Andyjr1515

Of course, just because I'm waiting for some bits doesn't mean that there is NOTHING I can do. This morning, I slimmed the maple fretboard blank down to just a tad over 6mm: ...and then dimensioned it to slot into the top. I am able to rough-shape one half too - I have to leave the top edge straight as the datum of the fret cutting jig: Don't worry about the lower horn join - it isn't carved yet!

[quote name='Andyjr1515' timestamp='1494015087' post='3292688'] No...which is why I didn't invest when I was doing the piccolo fan fret. [/quote] Actually, Norris, when I think about it, I'm not quite right here. Yes you can offset the two sides of the mitre box to produce a square but angled cut (if that makes any sense). However, you couldn't use the template plates, which is the one of the main attractions of the system...

[quote name='Norris' timestamp='1494013313' post='3292666'] Does it do angled cuts? [/quote] No...which is why I didn't invest when I was doing the piccolo fan fret. Also, I've realised I need to get the wide plate for this build (another 45 Euros) because the fretboard blank is much wider than normal as it will extend the full length of the body. Ditto for the sanding block. I remember thinking that but then got distracted and went into 'auto' when I placed the order... Bummer...means I can't make any progress until sometime back end of next week based on the shipping time for this order!

[quote name='Norris' timestamp='1493997149' post='3292508'] Ooh - nice slotting jig. Is that from G&W? [/quote] Yes. It's very nicely made. I've generally used a square block clamped to the fretboard, but it does give me the heebie-jeebies everytime I do it. Design-wise, the Stewmac and LMI ones are better because they incorporate a clamp but they are quite a bit more expensive. Nevertheless, this will be much more sure in the positioning than my present method

The reason that there's been no Andyjr1515 for a few days, apart from the prohibition order, is that I've been waiting for these: ...which arrived about 30 minutes ago So this weekend is fretboard weekend And it's a long one. This might take some time!

[quote name='JPJ' timestamp='1493986408' post='3292384'] No sign of Andyjr1515 for three days, should we be sending out a search party? [/quote] [quote name='Jabba_the_gut' timestamp='1493988080' post='3292401'] Hey Andy, I presume this will be finished for the Midlands Bass Bash?..... [/quote] Yes - It absolutely will be at the Bass Bash and Yes - It absolutely will [b]not[/b] be finished for the Bass Bash!

I think this is a bit like 'do you believe in ghosts'. Is there something tangible and real that people are sensing? Probably. Is their interpretation and explanation of what they are sensing correct? Probably not The trouble with the purely mathematical approach above, is that, unless you build all of the factors into the equations, it misses out all of the other factors relating to string tension and harmonics and soundboard resonance and harmonics within the soundboard etc, etc, etc. Anyone who has tap-tuned an acoustic top will confirm that what you do with the braces makes a huge difference to the sound, will probably confess that they don't fully understand exactly where to sand off 0.2mm off a brace for the 'best' result, but that it can make a big difference, and that they broadly end up with a result that is at least in the spectrum of sound they were after. But it will be just very slightly different to the next one they build. Basic mathematics probably says that the three strings for each note of a piano should be tuned to the same note. Ask a piano tuner. If you do that, it doesn't sound right. So each of the three strings are pitched very slightly different to each other. There is a mathematical explanation, but it's a very complex one So does tuning an acoustic guitar down part of a semitone make any difference? Absolutely. The harmonic and sub harmonic points will be in slightly different places because the string tension and the resonance points of the top and braces will interact to the changes frequencies. Will that be better? No....it will just be different. Will I be able to hear it? Some people will and some people won't. Most people are unlikely to hear it through a basic recording.

[quote name='owen' timestamp='1493819769' post='3290937'] I went to Luminlay [url="http://s8.photobucket.com/user/peredur/media/18261605_10154735908570186_927547628_o_zpsnivbojrc.jpg.html"][/url] [/quote] They're great - aren't they And they're just as good in daylight. These are the ones on gelfin's Mouradian-style:

Thanks, folks. With any luck, it will look properly finished when the side fillets are in place and the back carved I'm waiting for a 20" radius block to arrive and then will start working on the fretboard and top carve. I'll do the back carve last when I know how much wood I've got left to play with....

