wrinkleygit Posted August 12, 2018 Share Posted August 12, 2018 Here is a link to a couple of video clips taken recently in a pub beer garden on an iPhone , a word of warning tho' if you play them back on a phone or tablet the sound quality is not good, however with some decent h'phones or sound system its fairly representative of how the bass sounds thro my SWR working mans 10 combo & matching ext cab, mike b. https://www.dropbox.com/sh/1309lt80ra1iiqk/AABd9pNdlaotYYJag67C0HW6a?dl=0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jabba_the_gut Posted August 12, 2018 Author Share Posted August 12, 2018 Hi Mike, I do like the sound of your set-up - think the bass sounds really good through your SWR. Cheers for posting this! All the best Jez Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jabba_the_gut Posted August 19, 2018 Author Share Posted August 19, 2018 I've been quite busy in the last month or so. Started a new job, been on holiday for a couple of weeks and been having to keep the two small inhabitants of the house occupied during the school holidays. I have got a few tasks completed on these two builds though. Firstly I decided to make the bridges. As usual, I stated off by making some templates. The template I made for the original semi-hollow build was okay for the bridge outline but the piezo will be a different size so a new template for the slot needed to be made. Small pieces like these bridges can be a bit trickier with a router and need to be well clamped to prevent them being ripped to bits and thrown across the room when the router is angry.... Firstly, the ebony for the bridges was cut roughly to size and the mounting holes drilled. These holes will also be used to hold these still whilst they are being routed. The bridge blank was then clamped under the template and a surround made to support the router whilst cutting to size and rounding the edges. The edges were then trimmed to make the blank the size of the template. I then cut a slot the size of the piezo into some more mdf to use as the slot template. The bridge was then mounted behind the slot template and the slot was cut. The blank was then put back on the original template and the edges were rounded. A bit of filing to slope the long edge a bit and some sanding and that's the bridges made. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGreek Posted August 19, 2018 Share Posted August 19, 2018 Clear that you have the Midas touch... Keep up the good work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jabba_the_gut Posted August 19, 2018 Author Share Posted August 19, 2018 I was down in Surrey the last couple of nights at 'Weyfest'. Brother Strut were one of the bands playing - Paul Turner's not bad is he?...….Damn talented man!! Also, Willie and the Bandits are mighty fine and their bass player is another talented bloke. Anyway, I've also routed round the bodies to tidy up the edges and make them the same size as the templates prior to starting to cut the neck pocket, neck bushings, cavity covers and string retainers. I've made templates for the position of the drill holes etc. so this has been pretty quick to do this time (making accurate templates can take quite a bit of time though). The maple body has some really nice flame to it I'm going to use black hardware on these as I think it looks nice matching the ebony but also the contrast with the spalted beech and walnut I'm going to make the cavity covers next then round the edges of both bodies. I got a new router table a few weeks (as my old router failed and my other router doesn't fit - I also wanted something sturdier than before due to a near mishap with the router being perfectly vertical...) which has been drilled to accept my Triton router but is currently sitting unused in the dining room whilst I clear space in the garage!! Not sure how much longer Mrs_the_gut will tolerate it - especially with the toolbox in the utility room.... Waiting to be used: Waiting to be moved: 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted August 19, 2018 Share Posted August 19, 2018 That looks a nice router table My first foray into router tables has opened my eyes to the actual benefit of using a router other than for turning decent basses into matchsticks and BBQ fuel! Those bridges look good enough to eat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jabba_the_gut Posted August 19, 2018 Author Share Posted August 19, 2018 10 minutes ago, Andyjr1515 said: That looks a nice router table My first foray into router tables has opened my eyes to the actual benefit of using a router other than for turning decent basses into matchsticks and BBQ fuel! Those bridges look good enough to eat. Cheers Andy. It's my first proper router table and I've started to see how else it can be used - such as for joining to halves of a top (as per your post the other day). This one has a couple of rods that can go into the aluminium extrusion to act as a shim to make 1/16" or 1/32" difference between the two halves of the fence for jointing. As you say, not the cheapest thing but looks like it should make life a bit easier and give some good results. Just need to get the garage cleared so I can use it now (I bought it 4 weeks ago and its still in the dining room)!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGreek Posted August 20, 2018 Share Posted August 20, 2018 Mrs Jabba objecting to this in the hallway...?? I wonder why.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
honza992 Posted August 20, 2018 Share Posted August 20, 2018 On 19/08/2018 at 15:25, Jabba_the_gut said: I've been quite busy in the last month or so. Started a new job, been on holiday for a couple of weeks and been having to keep the two small inhabitants of the house occupied during the school holidays. I have got a few tasks completed on these two builds though. Firstly I decided to make the bridges. As usual, I stated off by making some templates. The template I made for the original semi-hollow build was okay for the bridge outline but the piezo will be a different size so a new template for the slot needed to be made. Small pieces like these bridges can be a bit trickier with a router and need to be well clamped to prevent them being ripped to bits and thrown across the room when the router is angry.... Firstly, the ebony for the bridges was cut roughly to size and the mounting holes drilled. These holes will also be used to hold these still whilst they are being routed. The bridge blank was then clamped under the template and a surround made to support the router whilst cutting to size and rounding the edges. The edges were then trimmed to make the blank the size of the template. I then cut a slot the size of the piezo into some more mdf to use as the slot template. The bridge was then mounted behind the slot template and the slot was cut. The blank was then put back on the original template and the edges were rounded. A bit of filing to slope the long edge a bit and some sanding and that's the bridges made. Brilliant. Very very nice work. Thanks for showing us the technique. I shall steal it! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jabba_the_gut Posted August 23, 2018 Author Share Posted August 23, 2018 On 20/08/2018 at 20:11, honza992 said: Brilliant. Very very nice work. Thanks for showing us the technique. I shall steal it! No worries. Glad it might be of some use!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jabba_the_gut Posted August 23, 2018 Author Share Posted August 23, 2018 I've done a bit more work on these bodies. I created enough space in my crowded garage to temporarily set-up my new router table and I fitted it with a cutter for rounding the edges of the bass bodies. One of my next project will be to clear all the cr*p I seem to have accumulated in the garage that 'might be useful one day' but has done nothing but gather the considerable amount of dust I create!! I really need to clear the space and make myself a half reasonable working space where I don't need to keep stacking things on top of each other each time I finish a task.... Anyway, the router table seems pretty decent - this is only a simple test for it but it is so much more robust than my previous home made effort. I rounded the edges and I'm pleased with how they look so far. The tops on each body are different thicknesses so the veneer lines are in different places but I think both look fine. The edges now need sanding and belly/arm carves need making which will be the next job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jabba_the_gut Posted August 23, 2018 Author Share Posted August 23, 2018 Just out of interest, I have weighed the walnut/maple body which is weighing in about 1.2kg/ 2lb 11oz. With the neck blank and fretboard (neither shaped) the weigh is about 2.5kg / 5lb 8oz. It should end up about this weight when the tuners, electrics etc are added and the neck wood removed. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted August 23, 2018 Share Posted August 23, 2018 28 minutes ago, Jabba_the_gut said: Just out of interest, I have weighed the walnut/maple body which is weighing in about 1.2kg/ 2lb 11oz. With the neck blank and fretboard (neither shaped) the weigh is about 2.5kg / 5lb 8oz. It should end up about this weight when the tuners, electrics etc are added and the neck wood removed. That's my boy! I shall send you an application form for membership of the "Tell Me Again Why Basses Are So Heavy Association" also known by its handy acronym TMAWBASHA. While the annual subs are high, the benefits of being in such an exclusive society simply cannot be estimated. Trust me. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jabba_the_gut Posted August 23, 2018 Author Share Posted August 23, 2018 Cheers Andy! TMAWBASHA is such a catchy name, just rolls off the tongue!! I think the membership will cost me many pounds...... I'll get my coat. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norris Posted August 24, 2018 Share Posted August 24, 2018 16 hours ago, Jabba_the_gut said: I've done a bit more work on these bodies. I created enough space in my crowded garage to temporarily set-up my new router table and I fitted it with a cutter for rounding the edges of the bass bodies. One of my next project will be to clear all the cr*p I seem to have accumulated in the garage that 'might be useful one day' but has done nothing but gather the considerable amount of dust I create!! I really need to clear the space and make myself a half reasonable working space where I don't need to keep stacking things on top of each other each time I finish a task.... Anyway, the router table seems pretty decent - this is only a simple test for it but it is so much more robust than my previous home made effort. I rounded the edges and I'm pleased with how they look so far. The tops on each body are different thicknesses so the veneer lines are in different places but I think both look fine. The edges now need sanding and belly/arm carves need making which will be the next job. Are you using my garage?! It sounds very similar! Unfortunately my garage is full of greasy bits of my VW camper engine that I'm rebuilding. It's not done much for guitar building time over the summer, but it's Mrs Norris' baby and I regard it as an investment in brownie points against future