Andyjr1515

Not bad at all

The CA glue I tend to use for this kind of job is this: Even if I wasn't drilling any holes, I would still tend to use a precision dispensing tip. They just push over the bottle spout - this size below has an outside diameter of less than 0.5mm and therefore allows you to control quite accurately the amount of glue coming out of the bottle and making sure it is running along the crack line and nowhere else: But, whether using a tip or not, do wear rubber gloves - it can flow very freely and you really, really don't want to get your bass neck stuck to your skin! Option 2 has a fair chance of working OK. However, if you did want to try Option 3 and you have a drill, the only other thing you need is a 1mm or 1.5mm twist drill. This below was a 70's custom that a well-known Notts player of the era hadn't played for decades because of cracks and movement in the set-neck jointing. Here's the drill I used and the CA glue tip I would be using to dispense the glue with: And some of the holes I drilled along the crack lines. Here I am checking that the dispenser tube would go into the hole deep enough: I drilled more holes for the cracks either side too, then - after masking it all up and putting my rubber gloves on - pushed the nozzle onto glue bottle and squeezed a liberal amount of CA deep into each crack, letting the capillary wicking process to suck all the glue into all of the hidden areas of the cracks. When he passed it across to me, you could move the neck in any direction with no effort at all. I passed it back to him after the above and he was gigging with it the following weekend for the first time in 30 years

How is that done? In my small head there is a question "What if neck spacing is slightly off so new hole would be too close to old one?" If the holes are 'just off' then yes, it's more difficult because you have to plug the old holes first. I was thinking of the Cort 3-screw arrangement used on some basses...I'm pretty sure that those are in different positions. Good point, though - do you have a photo of the neck fixing area from the top and from the back?

Hi There are a number of variations of neck heel design across the Cort models. But what I don't know, is whether any of them are compatible with the 'standard' Fender heel shape and length. I would be less worried about the hole positioning, though - you would just drill new holes in the Cort positions. In terms of mending the present one, I think there are three options: 1. The 'proper' way. Big job and not risk free. Removal of the fretboard; splitting of the scarf joint; clean up; reglue; replacement of fretboard; levelling and re-crowning of the frets 2. The DIY 'might work' way. This is a variation of @songofthewind's suggestion. Standard wood glue, such as titebond, is no good for my variation. A proper low-viscosity CA glue is best for this (I can send a link to ones that will work). This glue is so thin that it 'wicks' into the crack by capillary action. - Mask round either side of the join line with decorators masking tape; bend the neck as you described to open the joint a touch more; apply the CA around the joint, which will suck the glue deep into the cracks, until it won't take any more; release the tension on the neck and wait the the CA to fully cure. On this kind of process, I would leave it at least an hour before restringing it. 3. A variation of method 2 and is a DIY method that 'probably will work'. Here, you drill a few very small holes directly into the crack and use a micro tube end for the CA glue. You then push the micro tube into the hole and squeeze the CA glue in until it starts appearing around the crack. You are, of course, left with a few small holes showing but this method ensures the maximum chance to get the CA glue deep inside the crack. I'm out in a few minutes but this evening, I'll send a few shots of this method to show what I'm talking about. and send some links to the glue and microtubes.

Yup - looking good

I think there maybe something in this. The clearance between the locking pin end and the bass's button is tight. If the button is at all tilted relative to the locking pin, it isn't going to release. It is worth having a close look at if the strap button is moving at all. If so, then shimming under the button might hold it still and then try to hold the locking pin carrier as parallel to the button (whatever the angle it is sitting at) while pulling the locking pin clear and sliding the assembly clear.

I'm actually broadly with @BigRedX on this. The fretting on a guitar and bass are both approximations. Folks have tried to compensate with compensating nuts and z shaped frets but, most of the time it is close enough to all but the most discerning ear On your original subject, that makes sense: - The intonation adjustment is because the string is actually bending, albeit vertically, when you press it down to the fret. - And the higher the action, the more it is bending and the sharper it sounds when you fret it - And a loose truss rod will bow most in the middle. - So a loose truss rod will lead the strings to sharpen more for the middle frets and less at the 12th...which is exactly what you found - And straightening the neck with the truss rod reduces that bow which lowers the action most for the middle frets, but not a lot at the 12th. And so the excessive sharpening of the middle-fretted strings will reduce and at the 12th will remain largely unaffected...which is also exactly what you found

Yes - as @itu says, this type of adjuster doesn't actually need an allen key to turn it. It works like a ships capstan - basically any length of steel that fits in the hole can be used as a lever to turn the adjuster. But actually, an allen key is ideal because you know it is not going to bend - pick the largest size that still slides fully into each hole.

Next is lining up the bridge. If ever there was a 'measure 14 times, drill once' it's this! First thing I did was to check the full movement of the bridge rollers from fully forward to fully back. Probably enough for a square-on positioning - but there's no point in even banking on that and so I will incorporate a modest backward sweep to aid the intonation of the bass strings. Then to position, I fitted a couple of strings, threaded through the stop tail to the outermost tuners and taped it into position. I could then slide the roller bridge under the strings and position it to scale length on the top E with the roller fully forward (intonation for the top E is usually relatively close to scale length but, if anything, will be a teen bit further back - it will never be shorter than scale). Then, once I'd positioned it so that the two strings were where I wanted them in relation to the fretboard sides, I could press the spike of a bradpoint drill in to mark the centre: Then use a forstner for the bridge insert-holes: And finally, with fingers crossed, hammer the inserts in and try it! Big phew! Then the same process for the stoptail. And, at this stage, I couldn't resist a quick mockup . There's actually a LOAD of stuff still to do, but my excuse for the indulgence is that I need Alex to 'play' the fitted strings so that I can fine tune the profile to his specific needs...so that means, at least, that the 6 strings need fitting. And surely they would be lonely without a few knobs and switches teetering at their intended positions: Oh - and it would be churlish not to wipe some of it with a damp cloth to see what the final colour is going to be ... I think it's going to be quite a pretty guitar! And that has Basschat up to date with Guitarchat. There'll be a week or so's gap before any more progress - I need Alex for the final fit of the neck profile and his availability and mine over the coming week or so mismatches to an almost impressive degree!

No probs - here it is: You wind the knob at the back until the spindle rises to the top, exposing the string hole at its base: You thread the string through the hole and pull tight while clamping it by rotating the 'T' bar at the top (the T is a simple screwed clamp): You then rotate the knob at the back in the opposite direction, which pulls the spindle down into the housing and takes the string with it, tightening it as it goes. This is the 4th string now at full pitch: Clearly, the far end of the string can be clipped at the other side of the spindle but, while I am fitting am removing the strings regularly, it is easier to leave them long. It is a very clever design and they are well made: They are as smooth as silk. No backlash and very accurate and controllable tuning. They can be placed anywhere, unlike conventional tuners that have to be close enough to the headstock side for the adjuster clearance. And so, the headstock can be any shape you like. The string is always 'at the bottom of the peg', maximising break angle over the nut

Even simpler than that, but same principle. I'll take a few photos when I have a moment

Yes - @jrixn1 is right. The concept only really works for thin strings and hence the max gauge. The strings are passed through the clamp spindle at the top, pulled taut and clamped, and then the spindle is drawn down into the body of the tuner, bringing the string with it and increasing the tension as it goes. This becomes more challenging, the bigger the string.

If the fret slots are being cut before fitting to the neck, then yes. And if the frets themselves are going to be fitted before gluing to the neck, then especially yes Just to explain: Fretboard glued before slotting - structurally, the board can be as thin as you like because the neck provides the structural integrity Fretboard glued after slotting but before frets are fitted - then the extra thickness below the bottom of the slot is only needed to hold it all together while you handle and clamp it. It depends on the wood, but down to 1mm remaining after the fret slots have been cut would normally suffice. If the frets are fitted before the fretboard is glued to the neck, then it needs a bit more remaining thickness...but the exact amount is a bit of a judgement call. Here, the remaining thickness needs to withstand the side forces (and if hammering, percussive shock) that hammering or pressing in the frets makes. I would personally tend towards 2mm remaining at the bottom of the slot. So, and this is only my own view - for a flat board - given a tang slot depth of, say, 2.5mm, then I would be considering 3.5mm as the absolute minimum if I was fretting after gluing to the neck, and 4.5mm as the absolute minimum if I was fretting before gluing to the neck. In terms of radiused necks, I personally aim for 6mm-7mm at the thickest point, depending on the radius. Other folks may have different and valid views and experiences, of course

The Steinberger tuners are pretty easy to fit, although this little pin hole does have to be in the right place! And tuners temporarily fitted for me to be able to set up a couple of strings to position and line up the tune-o-matic bridge before the scary insert marking and drilling! Still some more curve carving to do, but I was pleased how this is beginning to look:

For the tuners, I am using the wonderful Steinberger gearless 'banjo' tuners. Remarkably, the Epiphone Firebirds - for a short period of time - had these fitted as standard! I reckon, if you could find one on ebay, you could take the tuners off and sell the tuners at a hefty profit! One of the splendid things about them is that they are cylindrical and strings are clamped dead centre and so they can be grouped very much closer together than standard tuners - to the point that I won't have to add 'wings' to the headstock. Keeping all the string runs straight, this is what I came up with: And, to keep the body vibe, I wondered if I could do a cutaway plate, something like this. BTW, you can see here I had already popped a couple of ebony sides on in the expectation of needing small maple extensions...which I now realise I don't need : So, with a piece of the offcut from the body ebony, I gave it a try. Before gluing the plate on, in addition to backing it with a maple and black veneer, I cut the trussrod access out of the plate. It will be magnetically held as a flush cover and thus be pretty unobtrusive. Here it is out: ...and here it is in place: Next jobs include, a little more body carving, temp-fitting the tuners, fitting the T-o-M and stoptail, stringing up, 'live' shaping of the neck next time Alex is free.

Like a Saville Row suit, the final neck shape will be arrived at after a number of 'fittings'. What I will do is carve the broad shape and then string it up so that Alex can play it between me scraping whispers of timber away with a cabinet scraper and repeating that until the shape is just right for him. But for that first rough cut I use a combination of spokeshave, razor plane and card scrapers. It doesn't take long to get the rough shape : And then, to be able to fit the strings, I'm going to have to fit the bridge, but to fit the bridge, I'm going to need to fit the tuners...and to fit the tuners I'm going to have to work out what I'm going to do with the headstock!

Bin there...done that...

Ah...milk stout! I wish. It's actually MrsAndyjr1515's ceramics glazes that she has the audacity to put onto her my shelves!

Cutting the pickup chambers meant that I could do a mockup to talk to Alex what his preference for the position of the controls is before I cut the control chamber: And then the control chamber could be cut and the carve continued at the back - this time switching to the trusty gooseneck card scraper: Next was fitting the trussrod, cap and gluing the fretboard after laminating it with a maple and a black veneer to give me a demarcation line: Time to start the neck carve and then blend that in with the continuing body carve.

As mentioned above, it is because the whole scale has been moved back and inch or so that the upper frets are not reachable. This is one of the advantages of it being a custom build for a particular player. To get better access with the better balance could have been achieved by a deeper cutaway...but then the 'Essence of Firebird' starts evaporating rapidly - and Alex doesn't, and tells me he doesn't ever intend to, play up at the dusty end but, instead, prefers retaining a passing nod to the lower horn of his Epiphone. Once I've finished the carve, my guess is that he will be able to do top string bends up to around 19th fret but no further. And so a few jobs I can do in between continuing morphing towards the final shape. One of those is the Humbucker pickup chambers. As with the weight relief, chambers, I prefer to use a router only to deepen a chamber with a fully captive flush bearing bit. So I start off drilling the corners using a drill 1mm dia larger than the radii of the pickup and leg corners: Then I hog out with a forstner right to the very edge of the pencil marks: Then I remove the forstner 'waves' with sharp chisel and mallet and get the finished dimension to around 10mm depth to act as a guide for the router bearing: And then, and only then, I get the router out with fully captive top-bearing bit to clean up the sides and achieve full final depth: To my admitted surprise, the rout slot I cut for the cables before adding the ebony top did line up in the right places. Phew!

Yes to curved but no to thinnest. This one is going to be quite chunky and quite heavy. I've got some more carving to do on the back trying to take a bit of weight out forward of the C of G but probably won't be able to lose 1/2lb that I would like to.

So why are the body wings so deep? Well - because the body cross section is going to have some curves. Mind you, that will mean a LOT of carving - and I will creep up on the final shape and let the guitar show where it wants to go... Here comes in play one of my favourite hand-tools - the Veritas Pull-shave. I think it's designed for scooping out wooden chair seats, but it's ideal for this kind of job: But I also use the block plane, razor planes and cabinet scrapers. Off and on over a few days, it's starting to take shape. Carve here is probably 50% done for the body. In between carving sessions, I also added frets to the (still unglued) fretboard:

I cut the top ebony around the pencilled line of the fretboard end which allowed me to lay the fretboard on the angled neck and position the top. I drilled a couple of positioning holes in the middle of the pickup positions which, with the addition a couple of kebab sticks will stop the top from floating around as it's being clamped when the glue is applied: That meant I could check that the neck angle is going to be correct for the height of a standard tune-o-matic roller bridge: And so what about the end of the fretboard that is hanging in mid air? Well, of course the offcut from the neck blank when I cut the neck angle in the first place is going to be the correct angle. So I will be able to cut a short ramp from this I will also be adding a demarcation stripe of maple between the alder and ebony: And so, with the kebab sticks positioning everything until the clamps were all on and then removed before the glue set, the clamps can now go on! :

Thanks, Rob I was in the same camp for a long time - and the things that transformed my life were: - learning how to sharpen a chisel blade - learning how to sharpen a plane blade - finding a worksurface that wasn't going to move around (ie an alternative to a Black and Decker Workmate), especially when trying to cut timber with a hand plane. It was like a whole new universe opening up in front of me

Before fitting the top, I have to cut the slot for the fretboard, and before I can do that I have to cut the taper, and before I can do that, I have to slot the fretboard as, in my jig, that is a LOT easier if you are starting with parallel sides. So slotting the fretboard was next job. I use another G&W tool - their fretting mitre jig: In ebony, it is pretty hard work, but over the day all were done. Then I could both taper the board and also add a couple of mother of pearl swifts at the 12th before I fret it. I tapered the board and marked in pencil where I would eventually need to 'intercept' the ebony top. The swifts are pencilled freehand onto the sliver of mother of pearl and cut out using a jewellers saw. I then pencil round the inlays onto the ebony and carefully route out to the inlays depth using the precision base for my Dremel with a 1mm bit. I double check that they fit and then I will fill the chambers with epoxy mixed with ebony sanding dust and firmly press the inlays in. And finish with a final sand with the radius block As always, thanks for looking!