◀ Part One
The STC-3P preamp had been wired up, and everything worked as it should. Tried fitting the circuit board into the control cavity, but the pickguard would not sit flush with the top of the body. I guess it was because of the massive bulk of the wiring getting in the way.
And so, it was time to carve out a new cavity just for the circuit board. I used my drill press with auger and router bits to gouge out a suitably-sized area. Cleanup was with chisels and my trusty rotary tool. Then, the cavity was shielded with conductive shielding paint. A piece of conductive self-adhesive copper tape was also added to ensure connectivity between the cavity shielding and pickguard foil shield. Once dry, I sealed the shielding paint layer with a couple coats of clear.
This new configuration meant that the circuit board would now be much further away from the pots; and I'd have to splice extra wire to each of the ten leads connecting the pots to the plastic connectors. Lengthening these hookup leads was a major headache in itself. To make sure I didn't get confused about what went where, I tackled only one lead at a time. Took me the better part of the night to get all this done.
Besides this, the battery compartment had to be modified to fit only one 9V battery. This was accomplished using strategically-placed and glued high density foam inserts. Tested the mod with an Energizer Max, and it was as "snug as a bug in a rug;" as my late Dad would say.
This time I was able to reinstall the pickguard with no problems, thanks in part to the judicious use of cable ties. Called up SUK bassist Jack Firdaus to give this American Deluxe Precision Bass V a whirl; and he was here in double-quick time. After all, he'd be the one using this bass; right? Once Jack had warmed up, he went straight into slap-and-pop mode. And guess what? I actually managed to record two short videos of Jack doing his thing straight into my Laney RB2. Uploaded them to YouTube, and here they are: Video One | Video Two.
Thanks for dropping by, and do enjoy the pics :)
And so, it was time to carve out a new cavity just for the circuit board. I used my drill press with auger and router bits to gouge out a suitably-sized area. Cleanup was with chisels and my trusty rotary tool. Then, the cavity was shielded with conductive shielding paint. A piece of conductive self-adhesive copper tape was also added to ensure connectivity between the cavity shielding and pickguard foil shield. Once dry, I sealed the shielding paint layer with a couple coats of clear.
This new configuration meant that the circuit board would now be much further away from the pots; and I'd have to splice extra wire to each of the ten leads connecting the pots to the plastic connectors. Lengthening these hookup leads was a major headache in itself. To make sure I didn't get confused about what went where, I tackled only one lead at a time. Took me the better part of the night to get all this done.
Besides this, the battery compartment had to be modified to fit only one 9V battery. This was accomplished using strategically-placed and glued high density foam inserts. Tested the mod with an Energizer Max, and it was as "snug as a bug in a rug;" as my late Dad would say.
This time I was able to reinstall the pickguard with no problems, thanks in part to the judicious use of cable ties. Called up SUK bassist Jack Firdaus to give this American Deluxe Precision Bass V a whirl; and he was here in double-quick time. After all, he'd be the one using this bass; right? Once Jack had warmed up, he went straight into slap-and-pop mode. And guess what? I actually managed to record two short videos of Jack doing his thing straight into my Laney RB2. Uploaded them to YouTube, and here they are: Video One | Video Two.
Thanks for dropping by, and do enjoy the pics :)
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