Andyjr1515

Hi, All I know I will be an out-of-region interloper, but I'll be at the bash too I have agreed with Mick to bring along his 'mystery bass rebuild' [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/283510-thegreeks-mystery-bass-rebuild/"]per the ongoing build thread here[/url] Mick knows it's a very long shot that it will be finished by then but I will be able to:[list] [*]meet him (and y'all) in person [*]pass it over if it's actually finished [*]let him drool and then cruelly whisk it away again if it isn't [/list] I'll also bring along my bubinga fretless and my avatar veneered Squier VM Jaguar. Everyone will be welcome to play them - but just don't ask me to...it would be a dreadful end of a perfectly decent bash Look forward to seeing you all there Andy

OK....back to structural stuff. The guitar builder's equivalent of that tried and tested remedy that 'if all else fails, hit it with a sledgehammer!' The two new/remaining body cracks on the two horns.... [list] [*]Mask up as best as can be to stop the cyano soaking into the wood in too many places: [/list] [list] [*]Pour two complete mini-tubes of cyano into the crack. Wicking is a wonderful phenomenon!!!: [/list] [list] [*]Put MASSIVE clamping pressure to close the gap: [/list] [list] [*]Leave longer than normal for superglue setting. [/list] The above one is still curing, but this is the other side that I did last night using the same method: In the meantime, Mick's stupendous Sims Super Quad pickups arrived: ....leaves one with somewhat overwhelming sense of responsibility not to f***k it up By the way, I've agreed with Mick that I'll come to Herts Bash with this, either:[list] [*]to pass this across to Mick in the unlikely event that it is finished in time [*]to let Mick have a look at the progress - and the rest of you all who will be going - before whisking it back from under his desperate and eager eyes to finish it off [/list]

There is some fabulous and true craft-work on this build. I love the organic look....

Just to give Mick his daily fix.... ....finished the reshape of the neck and heel. I haven't changed the profile of the neck - I don't want to mess with it too much ref the strength issue - but I reduced the width of the neck by around 5mm to fit a more 'modern' nut width and so needed to get rid of the sharp corners. The heel is looking a lot slicker: Those marks in the maple are splices - it was one of the reasons I was pretty sure that this was originally a copy build rather than an early Alembic. There are signs - even ignoring the later hacking - of gifted amateur rather than commercial professional about the original build. There are more splices at the nut: At first my thoughts were that this could be an inner scarf join arrangement (I do that sometimes with the inner splices) but then you see this bit: ie, two badly executed fill-ins for a badly judged couple of maple strips... It matters not - it actually adds to the mojo of the original build in my view More of a concern is that the extra split has been joined by another one: ...but again, fixable because it is not structural, either using super-dooper-strength glue wicked in or - if that doesn't work, just filled. I don't think they are new cracks - I think they were always there but now you can simply see them more clearly. Other progress while it's still dry was getting out my cheapest-bandsaw-on-the-market: ...and cutting these slivers from offcuts of the already thin walnut back panel timber to eventually become coordinating control covers: They are a shade under 2mm. Not bad for a cheapo saw. Note the ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL pusher stick, though, if anyone wants to try something similar and retain their fingers!

[quote name='Joebethell' timestamp='1463428184' post='3051314'] Got a hint of a fatter EB0/3 with the new edges I like it always had a soft spot for that design. [/quote] Interestingly, that's probably going to be my next full build. Our old-gits-band's bassist has been going on at me for months to build him one. I think I probably need to yield to the pressure before the end of 2016...

[quote name='blablas' timestamp='1463414457' post='3051168'] You make me blush Andy. I've been making (and designing) laboratory equipment for a living for almost 35 years now. In my childhood years I was almost always busy trying to make things, however in those days was better at breaking them , this breaking taught me a lot in how to fix things and how they actually worked. In short, I've been building all my life, been educated in it, I'd better be good at it . [/quote] You see, that's the difference between us, Blablas . I did a Mechanical Engineering degree on the same basis - a childhood of curiosity of how everything mechanical works a boxes and boxes of bits that I needed to put back together. Someone should have told the young Andyjr1515 'It's not a mechanical engineer you need to be....it's a mechanic!' Suffice to say, NEVER cross over a bridge I've designed....

