Finished Pics! A build for our own Len_derby

[Andyjr1515]

In terms of making the control knobs, I used the same method as my first attempts with Jane's lightweight electric.

 

For the backs, with my press drill locked in position, I drilled a hole for the 6mm grub-screw collet to fit into from some ash offcut with rosewood veneer glued on the back :

Then a forstner to  create the rebate for the pot nut and washer:

Then my panel-hole cutter:

Leaving me with a back, with all drill cuts concentric:

 

Then glued the poplar burl tops and cut the assembly to height, ready for insertion of collet, drilling of side grubscrew access hole, installing of position dot and final shaping, which are the next jobs on the list:

 

[Andyjr1515]

And they're done, barring another couple of coats of finish:

 

 

[honza992]

Andy is there a reason why you glue the tops on separately rather making a two-layered blank? 

[Andyjr1515]

4 hours ago, honza992 said:

Andy is there a reason why you glue the tops on separately rather making a two-layered blank? 

Hi

Could do it either way but my press drill is a small Proxxon one and the spindle depth travel is limited.  With the central hole being 9.5mm, it is a long drill but the pipe drill is short.  The extra thickness of pre assembling would mean I would need to loosen the coarse height adjustment clamps between the twist drill use and pipe drill and then risk losing the concentricity of the OD and spindle.

[Norris]

...and nobody wants a wobbly knob!

[Andyjr1515]

Again, don't be fooled - it's not as near done as it looks!  But we are on the home straight.

I've said before that I have a slightly unconventional way of going about things.  Probably much less efficient than many, but it reduces the risk of me knack****g the functionality for style or vice-versa!

The top hasn't been finally shaped yet - it's a bit flat-topped and thicker than final target.  But making sure that it is going to be straight and intonate OK and just how much to lower the top where the bridge sits are all guestimates until the actual hardware and strings are in place.  So that's generally what I do - I string it up and then I can see exactly what leeway I have, or what tweaks I need to make:

The bridge area can drop down up to 3mm safely and the curvature from the centre line to the 'f' hole can increase a touch.  The spacing (adjustable on this bridge) will be tweaked a touch to get the G just a little closer to the fretboard edge at the 24th.  While it's strung up (these are temporary strings) I will also finish shape and sand the neck - being able to play it and really feel how the curvature of the profile works at all parts of the neck as I fine tune the shape makes a huge difference to judging when it's right.

Last this is that I can see whether those knobs enhance or distract - I'm doing a second set to be able to do a live A/B comparison where the tops are the plainer poplar (same as the headstock plate).   @Len_derby will have both sets and will be able to swop them around as often as he wants 

I'm hoping to do that extra sanding over the next few days and start the finishing process at the weekend - Osmo Polyx Satin is on its way as I type

 

[Andyjr1515]

4 minutes ago, Andyjr1515 said:

Again, don't be fooled - it's not as near done as it looks!  But we are on the home straight.

I've said before that I have a slightly unconventional way of going about things.  Probably much less efficient than many, but it reduces the risk of me knack****g the functionality for style or vice-versa!

The top hasn't been finally shaped yet - it's a bit flat-topped and thicker than final target.  But making sure that it is going to be straight and intonate OK and just how much to lower the top where the bridge sits are all guestimates until the actual hardware and strings are in place.  So that's generally what I do - I string it up and then I can see exactly what leeway I have, or what tweaks I need to make:

The bridge area can drop down up to 3mm safely and the curvature from the centre line to the 'f' hole can increase a touch.  The spacing (adjustable on this bridge) will be tweaked a touch to get the G just a little closer to the fretboard edge at the 24th.  While it's strung up (these are temporary strings) I will also finish shape and sand the neck - being able to play it and really feel how the curvature of the profile works at all parts of the neck as I fine tune the shape makes a huge difference to judging when it's right.

