Andyjr1515

Me too. It all depends on what else is going on. Add a Fender type maple headstock and you end up with a mishmash of tones. What you have here is a statement provided by the scratchplate, emphasised by the white - including the headstock. I wouldn't touch a thing. It looks splendid

OK - this post may make the 'routing the block inlay chambers' explanation above a bit more understandable. First I glued some locating blocks to ensure that a ply worksurface could be securely located on the press-drill bed: Then drilled and inserted the locating pin: When in use, the router bit will be lined up to this pin: So now imagine that the fretboard blank has been double-side taped on top of the metal template here: So the drill spindle is lowered into the fretboard, and then the template/fretboard assembly is moved around the pin, cutting the block-shaped outline. With the outline routed, I will use the Dremel precision router base and a larger router bit to clear the inside of the rectangle. So just got to find a way of fixing the drill in the lowered position (it is spring loaded and no lock mechanism). I might just rig up a rubber band or similar to keep the drilling handle fully down. BUT first, I will have to cut the frets. Although this is a G&W template, intended to be used in the G&W mitre box, you can't do both operations with the template stuck to the fretboard in the same position! The locating pin in the mitre-box for slotting the frets is offset - and the rectangles on this template are not offset. So, the sequence to avoid scrapping a few fretboards is, I reckon: Stick the fretboard to the template Slot the fretboard Unstick the fretboard from the template Restick the fretboard to the template taking huge care that the fret index points on the template line up exactly with the fretslots and that the fretboard is absolutely square with the template. Bearing in mind that the template is underneath and the cut fretslots are on top, this is going to take significant care - especially as it is lining up and then fixing onto two-sided tape. Rout the rectangles On the other hand, if the blocks had been offset to the fret cutting index notches to match the offset on their mitre box, it would have been a doddle. I like G&W product range and quality, but they really haven't thought this through...

I squared up the neck assembly with a jack plane and then put it through the thicknesser to slim it down to 62mm width (the width of the neck at the point the furthest end meets the body). I also thinned down the swamp ash back pieces to the 40mm outlined in the drawing above. Note that the steel fret/blocks template also arrived today! Giving the outline a decent amount of wiggle room, I marked the sides out ready for cutting: ...and duly cut them: The bridge and lightweight tuners, both in black, are on order. For the bridge, I've ordered a Schaller 2000. I'm pretty sure it's one of those on @Chris Sharman 's gorgeous 5 string Shuker that I was lucky to temporarily get my mitts on last week. I was very impressed with the design and quality of the bridge I can't cut the neck side profile until I've worked out the neck angle, and I always get hold physically of the bridge before I work that out (I draw the neck joint position and angle full size, including the saddle lowest and highest setting points) so won't be doing that yet. Instead, I'll turn my attention to the fretboard. I've got just the piece of maple for that As always, thanks for looking!

Three beautiful pieces of timber came through this morning from David Dyke - glued up and clamped in my meaty bench clamps and their metal friends, two pieces of maple with a centre walnut splice: Next job will be to thickness the swamp ash back timber. This needs to allow for the concave curve of the back and so, even though the bass body, including the top, will be sub 30mm, the back blanks alone will need to start off at 40mm: In the meantime, the fretboard fretslot and block inlay template is due today so I suppose I'd better get on and work out just how I'm going to use it!

It's here

Yes - there's a recent thread somewhereabouts where I briefly describe the tru- oil slurry and buff approach. Very quick, very easy, very cheap, very repeatable if you mess it up and leaves a wonderful, silky smooth, frictionless finish that nevertheless still feels like wood. Let me know if you can't find it and I'll have a search

Hi Following on from @Phil Starr 's post, I'm one of the regular forum modder / builders he refers to and certainly my personal view is that for a 'standard' 2k finish there would be no perceptable sound difference (assuming the finisher put the pickups back at exactly the same heights as before). There would, however, be a change in the value - modding guitars and basses almost always result in a drop of value even when the mods are clearly improvements. I say that not to put you off doing it, but it needs to be a keeper to warrant making the change. Hope this helps.

