Andyjr1515 Posted June 24, 2018 Author Share Posted June 24, 2018 And the fretboard is on! So tomorrow is officially designated top carve day 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodinblack Posted June 24, 2018 Share Posted June 24, 2018 On 20/06/2018 at 10:42, SpondonBassed said: I'm interested in the Nordstrand vs Bartolini debate that is sometimes mentioned in the forum. Although one of my basses has Bartolinis, they are the mkIs. I have read that these are licenced by Bartolini but not as good as genuine ones. I suppose it's a bit like the Fender/Squier thing. With my collection of Ibanii, I have gone through most of the collection of Bartolinis, genuine and licensed and Nordstrand. I can see why people would choose one over the other, they are not that similar (although I haven't tried many different nordstrands). For me, the Nordstrand Big Single wins the pickup I would rather have on everything award. It is rather growly and just has a life and presence to it that very little I have used has. The custom designed pickups on the 5005, they are so different it is hard to say, although the neck pickup on that is nice. I think the bridge one has a nice sound but it is hard to go from one to the other because of the volume difference. The general barts I have had on the other basses have varied, and are all pretty good, but nothing really grabbing. Apart from the wide ones on the SRFF805, which weren't pretty good. they were pretty dull. I do have a Nordstrand big blade to use, it was going to be on the GVB bass I have, but I am not keeping that so it is a spare. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpondonBassed Posted June 24, 2018 Share Posted June 24, 2018 2 hours ago, Len_derby said: Indeed it is. The Diamond Jubilee! Then congratulations! Sunday and with this weather, you picked a good day for it. I looked on t'net and found this. I didn't realise you were such an old codger. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted June 25, 2018 Author Share Posted June 25, 2018 Those who have seen my other builds will know that I creep up on the final shape generally when I'm doing the body carve. While I have a general idea of what the final shape is going to be, I tweak it as I'm going along and do multiple checks ref the depth of carve and where the chambers are. This is after the first pass. Plenty more to go: 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted June 25, 2018 Author Share Posted June 25, 2018 I'll call it a day now and come back to it tomorrow to decide about the edges. But you probably get the idea of where it's generally heading: With loads of wood still to remove - especially the heavy maple from the neck carve - and with all remaining hardware piled onto the scales, it's sitting at below 7lbs at the moment, so below 6 3/4lbs should be well within reach for the finished bass. As always, thanks for looking 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Sharman Posted June 25, 2018 Share Posted June 25, 2018 Just caught up with this. That is a very fine looking ‘instrument-in-the-making’ Looking forward to performing my test pilot duties if required... 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpondonBassed Posted June 26, 2018 Share Posted June 26, 2018 12 hours ago, Chris Sharman said: Just caught up with this. That is a very fine looking ‘instrument-in-the-making’ Looking forward to performing my test pilot duties if required... Is that your way of saying; Give us a go on it mister? I like your style. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted June 26, 2018 Author Share Posted June 26, 2018 The basic carve of the body is almost done. Just got to take a bit of thickness off the back of the lower bout and then I'll move to the neck. I'll finish sand it all at the same time. From the view above, it looks pretty conventional. But this gives a hint that it's not quite... : 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGreek Posted June 26, 2018 Share Posted June 26, 2018 IMO the bass could do with losing a bit more weight off the bottom bout. Make the brown timber more prominent and make more of a feature of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted June 26, 2018 Author Share Posted June 26, 2018 1 hour ago, TheGreek said: IMO the bass could do with losing a bit more weight off the bottom bout. Make the brown timber more prominent and make more of a feature of it. The bottom bout is the one I'm still tweaking to balance out both the visuals and the practicalities, Mick. By ghe way, notice some ancestral familiarities to the psilos on that second shot? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGreek Posted June 27, 2018 Share Posted June 27, 2018 Yes I did, but I put that down to your style of building...I think that there are a few fans of the convex/concave look. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted June 28, 2018 Author Share Posted June 28, 2018 Carve's done for the body ready for final sand. As usual, I give the wood a quick coat of tru-oil to show up any filing or sanding marks and any glue spills, etc.. It is also useful for keeping the body relatively clean while I move onto the next bit - carving the neck. The finish will be enhanced, but this is fairly representative of the colour shades that will be on the final product: Nice bit of quilting when it catches the light: This will be enhanced further when the final finish is applied. And for good measure, the back: ...and front-on: Next job - the neck carve 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardH Posted June 28, 2018 Share Posted June 28, 2018 Lovely stuff! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimothey Posted June 28, 2018 Share Posted June 28, 2018 That really makes the poplar come alive! Looks great mate! 😀 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted June 28, 2018 Author Share Posted June 28, 2018 Lot of carving still to do, but the neck is sized and roughed out: 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted June 28, 2018 Author Share Posted June 28, 2018 Just weighed it - that neck carving has taken off a lot of weight. We might be looking below 6 1/2lbs finished weight … 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGreek Posted June 28, 2018 Share Posted June 28, 2018 6.5 LBs?? What's stopping it floating away?? Seriously though, the weight will make it so much more playable... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted June 29, 2018 Author Share Posted June 29, 2018 Doing the neck is best done outside for me if possible - more room than in my very small cellar space. And much more light! I took this shot to show my grandchildren when/if that time comes. They will already be eye-rollingly bored at grandpa's endless tales of 'when I used to build bass guitars', but will, I'm sure, point at this picture with wonder. "Oooooh. What's that bright bit, grandpa?" "It's called sunshine, Billy" "What's sunshine, grandpa?" "Well - if you wait until you are a BIG boy...and then wait some more until you are a MAN...and then wait some more until you are an OLD MAN... and all the time hope and hope and hope - you too might see something like that!" "What - in DERBY, grandpa???????" Anyway - the main neck carve. Once it's been roughed out, I do almost all of the rest of the carve with a humble cabinet scraper: Using the template I took from Neil's favourite Fender, checking the fit frequently. Here the haunches are still sitting too proud: And here it's sitting just right: As well as the template gauges, I play a lot of air-bass guitar. The neighbours think I'm bonkers, but sitting it over your knee and playing it is, on my view, one of the best ways of checking when it's 'right'. I will probably tweak it a few more times before I'm finished, but here it is pretty close: What I do like about going for the thin-body-neck-through approach is that you can get some quite elegant transitions neck to body: 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stearstree1304 Posted June 29, 2018 Share Posted June 29, 2018 That's looking really lovely! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpondonBassed Posted June 29, 2018 Share Posted June 29, 2018 A volute! Respect. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted June 29, 2018 Author Share Posted June 29, 2018 1 minute ago, SpondonBassed said: A volute! Respect. Yes - it won't be as big as this once I've finished, though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daz39 Posted June 29, 2018 Share Posted June 29, 2018 Do your neighbours ever suggest that you can actually go out and purchase a completed guitar, you don't have to whittle them by hand anymore? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted June 29, 2018 Author Share Posted June 29, 2018 2 hours ago, Daz39 said: Do your neighbours ever suggest that you can actually go out and purchase a completed guitar, you don't have to whittle them by hand anymore? I think they've given up on offering any common-sense suggestions to me 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpondonBassed Posted June 29, 2018 Share Posted June 29, 2018 37 minutes ago, Andyjr1515 said: I think they've given up on offering any common-sense suggestions to me They've heard about your meat pies haven't they? (All those spare necks and body parts you have scattered about the place) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christine Posted June 29, 2018 Share Posted June 29, 2018 Is it the photo or is that a very hefty scraper? It looks to be 2 - 3mm thick. I've seen thick scrapers for sale but never used one, I like super thin that I can tension. Humble it may be but one of the most useful tools in the workshop. Now the neck is carved it looks so flowing almost as if it grew like that, it's going to be a beautiful thing when it's finished 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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