Last thing is that I can see whether those knobs enhance or distract - I'm doing a second set to be able to do a live A/B comparison where the tops are the plainer poplar (same as the headstock plate).   @Len_derby will have both sets and will be able to swop them around as often as he wants 

I'm hoping to do that extra sanding over the next few days and start the finishing process at the weekend - Osmo Polyx Satin is on its way as I type

 

 

[stearstree1304]

Looking really lovely Andy! With regard to finishing, will the neck and fretboard still be a tru-oil slurry or is it all getting the osmo treatment?

[Woodinblack]

I love those knobs on their own, but on the body like that they are a little camouflaged. They would look great on a dark or un-spalted  light surface, but there maybe a bit lost?

with the pickups and hole being dark (are they pickups or holes? I am on my phone so can’t see), dark knobs could contrast nicely, 

either way though they are fantastically done - wish I could do something like that

[stearstree1304]

I like the way the knobs blend in - looks like there are none. How about using a darker wood for the main barrel of the knob so the player looking down can see them but for the onlooker, they are concealed?

[SpondonBassed]

2 hours ago, Andyjr1515 said:

Again, don't be fooled - it's not as near done as it looks!  But we are on the home straight.

I've said before that I have a slightly unconventional way of going about things.  Probably much less efficient than many, but it reduces the risk of me knack****g the functionality for style or vice-versa!

The top hasn't been finally shaped yet - it's a bit flat-topped and thicker than final target.  But making sure that it is going to be straight and intonate OK and just how much to lower the top where the bridge sits are all guestimates until the actual hardware and strings are in place.  So that's generally what I do - I string it up and then I can see exactly what leeway I have, or what tweaks I need to make:

The bridge area can drop down up to 3mm safely and the curvature from the centre line to the 'f' hole can increase a touch.  The spacing (adjustable on this bridge) will be tweaked a touch to get the G just a little closer to the fretboard edge at the 24th.  While it's strung up (these are temporary strings) I will also finish shape and sand the neck - being able to play it and really feel how the curvature of the profile works at all parts of the neck as I fine tune the shape makes a huge difference to judging when it's right.

Last this is that I can see whether those knobs enhance or distract - I'm doing a second set to be able to do a live A/B comparison where the tops are the plainer poplar (same as the headstock plate).   @Len_derby will have both sets and will be able to swop them around as often as he wants 

I'm hoping to do that extra sanding over the next few days and start the finishing process at the weekend - Osmo Polyx Satin is on its way as I type

 

The difference having some strings makes is astonishing.  It looked good before.  Now it looks the business too.

If one was to suggest an LED for this instrument I would conceal one and only one with a diffuser inside your norrisole to bring out the warm red tones of its backing veneer.

I am looking forward to the Andyjr knob comparison post with anticipation.  I think it's anticipation... that or I'm still immature enough to get a kick out of typing the word knob whilst imagining it being said by Rowan Atkinson.

I found the flooring a distraction.  It might be easier to compare knobs with a plain background for the bass itself.  I like the ones in the images above well enough.  Our Len's going to be spoilt for choice though with the poplar tops.  Excellent.

[ezbass]

4 hours ago, Andyjr1515 said:

 

 

😲 just wowsers!

[Andyjr1515]

2 hours ago, stearstree1304 said:

Looking really lovely Andy! With regard to finishing, will the neck and fretboard still be a tru-oil slurry or is it all getting the osmo treatment?

Slurry and buff certainly - but possibly using the Osmo for the slurry and buffing.  I've done that once before and it worked well.  It works pretty much the same but there is no possibility of a colour difference between the neck-neck colour and the thru-neck colour.

[Andyjr1515]

2 hours ago, Woodinblack said:

I love those knobs on their own, but on the body like that they are a little camouflaged. They would look great on a dark or un-spalted  light surface, but there maybe a bit lost?

with the pickups and hole being dark (are they pickups or holes? I am on my phone so can’t see), dark knobs could contrast nicely, 

either way though they are fantastically done - wish I could do something like that

Yes - that's my thought.  When you add the pattern of the knobs, I wonder if you lose just a smidgen of the bookmatch pattern effect of the body.

