JGTay

He wanted it with no neck angle, so the bridge needed to be recessed and I made a feature out of it with the slopes. Also makes changing the strings a lot easier.

The guitar has left with it's new owner, who had a big smile on his face while testing it out. 😁 Dan said he will send me some recordings next week. 😊👍

Dan dropped off the strings and cover earlier. All strung up and truss rod cover in place, he decided to do the cover black, but said he may do it the same colour as the guitar at a later date. Just waiting for Dan to come back from his in-laws and test it out. Still need to cut the excess strings off. Was losing the light for the pic.

The truss rod cover is still with Dan, need to remind him to bring it next week.

Haven't got anything more done on this yet, been busy finishing off a guitar for someone and thought I would show the (almost) finished pics. Dan dropped this off last week after he had taken it away to do the paint job. He had always wanted a BC Rich Mockingbird style guitar and asked me to build him one, but he wanted to do his own finish on it. Still needs stringing up, but Dan is bringing the strings he likes next week when he comes to test it and so long as he is happy with everything, take it away with him. I know it isn't a bass, but just wanted to show what had kept me from carrying on with this fretless build.

Stunning!👍😁

Just realised, I didn't post the final pics of this. Sorry for the delay. Really pleased with how it has come out, loving fretless bass.

This weekends updates. After measuring up and marking out, started getting the neck/fretboard shape done. Then moved on to the radius, started yesterday afternoon and finally finished sanded up through the grades this morning. Leadwood is painful doing the radius by hand. Cleaned up with white spirit. Some really nice grain patterns. Have gone with a thicker fretboard on this build as the strings were closer to the body than I wanted on the last fretless. it is around 11mm in the centre. I then moved onto getting the neck thickness trimmed. That was as far as I got. Tools down until next weekend.

Really good to see you building again and glad the arthritis is allowing it. 👍😁 I do love watching your build progress, but I do find myself questioning my own methods... I have been radiusing the fretboard on my build and it has taken the better part of a day by hand. 🤣

A few updates from the past couple of weekends. After prepping the neck laminates, they were glued up and then I cut the headstock angle. I then removed some of the excess from the back, leaving the headstock thickness full so I can do it in one piece. Next up was the fretboard. It had a slight twist/bend at one end (which is now the nut end), so I drew a centre line, marked out the nut, strings, fretboard edge and the fret positions to make sure everything was correct, before cutting the fret slots and gluing in maple veneer for the lined fretboard. Then I moved on to chiselling out the truss rod channel. This was part way through and testing to see how much more needed removing. (please excuse the sweat drips... it was very warm!!) Finally to the correct depth and level all the way along. And with the truss rod in place. I then marked out and cut to depth for the positions of the humbuckers, but didn't take pics. Haven't removed the wood yet, need to be careful they come out as full pieces as I will hopefully be utilising them when making the pickups. Next was gluing the fretboard in place. Usually I would cut the fret slots after this point, but with the twist/bend I needed to make sure everything was lined up perfectly. I clamped it in place first and drilled through on the outside edges that will be removed so I could use nail pins to hold it in place and keep it lined up when gluing. Then masking tape over the truss rod and cut to size, before gluing and clamping the fretboard in place. Once it had dried it was out of the clamps and lined up with the wings to see how it was all looking. That was where I got up to on Saturday, was hoping to get some more done Sunday, but didn't get any time. So will get back to it next weekend.

See above post 👍

Neck laminates- https://exotichardwoodsukltd.com/product-category/instrument-woods/neck-laminates/ Body and fretboard - https://www.reidtimber.co.uk/shop

Can't wait to get started on it, but needs must and I will get the other builds finished first. Gives me time to ponder shape, etc.

Still got two builds to complete and the wood for the next build has arrived. Through neck consisting of Purpleheart and Wenge, fretboard is Leadwood (Combretum imberbe) and wings are Cherry. Still got to decide on the shape, but going with 34" Scale and fretless. Can't decide on 4 or 5 string, still got time to work it out. Will fully hand wind a couple of humbuckers for this as well.