Finished! And now for something completely different ...

[MacDaddy]

No matter how many self-build threads I see, I am always amazed at the amount of work that goes into it [size=4] [/size][size=4] [/size]

[rOB]

[quote name='wmsheep' timestamp='1481407243' post='3192153']
Love that headstock design.
[/quote]

Me too, showing off the neck construction under the top piece is very attractive.

[Andyjr1515]

[quote name='wmsheep' timestamp='1481407243' post='3192153']
Love that headstock design.
[/quote]
It's an evolution massively enhanced by the input of Tom, Kert and Nic (wwcringe; FuNkShUi; gelfin)

Tom pushed for a cut out on his African bass, then Kert and I worked on reflecting the shape of his single cut using the cut out...then this exposed the lamination, and Nic pushed for a further development to reflect the stunning shape of the Mouradian. In the process, I may have stumbled on a 'signature' concept to go with the swifts logo...for which I will, of course claim total credit

[gelfin]

[Andyjr1515]

Tomorrow is going to be full of distractions so I thought I'd crack on today.

I have got the profile and thickness measurements of Nic's favourite bass. So first was getting the thickness of the neck right, including the transition between neck and body. I use a pullshave for this kind of work:


...and one of the great revelations in the tools world - the tiny but stunningly effective Ibex plane:


This is starting to look right:



Truss rod in, cap on and planed down:




As a passing nod to Chris Squier's own graphics, I put an 'S' at the end of the fretboard:




Then, before tackling the shaping of the neck, this is the time to properly clamp the fretboard. First some location drill holes were put in and a few panel pins to stop the fretboard floating around the neck on top of the wet glue!


Then plenty of glue and even more clamps and cauls :

Edited December 12, 2016 by Andyjr1515

[3below]

Super quality work as always. How do you rate the Veritas pullshave? It looks really useful and I can envisage archtop carving with it.

[Andyjr1515]

[quote name='3below' timestamp='1481567345' post='3193353']
Super quality work as always. How do you rate the Veritas pullshave? It looks really useful and I can envisage archtop carving with it.
[/quote]
I think it's excellent. I bought it with a mind to a carved top archtop and reckon it will be absolutely perfect for the job. It is very much a roughing out tool though - quite difficult to do accurate fine shaves with it, hence the Ibex.

[Andyjr1515]

With the fretboard now securely glued to the neck, the next job is to carve the neck profile and volute. Here is how it came out of the clamps:




With a reminder that what I describe is never 'this is how it should be done', but instead is a description of 'this is how I did it and why'.
[list]
[*]The reason I attach the fretboard before fitting the frets? Because there can be subtle shape changes when gluing the neck. Doing it first means that I can then sand the fretboard completely straight and radiused before the frets go on
[*]The reason I carve the neck profile after fitting the fretboard? Because it is critical to get an absolutely gap-free join....this means huge clamping force with load-spreading cauls. It is almost impossible to get enough clamping force on a curved neck and very difficult indeed to use cauls.
[/list]
For the neck carve itself, I sent Nic a profile gauge and some instructions to make me a template of his favourite-feeling bass and the key depths and widths. He sent me this back:


Although what a bass ACTUALLY feels like is always unique, the idea is to get a familiarity of feel that the player is immediately comfortable with

My next job - hopefully tomorrow - is to cut some stiff plasti-card templates of these shapes and then hand-carve the neck to it's final shape. It's most builders favourite job

[FuNkShUi]

Ooooooo i remember this stage.
Not long now Nic!
Looking superb, as always.

[Andyjr1515]

For the neck carve, I use:

[list]
[*]A tiny little bit of the spokeshave - just to take off the corners, really
[*]A fine microplane - I use this out of its handle (wearing gloves) to run along the neck length to take off reasonable quantities but in a very controllable fashion
[*]A cabinet scraper - this is my tool of preference
[*]The plasticard templates cut from Nic's measurements with the profile gauge
[/list]
The body is clamped to the bench and I work from the headstock end with a cloth against my chest to stop the sharp headstock end digging in!



I also use a fine shinto rasp to carve the basic shape at the first fret - leaving it a bit oversize as a datum

I like to 'creep up to' the final shape. It really doesn't take that long to get to this stage, although the volute and neck/body join take a little longer:


I will still leave it a little oversize, albeit the right shape. I do the final shaping when I can feel what's going on - fully fretted and strings on!

This evening I'll see of I can get the volute and neck/body transition done.

Edited December 14, 2016 by Andyjr1515

[Andyjr1515]

Lots of sanding still to do, but the volute is broadly shaped:





Got visitors over the next couple of days so the progress will slow a tad - it'll give me time to think of what it is I've forgotten to do

[HowieBass]

Whenever I see volutes being carved I always wonder how a luthier decides on the shape and size, particularly how large does it have to be to offer enough strength to the neck head transition and where must the 'peak' sit under (the nut?).

