Finished Pics! Single Cut 5-string Short Scale

[Andyjr1515]

And today was chamber day

Weight relief top left; shallow weight relief top horn due to cutaway the other side; battery slot in control chamber; access from the Superquad chamber to the control chamber for the SimS 140-wire (or that's what it feels like) wiring loom and connector; no weight relief at the lower horn because we are going to have a deep cutaway cutaway there (a particularly nice feature on @Matt P's design); no weight relief in the central area to maximise the stiffness and density between the neck and bridge (although, of course, there will be an enormous Superquad chamber in the middle.

This little lot...

...now weighs  around 7.3lbs, so, adding Superquad, pots, tuners but less wood still to be carved, I think we are on target for 7.5lbs maximum, with some remaining options up my sleeve if I'm wrong

Time to ponder and take and record measurements so I don't inadvertently carve into the chambers once they are hidden...but we're almost ready to get that top on!

 

 

[Andyjr1515]

While I'm still not decided whether there will be any further major carving at the back, it always pays to know where the hidden chambers are and how deep they are.  I simply take a paper template to keep in the file:

And write the respective depths of those chambers:

I also pre-drilled the bridge earth wire holes in the top and the matching one in the back - it's a lot easier (and less scary) than once it's fully assembled.

Then, after a final 'have I forgotten anything important' pause, the top is now gluing.  And no, you can't have too many clamps 

Very soon and it really IS going to start looking like a bass

 

[TheGreek]

3 minutes ago, Andyjr1515 said:

Then, after a final 'have I forgotten anything important' pause,

You mean Wife's birthday, wedding anniversary type thing???

[Jakester]

21 hours ago, Andyjr1515 said:

I know this says more about me than I'd like it to, but I can't help seeing two bass bodies mating there. Can't wait to see the little ukes they produce!

[Andyjr1515]

34 minutes ago, Jakester said:

I know this says more about me than I'd like it to

Yes it does, @Jakester , yes it does.  

 

And it's glued and it's trimmed and the cut out carve is started and it's dampened and the bridge isn't straight and there's a drop of water on the fretboard...

 

...but it IS starting to look like a bass

[Andyjr1515]

Oh...and 24th fret access - even to the bottom B - is a breeze

 

[Matt P]

5 hours ago, Andyjr1515 said:

Yes it does, @Jakester , yes it does.  

 

And it's glued and it's trimmed and the cut out carve is started and it's dampened and the bridge isn't straight and there's a drop of water on the fretboard...

 

...but it IS starting to look like a bass

And i thought i was excited before!

 

the 24th fret access was definitely something i thought about at the start, it's partially based on my current 5 string and partially on my first guitar (an Aria Magna superstrat)  why have 24 frets if you can't get to all of them!

 

Matt

[Owen]

6 hours ago, Jakester said:

I know this says more about me than I'd like it to, but I can't help seeing two bass bodies mating there. Can't wait to see the little ukes they produce!

Oooh! Oooh! I will buy all the little Ukes!

[BassTool]

On 07/05/2021 at 15:27, Andyjr1515 said:

I did a number of passes, ending up with a 4mm deep slot:

 

Then, from the other side, cut the chamber as I do my pickup chambers nowadays...starting with a Forstner to part-depth:

 

Then chiselled the periphery to act as a guide for the bearing on a top-bearing router bit:

 

So now, and only now, when it is captive and can't go anywhere because of the bearing, out can come the horrible hand router... :

 

...to tidy up the sides and gradually deepen the body until breakthrough!  :

 

And, with a mm adjustment of my chisel line eventually release.  And we have a grain matching, 3mm thick back cover 

 

I think the phrase, 'Well, you could knock me down with a feather!' springs to mind.  I wasn't expecting that!!!

Time for a cup of tea, I reckon....

 

 

That's really clever! I have a bass that has a matched grain cover, and it had me beat how that was achieved, now I know

 

 

 

[Andyjr1515]

3 minutes ago, BassTool said:

That's really clever! I have a bass that has a matched grain cover, and it had me beat how that was achieved, now I know

 

 

 

That is a stunning bass....

 

[BassTool]

3 minutes ago, Andyjr1515 said:

That is a stunning bass....

 

Thanks Andy, it's a Cliff Bordwell fretless. 

[BassTool]

5 minutes ago, Andyjr1515 said:

That is a stunning bass....