Sorry for my tardy reply...been a busy week! Thanks for the suggestions but I've probably confused everyone (no change there ). I will be setting in the ebony blocks a bit like doing the fretboard inlays, so they will be 2-3mm deep rectangular chambers routed into a 7mm fretboard. The fretboard blank is fixed onto the steel template and an index pin is used in the mitre box to move the fretboard/template assembly into position for slotting the frets. The same template assembly is used for guiding the 1mm router bit for the block rectangles. This time, another index pin projects a couple of mm proud of the work surface, and a router jig of some sort needs to be fixed with the bit in line with the pin. The bit is lowered into the top of the fretboard, and then the fretboard assembly is moved around the fixed bit, with the index pin acting as the guide against the sides of the template (it will be easier to explain with a photo once I've solved it! ) The challenge is rigging a fixed mini router position capable of being lowered accurately into the fretboard top. I think I've worked out how I'm going to do it. My Proxxon mini drill press is accurate enough to take a 1mm router bit. The spindle speed is a bit slow, but it's only the outline I need to rout accurately. So I think I can rig an elastic band to hold the spindle depth handle in place once its been lowered sufficiently. When the template has arrived, I'll test on a piece of scrap wood and take a photo!

If its a fixed neck, I'm not sure how you would get all the way to the neck with any router arrangement unless I've misunderstood something. One option - because the type of jig you show is actually a very good design - might be to rout on the jig as far as it will go close to the neck, and finish the last inch with sharp chisels? And yes - warm welcome.

Fascinating build. Enthralling!

No probs, Mick. Pleased we got it all sorted and it was good to see it again. Thanks also to @Len_Derby and @Chris Sharman for letting me use their respective bass rigs to check it was all working OK

But you know the answer...you're going to have to build two

Hmmmm...I see the quandary That Oak burr is quite something!

Certainly did come out OK Looks like this will too

There are some good functional features and, to my eye, some very pleasing lines

Coming on nicely. What gloss are you using?

For a through neck, the determining factors are generally the depths of the pickups and pots or switches. For a bolt on it's more about the amount of meat needed underneath the neck pocket. It's worth checking the heel depth and resulting neck pocket thickness, but I would have thought 30 to 32 would be OK. Then you need to check how you are going to fix the neck - you will need shorter screws than the 'standard' ones or you could use set screws (which bring their own challenges!)

I've not done block inlays before and my conclusion is that the only way forward is a template. I have the G&W fretting mitre box and they do a block inlay 34" template for it: The challenge is how to use it. I will probably rig up a table and index pin to fit my little press drill and use the press drill as a mini router. I've done some trials today and you never know, it might work!

Top joined and shape now cut out, including the 'f-hole'. The final colour will be closer to the pic above (sprayed with a meths solution) rather than the 'dry bright' look here below. Also in the pic is the lightweight swamp ash.

Neil will correct me if I've got this wrong, but I'm not sure we've decided yet. It will be while before I need to know for sure.

And it begins! I bought the top and body woods today from Kirk at Exotichardwoodsukltd.co.uk - excellent 2-piece swamp ash set for the back and a lovely bookmatched set of poplar burl for the top. I took along a dimensioned paper template to make sure it was going to be big enough for a bass and to get a decent idea what kind of figuring will show on the finished shape: I think this piece has everything! Got it home and routered the join line square and straight using a rigid aluminium beam as a guide. Then glued and clamped it with sash clamps - the small grey clamps are just to stop it bowing under the clamp pressure and so are just loosely tightened: With luck, I will be able to cut the shape out later this afternoon or evening. This afternoon, I will order the neck wood (already have the maple fretboard wood) and a square-block/34" steel template from G&W for the block inlay routing and corresponding fret slotting - Neil's preference is maple fretboard with ebony block fret markers. While the template is on its way, I'll be trying to work out how best to use it. Bit of experimentation is going to be needed!

Beautiful.

Looking good from here. You've probably said, but what's the thickness of the top? Looks about 5mm?

I know it's been a long journey, but those are starting to look special

Well, for the specific question I'm not much help - but I do know that some builders do use tung oil. Personally, for exactly that kind of finish and organic feel you talk about - and the ease of application, I use Tru-oil (for which a small 3fl oz bottle will do a couple of basses). For that (and I would have thought Tung Oil would work in a similar way) I use a 'slurry and buff' approach: Couple of coats let soak in and dry to do an initial seal A coat, using 400 grit wet and dry with the wet provided by the oil rather than water (rubber gloves essential) creating a slurry of oil and very fine sandings. This acts as a superb colour compatible grain filler. Wipe off back to wood after 5-10 mins. Let it dry Repeat last step Repeat last step but this time using 800 grit and not only wipe off, but buff it dry with a lint-free cloth (this is the bit that may be different with tung-oil) Sometimes needs a final repeat of the last step This bubinga fretless was done like that and, other than an occasional dust, has had nothing done in the past 3 years. The guys at the Midlands Bass Bash will vouch that it still looks like this and feels just how it looks: I used the same technique with Osmo Polyx on @TheGreek 's Psilos bass (sycamore and maple) and that worked just as well - which is why I suspect it would work just as well with tung oil...