Andyjr1515

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

Having gone well beyond the call of duty in a shed-clearing and rearranging task yesterday, I've gained an 'all day pass' The reality is that, having spent all morning scraping and sanding, my hands have just about had it for the day Still, I'm pleased with how it's starting to look. Basically the top has now had the chatter marks removed and the chamfer is pretty close to being comnplete. I dampen everything because it is a lot easier to see the bits I may have missed. Here it is so far: Bit of tidying up to do but not too much I've also scraped the chatter off the back and rebated the control chamber, but haven't started the chamfer on that yet. The neck heel, by the way, will be taken right back to the body join: I'm going to call time for this one today otherwise the arthritis will give me substantial gyp by the morning!

[quote name='3below' timestamp='1472244655' post='3119847'] Gorgeous colour and very unfair. This is where my next build is going but in the bass guise, early EB0 but with two pickups. If you were going 'brown' which colour ink would you favour? [/quote] This will make you smile....for browns I would probably use one of the Chestnut Spirit Stains rather than ink

Yup - as good as I remember it

[quote name='paulnb57' timestamp='1472238938' post='3119780'] Based on Andy's use of ink, I have used Waterproof green Quink ink with good results on a quilted maple Strat, 3 years on its still the same colour and has never seen a case.... [/quote] I remember that! It is a beauty. Worth posting a shot?

[quote name='3below' timestamp='1472154019' post='3118995'] Which red stain are you using? Apologies if mentioned earlier. [/quote] Ignore the neck tenon, but this is probably the kind of shade I'll be aiming for, a WIP double cut electric I'm doing for myself. It will probably look a bit darker on the SG's wood but similar tones. Bear in mind of course that cameras and monitors struggle like hell to reproduce reds properly.

[quote name='Bass Culture' timestamp='1472204479' post='3119374'] As a fountain pen user myself i'd say Diamine definitely offer the largest range of inks and they're also a top quality, British product. As an alternative though you might also want to look at Pelikan Edelstein Ruby Red. Those are really good inks too. BC [/quote] Yes, BC - I've used Pelikan in the past too. Good range also for anyone who is interested in trying it out. One of the reasons, while we're back on the topic all, that I (and maybe BC too?) like using these inks is that the wood you are applying any stain to makes a HUGE difference to the finish stained colour. As such, the end result almost always is nothing like the colour sample you start with. If you take the 'traditional' stains, such as the excellent Chestnut Spirit stains, that means that you are going to end up with the colour you end up with and not necessarily the colour you had in your head. With the vast range of ink colours, with people like Diamine also doing sample quantities, you can try maybe 5 shades to get much closer to what you're aiming for. Not saying you should use ink, just saying that's why I do

[quote name='Norris' timestamp='1472215497' post='3119530'] He"s probably talking about me I did some colour fastness tests on several lovely shades of blue, that faded quite badly. I had no issues with the red I tested. Wanting a blue guitar, I had to resort to the limited range of blue shades available as "proper" aniline wood dyes. I'd rather have used the ink if it hasn't faded so badly - ending up almost grey in some cases. [/quote] Just to clarify, Norris and have been working in unison on this. . Norris has done some accelerated fade tests on specific colours which produced some interesting results. Linked to Norris's practical experiments, it is on my ever increasing 'to do' list to contact Diamine to see if they actually have fade stats for each of their colours. I used to use only calligraphy inks (designed to stay legible for hundreds if not thousands of years....think Lindisfarne Gospels) but, of course, the colour choice is limited. The colour choice for standard inks is VAST, but there lies the unknown. I've used reds, greens, blues, turquoise, yellows and oranges and, to date, have never had any fade issues...but there may well be come colours in the range that are not so great. Hence Norris and I spending time on it because it's very cheap and an un-matchable range of colours if we can be sure which ones to avoid. This is the debate

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1472214045' post='3119504'] Why does this "kick off a debate". Surely as long as the wood takes the colour and it is reasonably light-fast it shouldn't matter what it was originally intended for? [/quote] It is simply that a few of the colours are actually not fully light-fast. Having said that, nor were Gibson's Personally, I've never had any problems with the fairly wide range of colours I've used and my own guitars and basses hang on the wall in full sunlight.

Great collection! Looking forward to seeing the continued progress on the 10 string build. I like the look of that bridge

The only reason that there's so much 'good advice' from us all is that we've ALL scored a few home goals with routers!

[quote name='scojack' timestamp='1472162052' post='3119103'] +1 (Think weve all done this, i certainly have). I do 3mm at a time, you should hardly get any resistance,that way you can feel straight away when something goes wrong . It's good to get into the habit of checking the bit and depth stop are tight every time you pick the router up, works for me but then i'm getting doddery. [/quote] ..and Ian (Scojack) makes the same point!

[quote name='3below' timestamp='1472158451' post='3119049'] Ron Kirn describes using a top bearing trimmer bit with a template. Take the first cut with template. Lower the bit and then use the newly cut body as the template for second lower cut. Seems plausible to me. Could take quite small passes e.g. 1/2 inch at a time. Am I missing something obvious. [/quote] The principle is right, but with a 1" bit, already projecting far enough for the top bearing to reach the template, will you have enough plunge travel to plunge a further inch? Norris makes a very important point, by the way. With routers it's multiple passes taking off small increments that's the order of the day!