Our Souls inc. Posted December 13, 2010 Report Share Posted December 13, 2010 RAD - sorry I didn't remember this wood combo when I started my bass. Seems like I copied your choices , but it wasn't intentional. Like all your threads, this one is looking good as it goes. I must've missed it , but whats the reason for the polar-opposite neck? I like the looks of that one. All red n stuff. The reverse HS looks good too. Although I hope the new owner isn't a 'axe-spinner' .... could kill the singer or bassist. lookin forward to more of this one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
verhoevenc Posted December 13, 2010 Report Share Posted December 13, 2010 You are just knockin' these things out! Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RestorationAD Posted December 13, 2010 Author Report Share Posted December 13, 2010 RAD - sorry I didn't remember this wood combo when I started my bass. Seems like I copied your choices , but it wasn't intentional. Like all your threads, this one is looking good as it goes. I must've missed it , but whats the reason for the polar-opposite neck? I like the looks of that one. All red n stuff. The reverse HS looks good too. Although I hope the new owner isn't a 'axe-spinner' .... could kill the singer or bassist. lookin forward to more of this one. No worries. I don't care if people copy me... except my headstock I am kinda fond of that. <unwritten rule among luthiers> I will make sure there is no guitar spinning or flipping (I am not liable for damage to equipment or band members as you try to copy Steve V <making you a poser since no one is Via except Via>)... If Polar Opposite refers to the Ziricote board with all the bloodwood and sapele then the reason is contrast. Guitars should have a focal point. I think the grain of the bloodwood is a nice normal looking top and the Ziricote board adds chaos to the mix. Plus this is only a prototype and I had the ziricote board laying around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RestorationAD Posted December 13, 2010 Author Report Share Posted December 13, 2010 You are just knockin' these things out! Chris I think once you settle on a style and get all the templates made it becomes easier. We talked about how many guitars you have to build to "get it" and I am trying to "get it" for this type of guitar. I need to know all the caveats and quirks I might encounter. I already have most of my order slots filled for next year so I will get more practice. Building one offs is great fun but it is hard work and the gotchas can be gut wrenching. I want to enjoy building for a while... then I will get board and build some more gut wrenching "no no no" "*** happened" one offs at some point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Our Souls inc. Posted December 13, 2010 Report Share Posted December 13, 2010 ......If Polar Opposite refers to the Ziricote board with all the bloodwood and sapele then the reason is contrast. Guitars should have a focal point. I think the grain of the bloodwood is a nice normal looking top and the Ziricote board adds chaos to the mix. Plus this is only a prototype and I had the ziricote board laying around. I was actually refering to the other neck ( post#11 picture 1 ), it looks like BW with Sapele stripes , sorta the opposite of this one. I was wondering if you were going to build another one like this, but with the other neck...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RestorationAD Posted December 13, 2010 Author Report Share Posted December 13, 2010 ......If Polar Opposite refers to the Ziricote board with all the bloodwood and sapele then the reason is contrast. Guitars should have a focal point. I think the grain of the bloodwood is a nice normal looking top and the Ziricote board adds chaos to the mix. Plus this is only a prototype and I had the ziricote board laying around. I was actually refering to the other neck ( post#11 picture 1 ), it looks like BW with Sapele stripes , sorta the opposite of this one. I was wondering if you were going to build another one like this, but with the other neck...... Oh! That became THIS And that is Padauk with maple/ebony/maple stripes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RestorationAD Posted January 4, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 4, 2011 Fretting the 7. I am fretting this neck before I shape it. Leaving it square on the back made the process infinitley easier than normal. I am not gluing the frets on this one. I am not sure it is necessary and I want to see how it holds up without glue. Also allowed me to fill the fret ends without worrying about staining the wood... since it won't be there in a week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RestorationAD Posted January 4, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 4, 2011 Headstock prepared and Headplate thickness sanded After clamping I used a hardboard scrap to clean the extra glue off. I cut the hardboard to a sharp thin edge on one end... it was flexible but stiff and made it easy to scrape the glue off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Our Souls inc. Posted January 4, 2011 Report Share Posted January 4, 2011 I try to scrape off excess glue while it's wet too. Its easier to get rid of it now than once its dried up. That headstock shape is quite sick too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RestorationAD Posted January 4, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 4, 2011 That headstock shape is quite sick too. thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CD1221 Posted January 5, 2011 Report Share Posted January 5, 2011 Hey RAD, that neck looks great. Can you give me a few pointers on headplate gluing? How do you minimise the glue getting into the end of the truss channel? Do you drill the trus rod access after fitting the headplate? I have a bookmatched headplate to install on my build soon, and I am not quite sure how I should proceed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RestorationAD Posted January 5, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 5, 2011 Hey RAD, that neck looks great. Can you give me a few pointers on headplate gluing? Yes... do it as early as possible. The best time to do it is right after the scarf (or headstock angle)and wings are done. That way you can sand the edge when you true up the face of the neck. It also allows you to sand out any glue marks without hitting anything. I don't do it like that... I should... but I don't. I put a bevel edge on my plate so it mates the end of the fretboard. Since I recess my tuners the headstock is already the correct thickness before adding the plate. How do you minimise the glue getting into the end of the truss channel? Use a piece of scotch tape over the trussrod if you insist on doing your headplate after everything else... If you look really close to the picture you can see the tape. Trim the tape to barely cover the cavity. Do you drill the trus rod access after fitting the headplate? I do it 2 ways... First thing I always do is locate the face plate and mark each side of the channel on the headplate. Then I use the bandsaw to cut out the slot then round the end of the end of the slot with a rat tail rasp. Alternately I mark the slot and only cut a little amount free... then I come back with the dremel and make a proper slot. Another technique I have used is to drill an 1/8" hole in line with the end of the trussrod then come back and make a recess with the dremel. If you do the plate first it is not an issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CD1221 Posted January 6, 2011 Report Share Posted January 6, 2011 Thanks for the tips, much appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RestorationAD Posted January 6, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 6, 2011 Thanks for the tips, much appreciated. Your welcome... Also use plenty of clamps... Even if you make a clamping caul in the shape of the headstock the plate might try to curl away and leave glue lines on the edge. I use titebond because my headplates are structural. The water in the titebond makes them curl up... so I run a line of spring clamps along the edges whenever I can. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RestorationAD Posted January 9, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 9, 2011 Cleaning up the headstock plate and marking the tuner placement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RestorationAD Posted January 9, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 9, 2011 Time to drill the tuners... start with the recess and then drill the holes all the way through. Back of the headstock before using the peghole reamer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RestorationAD Posted January 9, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 9, 2011 Fits well enough.. I will sand a little more off the back of the headstock before we finish and that will move the tuning peg up a bit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RestorationAD Posted January 9, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 9, 2011 All right lets get a look at were we are. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RestorationAD Posted January 9, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 9, 2011 Got to get all the holes drilled for the bridge and the ferrels before we can do fun stuff like carve. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RestorationAD Posted January 9, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 9, 2011 Finish up the recess ferrels and the electronics cavity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RestorationAD Posted January 9, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 9, 2011 Bridge holes drilled out and Bridge and Neck humbucker routed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RestorationAD Posted January 9, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 9, 2011 Finally time to carve. Start with a 3/16" roundover on the whole body. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RestorationAD Posted January 9, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 9, 2011 One side roughed in... Bloodwood cuts fast for such a hard wood. You really have to feel it because it starts cutting slow then will bite all the sudden and gouge pretty deep. It is horrible to hand sand though so I will get as close as I can with the disk. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
verhoevenc Posted January 9, 2011 Report Share Posted January 9, 2011 Every time I see one of your new builds I just can't help but marvel at the headstock. I LOVE it! It makes these guitars! (not that the rest isn't nice as well, but DANG!) Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HuntinDoug Posted January 9, 2011 Report Share Posted January 9, 2011 Sweet! I'm looking forward to seeing the rest of the carve. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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