Finished! A Very Special Save

[Fishman]

Great work Andy – now I can breathe out 😌

[BassTool]

👏👏 lovely clampage 😎

[Hellzero]

Terrific job ! 👌

[Andyjr1515]

Happy New Year, everyone.     Fingers crossed...

 

And so to - the important test.  With that unusual graphite/carbon/whatever plate representing the greatest proportion of the gluing surface to the fretboard, was it going to be able to stand reasonable tightening of the trussrod without a sharp *CRACK* and a demonstration of the removal of the fretboard around 45minutes quicker than using the iron and steel sheet? 

It is an interesting difference, of course, between the 'traditional' style of single action truss rod and a modern one.  In the modern ones, the rod itself bends, pressing down at each end and pressing up under the middle of the fretboard.  Here there is a possibility of the rod popping off the fretboard.  With the traditional single-action anchored ones, the shortening rod bends the neck wood and the fretboard bends along for the ride.  So the theory is that there is less force on the fretboard joint with a traditional anchored rod.  Leastways, that's how the logic seemed last night after a couple of cans of 5.2% marshmallow stout! 

But the test has to be done because there's no point in fretting this if the joint isn't sound under normal strain.

So this is the before - my aluminium box-section straight edge laying on the neck with trussrod loose:

And this is after tightening the rod to a normal extreme - the kind of back bow typical of when you remove the strings on a set-up bass:

 

And the glue joint held.  Which makes it my first 'phew!' of 2021 

So over the next day or so, this should be able to be fretted up  

 

 

[Andyjr1515]

After scraping the fretboard edges (easier before the frets are in) if was time to start fretting.

@Fishman has gone for nickel silver rather than the harder - but slightly brass-coloured - EVO Golds I tend to fit to my builds.  The nickel silver are no more difficult than the EVO Golds to fit, but this being a flat board - and the fretboard already on the neck (On a 'new' build, I would generally fret the board and then glue to the un-profiled neck) it needs a slightly different approach.

For the flat board, I went for flat wire rather than coiled.  But what's this???

 

Why would crazy Andyjr1515 take flat wire and bend it to fit onto a flat board??

Well, the theory is to hammer one side of the fret, then the other.  This leaves a 'hump' in the middle because the wire has been bent.  Then I hammer the middle and it forces the barbs that have already gone into the slot sideways, locking the fret in.  

On the actual fretwire, I made the curve quite a bit less than in the photo above.

I also use tang nippers to ensure that you don't get the sharp tang ends protruding from the fretboard as it settles:

 

The last two things I do before hammering the fret in is run a triangular needle file gently along the fret slot to take the sharp corners off and also run a tiny bead of titebond along the tang.

Then it's the 'hammer one side; hammer the other side, hammer in the middle; wipe off the glue squeeze-out':

You can see the hump in the middle here before I flatten that with the mallet.

Finally, I clamp a caul on (a radius block in the case of a radiussed board) for 10 minutes or so to hold it firmly flat (or radiussed) while the glue grabs:

 

5 done, 16 (I think) still to do

 

 

 

[Andyjr1515]

All frets in ready for trimming once the Titebond has fully set:

[BassTool]

Superb!! 👌🏼👌🏼👌🏼

[Andyjr1515]

And today, with the bandsaw still out from cutting @Jus Lukin 's tailstock relief (photo in the morning once it's light) I got to work on the great big - but surprisingly light -  lump of swamp ash:

I've left around a mm or so wiggle-room larger than the paper template @Fishman sent me. 

Looking at the above, this is why I wasn't overly troubled by the sensitivities of re-bodying a classic - the shape is, I think you will agree, 'maybe, itself, influenced by the styles of the era in which it was built'

 

[BassTool]

That is a lovely lump for the @Fishman project 😍👌🏼

Has the finish/colour been decided yet?

🤔

[Fishman]

47 minutes ago, BassTool said:

Has the finish/colour been decided yet?

Currently we're looking at natural, with tru-oil – which, now I've seen it for the first time, I really like

But… I may change my mind!

[Andyjr1515]

1 minute ago, Fishman said:

But… I may change my mind!

I could tell he was tempted by my suggestion of plain maple veneer stained a muddy brown.... 

[Fishman]

1 hour ago, Andyjr1515 said:

influenced by the styles of the era in which it was built'

It's basically a Shergold 😊

[BassBod]

On 22/12/2020 at 00:22, NickA said:

Still wondering how @fishman came upon a pro 1e without its body or bridge!  

That carbon strip in the neck btw is unique to early Wals. The customs, mk1s, 2s, 3s and pro 1 reissues don't have it.  The necks changed from hornbeam, mahogany and maple to just mahogany and maple at some point too.  "Engineered" indeed.

 

I can answer that - I bought this neck as a re-furnished second from Pete the Fish in the mid 90’s when he re-fretted and renovated a ProIIE for me. I was able to swap the bass from fretted to fretless quite easily, as the necks used metal inserts.  I traded the bass with both necks to a friend, and put him in touch when I saw the wanted ad on here.  He hadn’t used the neck in many years, in fact I doubt if he ever did.  When I used it, the fretless neck was perfectly well behaved, and always held the relief set.  But, there was evidence of previous work..one or two dot markers were thin up the dusty end, where the board had been levelled...

[Maude]

2 hours ago, Andyjr1515 said:

And today, with the bandsaw still out from cutting @Jus Lukin 's tailstock relief (photo in the morning once it's light) I got to work on the great big - but surprisingly light -  lump of swamp ash:

I've left around a mm or so wiggle-room larger than the paper template @Fishman sent me. 

Looking at the above, this is why I wasn't overly troubled by the sensitivities of re-bodying a classic - the shape is, I think you will agree, 'maybe, itself, influenced by the styles of the era in which it was built'

 

That looks lovely already. 

🙂👍

[Mykesbass]

2 hours ago, Andyjr1515 said:

And today, with the bandsaw still out from cutting @Jus Lukin 's tailstock relief (photo in the morning once it's light) I got to work on the great big - but surprisingly light -  lump of swamp ash:

I've left around a mm or so wiggle-room larger than the paper template @Fishman sent me. 

Looking at the above, this is why I wasn't overly troubled by the sensitivities of re-bodying a classic - the shape is, I think you will agree, 'maybe, itself, influenced by the styles of the era in which it was built'

 

Looks fabulous. Great build (as always)!

[ezbass]

2 hours ago, Andyjr1515 said:

And today, with the bandsaw still out from cutting @Jus Lukin 's tailstock relief (photo in the morning once it's light) I got to work on the great big - but surprisingly light -  lump of swamp ash:

I've left around a mm or so wiggle-room larger than the paper template @Fishman sent me. 

Looking at the above, this is why I wasn't overly troubled by the sensitivities of re-bodying a classic - the shape is, I think you will agree, 'maybe, itself, influenced by the styles of the era in which it was built'

 

That is going to be the mutt’s dangly bits.

[Fishman]

2 hours ago, BassBod said:

put him in touch when I saw the wanted ad

Cheers @BassBod !

I cannot for the life of me remember who I bought the pre and pickup from though – it was on here about 10 years ago in the Accessories & Other Musically Related Items For Sale section – maybe it was still bassworld or whatever it was called previously – either way the transaction details aren't still available

Edited January 5, 2021 by Fishman

[Tony Tabasco]

Wow, this post reads as an Agatha Christie! Can't wait for the next move... 

Edited January 6, 2021 by Tony Tabasco

[BassTool]

19 hours ago, Fishman said:

Currently we're looking at natural, with tru-oil – which, now I've seen it for the first time, I really like...

 

I was hoping you'd say that, either natural or stained I think that grain will look lovely 👌🏼 this is yet another classic @Andyjr1515 thread 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

[Andyjr1515]

Well - no pictures, but I think I've worked out the sequence to do things.

- Trying to create a pocket to fit a neck that already has screw holes is always a challenge. 

- Fitting necks with machine-screws is also always a challenge, because they have to be absolutely spot on, both in dimensional and angular terms. 

- Creating a pocket to fit a neck that already has machine-screw inserts fitted is therefore (a challenge)² ....   

So it needs a plan.  And this is my plan:

* From the neck, I will take a paper template, using the 'thumb pressed to make an impression' trick.

** From the template, I will mark the 4 screw-hole positions on a piece of plywood

*** I will drill the 4 holes with the drill press and check the fit with some short machine screws

**** I will then temporarily attach the plywood template to the neck and line up the neck on the body, intended bridge position and pickguard position.  I will mark the position of the template.

*****I will probably have a cup of tea, before...

****** ...taking the plywood template off the neck and lining it up with the positional marks made on the body and mark the 4 screw hole positions

******* I will then drill the four holes through the body on the drill press using a good quality brad-point drill bit

********Next, I will screw the neck to the top of the body and mark the outline of the neck pocket

*********Finally, I will cut the neck pocket and then everything else relating to the final carve of the body (which has a few mm wiggle room) can then use the neck and neck pocket as the datum

I call it my '8 Point for not c**king up the neck pocket Plan'

Or, in short:

I'm going to try to drill the fixing holes in the right place first.  

 

Oh...and I might have to buy some longer screws first, so don't hold your breath  

Edited January 6, 2021 by Andyjr1515

[SpondonBassed]

2 minutes ago, Andyjr1515 said:

*********Finally, I will cut the neck pocket and then everything else relating to the final carve of the body (which has a few mm wiggle room) can then use the neck and neck pocket at the datum

I call it my '8 Point for not c**king up the neck pocket Plan'

...and it only took nine asterisks!  Are you knocking out four legged tripods on the side?

But yes.  This is a white knuckle bit.  I'm bracing myself.

[TheGreek]

..a cunning plan 

[itu]

35 minutes ago, SpondonBassed said:

Are you knocking out four legged tripods on the side?

Not this: https://www.3leggedthing.com/

but this: https://www.novoflex.de/en/products-637/camera-support-systems/quadropod-4-legs.html

[Richard R]

35 minutes ago, itu said:

Not this: https://www.3leggedthing.com/

but this: https://www.novoflex.de/en/products-637/camera-support-systems/quadropod-4-legs.html

The first one of those describes itself as having " A leg locking mechanism that will leave your jaw on the floor". That's going to result in a trip to A&E.

And now, back to the thread..

[Richard R]

1 hour ago, Andyjr1515 said:

I'm going to try to drill the fixing holes in the right place first.  

 

🤞🤞🤞

Not that you need luck.