[quote name='TheGreek' timestamp='1493726503' post='3290134'] Beautiful touch Andy...it'll be little things like this that will make the design. Well chuffed with the progress. [/quote] Excellent - that's what I like to hear

Thanks for the encouraging words, folks One of the challenges of this kind of build is envisaging quite how things are going to work - particularly curves and carves. And then that links to the sequence you do things. If I was better at envisaging shapes (some people are very good at this but I'm not), then the last thing I would want to do for all other practical reasons would be the tuner-block infill. But actually, because as soon as I start carving, pretty much everything is going to be curved, I have decided to put that on first and at least get the shape in my head from one 2-D viewpoint. So on goes some laminated neck offcut, angled accordingly and with an ebony veneer demarcation line: And then out come the chisels. The finished article will have two thin outside maple curved fillets to finish it off - and that will carve through to the general curve of the back, but I now can see how that will work (remember that the body panels at the back will be scooped so that the body edges at the join will be level with the neck, taking away completely the rebate you see in these shots):

I'm devastated, Mick, but can't make it, I'm afraid. Like NickD, though, would be very pleased if you accept my entry fee and diesel money anyway. FOLKS - if it is ANYTHING like last year's bash, it is such a well run and hugely rewarding experience.....

[quote name='TheGreek' timestamp='1493647596' post='3289666'] Coming on strong...not sure whether to go with black, white or gold strings.... [/quote] As the AJRGuitarmods saying often goes, "If ever this actually makes it through to completion, you can have whatever b****y coloured strings you want!"

[quote name='JPJ' timestamp='1493646858' post='3289658'] Definitely a seminal moment in this build. And if ever an image reinforced the old saying 'you can never have enough clamps' then this is it [/quote] Absolutely. I don't know what pressure the big bench vice was applying, but I reckon combined the force was pretty massive

And here we have a self-supporting glued assembly where everything is broadly in the right place!

OK - I really did run out of excuses to avoid gluing the second body wing. Now this is a busy photo...but there's a lot going on: The side is being clamped with the big bench vice, and sash clamps and adjustable clamps. I am using the offcuts from the body blanks to give me squared-up surfaces for the clamps to work on. The top clamps are holding the two wings against the bench so that it will be flat and even on the top when I unclamp and turn it over. Additionally, I have an old bass string making sure the cable run's clear of glue (I've used it as a swab a now will leave it in place to take out once it's all dried) and I've loosely positioned the tuner block to make sure that the body section is in EXACTLY the right place...and it is

Well, there's little excuse not to glue this all together soon.... The cable runs are cut - rounding corners wherever possible to avoid snagging - and the cutout on the lower body wing has been done and checked for positioning of the tuner block: The ebony overlap will be taken off before I glue the wing on, now i know exactly where the wing will join. The one thing I will have a think about is whether to glue it with a removable string / cord in the cable channel to be pulled through while the glue is still soft - it would be a beggar if the channel got filled with glue squeeze-out...

[quote name='Si600' timestamp='1493503292' post='3288868'] Silly question, but thinking back to the drawings and mock ups, have you cut the bridge slot the wrong way, or am I seeing the top as the back? It makes sense in my mildly tipsy head! [/quote] Happily, it is right . Mind you, you wouldn't believe how many times I checked before I cut or glued anything!

[quote name='LukeFRC' timestamp='1493482063' post='3288703'] like don't get me wrong - I think it's utterly mental. But it looks awesome so far. [/quote]

[quote name='LukeFRC' timestamp='1493470047' post='3288590'] Looks great! [/quote] Thanks!

