D&R's build thread

[definenredefine]

Not sure on the cabinet color(s). I think I’m too used to seeing black cabinets. Dark blue could be pretty cool though.

On the Cort body, sand until it’s all flat and level. The factory did a better job of filling and priming then most of us can do at home so might as well take advantage.

So just rough enough for the primer to bond, then? How do I know when I'm there?

Color choice is a fairly personal thing, so consult the person in the mirror. Black is fairly standard and boring for cabs. If you decide you don't like the first color you pick, paint over it until you find one you like. Hot pink, fluorescent orange, fire-truck green, bright yellow spring to mind as "making a statement that the cabs are not standard and boring" but if dark blue floats your boat for that job, that's what you should use. Do be slightly wary of the way that a small color swatch is different than a full-scale colored object.

Then there's stripes, spots, geometric patterns, patterns borrowed from animals, etc. as opposed to just solid color. Or white with 5 black lines, an F clef, and some notes.

I like the idea of going kinda out there with the color and I'm very intrigued by the idea of some sort of pattern. However, I'm planning to sell the amp when I'm done, so I probably should be a bit more...subdued.

 

[definenredefine]

Today I replaced the neck on the Ibby RS800 with the neck from an RB630 I bought attached to a GSR (or Gio...I'm honestly not sure) body.


I had to sand the sides of the RB neck to get it to fit, but I think I did an okay job -


Unfortunately the action was way high -


Better -


...except now the saddle screws are a bit high and I'm most assuredly going to nail my fingers on them -


The RB neck seems pretty straight, so I think the next thing I learn to do is shim a neck...stay tuned...

 

[definenredefine]

So, Cort body has been sanded to 320, and 2 coats of primer on, and sanded to 320 again -


I'm using brush on primer so there's inconsistency in the coat. Hopefully that'll work itself with more coats, but if not, spray primer, I guess?

Also, sanded/primed the headstock on the neck I'm using (not the Cort neck, sadly) in the same fashion -


Out of town this weekend, but maybe I can find time to sand/prime around my work schedule next week...

 

[definenredefine]

I did find time to sand/prime a bit this past week; the final coat of primer has been sanded -


And the first coat of color went on -


I had to patch up the primer on the head stock, so it'll get sanded to 320 and hopefully get it's first coat of color this evening.

Also, I put a 0.25º shim under the heel of the RB630 neck, and I think it fixed the string height problem -


Hard to get a good shot of that, though...

 

[definenredefine]

Sanded the body and headstock to 320. First coat of color on the headstock -

(Oh...that's a bad pic...)

 

[definenredefine]

Started the process of building around this body, first by removing the pickup and the old bridge -


This was the body that came with the RB 630 neck. It also had an older Seymour Duncan Basslines pickup and a black Hipshot A style bridge. I bought the whole thing for the neck...the rest was a bonus.

The plan is...ambitious, considering what I've done so far. I bought a pair of generic Trisonic style pickups. I'm gonna arrange them in, approximately, Ric positions, and wire them to a 3 way switch that feeds the existing volume and tone knobs. Then I'll cut a pickguard to cover the mess I'm sure to make routing for the pickups. I have a Jackson neck on the way...that's gonna get the headstock blacked out. And...that should be it.

Oh boy...

 

[definenredefine]

I started on pick guards today, first for the Cort refin, which is not yet cut out -


...and the GSR -


...which is cut out. It didn't come out quite as well I would like, mostly because of edge on the bass side of the neck pocket -


I might try to make it again. I'll probably decide after I see what it looks like with the neck on.

I also put another coat of color on the Cort body and headstock.

 

[definenredefine]

Got a good amount done over the last couple of days. I cut out the pickguard and control plate for the Cort JB. I think I got a good fit -


The Jackson neck arrived, and it looks it's gonna fit the GSR just fine -


....didn't quite cut the neck pocket of the PG straight, apparently -


....so I cut it out again, and I think I got a better fit this time -


Also also I put the first coat of color on the V4 cabinet -

 

[definenredefine]

This is the length from the 12th fret of the Jackson neck to the bridge on the GSR, roughly at the saddles -


It's 17 inches from the nut to the 12th fret.
...

I gotta move the bridge forward an inch, don't I?

 

[Matt Liebenau]

This is the length from the 12th fret of the Jackson neck to the bridge on the GSR, roughly at the saddles -
View attachment 6974254

It's 17 inches from the nut to the 12th fret.
...

