The Twins

[Christine]

Thought I'd start a thread on my next builds, a pair of Les Paul like basses or my take on them.

They will be made entirely from quarter sawn African Mahogany (FSC sourced) painted black nitro and both using Rocklite finger boards, one in Ebano and the other in Sunadri or ebony and Indian Rosewood substitutes. Other items to be used will be Mojo Thunderbird pickups for at least one of them, dual action truss rods, Warwick 2 piece bridge and Hipshot ultralite tuners. There will be mother of pearl inlays on the fingerboard and headstock along with Rocklite Ebano veneers.

I'm not in any great hurry to finish these so i may take a while but so far other than buy some bits I have started wood preparation. The neck laminates have been ripped and stacked and will be left for a while to relieve stresses, the body timbers have been rough planed to an oversize dimension again to allow it to settle a little before planing to size and gluing together. So they are currently sat resting on top of my bench until I'm ready to plane the neck laminates and glue them.

As that seems a very poor start let me introduce you to my tiny workshop and a basic list of what's in it
Most importantly my bench, 10" Saw bench, 14" band saw, 10" planer thicknesser, router table, drill press, 12" disc sander, oscillating bobbin sander. Beyond that there are power tools, loads of hand tools hidden away and a dedicated sharpening station tucked away in the corner behind the bench.

Being so small it's very difficult to keep clean and tidy so I apologise for the dust and the mess

[Jimothey]

Sounds like a couple of nice projects looking forward to see them progress 

[Jabba_the_gut]

Very jealous of your workshop!!

[Christine]

2 minutes ago, Jabba_the_gut said:

Very jealous of your workshop!!

You can have the dust free of charge LOL

It could do with being twice the size so I didn't have to wheel everything out into the middle to use

[Norris]

What a fabulous use of space! I really must tidy up my garage. My first build was pretty much done on a workmate, while a perfectly good and stable workbench sat covered in cr*p. You've put me to shame

Looking forward to the builds

[Jabba_the_gut]

1 hour ago, Christine said:

You can have the dust free of charge LOL

It could do with being twice the size so I didn't have to wheel everything out into the middle to use

Got plenty of my own dust, thanks anyway!! I've got about a third of my garage as a workshop and I know what you mean about wheeling things around to use them.

Looking forward to seeing these builds progress.

Cheers

[Andyjr1515]

Yes - I would also happily take the dust for a bit of that space   I would like to take a photo of mine, but I can't move away far enough from the walls to focus the camera

Looking forward to seeing the builds progress

[BrunoBass]

3 hours ago, Jabba_the_gut said:

Very jealous of your workshop!!

+1! 

[Christine]

Today's update, hold onto your socks!

Not a lot gone on, i worked out the neck angle etc with the bridge I'm using. I drew it out on a piece of paper (wall paper!  ) and it worked out a 4.35 degrees which is good, I think a Les Paul is 4.5 so I'm pretty close. The Warwick bridge is quite high and will need setting into the top to bring the pickups somewhere close, the tail piece will also need setting in a bit too but I'm happy with that, it should look very nice recessed in. I'm going to have to make a couple of spacers to fit under the pickup rings to allow for the curved of the top but that should be easy enough using black acrylic (I hope)

The only issue I can see will be the edges of the bridge recesses will be unprotected during carving and might break out so Ill dry fit a Mahogany filler piece in there to support it and pull them out after sanding.

So that was today along with lots of sitting in the sun. I might start drawing the plan of the body tonight or maybe tomorrow depending on the weather, then I can make a start making the templates in readiness to start making the twins next week

[scojack]

Welcome Christine...looking forward to seeing your builds 

[Christine]

A friend emailed me a picture just before of a Warwick bridge fitted into a Les Paul and it's recessed in just like what I was thinking so I'm reassured by that

 

[Andyjr1515]

Hi, Christine

I've used that bridge in a couple of my own builds so if you hit any stumbling blocks, just give a shout.

This is one of them:

[Christine]

2 minutes ago, Andyjr1515 said:

Hi, Christine

I've used that bridge in a couple of my own builds so if you hit any stumbling blocks, just give a shout.

This is one of them:

Thank you Andy, that's kind of you, I will take you up on that

[Woodinblack]

Small? Dream of something like that!

 

[Jabba_the_gut]

2 hours ago, Christine said:

A friend emailed me a picture just before of a Warwick bridge fitted into a Les Paul and it's recessed in just like what I was thinking so I'm reassured by that

 

I like the Warwick bridges and have used a few on my builds. I made templates for routing both parts but have found slight differences in sizes between tail pieces (I do tend to be very tight with my templates and leave very little tolerance). I have a bass I built to have chrome hardware and changed my mind, so I bought some black hardware instead but the new tail piece wouldn't fit. It won't take much to fix but must give myself a bit more room next time!! Just thought I'd mention it as you are making a pair of basses.

[Christine]

Today I had a relaxing day, I got the plan drawn for the body, again on wallpaper (I really must invest in tome decent paper). Whatever it allows me to make a set of templates from it so it will be good enough. I drew a grid in 1" squares and plotted the shape of an OSLP onto it.

I also had an email from Mojo pickups saying my order has been made and have been shipped so with luck they'll be here by Saturday, or Monday at the latest so I can finalise the elevation but I'm probably good there already.

 

 

[Daz39]

I like the Warwick style bridge on the LP shape. Exciting!

[Christine]

2 minutes ago, Daz39 said:

I like the Warwick style bridge on the LP shape. Exciting!

Me too, I wasn't sure at first but now I think it looks very swish, more by luck that judgement I very nearly went for the Tuneomatic type

[fleabag]

Keeping an eye on this - well done so far !

I thought building my 1x15 cab was hard, but a bass is something i wouldn't even comtemplate

[TheGreek]

2 hours ago, Christine said:

Today I had a relaxing day, I got the plan drawn for the body, again on wallpaper (I really must invest in tome decent paper). Whatever it allows me to make a set of templates from it so it will be good enough. I drew a grid in 1" squares and plotted the shape of an OSLP onto it.

I also had an email from Mojo pickups saying my order has been made and have been shipped so with luck they'll be here by Saturday, or Monday at the latest so I can finalise the elevation but I'm probably good there already.

 

 

I have an A1 sketch pad which I bought at "The Works" - popular end of lines outlet store - A2 now £4...

https://www.theworks.co.uk/p/sketchpads/a2-sketch-pad/5052089008113

 

[Christine]

Today' thrilling updates, two of them!!

Instalment one, the jig
Well I'm in the habit of making a master jig for bass bodies from 5mm Perspex (acrylic), why? Well a couple of reasons:

1 it's very easy to transfer the pattern from paper to perspex, just copy through it
2 It's a lot easier to make an accurate jig from 5mm than 12 or even 18mm MDF
3 I like to keep a master jig to one side for when the production jig gets damaged accidentally

The pattern was drawn on the jig with a permanent marker and then bandsawed to slightly over side. I then used the disc sander and bobbin sander to get it pretty much spot on before using a file to really make those curves flow, from then it's just a matter of screwing it to some MDF cutting that oversize and routing it to dimension on the router table using a bearing guided bit, the result one accurate jig

I've also drawn some possible cavities for weight saving but I would really love some input on these. My thinking has been to keep a line between bridge and neck joint solid, as much as I can around the control cavity solid but to relive the top and bottom horn to reduce weight but also to try and keep the sound like a solid guitar but also to try and keep it balanced. The sections I was thinking of removing are marked in green; I really would like some thoughts on those before I cut them please

 

 

Edited May 25, 2018 by Christine

[Christine]

Part 2 of today’s saga

Decided to sort out the back blanks of the body. So refaced those and thicknesses them down to 43.5 mm to be finished at 43mm after gluing. I edged one side on the planet to get them flat then rad a hand plane over them to get them ready for glueing. I’m not a believer than a surface straight off the planer is good enough for glueing, you may argue that but my workshop, my rules, end of argument! I also like to give an almost in perceivable hollow along the length of a glue joint, it helps keep the ends tight as the wood shrinks slightly over the years and you can’t do that on a flat bet planer. Both edges planed and put on each other to make sure they’re dead flat (only 0.5mm to spare) then glued and into clamps until tomorrow sometime.
 

Spot the glue line

Edited May 25, 2018 by Christine

[Andyjr1515]

Interesting stuff ref the planing - it certainly is borne out by the result!  So have I understood, is your jack-plane blade gently radiused?

Ref the chambering, I basically follow the same logic as you where I can - I visualise the body as a centre-blocked ES335 or similar with a continuous beam from nut to bridge.  Of course, the reality - once you've sliced through it to within an inch of its life with the pickup routings - is somewhat different.

On a lightening project for @Harryburke14's very heavy Harley Benton, I actually did chamber at partial depth across the 'centre block' and there was no audible difference to my ear:

 

But generally, I do something similar.  This was my last one:

Again, if you envisage how deep and wide the pickup routes are (this had twin humbuckers), then the reality is that the body is strong enough / rigid enough/ tonally good enough to chamber in the centre block too.  But, like you, I prefer not to if I don't have to.

Edited May 25, 2018 by Andyjr1515

[Christine]

4 minutes ago, Andyjr1515 said:

Interesting stuff ref the planing - it certainly is borne out by the result!  So have I understood, is your jack-plane blade gently radiused?

Ref the chambering, I basically follow the same logic as you where I can - I visualise the body as a centre-blocked ES335 or similar with a continuous beam from nut to bridge.  Of course, the reality - once you've sliced through it to within an inch of its life with the pickup routings - is somewhat different.

On a lightening project for @Harryburke14's very heavy Harley Benton, I actually did chamber at partial depth across the 'centre block' and there was no audible difference to my ear:

 

But generally, I do something similar.  This was my last one:

Again, if you envisage how deep and wide the pickup routes are (this had twin humbuckers), then the reality is that the body is strong enough / rigid enough/ tonally good enough to chamber in the centre block too.  But, like you, I prefer not to if I don't have to.

Thank you, that's great stuff, I'm deep in your debt, this is a new one on me and I really wasn't sure, I'd hate to make a mess of it without asking first.

The plane is a No7 try plane, I keep the blade very close to flat for jointing, I use waterstones for sharpening, a 1000 grit and a 6000 grit both kept flat. On the 6000 grit I tend to hone both sides about 4 or 5 times in groups of 4 strokes but on the last group I put more pressure on the outer edges so that should give you an idea of the sort of radius. The hollow I refer to is along the length,  Trying to think how I do it, with the No7 (22" long) I start the cut with a very very fine setting somewhere near the middle and work outwards until I reach the ends then start and finish say 1/2" in until I cant get any shavings so that gives me that very gentle curve, the plane is kept dead flat and get's trued a couple of times a year. That gives a central gap over say 48" of about the thickness of a piece of paper if that, the curve is determined by the imaginary curve between the plane ends and the height of the blade protrusion if that makes sense

[Andyjr1515]

4 hours ago, Christine said:

Thank you, that's great stuff, I'm deep in your debt, this is a new one on me and I really wasn't sure, I'd hate to make a mess of it without asking first.

The plane is a No7 try plane, I keep the blade very close to flat for jointing, I use waterstones for sharpening, a 1000 grit and a 6000 grit both kept flat. On the 6000 grit I tend to hone both sides about 4 or 5 times in groups of 4 strokes but on the last group I put more pressure on the outer edges so that should give you an idea of the sort of radius. The hollow I refer to is along the length,  Trying to think how I do it, with the No7 (22" long) I start the cut with a very very fine setting somewhere near the middle and work outwards until I reach the ends then start and finish say 1/2" in until I cant get any shavings so that gives me that very gentle curve, the plane is kept dead flat and get's trued a couple of times a year. That gives a central gap over say 48" of about the thickness of a piece of paper if that, the curve is determined by the imaginary curve between the plane ends and the height of the blade protrusion if that makes sense

Ah - OK.  That is different to how I'd envisaged it on the first read.  Makes sense.  Clearly, I need to read up a bit more on jointing - this approach is certainly new to me!  Thanks for the detailed explanation