The top body wing is now glued and I have the next "Just sit and look at it and THINK about it, Andyjr1515 - AND DON'T TOUCH A BLOODY THING UNTIL YOU HAVE!!!!!!" phase You can see the slot where the strings will come through the fretboard and also the rebate that the body-section of the fretboard will slot into. There is a similar rebate at the back, which will be carved up to the neck position to form the under-curve of the body. The top of the neck is flat up to the lower wing join (24th fret) and then angles down a touch to at least get a couple of mm or so extra room between the plucking/picking hand and the body top. The "sit and think" time here is quite important - how many of us builders have ended up with a complete body and then thought, "Ah....now how am I going to get the cable from the pickup to the control chamber??? Ooops!" - and with the added innovation of the individual coils, that really would be a bit of a problem. Still - I reckon I'll be producing a bit more sawdust before the end of tomorrow. And then I'll be able to glue the bottom wing on and we then have something that is really going to start looking like a bass

That looks lovely, Paul

You must be all thinking that this build is taking a bit longer than my normal fairly-rapid-but-maybe-a-bit-cavalier efforts Well, there's a good reason for it. It is the sheer number of things that could render the whole thing down to fire-wood So I basically look at it, and sketch it, and go through a mental action on it and look at it again and sketch it again and go through.....well, you probably get the picture. One of the challenges is that there are no easy datums. Anyway, on with the next scary bits - some cutting and some gluing. The first cut (contrary to the little ditty) is actually quite shallow - it's the first chisel cut in the body wing for the tuner block to fit against: The better I get at sharpening and using chisels, the more I prefer using them. With routers, there is SO much that can go irretrievably wrong SO quickly.... This is how the tuner block will fit the slot: By the way - I talk about the lack of easy datums. Because I will be carving both the top and back of the body, then at this stage the neck has to be accurately positioned somewhere in the middle of the body wing, as denoted by the pencil lines you can see. The top will have the fretboard slab set into the 4mm rebate, covering the laminated neck: and the back will be carved up to the neck to give the 'contact lens' profile curve. The neck and upper body wing is presently glued and clamped up. I'll post a shot in the morning when I un-clamp it. No turning back now!

The pause in apparent progress is a bit of an illusion. In the background, lots has been going on....and it's very exciting You will see above the excellent thoughts and suggestions from both Martin (customstocker) and from Marko (MPU) relating to custom pickups. Mick and I have followed up these links and delved into the possibilities of individual coil custom pickups as a potential solution. If you are AT ALL interested in some stunning thinking and practical, performing solutions, do follow up with these guys. Both Marko (MPU) and Martin (herrickpickups) have some really, really impressive examples of some really, really impressive work! In the end, for no better reason than Mick has had previous contact with Martin, I've gone with Herrick - but trust me....I'd have gone very happily with either Great stuff, guys ! This is the new plan we've been discussing: [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]The basic idea - in order to preserve the integrity of the neck and also have a continuous full-length 'fretboard' (nut to tailstock) - is to:[/font][/color][list] [*]Have them as individual coils [*]The coils will be inserted from the back of the bass. This will be covered by a hatch made from a slice of laminated neck off-cut [*]The slugs will be height adjustable from the back. The fretboard will be blind-drilled to within 1mm of the fretboard surface, to allow the slugs to be within 3mm or so from the strings but remain hidden. Because of the different harmonic points from the rake angle of each coil - it is very useful to be able to adjust the slugs by a mm or so. Also, because there is a volume difference across this rake, the resistance values (ie number of windings) will progress across the coils to compensate [*]the coils will be pressed into position by thin foam pads attached to the rear hatch [*]A cable run slot will be routed into the side of the neck prior to gluing to the body wings [/list] It's a much better solution than the one I'd originally designed. This one feels right as opposed to 'the end justifies the means' Thanks once more to Martin and Marko I love this forum

[quote name='MPU' timestamp='1492969797' post='3284496'] If you want to have one more option for pickup I can wind you four round coils (like the coils on Wal pickups) that you can mount in round holes about 20mm diameter. If you want to check my work please search for MPU in Talkbass or Pickup makers forum. [/quote] Round coils is certainly something we've been considering, MPU I'll follow the links and drop you a PM. Thanks for the post.