Andyjr1515

Beautiful job

[quote name='6v6' timestamp='1473291060' post='3128859'] I think it's a trick of my dodgy photo, the wings are solid (I've stripped the back and most of the sides now) [/quote] In that case maybe mahogany (or similar species). If it's as heavy as hell, it might even be iroko? Whatever - those look to be mighty fine woods. I reckon a clear/natural finish of some description should be there amongst your considered options...

Superb. No other word seems appropriate....

Wonderful. Love this kind of thing.

Fretboard has been radiused to 12" using a wooden radius block. Still got to tweak the body join on the treble side for those eagle eyes amongst you : ...and the rough carve of the neck has been done using shinto rask, spokeshave and cabinet scrapers. Didn't take too long - about half the time as a very simple question to the vodafone webchat helpdesk: I will be rounding off the heel transition a bit more and have still got some tidying up to do near the volute, but the basic profile and thickness are in place.

[quote name='ezbass' timestamp='1473324314' post='3129011'] Ooh, this is getting really good now. Love your build threads, Andy. [/quote] Thanks ezbass

[quote name='White Cloud' timestamp='1473280462' post='3128725'] Loving this build, also loving your truss rod method. [/quote] Thanks, White_Cloud ! Fretboard is now on: I repeated what I did for the recent dreadnought acoustic - putting a maple veneer between the fretboard and neck - at that time smugly thinking it was a 'new Andyjr1515 feature' only to find at a basschat meeting that Jabba has been doing that for years ... and doing it much better than me Anyway, this is the difference it makes: When it's carved and varnished, it adds a definite touch of class.

Interesting Much more likely to be ash than oak. In terms of the wings, is that a veneer on top? The edges look much lighter...

The truss rod has arrived and so we're back in business. I have a slightly unconventional way of sorting the trussrod and capping which I find speeds up a lot of fiddling. As always for my threads, not suggesting you do it this way - just showing you how I personally do it. The truss rods I use are 6mm wide. As it happens, the middle neck splices I use are also 6mm. If you remember, I offset the centre splice by the trussrod and cap depth when I glued the neck together: This created a naturally central trussrod channel on the reverse side, but I also cut the overhang off and kept it, effectively a 9mmx6mm strip of walnut. I try to make my trussrods removeable (still wouldn't be easy but at least possible)so first thing I do is cut a bit of walnut offcut as a spacer in terms of the basic trussrod position: Then loosely wrap the trussrod in plumbers PTFE tape: Then cut the walnut strip to length, lay it on top of the trussrod and wick some thin cyano to hold it in place. I tack it in two or three places first, then when I run the bead of cyano all the way down, I move the trussrod a few mm back and forth with some needle-nosed pliers to make sure it hasn't been inadvertently glued: Finally, plane down the excess and there is the truss rod in place, capped and potentially removeable with a pair of needle nose pliers and a hefty tug... Finally, I trimmed the ebony fretboard to approximate size (not profiling at this stage) and have a piece of 1mm maple veneer currently being glued to the bottom, clamped between two pieces of marine ply: Later this evening, I'll be gluing the fretboard onto the neck

Watching with interest . You do realise that in 30-40 years, that colour is likely to be de rigueur...

Looking good . My preference is how you're done it - fretboard on, then shape it. It makes it much easier to clamp it properly. You are also right about ratchet-type clamps. They are great for holding things while you position, but useless for exerting the types of forces needed to glue panels and fretboards. Screw-type clamps (sash, C, F or whatever) are all much better at that job! You are also right that 1mm off-centre in your truss rod channel isn't going to affect anything So, Mr 3below, that's 3 out of 3 correct which, by my reckoning, is 100%

+1 for tc polytune clip-on

I like the detailing on the headstock very much. Bodes well

Beautiful job Lovely bass to start off with but add a VERY well executed restoration and it looks the absolute dog's whatsits. Well done

[quote name='6v6' timestamp='1472565518' post='3122153'] Looking very good indeed! I'll hold my hand up as someone who is considering doing my own build as a result of this and other similar inspirational threads, thanks! [/quote] [quote name='PlungerModerno' timestamp='1472583360' post='3122384'] +1. I've been looking at doing a LP Recording/Triumph bass inspired build at some point - May have to include a little SG contouring, maybe even do a double cut LP . . . [/quote] Great stuff - the more builds the better Love to see any progress

I love seeing good quality metalworking. This is A1 stuff. Lovely job, blablas

Last time I tried to get even a standard size fretboard off, it took AGES!!!

