D&R's build thread

[definenredefine]

Herein, a thread of builds (bass, yes, but also guitar and cabs) that I hope to undertake starting this year. It's mostly for my own benefit, so I have everything in one place and can see how I progress. It's also, of course, for your comments because man y'all have some good advice.

First completed build - turning my garage into a functional workspace. I have to dedicate a fair amount of it to storage, but overall I'm pretty happy with the result.

Certainly relieved some anxiety, considering how messy it was before. Hopefully, now I can start some projects without feeling quite as overwhelmed.

(Incidentally, I'm not sure if this is an appropriate thread for this, so please move it if not. Please, thank you, and apologies if necessary.)

 

[Matt Liebenau]

Sounds good. I have plenty of semi-random and non-bass stuff in my thread. Not too much getting hassled…. yet.

 

[definenredefine]

Sounds good. I have plenty of semi-random and non-bass stuff in my thread. Not too much getting hassled…. yet.

Welp, that's reassuring.

 

[definenredefine]

Sounds good. I have plenty of semi-random and non-bass stuff in my thread. Not too much getting hassled…. yet.

I found your thread and now I'm pretty intimidated. Never the less, I will press on...

 

[definenredefine]

...with this - a link to the thread of my first refin - So I was gonna refinish my jazz bass...

 

[Matt Liebenau]

I found your thread and now I'm pretty intimidated. Never the less, I will press on...

No need to feel intimidated. We’re all learning and I usually feel like I’m doing a high school wood shop project compared to some of the folks on here. Just take pics, or video, keep posting and ask questions, everyone here loves to help.

 

[definenredefine]

No need to feel intimidated. We’re all learning and I usually feel like I’m doing a high school wood shop project compared to some of the folks on here. Just take pics, or video, keep posting and ask questions, everyone here loves to help.

So I've noticed! Easily one of the best (if not the best) part of the TB community!

 

[definenredefine]

I guess I can include this -

I recently bought a Cort GB64JJ body along with 3 necks for about $100. The truss rod on the stock neck is broken, which is a shame because that's why I bought the package. I hope it could be salvaged, but that's yet to be determined.

In any case, I plan to refinish the body and rebuild the bass using one of the other necks. One of the necks had a bolt broken off in the heel. This is what it looked like after I started drilling around it -

I tried to file a slot into it, but it wasn't deep enough to allow me to unscrew it. So I continued drilling around it with a plug cutter until I was able to get a pair of pliers around it. Then I gripped the bolt and unscrewed it.

Next I drilled out the hole -

...then I glued in a dowel rod.

I let the glue set overnight, then sawed off the bit of the rod that was above the surface.

This is after sanding everything flush.

Hopefully it can safely hold a neck bolt now...

 

[definenredefine]

Built out my band room -

New(ish) Band Room Day

 

[definenredefine]

Looks like I started something today - a refinish of a Cort JJ..G...sumpin, I don't know, some kinda active J-bass type thing. Anyway -

I started by taking off the neck. Easy first step, I think.

Then I removed the pickups, pickguard, bridge, etc. Didn't take a pic of the stripped body for some reason. But then I moved on to tracing the pickguard and control plate onto the thin MDF I happened into recently.

Here's what they look like cut out -

A decent fit, I think. Not perfect, mind, but pretty close -

I'll also note that I really wish this bass was passive. I'm honestly not sure that I'll be able to piece everything back together. Oh well. The pickups and pre will go up on Reverb and maybe someone else can make use of them.

Plan is to refinish the body, then redo the electronics with passive pickups. And maybe I'll figure out series/parallel wiring as well...maybe black hardware? The sky's the limit!

 

[neil|lien]

Looks like I started something today - a refinish of a Cort JJ..G...sumpin, I don't know, some kinda active J-bass type thing. Anyway -

I started by taking off the neck. Easy first step, I think.
View attachment 5091146
Then I removed the pickups, pickguard, bridge, etc. Didn't take a pic of the stripped body for some reason. But then I moved on to tracing the pickguard and control plate onto the thin MDF I happened into recently.
View attachment 5091147
View attachment 5091148
Here's what they look like cut out -
View attachment 5091149
A decent fit, I think. Not perfect, mind, but pretty close -
View attachment 5091150
I'll also note that I really wish this bass was passive. I'm honestly not sure that I'll be able to piece everything back together. Oh well. The pickups and pre will go up on Reverb and maybe someone else can make use of them.
View attachment 5091151
Plan is to refinish the body, then redo the electronics with passive pickups. And maybe I'll figure out series/parallel wiring as well...maybe black hardware? The sky's the limit!

