Rikkers Build, Part 5: THE FINAL STRETCH….!

Background - I commissioned a custom Olive-faced 5-string bass from Rikkers in Holland - 15 years or so after first considering a custom bass. The experience has been an education, and a great experience (I can recommend Rikkers), so I thought I'd properly document it.
The other parts:

• Commissioning the bass: How I decided what to do
• Part 1: Choosing the components
• Part 2: Early progress - the shapes emerge
• Part 3: Ferdinand works the wood.
• Part 4: The bass visualised, and “The Inlay”

Really excited about this post, I got the final shots from Ferdinand and Jacco about 20 minutes ago. My excitement started earlier today though, when Jacco posted me some pictures of the pickups and said they were being installed today along with the electronics!
Nice to see the guys sign the bass on the inside as well as showing their quality on the outside!

Getting the pickups fixed in place is an interesting job, and wiring her up (for 18v of wicked overhead via the OBP-3 preamp) takes a while, and needs Jacco the Wiring God and his Goggles of Extreme Precision.
Marvel at his prowess in this video!

The wiring job looks excellent – we’re well screened here. I like the way the twin 9v batteries have their own little compartment: no way to damage electronics if they broke free, because they can’t!

Ferdinand worked his magic on the frets (stainless steel – they need some work, a set of files gets used up!)

And so, we reach the final shots – and my new beauty emerges for her closeups, Mr DeVille.

The Bass.

I’m booking the train tickets for Sunday TONIGHT!