[quote name='TheGreek' timestamp='1463401198' post='3050997'] Good thought - Andy, can you have a think about this please?? Thanks Blablas, nice to have your input (I've seen some of your work..also very nice) [/quote] That's an understatement, Mick. Blablas' builds are simply in another league

[quote name='blablas' timestamp='1463400676' post='3050990'] On seeing this picture I would slim down the heel area as well, there is enough real estate there you can to remove. This will also get rid of, or at least tone down, the damage that can be seen there. [/quote] Yes - that's planned - it will be slimmed right down as a smooth transition. This was just the first rough carve of the body - (unfortunately) plenty more to do Along with the other stuff, I'm slimming down the neck so will reshape that - I'll do the heel at the same time.

One of the things that Mick has suggested is to slim down some of the edges to lighten it (visually and actually) and to show off the layers. The lower part of the main body area is more limited because the control chamber has been cut quite deeply. However, the upper area gives a great opportunity. Dampened down to simulate a 'finished' colour this is how it is starting to look after the rough carve: Starting to look like a bass...

Some great progress this morning - although 'me poor old arthritic joints' are suffering a bit now. Lets start with the challenges. Not a huge concern, but this is a new split...: ...and the sanding dust revealed a split in the ebony. Again, I am pretty certain the neck is alright and think this will have happened when the body join failed. It does reinforce the need to put a cross-dowel in the neck heel though, just in case: But onto the progress - continued rough shaping the scallop in the back of the body: Finished the rough-shaping of the new walnut panels: Started sanding the body and neck down. Levelled the fretboard...now that's what I CALL a levelling beam!!!! Slimmed the neck to match the brass nut Mick sent to me: Not bad for a morning's work....

[quote name='Norris' timestamp='1463077277' post='3048418'] Very nice to use at affordable prices. Some woodworking tools are absolutely gorgeous but ridiculously expensive. I could do with a spokeshave - what do you use for carving your necks? [/quote] Hi, Norris I use a spokeshave. For most of my builds, I used a cheapo Draper one (but with a well sharpened blade). The last couple, I've used the Veritas one...it was quite pricey at £92 but worth every penny... Andy

[quote name='TheGreek' timestamp='1463068844' post='3048316'] Aaaah...my daily fix satisfied...thanks Andy Nice to see the progress... [/quote] Yes - I'm pleased with how it's starting to progress...

[quote name='Norris' timestamp='1463072099' post='3048365'] Looking good! [/quote] Thanks, Norris! By the way - also got a Shinto....brilliant! Thanks for the tip-off

Busy domestic duties day tomorrow, so thought I'd try and get on with this as much as I could today. With a flush bearing router bit, I trimmed the walnut to shape and size: Then routed the middle down to the thinnest point for the scalloped back: I always prefer to go to hand tools pretty quickly on this sort of thing - too much can go wrong too quickly with a router - so instead of routing contours, I set about it with a block plane and this new acquisition - a curved-base pullshave (fantastic!): Not finished, but I was! I basically stopped when I was k*******d - more curve to create (will end up a smooth concave) but hopefully you see where we're going with this: Weather permitting, basic body shaping should be complete on Saturday. Then it will be neck and headstock to get straight, slimmed and tidy.

Real craftsmanship on display here. Lovely job indeed

It's just started raining again.... ....but not before I managed to rout off the other oak panel! It still has to be flattened and the joint line trued up, then glued and clamped like the right hand side one, but this is broadly what it will look like when the left hand side is in place. Both are still oversize so will be also brought down to finish outline and size.

Success - managed to get the bandsaw out on the patio and cut the blanks: ...then flattened, keyed and glued the first one (where the oak had already been removed) on. With the mantra a number of us were chanting at the Midlands Bash..... 'You can't have too many clamps!':

The weather gods were obviously still p****d off that they slipped up over the weekend and gave us a couple of days of sunshine, so it proceeded to rain all morning. Nevertheless, there was inside stuff to get on with - removing the frets. Here are the essentials: [list] [*]A hot soldering iron - to soften wood glue, if the frets have been put in with some glue, and soften the 30 years of crud under the frets that has a habit of pulling off the top of the fretboard with it [*]A sharp knife to run under the fret sides to break any remaining crud stuck bits [*]Some proper ground fret pullers...essential to prevent major damage in removal [/list] You can see where the tangs have come out (or went in) - they don't matter because they will be hidden by the new fret, but what you are trying to avoid is the bigger chips flaking off the very brittle top edges of the ebony at the fret slots. All frets are out and the damage is relatively light: In the meantime...dryness has crept into Derby. I'm going to get the outside stuff on the go before the weather gods spot their mistake...

