Andyjr1515

The thicknessing with a router worked fine with the back slabs of mahogany but less successful with the top. As mentioned, the grain pattern encouraged a longitudinal bow. I straightened them by soaking on one side and clamping overnight, but as soon as I started thicknessing with the router, the bow broke the two sided tape bond, then panels rose and the router started digging in. In the end, I just used my Makita thicknesser - they will still be banana, but at least with a surface capable of being dead flat! So, that done, time to glue the two halves of the top : The two halves are being clamped very securely by the vice at the same time as the levelling beam acting as a caul to keep the two halves flat against the bench, which itself is protected from the glue squeeze-out by a layer of cling film. Tomorrow should see some progress on cutting the top shape / back wings and, if I don't get landed with too many domestic duties, gluing the neck splices together

The mahogany I am using is far from straight and planed. I spent quite a bit of time making a much more substantial router jig to level and thickness the back panels. I have a thicknesser, but it is the renowned 'banana in, banana out' syndrome when you are dealing with uneven surfaces on both sides! This is the rig I built out of some very stiff and perfectly flat IKEA shelves we no longer use!: ...and this is one of the back halves after initial thicknessing: These are how the two halves will sit, with the neck splices in the middle: All marked out - with any luck I'll be able to band-saw these this evening: The 'devil's top' is going to take some thinking about. Probably because of the grain direction (basically what gives it such a stunning figuring) the panels are VERY bowed. I may have to - it had to happen sometime - build the thing conventionally! That is, add the back wings to the neck, then clamp the top panels onto the flat surface. For those who follow my other threads, you will know I usually do it the other way round, which freaks out many a decent builder . Anyway, to try to avoid such a shameful thing as convention, I am seeing if they will flatten. I have thoroughly soaked the concave side, clamped it straight and will leave overnight to thoroughly dry....mmmmm, we'll see

[quote name='scojack' timestamp='1470822380' post='3108678'] Cheers Andy, It's all matching ....... bass front, headstock and cover. [/quote] Yup - [i]very [/i]classy

[quote name='scojack' timestamp='1470584486' post='3106899'] Seen the day when I would attack that with a hand plane Norris ! The gentle (ahem) hum of an electric planer is just as good for the sole. at my age anyway [/quote] Amen to that! It's looking very good, Ian. I particularly like the contrasts and grains of the back and cover. The finished bass is going to be superb

[quote name='6feet7' timestamp='1470774516' post='3108415'] I know absolutely nothing about building basses but something I've done to pretty much every bass I've had since I owned a couple of 1980's Ibanez RB850's (which had this) is move the strap button from directly behind the bridge to 2 or so inches up. That way the body hangs a bit lower and neck comes up, stopping neck dive. Works for me [/quote] Yes - I do this too when I have a problem. I don't expect to have a problem with this one, but it's in the arsenal just in case

[quote name='ColinB' timestamp='1470725863' post='3107877'] Surely weight reduction chambers in the body is going to encourage neck dive, especially on an SG shape... unless you intend to fill one of the chambers with lead? [/quote] Yes - it's a judgement call on all these factors. Basically, what will be pushing the c of g forward is: * long neck * short body and upper horn of SG shape * reduction of weight in body What I will be doing to counter this, is: * pulling bridge further back to the tail, thus shortening the neck * putting the front strap button on the horn, not at the neck heel, thus moving it further forward * moving the top horn, and therefore the strap button further forward than standard * fitting ultralight tuners ...and keep a weather eye on commodity lead prices

What I do, once the bass is close to finish, is to pop the tail button on, and attach the strap and then try the other end of the strap, often using a simple string sling,in various positions to see where the balance and 'sit' lies before deciding the best place for the button. A button at the back of the top horn in standard SG configuration is almost bound to result in neck heavy, hence my modded shape to get the button closer in line with the 13th fret. I look forward to seeing a build thread, 3below!

