars and airplanes. I have it here in my main toolbox and still use it occasionally for things; mostly for the enjoyment and memories.

 

[Matt Liebenau]

I've got a few Yankee drills here in my tool collection too. A fascinating old-school tool. I haven't found much use for them in my work these days. It's too easy to be lazy with a battery powered Makita.

I have about a dozen of the old hand-crank "eggbeater" style drills. I have one Millers Falls that I bought at a flea market when I was in Junior High, and I lovingly restored it. I used it for many years in my basement hobby shop, building model cars and airplanes. I have it here in my main toolbox and still use it occasionally for things; mostly for the enjoyment and memories.

And from that humble Millers Falls an empire of beautiful, old machines was born…

 

[Bruce Johnson]

And from that humble Millers Falls an empire of beautiful, old machines was born…

That's true. I found a nice old tool, abandoned in a flea market. Around 1968? I think I paid less than a dollar for it. I took it home proudly, cleaned it up, made it handsome and functioning perfectly. And it became a valuable tool in my shop. It gave me a new skill. The good feeling from that made a permanent impression in my young brain. Which led to....my current condition.

Here it is, picture taken minutes ago.

It's one of the small size Millers Falls drills, probably from the '40's. I have several others of different sizes and conditions. But this one is my pride and joy.

 

[Lo-E]

These guys have bits. I’m good for now but it’s nice to know. I do have a brace but it would be nice to have an egg beater as well. I never seem to remember to look for one when I’m somewhere that might have one to look for.

Garrett Wade Push Drill

That’s exactly the drill I have. Good to know where to get the bits. Thanks!

GW used to be here in NYC, right on 6th Avenue in Greenwich Village. I used to go in there a lot. Bought my first couple of good chisels there. I don’t remember when they shut down the brick-and-mortar operation but it was years ago.

 

[Lo-E]

It's one of the small size Millers Falls drills, probably from the '40's. I have several others of different sizes and conditions. But this one is my pride and joy.

A model 1, I think. It was in continuous production for decades.

I’m up to 5 eggbeaters. I’m halfway through restoring two Craftsman 1701 breast drills (Miller’s Falls, mid 1950s, rebranded); cleaned up and bearings replaced but I haven’t gotten around to ordering new springs for the chucks.

 

[Bruce Johnson]

A model 1, I think. It was in continuous production for decades.

I’m up to 5 eggbeaters. I’m halfway through restoring two Craftsman 1701 breast drills (Miller’s Falls, mid 1950s, rebranded); cleaned up and bearings replaced but I haven’t gotten around to ordering new springs for the chucks.

A Model 1? I didn't know that. Thanks. I've got several larger ones, including the two-speed ones and the breast drills. The breast drills are monsters, if you are out on a jobsite without power, and need to bore some 3/4" holes through standing wall studs. You can apply some serious physical horsepower with one of those.

 

[Flamingo21]

I bought my Zenten new in 1991. I've never photographed it before, so I'm taking this opportunity to put it in a well-deserved spotlight.

 

[Lo-E]

A Model 1? I didn't know that. Thanks. I've got several larger ones, including the two-speed ones and the breast drills. The breast drills are monsters, if you are out on a jobsite without power, and need to bore some 3/4" holes through standing wall studs. You can apply some serious physical horsepower with one of those.

They made several models that size so I can’t swear to it being a model 1, but they’re the most common model in that size range. Odds are pretty good it’s a 1.

 

[Matt Liebenau]

Well, not what I intended to work on next but it is still somewhat colorful.

I believe I posted this bass before, maybe not in the LC though.



It’s a TMB-30 neck and a body a friend gave me many years ago. Not sure of the body wood. I’ve thought it was oak or maybe some relative but it’s pretty light. Kinda thin too. I refinished it the current burst a few years ago. It had an EMG Select Strat size pickup and a black pickguard at first. Later, I got a wild hair and made a new pickguard and bought a couple of Victory repro goldfoils. That’s the picture above. It turns out that goldfoils are some of the few pickups that don’t work well once the string position starts to get too far from the pickup body and as you can see in the picture the G was off by a bit and never sounded right. I got a different pickup along with some other parts off of the classifieds from @mellowgerman and intended to do this for a while. Just seemed like a good time.

 

[Matt Liebenau]

First the pickguard was removed and the old electronics were pulled from it. Then a template was made. The PMRC asked that I not post pictures of the template making so as to not corrupt young minds. Let’s just say it may not have been the bestest ever method but the wiggly bits are all attached and functional.



Then I taped up, marked and rough cut the Amazon tort (yes, I’m a heathen!). I used the “new improved trick,” masking tape and hot glue. I forget who on here I stole that idea from but thanks!



I will admit I had to stick the guard on the template 3 times because I kept getting it off just a bit. Still, we were patient and persistent and soon enough…



Pin routing is fun!

The only chamfer bit I have is 45 degrees and I haven’t liked how that has come out in the past. I’ve got a dovetail bit but I couldn’t figure a way to make that work that wasn’t scary so I tried the 1/4” round over bit.



Came out pretty good. So after some hole drilling, counter sinking, wiring, wondering why I didn’t use my hinge bits to mark the pickguard screw holes on the body, here it is…



I like the dark tort better I think. Also, the old pots had 1/4” shafts and these are 6mm so I made some adapters out of thin wall brass tubing. Again, forgot the pictures but… hey!!! C’mon… would I lie about that?