Finished! It's a bass, Jim...

[Andyjr1515]

Well what I've done is this:

 

I've set in a piece of ebony into the top under the tuners to act as a visual balance.  I've been looking at this propped up in the evenings the past week thinking, 'there's something missing and I'm not sure what'.

 

Now I've done it, I know that is, indeed, what was missing:

Fingers crossed that @Jus Lukin likes it too!

And so, the plan for today and tomorrow is to get this to finishing stage.  Tasks:

- Putting in the luminlay side dots

- Starting the neck carve

- cutting the control chamber hatch

- sanding all of the glue blobs, router burns and general lumps and bumps away ready for the first finish coats

 

 

[Si600]

27 minutes ago, Andyjr1515 said:

Fingers crossed that @Jus Lukin likes it too!

If he doesn't, then pop a B string on it and I'll take it off you.

Swap for two packs of jaffa cakes?

[SpondonBassed]

1 hour ago, Andyjr1515 said:

Well what I've done is this:

Crafty.

How are you going to place the strap button(s)?  I am assuming that without one or two at the bridge end, the tuners will be prone to striking the floor when someone inevitably assumes it's okay to put the instrument directly on the floor and lean it against something.

[Andyjr1515]

39 minutes ago, SpondonBassed said:

two at the bridge end

 

[Andyjr1515]

I've started the neck carve and the final sanding.

With the neck I still have probably 1mm to take off the thickness and I have to move from a U profile to a D.  With the sanding, I have to do the cutouts, the tail, anything I've missed and then re-establish the edge radii.  But, as many of you will know, I find it very useful to apply a quick coat of Tru-oil as a 'revealer'.  I don't know about other builders, but I find it exceptionally difficult to spot sanding marks, dips and dints in a dry sanded body.

So still loads to do here, but that sealing coat gives a decent indication of the wood tones that will be there in the finished article.  So it's time for a mockup :

 

I think that's very promising

Edited January 23, 2021 by Andyjr1515

[eude]

47 minutes ago, Andyjr1515 said:

I've started the neck carve and the final sanding.

With the neck I still have probably 1mm to take off the thickness and I have to move from a U profile to a D.  With the sanding, I have to do the cutouts, the tail, anything I've missed and then re-establish the edge radii.  But, as many of you will know, I find it very useful to apply a quick coat of Tru-oil as a 'revealer'.  I don't know about other builders, but I find it exceptionally difficult to spot sanding marks, dips and dints in a dry sanded body.

So still loads to do here, but that sealing coat gives a decent indication of the wood tones that will be there in the finished article.  So it's time for a mockup :

 

I think that's very promising

Absolutely stunning @Andyjr1515, I keep coming back to perv at this thread, even when there's no new posts!

Eude

[Owen]

1 hour ago, Andyjr1515 said:

I think that's very promising

You are a master of understatement.

[BassTool]

Oh my..

Superb 👌🏼 

 

😋😋😋

[Fishman]

@Andyjr1515 is the top of the neck asymmetrical, or is it waiting to be carved?

[HazBeen]

3 hours ago, Andyjr1515 said:

I've started the neck carve and the final sanding.

With the neck I still have probably 1mm to take off the thickness and I have to move from a U profile to a D.  With the sanding, I have to do the cutouts, the tail, anything I've missed and then re-establish the edge radii.  But, as many of you will know, I find it very useful to apply a quick coat of Tru-oil as a 'revealer'.  I don't know about other builders, but I find it exceptionally difficult to spot sanding marks, dips and dints in a dry sanded body.

So still loads to do here, but that sealing coat gives a decent indication of the wood tones that will be there in the finished article.  So it's time for a mockup :

 

I think that's very promising

I think it looks gorgeous! 
 

Agreed on a dry body it can be very difficult to spot little dents and inconsistencies. I often use a damp cloth to highlight.

[HazBeen]

On the whole I think this is such a cool build. I was skeptical about 3 larger pickups in a compact body, but it just works. And the build itself is just lush.

[songofthewind]

Very handsome! 

[Jus Lukin]

17 minutes ago, HazBeen said:

On the whole I think this is such a cool build. I was skeptical about 3 larger pickups in a compact body, but it just works. And the build itself is just lush.

Told ya, told ya, ner ner 'n' ner ner! 😉😄

[Andyjr1515]

49 minutes ago, Fishman said:

@Andyjr1515 is the top of the neck asymmetrical, or is it waiting to be carved?

Purposely asymmetrical 

[Richard R]

5 hours ago, Andyjr1515 said:

I've started the neck carve and the final sanding.

