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The FireDragon Triplets


Christine

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1 minute ago, Christine said:

Pink duck tape? .... off before I hit you with my bag!! :laugh1:

Hows about using a 50mm x 1mm panel pin, drill a 1mm hole and insert the pin with a strap button help onto it. As long as I drill into end grain I can insert a sliver of wood to fully hide?

That's probably a good method but for the need to cover your tracks when you've done.  If you only have to do it on one of the triplets it's less of a problem but will they all balance the same?

I was thinking of an elastic net bag that would behave as a cargo net. Then you could try hooking at different positions relative to the bass therein.  It's not the best idea I've ever had, sorry.

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If it were me, I’d cut a strip of thin, flexible wood or plastic and drill a series of holes with which to attach the strap button in different positions. Bend and affix the strip to the curve of the base of the body and then try the strap button in the various hole positions to see which balances as you’d like it.  Fix the strip with some thin pins as you’ve already suggested or use a strong acrylic double-sided tape that won’t leave a residue if you don’t leave it on for too long. 

Or, use the cutout you’ve already routed for the bridge to attach it to as that’d hide any holes. 

Edited by intime-nick
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Hi @Christine  

I'm away from my October at the moment but in brief I usually attach the back button, then put a strap on and hold the front end in various possible places to feel how the balance feels (obviously with all the hardware already in place)

Generally you can feel what is going to work and what isn't. For all my own guitars nowadays I put the button at the 3/4 position at the side of the bottom heel but I need to attach a photo to explain why - and that may be a few days away!

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I may be talking out my hat (if I was wearing one) but surely the most obvious place to put the front strap button is as close to the headstock as possible while still on the body, and move the rear strap button away from the bottom edge to change the pivot point? See Dingwall Dbird as an example:

Image result for dingwall dbird

I suppose it depends on where/how you want the bass to hang though. The only experience I have with anything vaguely thunderbird esque is my Tokai Thunderbird. First fret position feels MILES away so I'll be trying this if I ever get round to refurbing the beast...

Edited by Bigwan
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1 minute ago, Andyjr1515 said:

Hi @Christine  

I'm away from my October at the moment but in brief I usually attach the back button, then put a strap on and hold the front end in various possible places to feel how the balance feels (obviously with all the hardware already in place)

Generally you can feel what is going to work and what isn't. For all my own guitars nowadays I put the button at the 3/4 position at the side of the bottom heel but I need to attach a photo to explain why - and that may be a few days away!

Thanks everyone, all these ideas are a great help

I seem to have incapacitated my back this morning just bending slightly, the joys of getting old :(

@Andyjr1515   I have seen pictures on the Orange Telecaster thread of your strap locations under the heel of the neck, it's on my list of places to try. I'm not certain where the back button is going either; I'm considering putting it high up on the back rather than centre, the idea behind my thinking is to create a line between the two buttons that will naturally bring the neck up. Of course that may be completely wishful thinking but it is a position that can be used on Thunderbird type bodies   

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3 minutes ago, Bigwan said:

I may be talking out my hat (if I was wearing one) but surely the most obvious place to put the front strap button is as close to the headstock as possible while still on the body, and move the rear strap button away from the bottom edge to change the pivot point? See Dingwall Dbird as an example:

Image result for dingwall dbird

Crossed posts! Yes this is what is on my mind, well sort of. I do like the back of that body, I've never seen the back of a Dingwall before, I like it

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Bass building aside, something that always worries me is how my writing is perceived when I try to say something. I'm badly dyslexic (thank goodness for spell checkers) and I really struggle to write naturally. I worry I sound arrogant, I think it reads that way quite often, I hope not but I think it probably does. I'm just a regular person playing around in the workshop and making mistakes just like everyone else, I am a relative newcomer to luthiery despite having made a good few many years ago but those are skills forgotten now.

