Journal entry week one

1. Are you still happy with your project choice? Why or why not? If you are not, what would you like to do instead ? 

Yes I am happy with my project choice still because I play guitar and the bass and guitar have a similar set up. This project is teaching me how it works and also in the future could possible help me If I ever needed to fix a guitar 

2. What are the major roadblocks to your project right now? What is preventing you from taking your project to the next level 

The major road blocks to my project rite now are not having all the materials to make the paint job the way we wanted to. This is also preventing me from taking my project to the next level. We will probably not be able to paint the guitar the way we want because we need to learn the process 

3. How would you like to change the structure of the 15% Time project? Journal entries, work time in class, presentations? 

I would like to change the journal entries to every 3 weeks so we have something to write about not the same thing but document our improvements, and only make a presentation if we have a noticble improvement in our project because if not its repetitive 

Journal entry week 10

So far for my 15 percent time project, our bass kit has come in. When we received the bass kit we opened it and organized all the parts so it will be easier to assemble once the wood is sanded and painted. For our process, we are going to paint the body and head of the guitar. We will not touch the neck with paint due to the fact we might damage it. We our going to paint our guitar with a process called swirling. Shown below is an example of swirling.

 The process of swirling is when we put water, borax, and multiple colors into a tub. The process involves mixing colors into the tub, and dipping the proper wood parts into the tub. We still need to order the proper paints and materials for this process, and we hope to start this as soon as possible. 

Journal entry week 9

1. What are you doing?

For my 15% time project I am building a bass from a bass kit. We are also putting the bass together to make it function. When we receive the kit, we will put the parts together and assemble the wooden pieces. We will also assemble the electronics and make them function properly. Before the bass is assembled, we will paint the bass with an affect called "swirling" to make it stand out 

2. Why are you doing it?

I chose this 15 percent time project because it interested me. I play the guitar, and the bass and guitar have very similar body make ups and designs. Even though they have very different sound, the bass and guitar are very similar. I'm also doing it to help my knowledge with guitars. I hope that in the end of this 15 percent time project I will be able to Have more experience with building instruments and knowing how they work. 

3. What does this help you to do that's important?

This helps me know how to connect electronics to circuit boards and gives me experience in this aspect. It also helps me learn how to paint a string instrument so if ever in the future I want to build a guitar I will have previous knowledge. This also helps my knowledge about working with wood and taking care of it.  

Journal Entry Week 8

Journal entry week 8 

1. Identifying a problem

So far this project I have not had many problems. The main problem that we've had so far is acquiring the materials and ordering the guitar kit

2. Defined the project constraints

For this project, we use 15% of our classtime to build whatever we want to expand our knowledge on the subject

3. Research and brainstorming

So far for research and brainstorming, we have looked up where to buy the kit and what to buy.  We also looked out other materials that we might need the Katmai not include like wood glue, screws, and  a soldering iron

4. Development and prototyping

For my project there really is not much development and prototyping so far. This will happen when we order the kit and we will see what we need to do to make the base of functioning instrument.

5. Testing, analysis, and optimization

I have not moved far long enough in the project to do the steps. Once we order the kit in test the electronics, analyze the wood, and try and optimize the kit to sound the best and function the best than thesesteps will be able to happen

6. Evaluation and presentation

In that by the end of this project I will have a functioning bass. I also hope to add a custom paint job to the bass to make it look nice

So far I have not much progress sense the last time working on our project. We hope to have the bass kit in as soon as possible and also order all the paint supplies and anything else we need to make the bass an ideal functioning instrument

Journal Entry Week 6

So far for my 15 percent time project, we have figured out what we are going to order and also the materials we need for the project.  We decided that we are going to paint our bass with a technique called " guitar swirling". We need to order the proper paints and materials to make the bass come out good

Other goals for the project are to make the bass sound good, make it function properly, and make all the electronics work and function. We also want the swirling to make the guitar look good and stand out.

Materials we need:

Paints

Sander

Wood glue

Bass kit

Sanderling iron

Example of swirling

Journal Entry Week 4

For my 15 percent time project, I am building the body of a bass and trying to make it work electronically. Originally, I wanted to build a base completely out of materials I require, but through research I have realized it takes special tools to design and construct the neck of the bass. I will find or order a neck off the internet. For this bass I will hopefully be able to design and construct the body out of wood

For the electronics I am hoping to either take them off an old bass, or order them off line. I am hoping to incorporate the electronics  in my design to make a functioning playable bass. In this process I will need to do a lot of cutting and sanding. For my materials I will need wood and the proper tools to cut the wood for the electronics to be incorporated in the design. 

http://thunderhouse2-yuri.blogspot.com/2006/12/jazz-precision-hybrid-bass.html

Journal Entry Week 3

I have narrowed my 15 percent time project into one thing: to build a bass guitar

Goals:

-To make a functioning bass guitar

-To make it look good

-To make it playable and functioning 

Links: 

http://www.instructables.com/id/Building-My-First-Bass-Guitar/

http://www.monsterbass.nl/woodwork.html