The plain poplar alternative is the same wood but without the pattern and is identical to the headstock - it may counter that effect and also visually tie the headstock to the body.  The nice thing is that I can do both and present Neil with a simple ' do you prefer this or that' and give him the spares anyway

By the way, all in, this is 6lbs 6oz at the moment.  Less a bit of final finish sanding and plus a bit of finish oiling, that will be pretty much the finished weight.

[Woodinblack]

Yes I think the plain would be good, anything with a bit of contrast, however low.

the other issue with the splayed ones is that the dark points look like knob markers, so should be in the same place!

[Stylon Pilson]

Looking at those latest photos, I can't help thinking that the knobs would look awesome if they were mounted on top of an elongated teardrop-shaped inlay that mirrors the shape and colour of the f-hole.

S.P.

[TheGreek]

Looking good...wouldn't mind having it myself.

[Andyjr1515]

1 hour ago, Stylon Pilson said:

Looking at those latest photos, I can't help thinking that the knobs would look awesome if they were mounted on top of an elongated teardrop-shaped inlay that mirrors the shape and colour of the f-hole.

S.P.

I think I would be rightly accused by @Norris of plagiarism 

[Andyjr1515]

Here are the plain knobs - they will lighten a touch when the oil has dried.  @SpondonBassed - please note that I SOMETIMES take notice of what you say ref the background 

 

The comparison is here:

Personally, I prefer the plainer ones on the actual bass - my eye is drawn to the top and not the knobs -  but, whatever, Neil will be given both sets  

 

[Woodinblack]

That is a thing of beauty!

[Christine]

Looking very nice, I'll bet Len is dying to get his hands on it 

[Norris]

2 hours ago, Stylon Pilson said:

Looking at those latest photos, I can't help thinking that the knobs would look awesome if they were mounted on top of an elongated teardrop-shaped inlay that mirrors the shape and colour of the f-hole.

S.P.

 

52 minutes ago, Andyjr1515 said:

I think I would be rightly accused by @Norris of plagiarism 

A sausage shaped f hole and recess would not infringe copyright, according to my lawyers

Lovely looking bass btw, and I'd go for the plain knobs myself

Edited July 11, 2018 by Norris

[Andyjr1515]

On 09/07/2018 at 19:28, honza992 said:

Andy is there a reason why you glue the tops on separately rather making a two-layered blank? 

And I remembered another reason when I did the plain topped ones. 

I thought I'd have a go and found a way of changing the long drill without losing the settings.  Glued the three piece sandwich last night and did these this afternoon.  

The problem is, my cheap diamond pipe cutter generates a lot of heat...and titebond softens with heat.  What came out of the pipe cutter were 3 seperate pieces and some soft, molten glue! 

Edited July 11, 2018 by Andyjr1515

[SpondonBassed]

13 hours ago, Andyjr1515 said:

Here are the plain knobs - they will lighten a touch when the oil has dried.  @SpondonBassed - please note that I SOMETIMES take notice of what you say ref the background 

 

The comparison is here:

Personally, I prefer the plainer ones on the actual bass - my eye is drawn to the top and not the knobs -  but, whatever, Neil will be given both sets  

 

Not that it's my choice to make but I agree that the plain tops complement the burl top best.  Do you have a position marker on them?  (Thanks for the change of background)

 

12 hours ago, Norris said:

 

A sausage shaped f hole and recess would not infringe copyright, according to my lawyers

Lovely looking bass btw, and I'd go for the plain knobs myself

Andy, I'd go for a W shaped F hole and patent it PDQ.  It looks like Norris is a little sensitive about his norrisole.

Norris, I've now got a design for a hole shaped like a Cumberland sausage but I've got nowhere left to put the chuffing bridge!  I hope you're happy with yourself.

[Andyjr1515]

1 hour ago, SpondonBassed said:

 Do you have a position marker on them?  

 

Yes - a dot of paua: