Recommendation for Bass Strings Please?

[rnolan]

I don't know, seems like a good idea to me why not build one?

[Harley Hexxe]

I don't know, seems like a good idea to me why not build one?

   Right now, I'm going to go through all my guitars and take care of all the fret work on each one. I've got one more shipment of supplies from Stewmac, including a guitar vise. I went to Harbor freight yesterday and got a hardwood work bench with a built-in clamping vise, dowels and anchor pins. (Pretty good deal for $180).

   Also, I'm going to upgrade each one with whatever hardware and/or electronics as I go through them. Basically, moving from one project to the next. There are also three guitars that I bought new and never really played them, so they've never been set up. This includes the CG-1 Stratocaster which is going to get new pickups, locking tuners, LSR nut, and a Vega-trem. It's also the guitar with some serious fret-sprout. This guitar is going to be challenge because it's a finished maple neck, and I've never done any work like this before.

  Just from the one guitar I've just described, it's going to take me a bit of time because I want to do it right and not mess it up.

[rnolan]

While I like lots of stuff StewMac sell (and I bought quite a bit of stuff from them), I don't like their vice, way agricultural (built like an old tractor) and not very versatile also their nut vice is dumb also not versatile.

I have a Versa vice (which we used when I did the guitar building course 45 years ago).  They are fantastic for guitar work.
2nd hand Versa Vice
Seems this mob make them now Versa Vice They have changed the jaws a bit.  The jaws on mine are more similar to the 2nd hand one, though it seems to be a slightly earlier model, mines a little beefier than that but not as beefy as the new ones.  I had to import it from the US (way back then) cost $50 USD.

Mine is red (like the new ones) and in much better condition.  You mount the base to the bench (3 screws) which has a central vertical pipe.  When you tighten on the job it tightens on the pipe, so spins 360 deg.  And you can take it off and mount it sideways on the pipe (the hole in the side is the same as the hole in the bottom) again spins 360 deg (this is really handy for holding a neck while you work on it or anything else).  I also use it to squeeze/press frets in, just make a wooden caul with the radius you need (mahogany works well) and protect the back side of the neck (or you could buy the cauls StewMac sells for their plier (like) fret squeezers) but easy to make the caul yourself from a mahogany (or similar) off cut.

So we used to use rubber glue and glued a piece of thick artist paper to the jaws to protect the wood etc.  They also have an insert for holding metal stuff.  Also perfect for working on nuts etc.  And, because it spins 360 deg, you can position the job at any angle, great for planing wood, cutting nuts etc.

Maple necks are a pain , one tip (I learnt the hard way), don't do any work on the frets unless it's well masked off with tape.  If you get fret shavings in the the maple, the only way to get it clean again is take all the frets out and sand it.  So e.g. a maple board re-fret, remove old frets, sand off finish, install new frets, re-spray, mask off, then level and dress frets. If you don't want to do a respray, mask off really well, cut along the fret base with a scalpel to separate from the fret, or when you remove the fret it will take finish with it.

[Harley Hexxe]

Hey Richard,

   It sounds like an interesting vise, but I already bought the guitar vise, so it will do what I need it to.

  I know it's a pain to do a maple neck, but I have quite a few of them, and I'm tired of paying someone else to do the work. I bought the extra low-tack tape from Stewmac, (3" wide) to cover the fretboard and around the edges which I'll cover with blue painter's tape. I already knew I'd have to trim the tape away from the frets with an exacto knife, no problem. The reason for the extra low-tack tape is because of the older guitars, especially the ones with nitro-cellulose finishes could peel up with more aggressive tapes. My 1980 "STRAT" is already missing a bit of finish here and there. That one it seems, the frets are rusted on it. I'm going to work on the other guitars frets first before I get to that one, just to get the process down as well as I can.

  Believe me when I say I know what I'm getting myself into