Andyjr1515

I want as much of the body weight to be towards the rear, but don't want it to be overall too heavy, so a couple of weight-relieving chambers in the front horns will be helpful. I like any use of router to be fully captive, so use the same approach that I use for pickup chambers... I start with a Forstner bit to hog out the bulk: Then use chisels and carpenters mallet to accurately cut the outline to around 10 mm deep: And then, and only then, use a top-bearing router bit to smooth the sides and cut to final depth: And, as I have the router out, I cut the channel that will be between the two pickups and through to the controls chamber for the cable runs:

With the neck blank done, I could start trial-fitting the wings and top. I joined the book-matched ebony top and cut out the broad shape. I also cut the alder back wings slightly oversize and a couple more strips of ebony between them and the neck and dry fitted them to make sure everything was going to end up in the right place: The ebony will have a sheet of constructional maple veneer (1.5mm) as a demarcation: All good so out came the sash-clamps: The neck is the top face of the original billet and the length between the top wing front join to the tail is angled the 3 degrees to give me the required neck angle. Double check that I've got it right before the next stage:

I have found that radiusing an ebony fretboard by hand is a sure and certain journey towards insanity. Why do think I've ended up as such a weird word-not-allowed-ker?

This is going to be a through-neck and so the first thing to do is, generally, to sort the neck. 'Sort' means choose the timbers, assemble the laminates, incorporate the neck angle into the blank, calculate the headstock angle, calculate the body depth and the neck depth... ...but you can't calculate the neck depth until you know exactly what the fretboard thickness is. So, actually, that's where I started - by radiusing the ebony fretboard blank using the excellent G&W router jig: Then fifteen minutes sanding with a sanding block removes the router marks: So now I can do all the neck calcs and cut the maple/ebony/maple blank: The neck angle is around 3 degrees, starting from where the top body 'horn' meets the neck, and I generally opt for a 10 degree headstock angle.

All of the Wals I've worked on have had an integrated shim (ie an angled shim integrated with (glued onto) the end of a square-cut heel). I suspect that it is part of the routine final-finishing/set up process. A much more sound solution than angling the solid heel itself or having a loose shim that can get misplaced.

It looks stunning, @funkle Great, great job on that body.

I should say that this build is very specifically for Alex's (s-i-l) playing style - it wouldn't suit many players, and especially players who need decent access to the dusty end...because this one will have almost none In order to get a better balancing guitar, I am bringing the whole scale rearward - quite a lot! And, so that Alex can at least reach some of the upper frets, I'm also moving the lower horn back. Yes - I know... that is one of the primary design features of the original...I told you it was only going to be 'essence of'!!! Finally, it is going to have some curves - and a slab of the figured ebony on top. This was an early sketch: I've opted for Alder for the back and this is broadly how the two sections are planned to look. As the saying goes, 'What could possibly go wrong?'

You'll be pleased to hear that, with the latest forum update having finally satisfied Norton not to block the site for me on my system, that I've already started posting progress on this build on Guitarchat. And, as it's a 6-string electric, do feel free to ignore it here - I will fully understand My building has slowed down quite a bit - partly the pesky arthritis in my hands and partly the usual life's distractions - but there are one or two projects that have been on my list for years that I simply have never had the time to get round to. And this is one of them. It is a variation on the theme of the iconic Gibson Firebird electric guitar. 'Essence of' is probably a closer description as it aims to tackle some of the compromises of the original and is being built for a specific player and the specific way he plays. And that player is my son-in-law who plays the excellent Epiphone Firebird. And can I make something better than an Epiphone Firebird? Of course not...but I can make it different - lighter (maybe) - easier to fret in the specific fretboard zones he plays - better on the strap and over the knee - less (hopefully no) neckdive - less flat-bodied It's also a chance to use this type of ebony again for those of you who saw the build thread a year or so back where I used it last: So off we go!

Generally, there is a nut and - without changing or re-cutting the nut - the thicker strings aren't going to fit properly in the nut slots if you lose the G and move them all up one (it would work fine if you lost the B and moved them down one!). With a headless, it might be the same - you may have a spacer or you may have different size holes which means that you can't move them all across one. So - if you have restrictions and don't want to mess with the nut/spacer/clamp, then your only option is to leave the remaining 4 where they were And - if you have no restrictions, then just try it both ways and go with what feels best for you

Further to the above, this probably better illustrates the two possible conditions. If the joint is tight in the area referred to in box 1, then it is simply a cosmetic issue of the small gap at the end and whether to hide it or not. If the joint in the area shown in box 1 does have a gap, then the neck is coming loose and that will need properly sorting. You can see here below where the dovetail itself finishes on the heel. The rest is just an overhang that is a convenient place to put a strap button :

An overhang where? Which direction do you think the neck has moved? Putting that to one side until you are able to clarify, then - as it is a dovetail joint - from the photos, it is more likely to be some natural or humidity/heat movement in last inch of the heel, beyond where the dovetail finishes. If so, then it is unlikely to be a structural issue as the neck geometry is all about the joint security around the dovetail itself. Because of how these types of dovetails work, the joint tightens quickly and securely as the neck is hammered into place, literally pulling the heel up tight against the guitar sides (and heel block behind it). But the reverse is also true: if the neck starts lifting out of the dovetail joint (and it would have to take the fretboard with it) then it gets very loose very quickly. So - if the heel above that gap is still tight against the body sides (and it looks it from the photo) and the fretboard hasn't parted from the body between the heel and sound hole, then the dovetail and neck will most likely be still firmly in place and the neck joint will be secure. But, as I asked at the beginning, if you have found other gaps in other places, then that might be an issue... Can you post a shot of what it is that you are looking at in terms of an overhang?

I think that looks excellent I'd be happy to play that on any stage...

Looking great!

Splendid. Beautiful job

My first thought was pomelle Bubinga, but I'm generally rubbish at identifying timbers. Here's a piece:

Be a bit careful. Stains work best when they soak into the wood and so you don't really want to use anything that will stop that happening. I would be inclined to sand it smooth, stain it and then just do a wipe coat of tru oil to keep the moisture out.

This ^ Fiebings Leather Dye. Very black. Wear rubber gloves...

Me too. Any finish (even lemon oil) will further darken the lines too

Hmmm- that looks worth a peep at @carlsim You could still add a decent tinker challenge by getting the neck to fit on your Overwater...

Sounds great @ped! Excellent band to use for the track too

Sorry - it's me being an idiot I was flicking through the posts on the tablet and thought your post was @Mylkinut's so I thought we were looking at a picture of your own bass!!!! Yes - the distance behind the bridge screw holes is still irrelevant and can be misleading. Go for the 35" to the screw centres - that will put the bridge in the correct place (as long as it's a Fender standard bridge).

Just a post-script...not sure what you mean here. The channel leading to the bridge earth wire hole is where the bare wire sits to make electrical contact with the bridge while still allowing it to sit flat on the bass top. The holes at the back are the bridge screw holes.

The critical measurement is from fretboard face of the nut to the bridge and, according to the excellent Stewmac Fret Calculator, that is 35" to the centres of the rear fixing screws of a standard Fender bridge for a 34" scale bass - so yours is spot on. The distance from the holes to the tail is irrelevant in terms of the strings, tuning and intonation.

Yes - great venue. Spot on!

Yes - you're right! Blimey, that is a long time ago!