Hey there @definenredefine !!
Are U still working on this bass? I might be able to get one second hand but was wondering what the routing was like underneath the pickguard as i plan to use it without one.. Would U please let me know?

 

[definenredefine]

Hey there @definenredefine !!
Are U still working on this bass? I might be able to get one second hand but was wondering what the routing was like underneath the pickguard as i plan to use it without one.. Would U please let me know?

Yup, still working on it, albeit very slowly. I'm not at home so I can't say for sure, but what I remember is there are individual pickup routes with...um...tunnels for the wiring, rather than channels. Meaning the wiring won't be visible without the pickguard. Only trouble is the rout for the neck pickup looks like a soapbar, rather than fitting snug against the pickup.

I'll post a pic in a day or 2.

 

[neil|lien]

Yup, still working on it, albeit very slowly. I'm not at home so I can't say for sure, but what I remember is there are individual pickup routes with...um...tunnels for the wiring, rather than channels. Meaning the wiring won't be visible without the pickguard. Only trouble is the rout for the neck pickup looks like a soapbar, rather than fitting snug against the pickup.

I'll post a pic in a day or 2.

Thank U so much for Ur reply!
I did pull the trigger on that bass as the price seemed right!

 

[definenredefine]

Thank U so much for Ur reply!
I did pull the trigger on that bass as the price seemed right!

Congratulations! They're really pretty and play nicely. I love the neck! That's actually why I bought mine - I wanted to use the neck for a project. Unfortunately, the truss rod nut is broken so I can't use it...

Anyway, here's what the body looks like without the pick guard -

 

[neil|lien]

Oh yeah i can see.. i will remove the pickguard just to see if it's not too obvious when mine gets here! Otherwise i will just play it as is!
Thanks a lot for getting back to me!
Will announce my NBD in the Cort club hehe

 

[definenredefine]

Oh yeah i can see.. i will remove the pickguard just to see if it's not too obvious when mine gets here! Otherwise i will just play it as is!
Thanks a lot for getting back to me!
Will announce my NBD in the Cort club hehe

Sure thing! Hope you enjoy it!

 

[neil|lien]

Thank U! :0)))

 

[neil|lien]

Mmmmh.. okay so i went to pick up the bass at 10 & was driving back to return it with another shipping label by 12.
The noiseless pick-ups are not THAT noiseless, but i could've lived with that. But then everytime i would accidentally touch one of the magnets there would be a lot of noise. Playing anything with Ur thumb muting the E string & touching the PU slightly was noise AF. So yeah sent it back. Also it's really heavy.
Too bad.. the neck was great & preamp was quite impressive..
I assumed the PUs were not grounded, but seeing from Ur pics how complex the wiring was, i wasn't comfortable with the idea of opening it up & screwing up further..
This bass hunting summer 2023 is just a real nightmare...
Sire M2, arrived with massive crack in the body, had to return it. Cort C5, mistreated by courrier, same thing. Talked to a guy about another Sire M2 he had up for sale, he told me yeaaaah don't worry i'll hold it for U. Then sold at a cheaper price to somebody else before i could drive there. Now this...
Maybe life is trying to tell me smthg?

 

[neil|lien]

Mmmmh.. okay so i went to pick up the bass at 10 & was driving back to return it with another shipping label by 12.
The noiseless pick-ups are not THAT noiseless, but i could've lived with that. But then everytime i would accidentally touch one of the magnets there would be a lot of noise. Playing anything with Ur thumb muting the E string & touching the PU slightly was noise AF. So yeah sent it back. Also it's really heavy.
Too bad.. the neck was great & preamp was quite impressive..
I assumed the PUs were not grounded, but seeing from Ur pics how complex the wiring was, i wasn't comfortable with the idea of opening it up & screwing up further..
This bass hunting summer 2023 is just a real nightmare...
Sire M2, arrived with massive crack in the body, had to return it. Cort C5, mistreated by courrier, same thing. Talked to a guy about another Sire M2 he had up for sale, he told me yeaaaah don't worry i'll hold it for U. Then sold at a cheaper price to somebody else before i could drive there. Now this...
Maybe life is trying to tell me smthg?

Oh and forgot the guy who promised me a Cort B5 Element for 275€ & kept me waiting a full month, with my money in his pocket, for nothing.. got a refund for that, thankfully, but it was a PITA to go through the whole thing...

 

[definenredefine]

I'm sorry that none of those basses worked out and that you had to go through all that!