[quote name='FuNkShUi' timestamp='1462955485' post='3047161'] Think that new back panel will look great!! Might be tempting to change the front one after seeing it..... [/quote] We've got some dastardly plans for the front panels....

I'm praying for the rain to stop - I'd like to bandsaw the new back panels and rout off the remaining oak one later today I still have to tidy up the new joint line, but this is broadly how the new panel will look: In terms of both together - bearing in mind that the bandsaw guideline outlines you see are oversize and the walnut will darken from this - this will be the visible figuring:

Three for me....and I don't really play the bass!!! I have: My own design Bubinga Fretless. Taken me a while to get it how I want it but now very happy with it. The veneered Squier VM Jaguar (per my avatar) A Harley Benton deko acoustic that, with some D'addario black nylons that cost more than the bass (which I think was all of £30), punches well above its weight

For all those not fortunate enough to get to the Midlands Bash, Jez's basses, including this one, are jaw-droppingly good. Utterly aspirational...

Good news! The tuning held true. No sign at all of movement. Tuning held overnight so I think the neck is stable. I might add a cross-dowel in the heel just to be doubly sure the neck doesn't split from the body upwards but other than that, it seems strong enough. In fact, very strong. The trussrod tightens fine but does nothing at all to the neck relief. But actually, releasing all the tension on the strings does nothing either. Basically, I think the neck is so stiff, it isn't moving at all. That might be OK. I will be taking off the frets, flattening the fretboard and refretting. As long as it never moves, it should be fine (a number of basses nowadays have carbon rods and no trussrod - same principle)...but of course there is no guarantee. As expected, the action is very high due to zero neck angle paired with a T-o-M bridge. I think the bridge (and stop tail to some extent) will need to be recessed into the body and dropped by about 5mm to get a decent action. There's enough depth to do this although it will mean that intonation adjustments would require slackening the strings to lift the bridge out of the recess to get to the adjustment screws. I don't think that is a big issue as it is very rare for basses to need intonation changes once they've been initially set. Warwick bridges and stop tails are similarly recessed so it is not such an unusual state of affairs. Mick and I are now starting to discuss the final shape, the finish and, of course, the pickup types and arrangements. One question Mick has asked is whether it was at all feasible to put a curvature to the body cross-section similar to Warwick or my own bubinga fretless? I think the answer is probably yes to a reasonable degree. The top can't be cambered any more than it is already because the control chamber is too close to the upper surface. However, it is feasible to scoop out the back by 5 or 6mm, reflecting the curvature of the top: I actually think that might be a nice thing to do. It's a chunky old thing, as the folk at the Midlands Bash saw, and scalloped out at the back might look pretty cool and also take a bit of bulk out of it....

The crucial test - the go forward or not test - is underway...and so far so good If the neck is stable under string tension, we have a live rebuild. If not, then it's back to the drawing board. Mick had sent me some nice Sperzel tuners, a brass nut and a T-o-M bridge and stop tail. For the string test, the only thing I needed to fit was the stop tail and tuners. The latter will need a bit of work, but good enough for this test - clearly a previous owner was indecisive where to fit them: Next was a rough fret flattening - the frets are coming out but they need to be flat to be able to measure the relief and truss-rod effectiveness. You can see by the levelling beam swarf that it's a bit bowed!: Next was fitting the T-o-M stop tail bushes. Mick's preferred string length is medium so the stop tail has to be a bit closer to the bridge than normal to ensure the strings are clear of the binding at the nut. This was one of those check, double-check, triple-check, double-triple check occasions: Then loose fit the nut, loose fit the bridge and string her up! And so far so good. No sign whatsoever of strain or movement on the neck, tuning holding so far. I'll leave it overnight and then do some checks of the bow, relief, effectiveness (and/or need) of the truss rod etc., before hopefully declaring an end to the first phase, that of feasibility and structural checks Andy

There was great interest in this at the Bash. Two things came out of it: Confirmation that those oak panels have got to go. They almost move before your very eyes I have seen the inspiration and aspiration....Norris's reconditioned Aria! Let's hope it survives the stringing up test....