Andyjr1515

I'll line everything up with the grain, but broadly this is where I've agreed with Mike that the controls and 5-way switch will be going: Next step, now that's decided, is cutting the hole in the back to suit, finishing off any internal work that can't be done once the top is glued, then glue the top By the weekend, we should have a body ready for the final carves

If ever you wanted proof that wenge is porous, here it is That's just the titebond that's squeezed through the 2mm wenge veneer. Good job I anticipated that and protected the clamping caul with clingfilm! That's two of the four main weight reduction steps taken. The swimming pool in the middle (ignore the wavy scrollsaw line that will be straightened up) will be the magnetic-hatched access to fit the lipstick pickups from the back: There will be a similar hole cut for the control chamber in the lower main bout, once I've worked out how big and where it needs to be. That will also take weight out. More weight will come out from the back relief carve marked in felt tip above.

Tomorrow is going to be about more wood cutting...so today has been about making sure I'm going to cut in the right place! The main thing about routing weight reduction or access voids and cutting chambers out of backs and tops is that you've always got to think 'what's on the other side?'. Like: The bridge fixing A paunch-relief carve Horn cutaway carves Although most of tomorrow's cutting and routing is going to be on the back, I mark some of these things on the back of the bass top to see where everything is going to lie and so I don't get any clashes: The main weight relief will come from: A large swimming pool hole in the back from where the pickups will be inserted and which will be covered by a thin plate of sapele The hole that will become the control chamber, also covered with a sapele plate A part-depth rout in the upper rear bout, which will become a weight relief chamber and will be invisible from top or back The back-relief carve I can't take any weight out by reducing the thickness, because the depth of the Fender 5-way switch actually dictates a minimum body depth of 45mm to house it - if you've ever wondered why 'traditional' guitars are as thick (and therefore often as heavy) as they were and often still are. As a comparison, I design to 25mm depth wherever I can (and therefore don't ordinarily use Fender 5-way switches ). That reduces, by more than a third, the body weight before you even start chambering! The thickness also makes for a very deep heel. I've got some thoughts on that I'll bounce off Mike when I've developed them a bit further

I think Squier basses are great. Well done

I think you stated 'genuine Fender'. There a lot of 'licenced by' suppliers and others who are producing very sound products but far fewer suppliers selling what claim to be genuine Fender. These say they do - http://shop.absolute-guitars.co.uk/fender-usa-precision-bass-body-modern-bridge-black-4450-p.asp Still worth double checking. The other suggestions* above I'm sure are fine but I'm also pretty sure aren't genuine Fender * I tell a lie - Richtone do appear to sell genuine fender bodies and necks but I think only have stratocaster bodies on their web site

And I'm the daft pink torpedo who's building it !

Bit of a lull while I needed the workbench to sort some of the remaining jobs on the 6-string electric, but we're back on it. 2mm wenge demarcation veneer has been glued to the sapele for the back: ...and the sapele/wenge sandwich has been cut oversize ready - once the internals have been sorted - for gluing the top and using that as the template for the router trimming of the back ( that's an Andyjr1515 approach - most luthiers would not recommend doing it that way so please don't assume that's the way to do it! It's probably not ). So next job - getting the internal routs and chambers sorted

Yes - I think the thread's fu had it

Holy numero toos! That's some filter Anyway, enough of that....lets get back to talking about just how procreation exercisingly fabulous my latest build is

Ok that's weird. The auto correct spelt the right word and it was on a different device. Is this a site quirk? Can someone else type c o c k l e s (without the spaces) and see what posts?

C o c k l e s

Auto correct never ceases to bemuse me...but this one seemed worth keeping. The word typed was 'pink torpedoles'. Yes - quite!

Thanks, folks . I think Tim will be pleased with it

Asked her out? Apparently, she's promised herself to one of those nasty guitar players. Shocking....

This isn't a shot of the Alembic-esque - but it is related. And it should warm the pink torpedoles of @scrumpymike 's heart: It's his veneer going on his Lyte back, because I've got the bench back....BECAUSE I'VE FINISHED THE ELECTRIC! Here are some finished shots: There are a couple of tidy-up jobs to do (but none that need the workbench, Mike ) including adding the hatch to chamber contact strips to those that notice such things (and centreing and gluing the nut for those that notice those things too) but this is pretty much how it looks I've done some sound clips - I'll post those shortly. As always, thanks very much indeed for your interest, support, comments and suggestions along the way

Yes - I will drop them a line with some polite suggestions of small changes that would make things a lot easier for their other customers. It is a stunning bit of kit in most other ways. It is also impressive that there is no volume difference between the magnetics and the piezo at all! Never come across that before - very impressive

