The "I can't believe it's not a Stingray build" thread

Legionreturns

Guess what? Graham sent me tracking info for the body and neck today... arriving tomorrow! 

It's on like donkey kong! 

@Bridgehouse I'll need your pager number so I can ping you every 8 minutes with "how do I do x ?" messages.

Legionreturns

It's here! 

First thing to say is that the build is outstanding! 

Here's a quick overview. I absolutely love that fretboard. The figuring is gorgeous! 

Thanks @GSPBASSES ...top work! 






Best get that covered before I get stain on it!

Wish me luck! 

Legionreturns

Two coats of stain done to darken it a bit, now for 2 or 3 coats of tru oil, then a wet dry sanded slurry with linseed oil before the top coat of tru oil and the waterslide on the headstock 

First coat going on 



Coat 2 dry...

Bridgehouse

Looking good! Looking very good!

Legionreturns

Today I finally got to have my first go at using Tru oil. After getting lots of advice from Messrs @Bridgehouse and YouTube, I felt comfortable enough giving it a go without adult supervision! I used the in law's sterile, dust free and completely waterproof barn (honest!) and there it'll stay, hanging overnight tonight and I'll do another coat after school tomorrow. 

The most spectacular thing, after only one coat, is a before and after shot of the body: 


This stuff is amazing! Really brings the grain to life! 

However, I know what you lot are like. So here's a few more shots.

guitarcookie1

Looking good  

DrBob

So this Bass will actually have been born in a barn then ? 

Legionreturns

DrBob said:

So this Bass will actually have been born in a barn then ? 

Something like that. Gotta finish it before the cows come in or it'll stink forever! 

Legionreturns

Next two coats on and it's starting to look really nice. Spent a fair bit more time doing the neck this time, and included a bit more of the wood stain to even out the colour in a patchy spot. Really happy with it now. Probably only one or two more coats before I try the wet sanding with linseed oil to smooth it out. 





Now I have a couple of quite technical questions, as I'm a bit dim on electronics. Hopefully some smart guys will be able to help! 

I've asked @TheGuitarWeasel to see if he can make a quad coil pickup similar to the one discussed earlier:

https://nordstrandaudio.com/collections/5-string-music-man-bass-pickups/products/mm5-4-quad-coil

...and he's pretty sure he can, hopefully in the not *too* distant future, but I know he has a lot on his plate at the moment. 

My question is regarding wiring this kind of pickup, with the rather unusual knob / switch layout of my guitar necessitated by the design. The stingray it's modelled on has 3 EQ and a selector switch (3 way?) which means using the tear drop shaped scratch plate, rather than the round one. So I'll have a switch, 3 eq knobs and a volume. 

My assumption then is that they'll be wired: 

Pots: Volume / High / Mid / Low moving back towards the bottom of the guitar 

This would leave me a switch, which I'm assuming would handle the coil split options: 

No split
Split 2 and 4
Split 1, 3 and 5 

Firstly, does that sound right? 

Second, does Ash need to know that when coming up with his genius design? 

Thirdly, do I need some brainiac like @ICBM to come up with a wiring diagram? 

Fourthly, is there someone out there that can preload a scratchplate in that way so that a knob head like me can just connect it to the pickup and jack plate? 

Finally, if not, where would I go for pots and switches etc? 

Bridgehouse

Q1 - You seem to be assuming active not passive (low mid high etc) is this true?

Legionreturns

Bridgehouse said:

Q1 - You seem to be assuming active not passive (low mid high etc) is this true?

I... err... 

The body has a full control cavity, not a half moon. Thus I have to have a tear drop plate, which comes with 4 holes and a slot for the switch. 

Given that the body already has a jack hole drilled, that will mean 4 knobs. 

These are all the rambling assumptions of a blonde idiot  

Legionreturns

@Bridgehouse has once again saved me by talking me through what I needed to know! 

Thanks again my Jedi master. 

This bass. Build it I will. Working it will be. 

Andyjr1515

I'm not sure what happened there - I blinked and a month and a half had gone past!  Looking good

Legionreturns

Ok... scratchplate dilemma. 

There are two types of Stingray scratchplate: 

Oval:

And Teardrop:

The dilemma is that neither will work for me: 

Because I'm fitting a preamp, and will want access to the battery without taking the whole scratchplate off. 

The regular control plate won't cover the cavity (see pic 1) and the teardrop plate will be an all in one. 

So I'm looking at having something(s) made. The idea has been mooted that I ask someone clever and brilliant like @Andyjr1515 to make a funky control plate cover out of a thin veneer, and use a standard oval plate. 

Very roughly...

Or, get someone to make a teardrop plate but in two bits, butted up against each other. Or just get one and cut it myself. 

The other issue is access to the truss rod, which will be under the plate no matter what. 

Thoughts? Ideas? Tags of other useful people who might be able to help? 

I've also emailed Jack's Instrument services in Manchester, and asked him to take a look. 

PVO_Dave

Personally I’d just go with the teardrop one, you shouldn’t need to change the battery often or the truss rod (hopefully). 

Other option would be a battery compartment in the back of the Bass (like my 4 string Stingray) and a notch cut out for the truss rod adjustment. 

Andyjr1515

Legionreturns said:

Ok... scratchplate dilemma. 

There are two types of Stingray scratchplate: 

Oval:

And Teardrop:

The dilemma is that neither will work for me: 

Because I'm fitting a preamp, and will want access to the battery without taking the whole scratchplate off. 

The regular control plate won't cover the cavity (see pic 1) and the teardrop plate will be an all in one. 

So I'm looking at having something(s) made. The idea has been mooted that I ask someone clever and brilliant like @Andyjr1515 to make a funky control plate cover out of a thin veneer, and use a standard oval plate. 

Very roughly...

Or, get someone to make a teardrop plate but in two bits, butted up against each other. Or just get one and cut it myself. 

The other issue is access to the truss rod, which will be under the plate no matter what. 

Thoughts? Ideas? Tags of other useful people who might be able to help? 

I've also emailed Jack's Instrument services in Manchester, and asked him to take a look. 

Ah - OK.  Been pondering but still couldn't quite work out what was trying to be achieved.  This clarifies it!

My personal view, but I have always thought the stingray teardrop a very elegant and nice looking shape for such a large plate.  However, putting two plates on, whatever they are made of, is not - in my view - going to look good.

I'm also not at all sure what difference it would make, other than taking out 10 screws when accessing the battery instead of 5?

If you want to avoid taking the plate off at all (teardrop or modified second one), why not install a standard 'easy access' battery box from the back?

I'm probably missing something, in which case ignore the question! 

Bridgehouse

I concur - the battery will need replacing once a year at most tbh...

Winny_Pooh

Or make a large output jack plate on which the battery mounts.

Legionreturns

Winny_Pooh said:

Or make a large output jack plate on which the battery mounts.

It's got a pre drilled jack point on the side 

Winny_Pooh

Legionreturns said:

Winny_Pooh said:

Or make a large output jack plate on which the battery mounts.

It's got a pre drilled jack point on the side 

How is this an obstacle?