1,481 posts
Disclosures: Everything I don't like I can modify.
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Post by blablas on Jan 23, 2016 19:59:31 GMT
The frets are level but a bit rough, I'll probably give them a crowning and polish at a later date.
The stuff I use is sold as copper shielding tape with a conductive glue backing, big advantage is I don't have to worry if it makes a electrical contact, another advantage with coper tape is you can easily solder something to it. With all other means of shielding like tin foil, aluminum foil or aluminum duct tape the problem is always how to make a proper electrical contact between all the different pieces op metal. The tape I use might be more expensive but it's a lot more reliable and saves me a lot of time and headaches.
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Post by GKon on Jan 23, 2016 20:02:11 GMT
The frets are level but a bit rough, I'll probably give them a crowning and polish at a later date. The stuff I use is sold as copper shielding tape with a conductive glue backing, big advantage is I don't have to worry if it makes a electrical contact, another advantage with coper tape is you can easily solder something to it. With all other means of shielding like tin foil, aluminum foil or aluminum duct tape the problem is always how to make a proper electrical contact between all the different pieces op metal. The tape I use might be more expensive but it's a lot more reliable and saves me a lot of time and headaches. I have yet to shield any of my basses but, when I do, I will likely use your method for the reasons you posted.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 23, 2016 20:07:26 GMT
Ok, Im glad I bought a copper shielding tape for me strat and the JB bass. Didnt know about that, nice to know blablas! You are a treasure to this community mate
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Post by GKon on Jan 23, 2016 20:14:35 GMT
Ok, Im glad I bought a copper shielding tape for me strat and the JB bass. Didnt know about that, nice to know blablas! You are a treasure to this community mate I second that.
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1,481 posts
Disclosures: Everything I don't like I can modify.
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Post by blablas on Jan 24, 2016 14:29:57 GMT
Thanks guys! I just want to prevent you all the pitfalls I went through and I like to share my knowledge. The official portrait then! There are still some small things that need to be addressed but these won't make any radical changes to the looks.
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Post by GKon on Jan 24, 2016 18:01:11 GMT
looks great, as always!
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1,481 posts
Disclosures: Everything I don't like I can modify.
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Post by blablas on Jan 25, 2016 19:22:29 GMT
Aligned the pickups to the strings. Just neatly chiselled out the cavity a little bit, filled the old screw holes with some toothpicks and CA glue, cut off the toothpicks and leveled them with the use of a chisel, drilled new screw holes in the right position and mounted the pickups again. The bridge pickup has been moved about three millimeters, the neck pickup something of a millimeter. At first I thought the neck pickup was mounted okay but in the end I decided is was off by too much so I decided to move this one as well, the cavity for his one was roomy enough to move it over without any chiselling.
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1,481 posts
Disclosures: Everything I don't like I can modify.
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Post by blablas on Jan 26, 2016 18:37:13 GMT
Moved over the pickguard against the pickup rings, the old screw holes are still covered by it. I did fill the old holes the same way I did the holes for the pickup rings.
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1,481 posts
Disclosures: Everything I don't like I can modify.
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Post by blablas on Jan 27, 2016 17:24:37 GMT
Made a thumbrest.
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1,481 posts
Disclosures: Everything I don't like I can modify.
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Post by blablas on Jan 30, 2016 16:21:24 GMT
Reshaped the nut (center alignment could have been better but for now it doesn't bother me the way it is). Finished off the fingerboard, crowned and polished the frets, and oiled the fingerboard. Made some changes under the hood as well, re-soldered the wiring so the knobs work the right direction - Not the stupid reversed lefty way! Also did the final setup session, can't get any better than it is now. Only thing that still needs to be done is making a new trussrod cover with 'Yes, it's a fake' engraved on it. Will make this at later time.
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1,481 posts
Disclosures: Everything I don't like I can modify.
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Post by blablas on Feb 1, 2016 18:08:46 GMT
And in full modified and tweaked glory (only thing still to do is the trussrod cover). Most of what I did was fixing 'just off' things. - Center aligned the pickups to the strings, the bridge pu was moved over by 3 millimeters, the neck pu by 1 millimeter. - Due to the moving of the pickups I also had to move the pickguard. - Reshaped the nut, they just put on a right handed one so this needed to be seriously modified, I'll probably make a new one in he future. - Gave the tuner bushings a few knocks on their head, they were mounted crooked, tuners are also not up to my standard so will be replaced later on. - The fingerboard had several less good looking and finished spots, re-finished these. - Crowned the frets where needed and polished them, they were level but rough finished in a lot spots. - Changed the rotation direction of the pots, they were wired lefty so nothing wrong there, I just can't and won't cope with this reversed crap! - Done a full shielding of the controls cavity, there was none whatsoever. - Made a thumb rest. - Replaced the strap holders, what was on there was mounted with very thin and short screws, to leave those would have been waiting for an accident to happen. - Checked if all the screws and bolts were tightened and if they weren't tightened them (more often than not they were loose!). - Did a full and thorough setup. Conclusion: After all the things I did I mentioned above this bass has transformed into a very nice, good working and playing Rick 4005 interpretation. Sound wise it has some settings that can resemble the Rick sound very closely, luckily it also has it's own sound, the pickups sound good enough for me, only minus is that the bridge pickup is slightly microphonic but I can live with that. The lacquer and finish is not bad - there are some blemishes and rough spots, most blemishes are underneath the lacquer! This is another AliExpress bass I would advise not to buy to most people. If you are in to tinkering it's perfect, if you are not you should stay away from these basses. It can be turned into a good player (and looker) without too much effort. The build quality on this one was a lot better in comparison to the two Jazz V basses I bought through AliExpress before. These two needed some serious work to make them playable, straight from the box they were unusable.
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Post by JAC on Feb 8, 2016 12:23:23 GMT
You make it all look so easy!!
Congratulations on another great addition to your list.
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1,481 posts
Disclosures: Everything I don't like I can modify.
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Post by blablas on Feb 8, 2016 17:02:34 GMT
Actually, it is easy. Made some trussrod covers today. Gold, silver, white and black. The laser engraving machine was making them in such a rapid way I decided to make a few more to have some choice. I'll probably stick with the white one, this will fit best with the overall impression for this bass.
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Post by JAC on Feb 8, 2016 17:14:13 GMT
NICE!
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1,481 posts
Disclosures: Everything I don't like I can modify.
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Post by blablas on Feb 8, 2016 17:32:45 GMT
It's in place.
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