I really appreciate the help I get and ideas and I learn so much from them as I do from all the build threads

So that's enough of being nice, back to sounding arrogant :laugh1:

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2 minutes ago, Christine said:

Bass building aside, something that always worries me is how my writing is perceived when I try to say something. I'm badly dyslexic (thank goodness for spell checkers) and I really struggle to write naturally. I worry I sound arrogant, I think it reads that way quite often, I hope not but I think it probably does. I'm just a regular person playing around in the workshop and making mistakes just like everyone else, I am a relative newcomer to luthiery despite having made a good few many years ago but those are skills forgotten now.

I really appreciate the help I get and ideas and I learn so much from them as I do from all the build threads

So that's enough of being nice, back to sounding arrogant :laugh1:

Eh? I didn't get any of that from following your threads at all! All I got was an "I wish I could do that..." sort of burning sensation...

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1 minute ago, Bigwan said:

Eh? I didn't get any of that from following your threads at all! All I got was an "I wish I could do that..." sort of burning sensation...

Thanks, it does worry me though, writing isn't a skill of mine so I tend to stick to the point a little too much

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17 minutes ago, Christine said:

Thanks, it does worry me though, writing isn't a skill of mine so I tend to stick to the point a little too much

Be assured, your writing style is fine.  It's nice that you have a personality too.

Edited by SpondonBassed
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Our bass guitarist has a genuine 60's fake Firebird electric. I've played it a number of times and yes, the rear strap does run in an odd direction - I seem to remember it looping behind or round the rear upper bout. Again, when I'm back I will be able to send photos.

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17 minutes ago, Andyjr1515 said:

Our bass guitarist has a genuine 60's fake Firebird electric. I've played it a number of times and yes, the rear strap does run in an odd direction - I seem to remember it looping behind or round the rear upper bout. Again, when I'm back I will be able to send photos.

Or just looking at that Dingwall, maybe I meant strap looped round the rear lower bout...

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9 hours ago, SpondonBassed said:

Yes.

I have always used it for working out where I want to put a strap on my duck.  If you own a gorilla there is a solution for that too.

Sorry.  I was being facetious.  I'd worry about the residue that Duct tape would leave behind in the wood grain.  I have nothing better to offer however so I'll shut up now.

very good - I like that

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I don't often chip in on this part of the forum, owning as i do the technical skills of a drunk koala, but I feel compelled to say that it's a genuine pleasure following your threads.

You really don't need to worry about your writing skills. 

Edited by Cato
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After yesterday's bad back episode I only did a tiny bit today. I cleaned up the wings, rounded over the edges with a router and sanded them. Before glueing I masked off the top edge on the wings adjacent to the body to stop any glue oozing out contaminating the surfaces, I didn't bother with the back as there is some final shaping to be done there yet, just blending the raised centre section into the curve of the wings so the bass feels comfortable resting on your body. A nice smooth convex curve rather than the more usual flat surface, Why? It's my opinion that players of this type of bass may tend to move it around more aggressively than other shapes, all part of the "bad" image :laugh1: So convex seems to be a good shape to slide easily in any direction needed.

We're off on holiday for a month early next week to soak up some sun in the south of France so I'm not sure if this will be the last update until I get back

Glueing the first wing on

IMG_5424.thumb.jpg.11019c2b57d2f6fcf99d2158d07fa27e.jpg

All glued and masking tape removed, I've wetted the surface of the left hand body to give an idea of the finished look

IMG_5426.thumb.jpg.c64bd6e77022713ed6e308fd9404fe28.jpg

Lastly another attempt to show the shaping of the body

IMG_5427.thumb.jpg.ce4932d739762327274c4ced07b7afa8.jpg

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Just now, Bigwan said:
1 hour ago, Christine said:

We're off on holiday for a month early next week to soak up some sun in the south of France so I'm not sure if this will be the last update until I get back

OK, Luke Skywalker voice, Nooooooooooooooo....!!!!!!! 

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