Another guitar kit build

[Drew Stephenson]

I won't bore you all with the full build diary on here, but I thought I'd just share some of the key stages along the way.
So here's the initial take-it-all-out-and-check-it's-all-there-and-fits bit.

The pictures on the website show a very slab sided body, so part of my plan was to cut away at the shoulder and to make a belly cut.
However, on opening the box it seems the kit has been upgraded slightly.
Shoulder cut (I think I'll go a bit heavier on this though):


Belly cut (I shall probably roll over the edges):


Fitting it for a mock build shows lots of play in the pocket so some shimming* will be required here:


Lining things up looks pretty good, neck pocket shimming notwithstanding.


Typically, instead of thinking 'yay, less cutting and shaping' I have instead had an idea about how I could make it more complicated.

* It also occurs to me that I have no idea how long the scale should be and therefore whether any additional shimming or cutting will be required at the end of the neck pocket.

[Sam Spoons]

I suspect you already know this but for the benefit of anybody who finds this later, the scale length (nominal) will be twice the distance from the nut to 12th fret. The bridge saddles will be slightly further away to correct the intonation.

Looking very nice Drew will follow with interest.

[Drew Stephenson]

I suspect you already know this but for the benefit of anybody who finds this later, the scale length (nominal) will be twice the distance from the nut to 12th fret. The bridge saddles will be slightly further away to correct the intonation.

Looking very nice Drew will follow with interest.

Yep, I will measure and make sure I'm making sensible allowances for intonation etc, it just occured to me that, unlike with guitars, I have no idea of what a standard scale length is.
Google tells me 34" though,

[Music Wolf]

34" is pretty typical.

[Sam Spoons]

Apparently Leo F stood up, stretched his left hand out and measured the furthest he could comfortably reach and arrived at 34" for the original electric bass scale length.

[Drew Stephenson]

As good a way as any i suppose.
Though I probably would have started by looking at an upright and taking a couple of measurements there...

[Sam Spoons]

Yeah, but you'd struggle to get in under your chin then

That explanation may be apocryphal TBH. Bear in mind Leo was not a player but had, presumably, worked out that you couldn't hold an upright sideways and still reach the top of the neck. I guess he knew he needed the longest scale that could be played like a guitar.

[Wonks]

Kit web page says 34". https://www.pitbullguitars.com/shop/gui ... uitar-kit/

[Drew Stephenson]

So it does.
The fun is going to be figuring out a wiring diagram, but that's one for the other site.

[Wonks]

This should do.

https://www.pitbullguitars.com/wp-conte ... 202017.pdf

[Drew Stephenson]

And twist the two non-sheath wires together?

Thanks Wonks.

[Wonks]

Yes, the two coil linking wires per pickup (as they are humbuckers in the kit, rather than the single coils shown in the diagram. Though soldering and then some heat-shrink over the join would be a lot safer.

Or you could wire them in parallel rather than series, but you can always do that later. Or get a couple of DPDT on-on-on mini switches and have each pickup selectable for series, parallel and coil split operation.

[Folderol]

And twist the two non-sheath wires together?

Thanks Wonks.

Keep the unsheathed portion as short as possible and you won't need to.
I typically untwist a length of the sheathing and turn it into a pigtail, then fold it back and slip a short length of heatshrink over it, covering the point where it leaves the outer casing. Cut the core to about 10mm from this point and strip about 5mm off that for making the joint. The folded back sleeve tail can then be soldered to the top of the pot (although my preference is to take it direct to the adjacent tag on the pot).

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Best I can do for ascii art!

[Folderol]

Yes, the two coil linking wires per pickup (as they are humbuckers in the kit, rather than the single coils shown in the diagram. Though soldering and then some heat-shrink over the join would be a lot safer.

Or you could wire them in parallel rather than series, but you can always do that later. Or get a couple of DPDT on-on-on mini switches and have each pickup selectable for series, parallel and coil split operation.

Ah. Now you've confused me (easy to do I know). Exactly what wiring is coming from the pickups?

[BillB]

That looks really nice, Drew. A few questions come to mind:

• - The website says £136 - what is the total with postage and import duty?
  - I wonder what sort of value it will have when complete (compared to purchasing an equivalent quality bass)? Perhaps not easy to answer, but interesting.
  - Is it a good idea to shield the cavities, or unnecessary?
  - What sort of finish will you go for?
  - Won’t it keep falling off the wall when you put it into its guitar hanger?

[Wonks]

It's currently (((price + shipping )x1.03) x1.2) for duty + VAT, plus the PO handling charge on top, which is about £8.

Price plus shipping is paid in AUS$, so is dependent on the exchange rate at the time of purchase.

Don't expect to save money over buying an assembled low-end Chinese-made instrument. You can make very good instruments from the kits but you'll end up replacing all the hardware and pickups (on most kits there's a no hardware or pickups option which saves some purchase cost and cuts down on the import duties cost).

The more basic the kit, the better the overall value is IMO.

[Drew Stephenson]

I'm lazing around in bed at the moment so don't have the exact numbers to hand, but I think customs and additional post office charges came to about £45. Will look it up later.
If i'd bought a standard P-bass or similar, then from a pure cost perspective you'd almost certainly be better off buying a something from Thomann or G4M, spending a bit of money on some hardware, and then giving it to a good tech to set up. (I very nearly did that).
But i like making stuff.
As Wonks says, normally you'd spend a bit of dosh replacing the tuners, nut etc (which is what I did last time). But because this is headless there really isn't much of an option here. The cheapest way to buy upgraded hardware would be to buy a new Steinberger and pull the bits off that. Which would be both ridiculous and well out of budget.
I'm currently thinking of a red stain finish and a natural neck. I'm also thinking of making life difficult for myself...
As to your final question, not if it's upside down.

[Wonks]

Shipping from Pitbull to UK/EU does vary for kit to kit (I thought it was fixed but basses seem to cost more than guitars - a guitar costs just under £30 to ship).
So for Blinddrew's bass, £123.98 + £39.08 shipping gives £163.06. Duty and VAT make that £201.54, plus the PO handling fee adds on £8. So currently £209.54 all-in.

The cheapest Steinberg headless bass is £289 from Thomann, and the hardware will be better.

[Drew Stephenson]

Ok, actual costs:
kit AU$ 253.64
- 5% discount $12.68
Shipping $79.95
Total $320.91 roughly £156.50

Import VAT £35.83
"Clearance fee" £12

Total: £204.33

[Drew Stephenson]

Got a bit of time today so smoothed off the belly curve, rounded off all the back edges, put a bit of profile around the back lower waist and took a bit off the shoulder. Then got everything sanded to 120.
Taking a file to the belly and the, well, under belly?


Back edges smoothed and sanded:

[Martin Walker]

Wow, I envy your seemingly boundless energy Drew!

You never stop, do you?

Martin

[Drew Stephenson]

Wow, I envy your seemingly boundless energy Drew!

You never stop, do you?

Martin

This is just another way of saying 'bitten off more than you can chew'!

[Folderol]

At one time I would have asked how many guitars you guys needed... I know better these days. The answer is always "another one"

[MOF]

At one time I would have asked how many guitars you guys needed... I know better these days. The answer is always "another one"

I’ve got quite a few and can’t even play guitar. Don’t ask it’s a long story.

[Drew Stephenson]

I think i might actually be done after this one.

But i do need to completely strip and rebuild my hybrid one. There's quite a reasonable guitar hiding in there, it just needs a bit of help to come out.