Prostheta Posted May 21, 2017 Report Share Posted May 21, 2017 Scrapers aren't like firing up a 3HP router. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted May 21, 2017 Author Report Share Posted May 21, 2017 1 hour ago, Prostheta said: Scrapers aren't like firing up a 3HP router. Yes - exactly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted May 21, 2017 Report Share Posted May 21, 2017 Talking of late night power tools....I discovered that this €600 Festool random orbit sander with a 60 grit pad works wonders for the hard skin on the soles of my feet. I might work my way through the grits and compound them. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted May 29, 2017 Author Report Share Posted May 29, 2017 Reasonable amount of progress on this: Got the custom magnetic coils and the piezo / magnetic mixer cum preamp: Which meant I could route the indents in the back of the fretboard: Which meant I could glue the fretboard on: Which meant I could start carving the neck: What I like about the evolution over a few of the last builds of the 'scoop the back' approach and the 'it doesn't matter what the hell you do with the body as long as the neck is sound' approach is that you can get a super-slim transition between neck and body: ...and you end up with a super-light instrument. Seems to me to be much more effective than conventional chambering. Bearing in mind this is a very large-bodied, long-scale, single-cut bass made out of rock maple, sycamore and ebony, the total weight is going to end up pretty much spot on 7lbs... 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curtisa Posted May 30, 2017 Report Share Posted May 30, 2017 Nice one, Mr Jr. Looks like she'll be ready for the next Derbyshire glam rock revival festival. I trust Mick has a pair of glitter-encrusted platform boots and sequinned body suit to wear while playing this thing - they'll be a mandatory part of the uniform required in use. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted May 30, 2017 Author Report Share Posted May 30, 2017 3 hours ago, curtisa said: Nice one, Mr Jr. Looks like she'll be ready for the next Derbyshire glam rock revival festival. I trust Mick has a pair of glitter-encrusted platform boots and sequinned body suit to wear while playing this thing - they'll be a mandatory part of the uniform required in use. Yup...it'll go nicely with his bald head Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curtisa Posted May 30, 2017 Report Share Posted May 30, 2017 Is it wrong to 'like' that post? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted May 30, 2017 Author Report Share Posted May 30, 2017 58 minutes ago, curtisa said: Is it wrong to 'like' that post? Well as far as I am concerned, I think people in glasshouses (me) are perfectly entitled to throw stones... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted May 31, 2017 Report Share Posted May 31, 2017 It's your foot; fire away! Liberty and all that stuff. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted June 15, 2017 Author Report Share Posted June 15, 2017 Back to the project and a little more progress. First of all, the headstock. The general style is what the future owner is after. Still a bit of refining to do but this is how it's looking: The plate is sycamore with an inset of rock maple to give a passing nod to the fretboard. The trussrod cover is cut from the plat itself and will be secured with a single neo magnet: The back is stripy: It will end up slimmer than this, but with this general vibe. I've also drilled the string access holes: ...and luminlay dots: Still a lot to do but I've actually got to the 'final jobs to do' list with only 14 items left on it 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curtisa Posted June 15, 2017 Report Share Posted June 15, 2017 I was wondering where this had got to. Good to see you back on it again. And look - sunshine! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norris Posted June 16, 2017 Report Share Posted June 16, 2017 9 hours ago, curtisa said: And look - sunshine! You've done it now! Never mention the sunshine! There's bound to be a hurricane next week now you've said that Lovely work Andy btw 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curtisa Posted June 16, 2017 Report Share Posted June 16, 2017 I've experienced English sunshine in person, so I'm aware it's not necessarily some mythical freak of nature 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted June 16, 2017 Author Report Share Posted June 16, 2017 I've been on the back patio again today, no less! Stunning and surely unprecedented two days in a row.... I'm into the final-ish sanding - things like the body / neck transitions: I might be able to do the frets over the next one or two days... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted June 16, 2017 Report Share Posted June 16, 2017 So no little gremlins showed up while you were off in the Scottish wilds? The headstock goes with the overall design nicely. And those last few frets look like they could get a little ticklish in terms of leveling and dressing... SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted June 16, 2017 Author Report Share Posted June 16, 2017 1 hour ago, ScottR said: So no little gremlins showed up while you were off in the Scottish wilds? The headstock goes with the overall design nicely. And those last few frets look like they could get a little ticklish in terms of leveling and dressing... SR No - so far so good. I'm sure there are one or two of the critters still waiting to jump out and scare the bejeesus out of me, though I'm going to round the ends of the body-bound frets on one side before fitting so should be OK. Luckily, they only have to line up with each other and not the rest of the little tinkers... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted June 16, 2017 Report Share Posted June 16, 2017 Good having you back Andy. So they let you escape, I take it? We love Scotland. Our honeymoon was a driving holiday around Ayrshire (Annbank) with plenty of driving around Loch Lomond, bagging a few minor hills (not prepared for munroes yet) and the like. Nina absolutely adores the place. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Andyjr1515 Posted June 16, 2017 Author Popular Post Report Share Posted June 16, 2017 1 hour ago, Prostheta said: Good having you back Andy. So they let you escape, I take it? We love Scotland. Our honeymoon was a driving holiday around Ayrshire (Annbank) with plenty of driving around Loch Lomond, bagging a few minor hills (not prepared for munroes yet) and the like. Nina absolutely adores the place. Yes - it's a little bit special. We were in a remote part of Skye. It took 10.5 hours to drive from the midlands. Worth it, though: This is just to prove that I may be an old git, but I can still clamber up the side of a mountain...albeit like a very old goat... 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted June 16, 2017 Author Report Share Posted June 16, 2017 First dozen frets installed : In the 'hammer them or caul them' debate, I do a bit of both (now come on....you wouldn't expect anything else ). For better or for worse, I put them in 4 at a time, using the 'fret radiused tighter than the fretboard, tiny bead of titebond on the tangs, then tap one side, tap the other side, tap the middle' method to make sure the tangs are properly locked in. I then clamp the appropriate radius block on the four I've just done for half an hour or so. Note I've finished the ends on the bass side before installing. I will do that also on the upper frets where the slots are blind due to the upper horn. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted June 16, 2017 Report Share Posted June 16, 2017 I think that once the important things are taken care of, any method of fretting is as good as another. That reminds me, I'll be installing frets sideways soon.... Beautiful photo Andy. These places of wild and silence. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted June 17, 2017 Author Report Share Posted June 17, 2017 Now it really IS starting to look like a bass 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted June 18, 2017 Author Report Share Posted June 18, 2017 On 16 June 2017 at 9:17 PM, Prostheta said: That reminds me, I'll be installing frets sideways soon.. OK - that's got me intrigued! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted June 18, 2017 Report Share Posted June 18, 2017 Really? Okay, well it's no big secret. Fender used to install frets sideways into the slots using a benchtop pulley jig consisting of a matching radiused caul (to keep the fret flat to the board around the radius) that pulled the fret from one edge of the slot through t'other. Historical photos probably exist. Anyway, it keep frets retained by virtue of there not being paths cut by the tangs from the top to the bottom of the slot. It does however make refrets a little more precarious as pulling the frets is guaranteed to destroy the board or chip it out severely at best. They've got to leave sideways.... Thought I'd mention it as those are the sort of things that pique your imagination Andy! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted June 18, 2017 Author Report Share Posted June 18, 2017 3 hours ago, Prostheta said: Really? Okay, well it's no big secret. Fender used to install frets sideways into the slots using a benchtop pulley jig consisting of a matching radiused caul (to keep the fret flat to the board around the radius) that pulled the fret from one edge of the slot through t'other. Historical photos probably exist. Anyway, it keep frets retained by virtue of there not being paths cut by the tangs from the top to the bottom of the slot. It does however make refrets a little more precarious as pulling the frets is guaranteed to destroy the board or chip it out severely at best. They've got to leave sideways.... Thought I'd mention it as those are the sort of things that pique your imagination Andy! I had no idea they did it like that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted June 18, 2017 Author Report Share Posted June 18, 2017 Next big task is the control chamber and cover. This is a bit chicken and egg and will need me to make up some routing templates. Looking at the John East pre-amp circuit, there are optional connection points for master vol, piezo / magnetic blend, piezo tone and magnetic tone. So hang it - may as well try to get ALL of those in, if I can To get the above in full, I need one more pot - Artec do a mini concentric pot that I could use for the two tones, but in terms of footprint, this is basically how it would fit (and also these are not the final knobs): If the concentric tones is a no go, actually the above would work with a dual gang pot, one wired to the piezo and one to the magnetic and then just use the blend to get the right vibe... Either way, with a bit of squaring off of the two chambers, it will fit. The usability is also OK - you would just reach down and roll the knobs from their sides. I do need to get the dividing wall quite a bit thinner - the two pots John recommends for the blend and master volume are only available in short thread. With care, though, it should be fine. Once the shape of the chamber has been tweaked, I can then rout the rebate for the cover... Oh - and ignore the ragged corner of the tuner block chamber - haven't got there yet! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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