[quote name='Bassmonkey' timestamp='1470668749' post='3107494'] The step button position is a pain. Its on the back of the neck heel and therefore the guitar leans forward and neck dives too. Would have preferred it on the upper body horn personally Andy [/quote] Yes - been there, done that. What I will do is put the button at the back of the horn so that it doesn't detract from the look rather than the tip. On my own guitars, I often put both on and use whichever, depending how the mood takes me - the sit and feel is subtly different even though they are so close:

OK - this works from a functional point of view. Even when weight relieved and long-scale, it should balance on the strap with the strap button somewhere around the 13th/14th fret. There should also be decent access up to and including the 22nd fret. The upper bout to lower bout length difference is greater than a standard SG but I think visually it will look close enough for an 'in the style of' (as there is a size difference on the real ones), particularly once the bevels have been carved. Anyway, no point in building something Pete can't play so I think this is the shape and layout I'll go for. Now I can work out the controls and weight-relief chamber positions and, hopefully soon, start cutting some wood

Now this is the part where you think you are going nowhere, but if you skimp on it, most likely you're going nowhere....it's the planning stage. The number of times I've routed out a weight relief chamber, and then gone to fit the bridge bushes and...ahhhh, now then, never thought of THAT The main issue here is about balance, weight distribution and scale reach. Although the original EB3 was short scale (although they did do a few long scale ones later), Pete wants 34". He also wants it weight-relieved. Alarm bells then start ringing:[list] [*]If you join the neck where the original was joined, you will struggle to reach the first fret and it will be neck heavy like there is no tomorrow. This is exacerbated by the short upper horn of the SG design - compare this: [/list] ...to this: [list] [*]If you bring the bridge rearward to shorten the apparent scale length, you won't be able to reach the upper frets, due to the relatively small cut-out of the lower horn [/list] So I have spent a lot of time this morning checking the maximum I can afford to bring the bridge back with where that logically means the fretboard needs to meet the body and what the maximum reach from the lower cutout to the 22nd fret would be (it will have 24 frets but I reckon Pete will only be able to comfortably reach 22 of them) With a tiny tweak of the lower horn to deepen the cutout (and maybe a very small extension to the upper horn) I reckon I can get it to work. Visually, I think it still looks like an SG:

[quote name='JPJ' timestamp='1470601803' post='3107065'] Mother fetch the gun, the boy has gone near that red stain...... :-) [/quote] As everybody knows, my name is Bert and I live in Spalding and I'm young and tall and can sing like a lark...you can't miss me

[quote name='3below' timestamp='1470602214' post='3107067'] The figured timber is stunning. Will it have the 666 model number engraved on the truss rod cover? [/quote] Now there's a thought...

[quote name='Rumple' timestamp='1470640931' post='3107198'] Not a lot as I have had a relative staying for the last few weeks, I did manage to get another coat of paint on and drill the hole from the battery compartment to the control cavity. [/quote] Every little helps - 'every step is a step closer'

Another thread I missed the end of along the way That is sooooooo good you could eat it

Somehow missed the update on this! Looking good from here Any more progress since your last post?

That looks really nice, Grangur. The owner will be over the moon

Although they are regarded by some as poor relations, after a lot of reading up, I fitted DiMarzio PJ s to Kert (FuNkShUi)'s camphor single cut custom job http://www.ajrguitarmods.co.uk/camphor%20single%20cut%20bass.htm Time and time again in various forums and reviews they were said to punch well above their weight, be very well balanced and also that the noiseless J was a great boon. Now admittedly I also fitted the Seymour Duncan 2band EQ for maximum flexibility, but both Kert and I have both been VERY impressed how good they sound even at fully neutral EQ. Kert has done a video demo ( I think the link is on the thread).

Great job . Quite a transformation!

[quote name='MoonBassAlpha' timestamp='1470521927' post='3106570'] Looks like the Hohner Steinberger system. You slide the saddle under string tension then lock all the saddles with sideways force using that grub screw visible at the side of the bridge. [/quote] Ah...OK, that makes sense. Thanks

Great job, Grangur

I agree with Scojack - will watch with interest. There are some nice features on the bass. The bridge is intriguing - how do you adjust the intonation?

[quote name='Wolverinebass' timestamp='1470343686' post='3105419'] Where do we place our orders?!! [/quote] In the deep pit that JPJ is going to chuck me down

Huge amount of attention to detail here, Grangur. It's going to look absolutely splendid when it's all put together

Great job on the bridge, Andy! Looks like - actually, better than - new!

[quote name='Myke' timestamp='1470337360' post='3105309'] You obviously have an eye for these things because I wouldn't have ever thought to do colour it! [/quote] It's also that the one stipulation I have been given is that it has got to be red - otherwise heaven knows what I'd have come up with You can never tell until you start staining these things for real, but this is more like the shade it will come out: