Finished Pics! Single Cut 5-string Short Scale

[Andyjr1515]

1 hour ago, PatrickJ said:

@Andyjr1515 - I love the birds motif you use! (well they look like birds to me)

Thanks   More specifically, swifts.  Good that they look like birds 

[zbd1960]

That is extremely good looking

[bassadder]

I have this 30” scale 5 string on order from S.Martyn Basses it’s a Blaze RAS 

[TheGreek]

Seems reminiscent of an ACG

[bassadder]

Not sure Alan makes a few different shapes.... Martyn’s are made from indigenous Brazilian woods I’ve never heard of but sound amazing 

[Richard R]

This has probably been answered elsewhere, but how do you care for and polish a bass finished with Tru-oil?

It's not like a hard varnish, so do you just clean with a soft cloth? Use occasional guitar polish? Do you have to reapply the oil every few years? 

[eude]

9 hours ago, TheGreek said:

Seems reminiscent of an ACG

It's certainly quite reminiscent isn't it...

This happens a lot in Brazil, and South America in general.
The import costs for anything being made elsewhere are staggering, and there is absolutely no chance whatsoever of fighting any sort of copyright infringement, especially if you're a one man band like many luthiers.

I wouldn't call that a straight copy, but there's certainly a good whiff of Alan's original design in there for sure.
You should see how many Brazil based luthiers make a living by building straight copies of Foderas, it's crazy, but there's nothing Fodera can really do about it.

All you can do is take it as flattery...

Eude

[eude]

2 minutes ago, eude said:

You should see how many Brazil based luthiers make a living by building straight copies of Foderas, it's crazy, but there's nothing Fodera can really do about it.

Oh, here you go, Fodera anyone? http://smartyn.com/model.php?bass=Freedom

They do a Dingwall too  http://smartyn.com/model.php?bass=FluenceFanned

Eude

[Hellzero]

33 minutes ago, eude said:

It's certainly quite reminiscent isn't it...

And the original design by the French luthier Jean-Philippe Ferreira (JPBasses Plume model) that has more than inspired Alan Cringean... 😉

Edited June 24, 2021 by Hellzero
Photo...

[eude]

49 minutes ago, Hellzero said:

And the original design by the French luthier Jean-Philippe Ferreira (JPBasses Plume model) that has more than inspired Alan Cringean... 😉

I can see a sniff of it in Alan's Salace, but not significantly.

The Salace is offset, the Plume is not.
The upper horn of the Salace is straight, the Plume flicks up like and upturned thumb.
The upper bout of the Salace is flat, more cut away and at a more extreme angle, the Plume is more organic and round,
The lower horn of the Salace stretches away from the body and points outwards, wrapping around the leg, the Plume's does not.
The lower bout of the Salace pushes out away from the body helping with balance, the Plume's is pushed inwards.

Just my 2p, of course...

Eude

[Hellzero]

Ask Alan himself, it's no secret...

[skelf]

No secret that I like JP work. But the Salace has nothing to do with the Plume so in this instance you are not correct. It was developed along with Paul Sugden from the Harlot and the Gallus models a combination of parts from both. 
 

As Eude points out there are few similarities. 

[Andyjr1515]

2 hours ago, Richard R said:

This has probably been answered elsewhere, but how do you care for and polish a bass finished with Tru-oil?

It's not like a hard varnish, so do you just clean with a soft cloth? Use occasional guitar polish? Do you have to reapply the oil every few years? 

Usually just a wipe with dampened cloth and buff up with a clean lint-free one (the white polishing cloths you can get quite cheaply in Halfords are ideal.  It dries pretty hard over the first 2-3 weeks and is more resilient than you would imagine. 

That said, it is nowhere near as scratch resistant as, say, an industrial poly but is much, much easier to do an invisible mend in the event of a mishap that you don't want to flaunt as 'mojo' .

Tru-oil applied this way naturally drops a touch from the high gloss over the first 12 months but will then keep that level of shine for years.  

Auto-polishing isn't really recommended because any cutting polish can take the thin gloss coat away and reveal the previous flattened, duller, regions.  If I was selling one and wanted it to sparkle, personally I would just use a decent quality auto or furniture non-spray wax - I've used Meguiers Carnuba Wax, natural Bri-wax and Lord Sheraton's Furniture wax successfully in the past.  But for my own instruments, I always think that the slight off-peak gloss it naturally drops to actually adds to the look of the instrument. 

[Andyjr1515]

Well, an interesting, if slightly odd, diversion to the build thread.  But any diversion that gets @skelf (who's work I find awe-inspiring and bass-builder-inspiring in equal measure) posting on one of my threads is always very welcome   

Anyway, we'll be getting back to the boring old stuff like my-bridge-earth-wire-hole-blocked-by-glue very soon  

[skelf]

Hi

 

I am really sorry to crash your thread. I didn’t read the whole thread and missed it was a build thread. So I am out of order posting on it for which I now feel rather bad about. Feel free to delete all reference to the Salace comments. 
you build stuff I would not touch out with my skill set, so kudos for your excellent work. 

Alan

[Andyjr1515]

4 minutes ago, skelf said:

Hi

 

I am really sorry to crash your thread. I didn’t read the whole thread and missed it was a build thread. So I am out of order posting on it for which I now feel rather bad about. Feel free to delete all reference to the Salace comments. 
you build stuff I would not touch out with my skill set, so kudos for your excellent work. 

Alan

No criticism at all, Alan - the thread went 'off-piste' a few posts earlier and that was the diversion I was referring to 

And diversions are not a problem to me at all....11 pages of build thread probably proves that most of the diversions are my own 

But yes - I will post how I solved the rookie 'glue in the hole' issue...once I've worked out how to

 

[skelf]

So a bit puzzled as to why Bassadder posted the Brazilian build in your thread. 

[Hellzero]

Thanks for your answer @skelf.

That said, I don't know either why this S. Martyn bass appeared here as it has nothing to do with @Andyjr1515 build thread.

You both Alan and Andy are doing an amazing work on your own builds. It's always a delight to follow your threads.

[Andyjr1515]

So, and I say this with due modesty, back to  _me me ME ! 

 

 

 

 

So what was the rookie error?

1st Tip:  whenever you have a channel in timbers that are going to be glued together, then always insert an old E string (or B is even better) through the channel while the glue is still wet

2nd Tip: always remember 1st tip 

My additional problem was that I was aware that the hole for the bridge wire (for reasons I can't remember) wasn't completely straight so I couldn't just drill from the top until it cleared it.

My additional additional problem was that I'd hampered the access to the hole from the control chamber with the rebate offcut I'd just fitted.  With the deft whack of the mallet on the tight-radius curved chisel, this was the first part of the corrective action:

Then, with the drill at the very end of the chuck jaws, and keeping a VERY close eye on how close the rotating chuck was to that newly finished tru-oil, I started drilling from both sides towards the middle, frequently checking the angles and progress with a sharp prodder.

Eventually, the prodder hit something soft and a decent push meant the two holes had at last met 

A bass string threaded through confirmed it:

 

So back on track.  I'll sort the earth out and fit the bridge next

 

 

 

 

  

[bassadder]

1 hour ago, skelf said:

So a bit puzzled as to why Bassadder posted the Brazilian build in your thread. 

Hi Alan hope you are well sorry it’s been so long since we’ve had a chat (it’s Laurence from Carlisle)

I was just showing a 30” scale 5 string with a low B to demonstrate it can be done and that it actually works, I also have a Serek 5 string 30” scale that is great as well. Simone (Martyn) like you developed the Blaze RAS signature bass shape along side bass virtuoso Robson Albuquerque, which he’s been doing for a quite a few years...

Cheers

Laurence

Edited June 24, 2021 by bassadder

[Andyjr1515]

On recent builds, for earthing the bridge I've started using a strip of the self-stick copper foil that I also use for the chambers:

The solder joint sits inside the entry scoop and so you don't have the worry of the wires lifting the bridge or eventually sinking into the finish and breaking contact:

 

And we have a fitted and earthed bridge  :

 

As the copper foil is out of the drawer, next job may as well be shielding the chambers.

 

 

[Andyjr1515]

Control chamber and hatch shielded.  Pickup chamber this evening

[PatrickJ]

1 minute ago, Andyjr1515 said:

Control chamber and hatch shielded.  Pickup chamber this evening

@Andyjr1515 - what's the art / trick in getting the foil down so neatly into the cavities.  I had to shield a precision shaped pickup cavity on a Sandberg bass and I could not get a neat job done of it like you demonstrate here.

[Hellzero]

Practice, @PatrickJ, practice !

[PatrickJ]

2 minutes ago, Hellzero said:

Practice, @PatrickJ, practice !

Yes, but there's always those little tricks of the trade to be picked up.  

Edited June 24, 2021 by PatrickJ