I gotta move the bridge forward an inch, don't I?

Yessir. I like to have the saddles most of the way forward in their travel and have that at the scale length line. You’re somewhere between never and almost never going to need to move the saddles ahead of the scale length to intonate correctly.

 

[definenredefine]

Yessir. I like to have the saddles most of the way forward in their travel and have that at the scale length line. You’re somewhere between never and almost never going to need to move the saddles ahead of the scale length to intonate correctly.

Poop. I was afraid of that. I took the bridge off after I posted that picture and if I move the bridge up, it's forward of the ground wire channel. Might have to find a new bridge...

 

[Matt Liebenau]

Poop. I was afraid of that. I took the bridge off after I posted that picture and if I move the bridge up, it's forward of the ground wire channel. Might have to find a new bridge...

I’ll let you decide the whole high mass thing but Badass style bridges are typically pretty long. I should have one I can measure if it helps.

 

[definenredefine]

I’ll let you decide the whole high mass thing but Badass style bridges are typically pretty long. I should have one I can measure if it helps.

That's what I was thinking. I think I need a bridge that's at least 2.5" front to back, and I'm sure the Badass style would be at least that long (I have Fender's answer to the BA on the P bass and yeah.) Another, cheaper, alternative would be this SR style bridge that's roughly 3.25" front to back -

https://reverb.com/item/77151888-kd-by-axlabs-stingray-style-4-string-bass-bridge-chrome

I'm kinda doing this on the cheap because the bass will be donated when I'm done, so...

 

[Matt Liebenau]

That's what I was thinking. I think I need a bridge that's at least 2.5" front to back, and I'm sure the Badass style would be at least that long (I have Fender's answer to the BA on the P bass and yeah.) Another, cheaper, alternative would be this SR style bridge that's roughly 3.25" front to back -

https://reverb.com/item/77151888-kd-by-axlabs-stingray-style-4-string-bass-bridge-chrome

I'm kinda doing this on the cheap because the bass will be donated when I'm done, so...

I kept forgetting to take these pictures. Two different Badass II bridges, not sure of the age. They’re about 2 1/2” long and the saddles would probably go all the way to the front of the plate.

 

[definenredefine]

I kept forgetting to take these pictures. Two different Badass II bridges, not sure of the age. They’re about 2 1/2” long and the saddles would probably go all the way to the front of the plate.

View attachment 6976778View attachment 6976779

That's more or less what I figured.

 

[definenredefine]

I kept forgetting to take these pictures. Two different Badass II bridges, not sure of the age. They’re about 2 1/2” long and the saddles would probably go all the way to the front of the plate.

View attachment 6976778View attachment 6976779

Oh and ALSO thank you for posting this! Can't believe I forgot to say that earlier

 

[Matt Liebenau]

Oh and ALSO thank you for posting this! Can't believe I forgot to say that earlier

Happy to help if I can.

 

[definenredefine]

So uh...what kind of screws do I need to mount your typical clover leave tuners? I bought a set of Mighty Mite licensed tuners but they didn't come with screws...

Would these work? Uxcell #2 x 3/8" Phillips Pan Head Self-tapping Screw, 100pcs - 304 Stainless Steel Round Head Wood Screw Full Thread (Black)

 

[definenredefine]

Got a bit done over the past week or 2. First, for the GSR, I bought a cheapo SR style bridge and tried figuring out the positioning -


Once that was done, I figured the easiest way to adjust the pickguard was to cut out a space for the bridge. Seemed to come out okay -

Unfortunately, it still doesn't quite cover the bridge ground channel because, if I were to position it thusly, the saddles are still too far back. Maybe I can get longer screws...? But then I would probably have to remake the pickguard (which may not be a bad idea...)

Anyway, I pressed on using that bridge position. I drilled (yes drilled) out the pickup cavities. Observe -


I...uh...didn't do a very good job. But it doesn't look too bad with the pickguard on. Also, I drilled a hole for the 3 way switch -


I figure it'll look better once the cavities are painted with shielding paint. Also, hopefully everything lines up properly...

I also put another couple of coats of clear on the Cort. Tomorrow I'm hoping to throw on another clear coat, as well another coat of paint on the V4 cabinet.

 

[definenredefine]

Is transparent black stain a thing? Is that a silly question?