 

Shame he didn't know about your magnet trick on the back though  

[Andyjr1515]

4 minutes ago, BassTool said:

That's really clever! I have a bass that has a matched grain cover, and it had me beat how that was achieved, now I know

The other way, if the builder is working off a thicker blank is to take a thin slice off - over a few mm, the grain pattern wouldn't be that different - and that would then mean that the gap could be quite a bit tighter than mine.  But it does mean having an industrial size and quality of band-saw. 

[Andyjr1515]

1 minute ago, BassTool said:

Thanks Andy, it's a Cliff Bordwell fretless. 

It's an exquisite bit of craftsmanship...

[Andyjr1515]

With the Superquad on its way, it's time to start the back carve.  While there is a broad plan, this will 'morph' as the carve happens.  First, I carved the back of the lower cutout, extending the sweep of the heel cutaway.  Then I started scooping bulk out to take some more weight out and also provide a bit of 'too many biscuits' relief  . 

It won't be a @TheGreek 'contact lens' symmetry at the back - I am preserving the depth of the control chamber until I can be sure the SimS multi-wire loom will fit without the need for a screwed back plate - but that same vibe.  So out comes my beloved Veritas Pullshave  :

The pullshave is designed to scoop the shape of wooden chair seats...so after a hard gig, @Matt P will be able to flip the bass upside down on top a tripod and sit on it! 

Because I have actual chambers and potential chambers and fixing screws to accommodate, I'm doing this a bit at a time, with plenty of pauses, measurements and ponderings.  This is where it's at so far:

That would probably already sort the effect of too many custard creams - but I'll be aiming for a full jaffa cake depth

When that's done, I'll then go back to the heel and reshape that.  And by the time that's done, the SuperQuad will be here and I can start thinking about the top carve 

 

 

 

 

[Andyjr1515]

Softly, softly catchee monkey...

Creeping up on the back carve.  I've checked once again all of the carve vs chamber depths and am fairly certain I'm safe from any unexpected breakthoughs  

Rough carve not quite finished but probably one more session will do it ready for scraping - and by then, the Superquad will be here and I can start on the top  .  As I predicted, the carve has morphed and I've added some extra modest waist carves which I think will suit the look :

 

Edited May 14, 2021 by Andyjr1515

[TheGreek]

I couldn't think why this looked familiar:

Then I remembered

[Si600]

You weren't soft enough, the monkey escaped

[Andyjr1515]

Another discussion @Matt P have had is the best position for the Super Quad.

I 'borrowed' this very useful photo off a Google Search (and many thanks to whoever originally posted it  )

 

The actual distances, of course, have no relevance, but the proportion of the saddle to mid point of the pickups to the full scale does, to an extent.  We've plumbed for the standard 'P' position which should sit in a decent vibration point pretty much all the way up the fret positions.  Happily, that's also pretty much bang on where Matt's 'it looks right here' original sketch had it

So it will be here:

 

And THAT means I could then forstner, chisel and rout out the chamber for the  pickup.  Note the additional rout for the connector block to sit:

 

And THAT means that tomorrow I can start the top and edges carve tomorrow and - if the day goes to plan - glue on the fretboard too 

Edited May 18, 2021 by Andyjr1515

[Matt P]

the way the grain of the top perfectly fits round the pickup really pleases me, it looks like some kind of wind tunnel trace. this build is just getting better and better.

 

Matt

[Andyjr1515]

And to the carve.  Again, in the background there is a fair bit of backwards and forwards PM'ing between me and @Matt P as the carve creeps up towards final.  I don't know if other builders are the same, but the final carve contour emerges during the process.  I would say, 'the wood talks to you' except most folks would assume I'd been on the whacky baccy.

We'd got to this stage:

But the walnut was singing like a siren at me.  MrsAndyjr1515 helpfully tied me to a mast and threw buckets of salt water over me, but it was no good (other than she, hurtfully, seemed to enjoy the process) - I had to leap into the stormy waves and answer the call. 

Well, what I actually had to do was PM Matt. 

What about following the skewed oval... (top tip: school chalk should be handy at every builder's workbench)     :

 

...and do this:

Now, personally, I think that looks flippin' gorgeous

 

AND it means I won't get a reminder from @TheGreek to do exactly that because, almost certainly, he will have been ahead of me    - he has an eye for such things and I hope that he takes some pride in the fact that I do, sometimes, take notice 

 

[eude]

1 hour ago, Andyjr1515 said:

That is flipping stunning!

[spacecowboy]

phwwwwoooaaaaarr! Gorgeous!

And you're not alone I sit and have a good natter with my planks too...

[Hellzero]

That's utterly flipping stunning gorgeous !

[ezbass]

Quality vision and carving there, Sir.