Bass build.

WezV

Or if you wanna be fancy, make one out of wenge, ebony, rosewood etc... I know you don’t like plastic

TTony

No, no, no.

You're all wrong.  So wrong.

TTony

WezV said:

Or if you wanna be fancy, make one out of wenge, ebony, rosewood etc... I know you don’t like plastic

Thats not quite so wrong

Shark_Eyes

The shade of dark red is looking lovely.
Could you go for an extended junior style scrath plate. Minimise the amount of coverage?

normula1

Clear plastic with suitable shading near the controls akin to the paisley Telecasters?

WezV

normula1 said:

Clear plastic with suitable shading near the controls akin to the paisley Telecasters?

I still think that’s a solid plan, and the easiest solution

paulnb57

Its crying out for a Standard scratchplate IMHO....

TTony

Time travels slowly in Norfolk ...

Quick update, and a huge thanks to @m_c ; who managed to interpret my slightly odd  measurements and even odder drawings into sense, and manufactured the aluminium scratchplate.

The wiring is all done (though whether it's done correctly or not is yet to be proven!) , all hidden beneath the 'plate. 

So, jobs;

• Rout out a bit more of the body so that the extra pot (VVT config) can go where I want it
• Drill the holes in the 'plate and poke the pots through 
• Re-do the wiring that I'll inevitably have got wrong in some imaginative way
• Put the neck on

Undecided whether to leave the top right corner of the 'plate as-is, or whether to try smoothing the corner a bit.  Also will add a slight chamfer to the top edge of the 'plate as it's a little sharp.

Funkfingers

That combination of stained ash and unfilled grain reminds me of the 2012 Fender Short Run hand-rubbed guitars and basses. 

TTony said:

Time travels slowly in Norfolk

Evolution, schmevolution. It's only a theory.

WezV

J-Bass ???

m_c

Slightly odd measurements? You mean that 5cm scale you kindly put on your sketch, which wasn't actually 5cm? :-)

Glad it fits as planned. I very nearly put a chamfer on the top edge, however I've not got any chamfer bits set up in the software I was using, so never bothered.
If you've got a suitable router and bit, wood bits will work on aluminium, although you may need to screw it to a bit wood, use the alu as a guide to cut the wood to shape, and then use the wood as a guide for putting the chamfer on. Other options are a deburring tool (takes a bit practise to get consistent), or sander.

Andyjr1515

That's looking more than a bit tasty, @TTony . 

Love that scratchplate @m_c !  I've added you to my list of 'people it could be useful to know'

TTony

m_c said:

If you've got a suitable router and bit, wood bits will work on aluminium.

I  do, but it didn't work so well, as bits of cut aluminium got trapped under the router base, which then scratched the top of the aluminium.


I ended up using a file to put the chamfer on the edge and then  worked through the grades of sandpaper to smooth out the filing marks.  Happy with the result, but ...

I then needed to remove the scratches in the top.  So, again worked through the grades of sandpaper, and then thought that I'd 0000 wire-wool the top before polishing it.  Turns out that was another mistake as aluminium doesn't seem to respond well to wire wool.  It ended up "blotchy".

Back through the sandpaper grades from 180 to 1200.  Then polished it with the wire wool kept at a safe distance.

Next time perhaps I should just buy a standard plastic scratchplate ...

TTony

And - having taken a few months longer than it might have - it's done, and working.

Set-up (nut & intonation) still to do.

Bridgehouse

Looking good!

You can play your own bloody bass at Fretboard Jams now

Rocker

Looking good @TTony, enjoy and well done. 

TTony

The red-over-black came out as I'd hoped.  The alu scratchplate was worth the work (and help of @m_c ; - thanks again), and of course it's @GSPBasses quality underneath it all.

Feels good to play as-is, but the action will be improved once I've done the nut, and it'll sound a lot better when I've done the intonation too.

Overall, happy.

Teyeplayer

Looks wicked and despite my reservations that scratchplate has definitely worked -well done @TTony ;

m_c

Oh, I should maybe mentioned you should of stuck something on top of the alu to protect it, as it does scratch very easily (the couple scratches I put on the first small plate, were by the blunt end of an alu air blow gun).
As alu is soft, it can choke media very quickly, and also get contamination engrained, so the wire wool very likely choked causing the plate to gall, which led to the blotchiness. Putting a bit lubricant (WD40 would do) on the plate/wire wool would of stopped it galling, and allowed the surface to be burnished by the wire wool.

The finished article does look very nice though.

AustrianJohn

Nice guitar - I love the paint job.