JGTay Posted April 17, 2023 Share Posted April 17, 2023 Still got two builds to complete and the wood for the next build has arrived. Through neck consisting of Purpleheart and Wenge, fretboard is Leadwood (Combretum imberbe) and wings are Cherry. Still got to decide on the shape, but going with 34" Scale and fretless. Can't decide on 4 or 5 string, still got time to work it out. Will fully hand wind a couple of humbuckers for this as well. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGreek Posted April 17, 2023 Share Posted April 17, 2023 Love purpleheart...comes up a treat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JGTay Posted April 18, 2023 Author Share Posted April 18, 2023 16 hours ago, TheGreek said: Love purpleheart...comes up a treat. Can't wait to get started on it, but needs must and I will get the other builds finished first. Gives me time to ponder shape, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hellzero Posted April 18, 2023 Share Posted April 18, 2023 Following. 😊 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rexel Matador Posted April 19, 2023 Share Posted April 19, 2023 Where are you getting the fancy wood? I'd love to try making a neck like that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JGTay Posted April 19, 2023 Author Share Posted April 19, 2023 Neck laminates- https://exotichardwoodsukltd.com/product-category/instrument-woods/neck-laminates/ Body and fretboard - https://www.reidtimber.co.uk/shop Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JGTay Posted April 19, 2023 Author Share Posted April 19, 2023 (edited) 52 minutes ago, Rexel Matador said: Where are you getting the fancy wood? I'd love to try making a neck like that See above post 👍 Edited April 19, 2023 by JGTay Adding in Rexel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rexel Matador Posted April 19, 2023 Share Posted April 19, 2023 37 minutes ago, JGTay said: Neck laminates- https://exotichardwoodsukltd.com/product-category/instrument-woods/neck-laminates/ Body and fretboard - https://www.reidtimber.co.uk/shop Thanks! I've bought loads from Reid Timber over the years - he's a good dude. I'll have a look into those laminates 👍 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGreek Posted April 19, 2023 Share Posted April 19, 2023 How does his prices compare to the eBay seller from China? Lots of highly figured timber for what seems like not a lot - but I don't know. TBH I don't really need to know - I don't want to re-ignite a fire I thought I'd dealt with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JGTay Posted May 15, 2023 Author Share Posted May 15, 2023 (edited) A few updates from the past couple of weekends. After prepping the neck laminates, they were glued up and then I cut the headstock angle. I then removed some of the excess from the back, leaving the headstock thickness full so I can do it in one piece. Next up was the fretboard. It had a slight twist/bend at one end (which is now the nut end), so I drew a centre line, marked out the nut, strings, fretboard edge and the fret positions to make sure everything was correct, before cutting the fret slots and gluing in maple veneer for the lined fretboard. Then I moved on to chiselling out the truss rod channel. This was part way through and testing to see how much more needed removing. (please excuse the sweat drips... it was very warm!!) Finally to the correct depth and level all the way along. And with the truss rod in place. I then marked out and cut to depth for the positions of the humbuckers, but didn't take pics. Haven't removed the wood yet, need to be careful they come out as full pieces as I will hopefully be utilising them when making the pickups. Next was gluing the fretboard in place. Usually I would cut the fret slots after this point, but with the twist/bend I needed to make sure everything was lined up perfectly. I clamped it in place first and drilled through on the outside edges that will be removed so I could use nail pins to hold it in place and keep it lined up when gluing. Then masking tape over the truss rod and cut to size, before gluing and clamping the fretboard in place. Once it had dried it was out of the clamps and lined up with the wings to see how it was all looking. That was where I got up to on Saturday, was hoping to get some more done Sunday, but didn't get any time. So will get back to it next weekend. Edited May 15, 2023 by JGTay 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JGTay Posted May 21, 2023 Author Share Posted May 21, 2023 This weekends updates. After measuring up and marking out, started getting the neck/fretboard shape done. Then moved on to the radius, started yesterday afternoon and finally finished sanded up through the grades this morning. Leadwood is painful doing the radius by hand. Cleaned up with white spirit. Some really nice grain patterns. Have gone with a thicker fretboard on this build as the strings were closer to the body than I wanted on the last fretless. it is around 11mm in the centre. I then moved onto getting the neck thickness trimmed. That was as far as I got. Tools down until next weekend. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGreek Posted May 27, 2023 Share Posted May 27, 2023 Wow!! Love that fretboard. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JGTay Posted June 11, 2023 Author Share Posted June 11, 2023 Haven't got anything more done on this yet, been busy finishing off a guitar for someone and thought I would show the (almost) finished pics. Dan dropped this off last week after he had taken it away to do the paint job. He had always wanted a BC Rich Mockingbird style guitar and asked me to build him one, but he wanted to do his own finish on it. Still needs stringing up, but Dan is bringing the strings he likes next week when he comes to test it and so long as he is happy with everything, take it away with him. I know it isn't a bass, but just wanted to show what had kept me from carrying on with this fretless build. 11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGreek Posted June 11, 2023 Share Posted June 11, 2023 Love the colour - Gold hardwear is a nice touch too. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JGTay Posted June 11, 2023 Author Share Posted June 11, 2023 The truss rod cover is still with Dan, need to remind him to bring it next week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JGTay Posted June 18, 2023 Author Share Posted June 18, 2023 Dan dropped off the strings and cover earlier. All strung up and truss rod cover in place, he decided to do the cover black, but said he may do it the same colour as the guitar at a later date. Just waiting for Dan to come back from his in-laws and test it out. Still need to cut the excess strings off. Was losing the light for the pic. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JGTay Posted June 18, 2023 Author Share Posted June 18, 2023 The guitar has left with it's new owner, who had a big smile on his face while testing it out. 😁 Dan said he will send me some recordings next week. 😊👍 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Si600 Posted June 19, 2023 Share Posted June 19, 2023 (edited) What's the scoop under the bridge for? I would have expected a tuno-matic style to have enough adjustment not to need a cut out under it. Edit: Just quickly gone back to check it's not some kind of tremolo unit! Edited June 19, 2023 by Si600 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hellzero Posted June 19, 2023 Share Posted June 19, 2023 Looks like the bridge is simply recessed @Si600. 😉 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JGTay Posted June 19, 2023 Author Share Posted June 19, 2023 28 minutes ago, Si600 said: What's the scoop under the bridge for? I would have expected a tuno-matic style to have enough adjustment not to need a cut out under it. He wanted it with no neck angle, so the bridge needed to be recessed and I made a feature out of it with the slopes. Also makes changing the strings a lot easier. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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