Armchair pulled up. Popcorn at the ready

Hi, again James (it's alright folks, we've pm'd on a different topic) When I get a linky tag thing from @Norris I know I HAVE to respond! Tru-oil. Wonderful stuff. And like always, there are choices. First of all, unless you've already ordered a bottle, a 3oz bottle will generally do at least 2 guitars or basses so plenty for one even with trial and error repeats Used on unstained wood, I would echo what @Bridgehouse said - use tru-oil with sandpaper to create a slurry. Wipe it off after a few minutes and the slurry acts as a sealer and grain filler. Repeat a few times and progressively drop down to, say 250 grit, and now, not just wipe it off but vigorously buff it off. Quite quickly you will get to a beautiful, quite durable, silky smooth satin finish like this: I do ALL my necks this way....it has to be felt to be believed Next option is to do the above just as a grain filler stage but then just apply coats of tru-oil wiped on (I use cheap household microfibre cloths) and left to dry without wiping or buffing. After a number of coats, with a wet sanding of 1500 to 2000 wet and dry every two or three coats to flatten any cumulative ripples or dust buggies and then a final couple of coats as the final semi-gloss. I say semi-gloss because tru-oil does dull down a touch after a few weeks. This one was done that way: For stained woods you do also actually have a few options: Stain it, apply a couple of coats of tru-oil left to dry overnight to act as a sealing coat, then apply wiped on coats as above, doing the first light sanding (1000 grit used wet) after, say, the fourth coat (so you dont sand into and through the stain) then carry on as above building a semi-gloss build-up I'm probably one of the few people who do it, but I have started doing the 'slurry and buff' approach with stained woods. You have to be gentler, but I've found that the slurry takes stain with is so actually, unless you are too harsh, you don't end up with bare unstained patches. Takes a bit more practice, but you can get some decent results (this used to be white): Hope that helps rather than further confuses! Andy

So - lots of fun today First of all, I had to get that silly vertical cable to lie down. You wouldn't think Schaller mainly deal in guitars and basses...how many 3" - 4" deep basses do you know that could have a control chamber that would accommodate this design 'feature'? And the only way of doing that is to invalidate the warranty on what is a very expensive bit of kit by taking off the very stiff, very thick sealed rubber boot: And while we're on the subject of 'I love Schaller, but...', if I turn round the guitar to see the other side, let me give you a quick quiz... Question: Between the two types of knob: nicely powder coated solid brass knurled, allen-key secured, standard 6mm shaft beauties push on, plastic, non-standard 3mm shaft, small top hat ...which is the dirt cheap Harley Benton offering and which is part of the Schaller flagShip top of the range (and very expensive) piezo pre-amp mixer offering? Yes - the nice knobs are the Harley Benton ones. Honestly, I DO love Schaller - great service and some great, great products but, if you're looking, fellas...come on...you are better than this! So, I found this in my bits box: And the bottom left hand bit has an i.d. of 3mm ...and when you put it on the sanding wheel, you can get this - a 6mm o.d. (you make knobs, Schaller - yes, 6mm...the standard size of the knobs you supply to millions of us!): And that fits on the non-standard 3mm shaft of the three way rotary: On which the nasty cheap Harley Benton knob itself fits: Call me uncouth, but I think that looks better : And then came the rest of the day (pretty much 12 hours) with the myriad of tweaks, and drills, and earthing and tinning and checking and planning, until: And - knock me down with a feather - it all bloody works! And the hatch still fits. And I'm going to go and have a long sit down....

Yes - the three way with a large stiff cable coming out vertically is actually quite ridiculous for something designed solely to be fitted to a guitar. The boot is going to have to be cut off for starters and see if the wire can be bent 90 degrees. The cables are certainly going to need to be properly secured down if I'm going to have any chance of using magnetic catches. I rate Schaller very highly in so many ways, but the fitting of the bridge, the total lack of instruction or guidance or even reference to the wire spaghetti coming out the botton of the piezo version, the difficulty in routine stringing and re stringing of the bridge and then the preamp where, purely because a designer has completely ignored how the product will be fit and could -so easily- have used more flexible sleeving and thoughtful wire routes is, quite frankly and in my personal view, shoddy. No other word for it.

After a bit of a disrupted week and weekend (real life getting in the way!) I've been polishing the top to see if the gloss is good enough without a re-flattening and re-application. The reason there can be a doubt is that: You can't polish it up until it is properly hard (c 2 weeks) My method - as I always stress in my build threads - will never match a well-applied and buffed poly spray finish. However, it should be 'fit for purpose' in terms of surface finish and overall look. BUT - you don't know if it's fit for purpose until it's polished... Anyway - while this does not bear well a very up-close oblique-light scrutiny, I think it is fit for purpose and doesn't need flattening down and reapplying (which, of course, can sometimes come out worse!): Now - the good thing about THAT, is not only that I don't have to do a re-application and suffer further two weeks of uncertainty, but also I can now drill the remaining control pot holes and try and fit all the fancy electrics in (because while ever there is a possibility of having to re-gloss, the fewer the streak-producing holes in the top the better ) I've started the job - I live in hope that I'll have some sound coming out of this sometime by the end of tomorrow (I could do with finishing this one now!)...although it will take me another week to work out how to get the hatch to sit properly :

Sorry to disappoint, but the ultra-light is another 6 string electric (but same shape as the piccolo bass). I know - well and truly, though temporarily no doubt, shifted to the dark side

Thanks, folks I'm hoping today breaks the back of the remaining jobs....

Thanks But actually no - that's the sister build that is shaped like the piccolo bass. It's the same woods so should look pretty similar but with that one I'm going ultra-light and ultra slim. That one is progressing slowly in the background but will generally always be second fiddle time-wise because it's for me so there are fewer time expectations

Hi. I'm in Derby if tht's any good?