build time Anyway, you've got a great eye for a gorgeous curve. Beautiful work sir! I look forward to seeing the fruits of your labour at a future bash Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpondonBassed Posted August 24, 2018 Share Posted August 24, 2018 16 hours ago, Jabba_the_gut said: How have you finished the edge of the Norrisole? Is it bound or blackened somehow? Looks good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jabba_the_gut Posted August 24, 2018 Author Share Posted August 24, 2018 36 minutes ago, SpondonBassed said: How have you finished the edge of the Norrisole? Is it bound or blackened somehow? Looks good. Cheers. Yes, I finished the edge of the hole prior to fitting the top. It was sanded, sealed then painted black. It is easier to do this it this was whilst I could still get at both sides of the top. I did the same on the previous version - just seemed to look a little cleaner to my eye. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGreek Posted August 24, 2018 Share Posted August 24, 2018 (edited) Love the soft contours on these. We can see they're both going to be works of Art. Pretty sure you're not planning on keeping them both. Some lucky person born out of wedlock will get a lovely bass, but how will you decide who? Blindfold naked foot race through a field of stinging nettles? Chilli eating competition? or just a plain old Fight to the death? Shirley it won't be as boring as "who has the requisite number of pictures of the Queen on the day"...that would be far too simple. BTW, I'm in for tickets if you use any of my suggestions. Edited August 24, 2018 by TheGreek Grammatical error Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted August 25, 2018 Share Posted August 25, 2018 S'alright....I s'pose (Thinks - how the HELL am I going to be able to knobble him?????) " Moriarty - THINK OF SOMETHING!!!!!" 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Si600 Posted August 25, 2018 Share Posted August 25, 2018 11 minutes ago, Andyjr1515 said: S'alright....I s'pose (Thinks - how the HELL am I going to be able to knobble him?????) " Moriarty - THINK OF SOMETHING!!!!!" You silly, twisted boy, you. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jabba_the_gut Posted August 30, 2018 Author Share Posted August 30, 2018 So, as I'm building two of these and I like the 800mm (31.5" scale) I could do with a fret scale template to use in the StewMac fret slotting mitre block I bought off Basschat a while ago. As the scale I've chosen is non-standard I can get a ready made template but a while ago I got some clear Perspex off FreeCycle I thought might be handy for templates. Well, that day has come!! I used StewMac's fret calculator tool https://www.stewmac.com/FretCalculator to calculate the fret positions - makes life easy. I trimmed the Perspex on my router table to get one straight edge to work from then measured (twice...), marked up the fret positions and scored them with a scalpel. I then drilled a hole at the edge of each fret mark and used a nut file to finish the slot. This slot was made the same size as the locator pin in the mitre box. I then trimmed the Perspex to the same width as the mitre box. It looks okay - the slots line up with my marks and it fits snuggly in the mitre box. Just need to try it now and see how it works!! 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jabba_the_gut Posted September 2, 2018 Author Share Posted September 2, 2018 My template worked - fretboard slotted, glued to neck and roughly trimmed. Next task will be to trim this using my router table then the shaping can start. Based on the short scale bass neck made with the offcuts of this neck, I reckon the finish should be really nice on this. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpondonBassed Posted September 3, 2018 Share Posted September 3, 2018 8 hours ago, Jabba_the_gut said: Next task will be to trim this using my router table then the shaping can start. Based on the short scale bass neck made with the offcuts of this neck, I reckon the finish should be really nice on this. Having come from that thread just now, I agree. It's a lovely piece of maple. Plus; I reckon you'll be like a kid on Christmas morning with your new router set-up. I wish you many successful builds with it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jabba_the_gut Posted September 7, 2018 Author Share Posted September 7, 2018 On 03/09/2018 at 07:14, SpondonBassed said: Having come from that thread just now, I agree. It's a lovely piece of maple. Plus; I reckon you'll be like a kid on Christmas morning with your new router set-up. I wish you many successful builds with it. Cheers @SpondonBassed And as I have a new router table it would be rude not to buy a couple of new cutters. I recently bought two bearing template cutters that are opposite ends of the spectrum...... The larger of the two is a Radian tools one as mentioned by @Christine in one of her excellent build threads. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christine Posted September 7, 2018 Share Posted September 7, 2018 1 hour ago, Jabba_the_gut said: Cheers @SpondonBassed And as I have a new router table it would be rude not to buy a couple of new cutters. I recently bought two bearing template cutters that are opposite ends of the spectrum...... The larger of the two is a Radian tools one as mentioned by @Christine in one of her excellent build threads. The four flute Radian is a lovely smooth cutter to use, I do like mine. What is that little one, it looks a very useful tool? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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