[Andyjr1515]

[quote name='HowieBass' timestamp='1481736891' post='3194728']
Whenever I see volutes being carved I always wonder how a luthier decides on the shape and size, particularly how large does it have to be to offer enough strength to the neck head transition and where must the 'peak' sit under (the nut?).
[/quote]
Yes...me too

[Norris]

On modern scarfed joints it's more of an end-stop isn't it?

[Andyjr1515]

[quote name='Norris' timestamp='1481738085' post='3194742']
On modern scarfed joints it's more of an end-stop isn't it?
[/quote]
Ah...too modern for me, them new fangled scarfe thingies

In terms of the peak, I've always figured that is positioned directly beneath the angle break...certainly this is where there is the least amount of wood in the whole neck. In fact, if you draw a cross section, it is a tiny, tiny amount of wood here!

[Andyjr1515]

[quote name='Andyjr1515' timestamp='1481738660' post='3194755']

Ah...too modern for me, them new fangled scarfe thingies

In terms of the peak, I've always figured that is positioned directly beneath the angle break...certainly this is where there is the least amount of wood in the whole neck. In fact, if you draw a cross section, it is a tiny, tiny amount of wood here!
[/quote]
....and if there is no scarfe, the grain direction is at its most vulnerable here...as the thousands of broken head stocks on Gibsons over the years will support

[White Cloud]

Lovely work!

[Andyjr1515]

[quote name='White Cloud' timestamp='1481745596' post='3194853']
Lovely work!
[/quote]
Thanks, White_Cloud

[cheddatom]

I love watching these come together

[Andyjr1515]

[quote name='cheddatom' timestamp='1481795281' post='3195149']
I love watching these come together
[/quote]
Thanks, cheddatom . To me, it all starts looking right once the neck is carved. Still got to tidy up the neck / body join area, but the rest of it is starting to look right. Still got a few scary bits to do, but not too many, to be honest.

[roman_sub]

For some reason (i guess the awesome body shape and associated excesses!), this build made me think of the 80's Washburn EC29 and EC36 neck-carve:

[url="http://images.postadsuk.com/2015/06/06/postadsuk.com-washburn-ec-29-japan-1988.JPG"]http://images.postad...-japan-1988.JPG[/url]

not sure you'd want to attempt, but just to throw it out there as an idea

Edited December 15, 2016 by roman_sub

[Andyjr1515]

[quote name='roman_sub' timestamp='1481818171' post='3195437']
For some reason (i guess the awesome body shape and associated excesses!), this build made me think of the 80's Washburn EC29 and EC36 neck-carve:

[url="http://images.postadsuk.com/2015/06/06/postadsuk.com-washburn-ec-29-japan-1988.JPG"]http://images.postad...-japan-1988.JPG[/url]

not sure you'd want to attempt, but just to throw it out there as an idea
[/quote]
Oh, wow!

Happily, Nic wants cream

[Andyjr1515]

[quote name='Andyjr1515' timestamp='1481818611' post='3195441']

Oh, wow!

Happily, Nic wants cream
[/quote]
Ah...but you were talking about the neck carve.....

[Andyjr1515]

[quote name='roman_sub' timestamp='1481818171' post='3195437']
For some reason (i guess the awesome body shape and associated excesses!), this build made me think of the 80's Washburn EC29 and EC36 neck-carve:

[url="http://images.postadsuk.com/2015/06/06/postadsuk.com-washburn-ec-29-japan-1988.JPG"]http://images.postad...-japan-1988.JPG[/url]

not sure you'd want to attempt, but just to throw it out there as an idea
[/quote]
On the correct topic, this time

That neck carve is also very similar to Stuart's Mockingbird which I did the recent refurb thread on. They are great but don't really work with the way I construct this type of build...I have a notch where the Washburn has a neck.

The main thing to get right with this one is to account for how much further back the bottom wing is than the top wing. It could be left as I have it here, but there is the opportunity to have a 'half-round' along that length. Easier to describe it with a photo once I've done it

[Andyjr1515]

Another one of the remaining 'scary' bits sorted - drilling the holes for the tuners.

I am fitting Schaller lightweight tuners - smooth as silk, very good fine-tune turn ratio and, with a combination of lightweight metals and GRP, 50% of the weight of standard tuners.

Here they are on:



They have pegs rather than positioning screws, similar to the original Fender guitar tuners - super for rock-solid positioning, but by heck you have to drill them in the right places! Luckily, my measuring and drilling skills are getting better with each project...:



Now I've got those positioned, I can also sort the positioning of the logo swifts....something like this: