The second attempt to build/assemble a bass guitar ( again?? :-) )

[mrbacco]

Hello again gentlepeople ... Following the first attempt (here), on which many of you have sent loads of very useful for me hints, I am starting a second attempt to assemble a bass guitar with this thread.

Telecaster body (coming soon, bought it, again, from a luthier in Italy).

Pickup: Warman. (presented in the other thread, but not used)

Neck: chinese made maple and rosewood: the main theme of this thread. Please have a look at the pictures below. Could you kindly weigh your ideas on what a nice and innovative neck head would be? I have the tools for carving it, does not mean I am gonna do a good job 🙂, but I would love to trigger you innovative ideas with this thread.

Again I will have to square the bottom of the heel (see above quoted thread), and I will make use of the awesome hints I got. 

 

Would love your ideas on the following:

- How to make a nice, good, and robust head neck?

- Best technique to extend the V shape P51 pickup pocket to host the warman (link above)

- Any other ideas I haven't though about to make the bass nicer.

 

Sorry if I am asking loads of help, if it is too much and I am out of context, just let me know thanks

🙂 

 

And, BTW, please do also let me know if you like my cheap 18mm plywood floor in the attic, thanks 🙂 !

 

 

 

 

 

Edited September 18, 2023 by mrbacco

[Richard R]

I'm waiting for your scratch built bass with plywood body, though in the meantime I'll enjoy the more normal builds and admire the floor. 

 

 Headstock design ideas? 

Here's 15 pages of them 

 

 

[PaulThePlug]

Looks like the headstock is angled back on a scarf...

 

For me... straight string runs...

And i think the best looking headstock is the Ibanez SR...

 

But Hey! Why not an angled back Tele Head?

Edited September 18, 2023 by PaulThePlug

[mrbacco]

10 hours ago, PaulThePlug said:

Looks like the headstock is angled back on a scarf...

 

For me... straight string runs...

And i think the best looking headstock is the Ibanez SR...

 

But Hey! Why not an angled back Tele Head?

 

 

Yep, the head is angled back, not sure why some necks are like this? Is there any explanation or just for the strings? Anyway, all valid suggestions, I like the 2L+2R idea myself too! And the angled back tele also! 🙂 

[mrbacco]

12 hours ago, Richard R said:

I'm waiting for your scratch built bass with plywood body

 

hehe, how much longer can you wait, sir? 🙂 

[mrbacco]

12 hours ago, Richard R said:

Here's 15 pages of them 

 

thanks a million!

[mrbacco]

10 hours ago, PaulThePlug said:

But Hey! Why not an angled back Tele Head?

 

maybe also left handed one? 

[mrbacco]

 

 

 

 

 

 

... and attached the first result of the squaring of the neck heel ... thoughts?

Edited September 19, 2023 by mrbacco

[Rexel Matador]

3 hours ago, mrbacco said:

Yep, the head is angled back, not sure why some necks are like this? Is there any explanation or just for the strings?

It's so the strings are pulled down over the nut. I don't think anyone questioned it until Fender figured out they could be flat if you included a string tree to replicate the effect.
 

 

21 hours ago, mrbacco said:

Could you kindly weigh your ideas on what a nice and innovative neck head would be?

Here's an unusual but wildly impractical one I made a while back.

[mrbacco]

1 hour ago, Rexel Matador said:

It's so the strings are pulled down over the nut. I don't think anyone questioned it until Fender figured out they could be flat if you included a string tree to replicate the effect.
 

 

Here's an unusual but wildly impractical one I made a while back.

 

wow ... this is what I call GREAT wood craft ... 

 

and the floor! mamma mia, better than my plywood! 🙂 

Edited September 19, 2023 by mrbacco

[mrbacco]

1 hour ago, Rexel Matador said:

It's so the strings are pulled down over the nut. I don't think anyone questioned it until Fender figured out they could be flat if you included a string tree to replicate the effect.

 

... got it, thanks, I thought was about strings, but I was not sure , thanks

[LowB_FTW]

4 hours ago, Rexel Matador said:

It's so the strings are pulled down over the nut. I don't think anyone questioned it until Fender figured out they could be flat if you included a string tree to replicate the effect.
 

 

Here's an unusual but wildly impractical one I made a while back.

The only impracticality I can see is the tuners being somewhat at an angle to the string pull.

Care to elaborate what you find impractical about it?

FWIW, I really like that design.

 

Mark 

[Rexel Matador]

Just now, LowB_FTW said:

The only impracticality I can see is the tuners being somewhat at an angle to the string pull.

Care to elaborate what you find impractical about it?

FWIW, I really like that design.

 

Mark 

It's a bit too big and heavy for a headstock, and actually winding the strings onto the tuners in the first place is way too fiddly. The angle of the tuners doesn't actually seem to be an issue.

 

I've done a couple like this and will do another one one day, I'm sure, perhaps refining the design to make it easier to string up.

 

Sorry @mrbacco, I didn't mean to hijack your thread. I was mainly just suggesting the sideways tuners thing if you wanted something weird for your headstock. Though you may need to add some thickness to it to do that.

[Rexel Matador]

Regarding your other questions, it looks to me like that pickup is a standard guitar humbucker size, so you would need a router, a bearing cutter and a humbucker cavity template. If memory serves I bought a perfectly good template for the exact job on ebay because I couldn't be bothered to make one.

 

Did you need to square off the neck heel to fit the pocket in the body?

[mrbacco]

13 minutes ago, Rexel Matador said:

Sorry @mrbacco, I didn't mean to hijack your thread. I was mainly just suggesting the sideways tuners thing if you wanted something weird for your headstock. Though you may need to add some thickness to it to do that.

 

hey ... no need for that 🙂 ... everything on this thread is good juice! thanks a lot

[mrbacco]

8 minutes ago, Rexel Matador said:

Regarding your other questions, it looks to me like that pickup is a standard guitar humbucker size, so you would need a router, a bearing cutter and a humbucker cavity template. If memory serves I bought a perfectly good template for the exact job on ebay because I couldn't be bothered to make one.

 

Did you need to square off the neck heel to fit the pocket in the body?

 

yep, that will be me the main work ... I already squared it today, I posted a pic before and after ... I am still waiting the body to come, it is a bit late, but hopefully will come soon!

[mrbacco]

1 hour ago, LowB_FTW said:

The only impracticality I can see is the tuners being somewhat at an angle to the string pull.

Care to elaborate what you find impractical about it?

FWIW, I really like that design.

 

Mark 

 

Agree with @LowB_FTW ... the design is really good ... I would not even think of trying to go down that road thou, because of my primary ape skills in carving! 

[LowB_FTW]

14 minutes ago, mrbacco said:

 

Agree with @LowB_FTW ... the design is really good ... I would not even think of trying to go down that road thou, because of my primary ape skills in carving! 

The build I'm working on has side mounted tuners, and it's giving me a proper headache trying to get it right. Especially considering it's a 5 in-line and I want straight string pulls from the nut.

So I can totally understand reluctance in starting something like this.

 

Mark

[mrbacco]

15 minutes ago, LowB_FTW said:

The build I'm working on has side mounted tuners, and it's giving me a proper headache trying to get it right. Especially considering it's a 5 in-line and I want straight string pulls from the nut.

So I can totally understand reluctance in starting something like this.

 

Mark

 

5 with straight strings off nuts ... you need a looonger head thou, no? not the usual 20+ cm? 

Edited September 19, 2023 by mrbacco

[LowB_FTW]

I suspect it'll be longer than 20cm, yeah. I don't have final dimensions because the damn thing is taking me such a long time to complete. Hahaha

But I know that once it's done, it can go to template and that will be it complete, so the hard work will all be worth it.

 

Mark

[mrbacco]

35 minutes ago, LowB_FTW said:

I suspect it'll be longer than 20cm, yeah. I don't have final dimensions because the damn thing is taking me such a long time to complete. Hahaha

But I know that once it's done, it can go to template and that will be it complete, so the hard work will all be worth it.

 

Mark

 

I guess it won't bother if it is longer, isn't it? The scale would be the same so it should not be a big issue, except, maybe, for neck diving? I dunno! Anyway ... good luck good sir, well done with experimenting !- 🙂 

[PaulThePlug]

Angled Back Tele?

And to make it lighter... 4 Fish Tails instead of Hefalump Ears...

Got a set in black for postage£

Before ya cut n drill...

(They are Right handed so wont work reverse Tele)

[TheGreek]

I always think that a headstock should acknowledge the female figure so here you go:

 

[Rexel Matador]

3 hours ago, LowB_FTW said:

The build I'm working on has side mounted tuners, and it's giving me a proper headache trying to get it right. Especially considering it's a 5 in-line and I want straight string pulls from the nut.

So I can totally understand reluctance in starting something like this.

 

Mark

That's why I went to 3+1. I couldn't settle on a design I liked that was four in line. 5 in line will certainly make a statement,  I can't wait to see it!