With the neck I still have probably 1mm to take off the thickness and I have to move from a U profile to a D.  With the sanding, I have to do the cutouts, the tail, anything I've missed and then re-establish the edge radii.  But, as many of you will know, I find it very useful to apply a quick coat of Tru-oil as a 'revealer'.  I don't know about other builders, but I find it exceptionally difficult to spot sanding marks, dips and dints in a dry sanded body.

So still loads to do here, but that sealing coat gives a decent indication of the wood tones that will be there in the finished article.  So it's time for a mockup :

 

I think that's very promising

Drop. Dead. Gorgeous.

One day I will commission an @Andyjr1515 build. My playing will never justify it, but if nothing else my son will inherent and he plays bass too.

[Andyjr1515]

And the Luminlays are in:

[TheGreek]

In daylight it does nothing...photos in the dark and we all go..."Ooooo"

[BassTool]

3 hours ago, Andyjr1515 said:

And the Luminlays are in:

Lovely intricate job that, I'd have loved to have seen how you actually did those, any pics or how to please? 

@Andyjr1515

[Andyjr1515]

37 minutes ago, BassTool said:

Lovely intricate job that, I'd have loved to have seen how you actually did those, any pics or how to please? 

@Andyjr1515

I forgot to photo this time round, but it's basically this:

These particular luminlay sticks are 3mm dia, so after pressing a sharp punch spike to mark the spot, I use a decent quality 3mm bradpoint drill bit in my little battery powered hand drill and drill to around 3mm deep.  The luminlay diameter is accurate and the drill point and diameter are also accurate and so you end up with a nice tight, gapless fit (this one is a previous build).  I buy the type with a black sleeve around the luminous core - it make the finished result look great:

So after a trial fit, I then I just pull it out again, put a teeny spot of gel superglue on the end and push it firmly back in.  After a few minutes I can use a modeller's razor saw to cut it fairly flush, then either use a sharp chisel or just a sanding block to sand it flush with the board:

And because there are no gaps, that's it!  Nothing to fill - it's done.

It is one of the reasons I stick with Luminlay even though you have to buy it from Japan and, with VAT and the inevitable customs handling charge, it ends up pretty pricey for a teeny stick...but the accuracy means it is very easy to fit. 

I'm probably doing @Fishman 's Wal neck tomorrow - I'll try to remember to take shots of the whole process

 

 

 

 

Edited January 23, 2021 by Andyjr1515

[BassTool]

Brilliant, thanks for that Andy 👌🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼

[Maude]

On 22/01/2021 at 09:56, Andyjr1515 said:

..... I've been looking at this propped up in the evenings the past week......... 

 

I'm glad I'm not the only one who does this. My wife thinks I've got problems as while she's watching telly, I'm sat staring at a bass. 

When doing a bass*, I lean it on the sofa opposite me in the evenings and ideas will emerge over time, or ideas I had will get scrapped as my little brain ticks over. 

 

*I'm not comparing my tarting up old tat to your creations you understand, merely the similarity in idea evolution. 😉

[Andyjr1515]

In pictures, @BassTool :

Here's basically what I use:

I position with the steel rule:

then I use a sharp ended punch to mark the entry point for the bradpoint drill bit to avoid any wander:

then drill a few mm deep - taking care not to 'wiggle' the drill:

After a dry test fit - ideally it is a tight push fit - a drop of gel superglue on the end of the stick:

Then it is pushed fully home and the excess glue wiped quickly away:

Personally, I find the x-acto modellers razor saw the best to cut it off:

Finally, I trim it flush with either a very sharp chisel or a single-edged razor.  With an unfinished neck, I would just sand it flush as part of the final sanding but I don't want to accidentally catch the varnish on this Wal:

 

2 1/2 done, 8 1/2 to go!  :

 

 

 

 

 

[Fishman]

loving that flat board! 😎

[BassTool]

7 hours ago, Andyjr1515 said:

In pictures, @BassTool :

Here's basically what I use:

I position with the steel rule:

then I use a sharp ended punch to mark the entry point for the bradpoint drill bit to avoid any wander:

then drill a few mm deep - taking care not to 'wiggle' the drill:

After a dry test fit - ideally it is a tight push fit - a drop of gel superglue on the end of the stick:

Then it is pushed fully home and the excess glue wiped quickly away:

Personally, I find the x-acto modellers razor saw the best to cut it off:

Finally, I trim it flush with either a very sharp chisel or a single-edged razor.  With an unfinished neck, I would just sand it flush as part of the final sanding but I don't want to accidentally catch the varnish on this Wal:

 

2 1/2 done, 8 1/2 to go!  :

 

 

 

 

 

Ask, and you shall receive!

 

Brilliant as usual, thanks @Andyjr1515

[Frank Blank]

8 hours ago, Andyjr1515 said:

 

Obviously I have reported this knee/drill potential injuryfest to H&S who will be in contact forthwith.