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This SX SPB-62 Black 4-String Bass was purchased at Rondo on 9-29-08.
General Inspections: Click here to open a new window for a description.
In a nutshell, everything checked out fine so began disassembly at 4:30PM.
5:30PM - Everything disassembled: Overall went well except a few points:
the plastic nut was already cracked, the fretboard very dry, sawdust under the pickguard and excessive debris in the cavities. Chinamen must get slapped~!
Body: Black. View the disassembled SX SPB-62 Body. It will be waxed and buffed before everything is reassembled, then hand buffed before shipping of course.
Bodywork: 10-06-08: Prepared the cavities for shielding.
Bridge: Replaced SX with Leo Quan Badass II bridge: ordered: 9-29-08
Received on 10-1-08 but they delivered with unslotted saddles.
Contacted my source to order slotted saddles - NFG ~ will hafta file slots.
Bridge slotted and strings installed showing alignment relationships.
Pickguard: Black - 10-02-08: FOUND a black pickguard from the Red SPB you were originally getting. I don't have to make a template for routing SX pickguards. Of course it took me over 2 hours to fanagle it off Dinghy, plus $25.00~!
10-06-08: Pickguard arrived from California . . . sent by Dinghy from TalkBass.
10-07-08: Shielded the back of the PG over the cavity areas.
The control pot holes still need to be drilled to 3/8" and two additional PG screws for control area.
10-09-08: Installed the pickguard after wiring. A thing of beauty if I do say so . . .
Strap Locks: Schaller chrome - Ordered 9-29-08. Arrived 10-02-08
Install with rubber grommets as none arrived with the schallers.
Neck: Disassembled SPB-62 20-fret rosewood neck and removed plastic nut.
10-06-08: Taped off neck, set neck into jig, straightened (level) via truss rod, found 8 frets high in different locations along the board (not bad - a few thousandths on three were the worst), leveled using 14° radius block, recrowned frets and dressed ends, radiused board edge 1/16", polished frets with 800 & 1000 grit sandpaper, polished frets . . . both necks are done up to this point.
Still need to condition board, degloss neck back, seal with wax and buff upon final assembly (after nut work & headstock painting).
Headstock: 10-25-08: Painted face black. Clear coated, etc. Painted Face
Note: this is the neck that has had the truss rod hole enlarged and deepened.
Photos of the truss rod holes: 1 -|- 2 Larger wrench will be sent with bass.
10-28-08: Tuning machine bushings installed and headstock polished and waxed.
I'm witing to catch the other headstock up with this one. Then each neckwill be installed with strings to accurately mark out the bridge(s) for string-slotting.
Tuners: SX chrome machines have been disassembled and teflon shims were installed (although unnecessary), then waxed and buffed prior to reassembly.
Although the teflon shims were unnecessary, I wanted to show these are they
are uncommon and not generally known as a maintenance procedure/installation.
Any time there's looseness in a key, these can be installed instead of replacement.
Strings: D'Addario EXL220 Super Light Strings 40-60-75-95: ordered 9-29-08
Scheduled delivery date: 10-06-2008 . . . Strings arrived 10-06-08
String Nut: Black Corian - I hope you like black because it's all I could get.
I do have a piece of white GraphTech TUSQ if you want a white nut, or bone.
10-05-08: Got six slightly different colored 2" square corian blocks from my neighbor who's the manager of a kitchen supply shop in Kingston, MA
10-12-08: Corian setup for dimensioning. Each piece is cut by hand with a hacksaw blade to within 10 thousandths of an inch, then sized to about the width of the nut slot and final sized and polished into the exact dimensions of the thickness, in this case: .130"
Full Setup includes installation of strings, adjustments of neck relief, tuning, string height, intonation, and pickup height for maximum output. Also included is cleaning, sealing, polishing, buffing, and tuner lubrication. Low action.
Electronics: Passive
Cavities: 10-07-08: Smoothed out bottoms and sides of cavities with sand paper so the copper foil shielding will have a better surface to adhere to than the porous wood. Measured the P'up cavity: view dimensions for cutting the copper foil.
Applied copper shield to P pup cavity. Soldered sides to bottom in P pup cavity.
Applied copper shield to the control cavity and soldered the sides to the bottom.
Pickups: Stock SX P P'ups - 10-08-08: Installed rubber pads under the pickups along with the springs to make them soild in all positions, eliminating the often heard clicking sound that happens without them. Installed the pickups
Controls: V-T. 10-09-08: Upgraded with the Precision Bass Wiring Kit:
CTS 250K Audio Taper Solid Shaft Pots, Switchcraft mono output jack, .047µF 200volt Orange Drop capacitor, and substituted the P-bass kit wiring with higher grade 22 Gauge WBE PTFE Teflon High Temperature Silver Plated Copper Wire.
Control Knobs: Stock SX chrome domes don't work with the larger CTS shafts.
The chrome metal knobs with set-screws supposedly available for solid shaft pots don't fit the solid shaft CTS pots either so they'll need to be drilled out to 3/8" as well. I ordered CTS split shaft pots hoping the stock SX push-on knobulii works, but they don't so I've decided to use the solid shaft pots and drill them out.
Update: I've located a supplier with knobs large enough for CTS pot shaft.
Wiring: 10-08-08: Extra length wiring was soldered for pickups, etcetera, to allow the pickguard control assembly to be removed from the body so it doesn't come into contact with the body upon future inspections like tightening of the pots or output jack. The bridge ground wire was soldered to additional copper for better contact.
10-09-08: After drilling out the pickguard control pot holes and jack hole to 3/8" I soldered the assembly and covered to pots and cap with electrical tape.
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Parts Checklist
 SX SPB-62 Body
 • Body: Solid Alder Core
• Finish: Black
• White SPB Pickguard
• Black SPB Pickguard
• Chrome Badass II Bridge
• File Saddle Slots
• Chrome Strap Locks
SPB-62 Neck
• Maple/Rosewood
• Headstock Face: Black
• Partial Fretjob, Crown
• Corian Nut Job
• Chrome SX Tuners
• Chrome Tuner Screws
• Chrome String Guide
• D'Addario EXL220 Strings
Electronics
• Copper Foil Shielding
• SX P Pickups
• Rubber Pickup pads
• CTS 250K Audio Pots
• Switchcraft Output Jack
• Orange Drop Capacitor
• Precision Bass Wiring
Shipping-Receiving:
Rondo to me: Due 10-01
Bass arrived 4PM
Shipped to:
Gilbert, AZ 85297
November 3rd, 2008
UPS Tracking
1Z5AR1360310327022
Scheduled Delivery Date:
11-10-2008
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