Thanks, folks....means a lot

[quote name='3below' timestamp='1472469016' post='3121283'] "Put the spokeshave down and step away from the neck slowly Sir, with your hands where we can see them" I find I need to spend a lot of thinking time (and enjoy it). When I don't the results are usually less than impressive. It never ceases to amaze me how quickly I can forget methods, processes (and stuff I have done in the day job for 32 years...). [/quote]

...and you see....prime example. I'm pretty sure I glue the fretboard on before I carve the neck...and before that, I need to install the truss rod Can't remember - I'll have to go and look at one of my previous build threads (yes, really)

Done the rough carve for the back and the heel: Can't believe that the next job is already the neck carve!!!!! The provision - however small the area is - of a space in the cellar and a workbench down there has made a HUGE difference to the speed of build. Would never have believed it, using exactly the same tools as before. This is going at least double the speed of any build I've ever done before. That, interestingly, brings another challenge. Every one of my builds is a bit of an adventure - my memory is so poor that I usually have to work out almost from first principles what to do next and how best to do it...every time I do exactly the same thing Now, what the old slow method did was to give me enormous amounts of thinking time. What I have to do here and now, is rein back my enthusiasm and force myself to think before I cut. So, even though all my instincts are to get on and carve the neck RIGHT NOW...I must pause....and think....and work out sizes and depths and profiles and how deep the trussrod channel is and... you know, the sensible stuff. Mind you....surely no harm in sharpening the spokeshave blade....and maybe just testing that it works...and...

[quote name='Manton Customs' timestamp='1472330248' post='3120438'] Why, what's wrong with discussing preferences and offering advice based on experience? Nobody is debating anything or dictating how it should be done . I also think you're misunderstanding a bit, or at least jumping to conclusions: I don't believe anyone here has mentioned tone and I'd agree with you, it's not going to alter the sound of the bass . However certain materials will hold up better over time (card will compress for example). I believe you're last paragraph is referring to my post earlier. I stand by that fully. There is nothing wrong with using a shim to resolve an issue. However no professional luthier is going to use a shim on a new build, if they did then they miscalculated. There is no good reason to rely on a shim if you're starting from scratch, the angle should be milled into the neck pocket or the neck itself. Or in the case of Fender style instruments no angle but the pocket cut to the correct depth. [/quote] +1 on all of this This is a discussion, not an argument There is nothing wrong with using a shim and its need can be caused by a number of factors including: new hardware; timber movement; ease or cost of manufacture; error In most cases, a shim wouldn't be designed into a build. If so, a through neck or glued neck would present some issues! A shim will not affect the tone You can use a shim either to raise the whole neck or to angle it. Adding an angle to the neck by shimming at heel or toe has a much bigger effect per mm of shim than a full shim In terms of the material, it can be anything that will not deteriorate or move/crush over time...which I think was the original question

[quote name='alyctes' timestamp='1472337577' post='3120495'] Would you not have trouble sanding it? I could be completely wrong, but I'd be worried that the wood will sand much faster than the metal and you'll wind up with dips in the board. [/quote] I don't think that would be an issue with a decent length radius block. The block will then sand at the rate the metal sands and the wood just goes along for the ride....

[quote name='Bastav' timestamp='1472331316' post='3120445'] Looks great! I would have had a hard time resisting a deeper carve, exposing the wenge veneer. [/quote] Thanks, Bastav! I know what you mean, and I was tempted. Trouble is, to get the maximum effect on the wenge would have meant a much shallower angle and therefore wider chamfer so would go even further away from the SG basic shape than it is already. That said, it was a challenge to get the wenge just breaking through all the way round and still get the correct widths of the chamfers in the various places!

[quote name='White Cloud' timestamp='1472317030' post='3120340'] This is just so good. Excellent skills indeed and this bass is shaping up to be pretty special. [/quote] You are most kind