Andyjr1515 Posted February 18, 2017 Author Share Posted February 18, 2017 Fretboard has now been trimmed and squared up ready to hand-cut the slots: Because it is multi-scale, some of the frets will be angles. As such, I will just use a perpendicular block as a blade guide, clamped to the fretboard and bench and a fine-bladed japanese pull-saw. It will take a lot longer and much more care than using a fret-cutting jig, but jigs are generally not capable of cutting angles. The snakewood is a good few inches longer than I need, so I'll be doing a few trial cuts first to make sure the method is going to work OK. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt P Posted February 18, 2017 Share Posted February 18, 2017 i'm loving this build, the more i see of your work the more i want to commission a build from you. This body shape is rather nice as well, can imagine it as a 5 string 34" bass, if i ever have some money for another bass i think you might get an email! Matt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blablas Posted February 18, 2017 Share Posted February 18, 2017 (edited) Your fingerboard looks almost like it came from the same piece of rough lumber as mine did a few years back. Cutting fret slots in snakewood is a tough job, it's seriously hard (harder than ebony!), when I cut the slots in my board the saw tended to clog up, minimized it a bit by putting candle-wax on the saw. The block method you mention is how I always cut my fret slots. Edited February 18, 2017 by blablas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted February 18, 2017 Author Share Posted February 18, 2017 [quote name='blablas' timestamp='1487432789' post='3239782'] Your fingerboard looks almost like it came from the same piece of rough lumber as mine did a few years back. Cutting fret slots in snakewood is a tough job, it's seriously hard (harder than ebony!), when I cut the slots in my board the saw tended to clog up, minimized it a bit by putting candle-wax on the saw. The block method you mention is how I always cut my fret slots. [/quote] Very useful tip - thanks, blablas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted February 18, 2017 Author Share Posted February 18, 2017 [quote name='Matt P' timestamp='1487432146' post='3239775'] i'm loving this build, the more i see of your work the more i want to commission a build from you. This body shape is rather nice as well, can imagine it as a 5 string 34" bass, if i ever have some money for another bass i think you might get an email! Matt [/quote] Always happy to talk through interesting projects Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul S Posted February 18, 2017 Share Posted February 18, 2017 [quote name='Andyjr1515' timestamp='1487436389' post='3239815'] Always happy to talk through interesting projects [/quote] ... or even some of my boring ones.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted February 18, 2017 Author Share Posted February 18, 2017 [quote name='Paul S' timestamp='1487436781' post='3239818'] ... or even some of my boring ones.... [/quote] Yours are ALWAYS interesting, Paul Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted February 19, 2017 Author Share Posted February 19, 2017 (edited) Well, with the normal warning that these threads are always simply about how I personally go about things and never that this is the way you [i]should[/i] go about things, I'm into totally new territory: multi-scale and hand-cut fret slots First thing I did was get everything out into good light! I then clamped a ruler to the fretboard to the workbench, at the angle that the strings will run at and starting at the angled nut position: Then a double-check, triple-check, quadruple-check measure against the treble scale and a sharp tap with a hardened metal point: Then ditto for the bass string run. Then clamping with a squared piece of wood, that has been cut at a height to allow 3mm blade exposure, using the saw's blade clamp strip to prevent the blade to cut too deep: Then gentle sawing against the wood block until the slot was formed, then hard sawing to depth. And yes, blablas, you were right...this is my exercise for the week sorted! And, if I've got everything correct...this should be a 26" to 25" fanned set of slots!: Only time will tell... Edited February 19, 2017 by Andyjr1515 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sblueplanet Posted February 19, 2017 Share Posted February 19, 2017 And if it ain't right.... Lined fretless anyone? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted February 19, 2017 Author Share Posted February 19, 2017 (edited) [quote name='sblueplanet' timestamp='1487524267' post='3240445'] And if it ain't right.... Lined fretless anyone? [/quote] Ah...but first I turn it round and do it better on the other side. And if that isn't right, then the mosaic look, then the.... Edited February 19, 2017 by Andyjr1515 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norris Posted February 19, 2017 Share Posted February 19, 2017 [quote name='Andyjr1515' timestamp='1487532517' post='3240558'] Ah...but first I turn it round and do it better on the other side. And if that isn't right, then the mosaic look, then the.... [/quote] ... Eddie Vanhalen style random stripes? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HowieBass Posted February 20, 2017 Share Posted February 20, 2017 (edited) This is going to be a lefty? Edited February 20, 2017 by HowieBass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted February 20, 2017 Author Share Posted February 20, 2017 [quote name='HowieBass' timestamp='1487582255' post='3240812'] This is going to be a lefty? [/quote] I hope not! What have you seen that I haven't? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HowieBass Posted February 20, 2017 Share Posted February 20, 2017 Well looking at the photo you've posted it looks to me as if the orientation is what I'd see looking down at the fretboard in a playing position, headstock to my left, guitar body to the right. If this is so then I'd expect the bass side to be nearest me (at the bottom of the fretboard in the picture) and this is where the longest string will go but the image suggests the longest string is over on the treble side. As it stands the board seems to have been cut for a left-handed instrument. Does that make sense? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt P Posted February 20, 2017 Share Posted February 20, 2017 it looks right to me, the photo looks like it's what you see when facing the instrument being played by someone else, the larger fret spacing is to the right so i'm assuming that the nut will be at the right hand end of the board as you see it in the photo. this puts the longest (bass) string at the top of the board. M Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jabba_the_gut Posted February 20, 2017 Share Posted February 20, 2017 The dark side of the board is the longest side and would be the top edge (with dots) making it right handed as far as I can tell. Nice piece of wood for the board! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HowieBass Posted February 20, 2017 Share Posted February 20, 2017 (edited) Ahhhhh gosh yeah, was getting all mixed up with fret spacing. Mea culpa! Don't panic! LOL What threw me was the board looks wider on the right so I'd imagined that was the body end! Edited February 20, 2017 by HowieBass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted February 20, 2017 Author Share Posted February 20, 2017 Phew! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted February 20, 2017 Author Share Posted February 20, 2017 [quote name='HowieBass' timestamp='1487594559' post='3240982'] Ahhhhh gosh yeah, was getting all mixed up with fret spacing. Mea culpa! Don't panic! LOL What threw me was the board looks wider on the right so I'd imagined that was the body end! [/quote] Actually, it's a poor photo - the wide angle lens has made the left hand side look narrower - it's actually a rectangle at the moment. I've tried a fret at the far end where I've got a bit of spare and it took it very well (I thought with it being so hard, it might have been brittle...) . Radiusing it is going to be a joy, though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted February 21, 2017 Author Share Posted February 21, 2017 Got visitors over the next few days so I've tried to make some decent progress while I can. Basically I've done all of the machining I need to do before gluing the wings and top onto the neck: As you can see, the control chamber and cable run to it from the pickup position; the pickup cutout in the walnut top, the 'semi' chamber under the teardrop f-hole; the truss-rod slot. Final thing I have to do before anything gets glued is cut the neck plan-view shape. I'll do that once I've checked the positioning of everything...again....! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGreek Posted February 21, 2017 Share Posted February 21, 2017 Visitors interrupting a man's bass build!!?? How dare they!! Have they got no manners?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted February 21, 2017 Author Share Posted February 21, 2017 [quote name='TheGreek' timestamp='1487693938' post='3241906'] Visitors interrupting a man's bass build!!?? How dare they!! Have they got no manners?? [/quote] I know! Truly shocking Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted February 22, 2017 Author Share Posted February 22, 2017 With everything internal routed, I stained the inside of the 'f' hole chamber and glued it all up. Then a quick wizz round with a top-bearing trimmer using the walnut top as the template, and then finish off the last bit with a bottom bearing trimmer bit with the bass the other way up. It looks deceptively complete at this stage... : And from the back, a similar arrangement to Nic's Mouradian, albeit this will be left natural mahogany: Note that the mahogany is at the moment deeper than the neck. I'm probably going to go for a scoop at the back and curve at the top as Mick's 'Silk' bass or my bubinga fretless: There's a lot of carving to do! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGreek Posted February 22, 2017 Share Posted February 22, 2017 Good thinking - reduces weight (probably won't matter too much on this though) and the profile makes it easier to play - no jamming in the ribs (good album title?). Looking good... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted February 22, 2017 Author Share Posted February 22, 2017 [quote name='TheGreek' timestamp='1487783925' post='3242883'] Good thinking - reduces weight (probably won't matter too much on this though) and the profile makes it easier to play - no jamming in the ribs (good album title?). Looking good... [/quote] Yes - and thanks My other thought, which was actually where I started in my thinking, is to do a proper top binding on it, and with the curvy/ comfortable back. Now I can actually pick the thing up, it makes it easier to visualise... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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