scottyd Posted June 5, 2006 Report Share Posted June 5, 2006 Hey i love that wenge between the cocobolo! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Posted August 11, 2006 Author Report Share Posted August 11, 2006 Back from the dead! I got a drill press recently, so now I am able to drill the bolt-on holes and the tuner holes precisely. Click to enlarge! Fun tool to work with, it's a shame it's not used more in my type of luthiery! Anyways, I got the tuner holes drilled. I can't seem to find any Forstner bits for the bolt-on holes for the body, so I guess I'll be ordering some off the internet. Does anyone know where I can order the washers that are used for the bolt-on holes? Like these - picture here. I have honestly never seen any for sale. They're the 9/16 kind. Now that I have a much better digital camera, I can take some more detailed close-up shots. Here's the awesome grain in the padauk I'm using. Click to enlarge! I went over the neck with Acetone to pull out all the sawdust and sort of stained the Maple with the Cocobolo oil. Easy clean-up, just lazy and wanted to take pictures. Here's a few shots of the headstock with the tuners drilled. Click to enlarge! I still need to do a little more work on the neck / head area. The neck is completely shaped and fits my hand perfectly, I can't wait to play this bass! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
De Trepagny Posted August 11, 2006 Report Share Posted August 11, 2006 (edited) hi Jon, You can order these washer from stemac in the Ferrule (or hardware) section. For the hole, i took a 5/8" spade bit and grinded it to .590". That way, the ferrule fit titght into the hole. spade bit This is not hi-tech stuff but that work! Great basses! Philippe Edited August 11, 2006 by De Trepagny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Posted August 11, 2006 Author Report Share Posted August 11, 2006 Aha, Neck ferrules. I thought that the thru-body ferrules were the only kind called that. And what's perfect is that they measure to 5/8, I have Forstner bits in 1/4 and 1/8 increments. I really appreciate your time and complements, thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Campylobacter Posted August 11, 2006 Report Share Posted August 11, 2006 Looks great Jon! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanielM Posted August 11, 2006 Report Share Posted August 11, 2006 looking good Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Posted November 25, 2006 Author Report Share Posted November 25, 2006 I recently ordered nearly $400 in bass parts and tools to attempt to finish up this bass, as well as my other basses. But I'm still $450 from the complete product. Now that I have every tool and tool attachment to finalize this bass, it's time to get some things accomplished! The top 2 left ferrules are off by 1/16th. Shouldn't have gotten trigger happy and gone by old measurements! The Stewmac order came in today, I don't think it even took 2 full business days to get here. Although I am missing something in the order, I'm sure it will be taken care of very quickly. Tomorrow I'll be routing the truss channel, then I'll be finalizing the fingerboard whenever I get my bass fret template that was left out of the order and the custom radius block from GuitarGuy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Posted November 29, 2006 Author Report Share Posted November 29, 2006 I wont have much time this week to work on this bass, as I am juggling practice/gigs, roofing my workshop, as well as trying to complete my friends 7-string guitar before Christmas. I'll have a thread on that whenever I get his guitar complete. It's looking pretty sweet! Test fit. With flash Click to enlarge! Without flash Click to enlarge! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maurits Posted November 29, 2006 Report Share Posted November 29, 2006 Great neck on that. Can't wait to see it finished. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Posted November 29, 2006 Author Report Share Posted November 29, 2006 Great neck on that. Can't wait to see it finished. Thanks! I believe I'll be shooting poly or laquer on the neck because Padauk looks horrible over time, gotta keep that lovely orange color going! I know for a fact I'll be finishing the Mahogany body with Tru-Oil. Mahogany oxidizes beautifully. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElysianGuitars Posted November 30, 2006 Report Share Posted November 30, 2006 the holes for the tuners look like the middle 2 strings would touch the other tuners on their way to the top 2 tuners... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Posted November 30, 2006 Author Report Share Posted November 30, 2006 the holes for the tuners look like the middle 2 strings would touch the other tuners on their way to the top 2 tuners... I followed the same tuner holes / headstock style as my Ibanez 6-string. The only thing that is different is the top of the headstock. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Posted December 7, 2006 Author Report Share Posted December 7, 2006 The fingerboard is now slotted. The fingerboard ended up being around 3/16" thick, which will be fine for a tight 16" radius. But I have to admit, this is my first time slotting and doing thin boards (less than 1/4") is rather scary. I will be ordering the parts to finish up the neck soon, all I need are stiffening rods and the tuners now. Besides that, I'm just waiting for the radius block and the pickup, which are both being custom made by forum members (Thanks Phil and Sandy!) I have also began working on a replacement body for my 6-string Ibanez which is made completely out of Hard Maple. The bass weighs right over 12 pounds, and the tone Maple produces isn't exactly the best bass tone I could be getting out of it. So I'll be finishing up that body over the next few weeks in my spare time. Slotted fingerboard which needs to be cut to size. "Project 7" - The replacement body for my Ibanez SR406. Multi-chambered Basswood body, Padauk top (2" total thickness). Sketched and drilled with a drill press, next step is gluing then shaping with a bandsaw and belt sander. Going to attempt to get this body to less than 3 lbs. My last multi-chamber body weighed in right under 3.5 lbs. Click to enlarge! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
travismoore Posted December 8, 2006 Report Share Posted December 8, 2006 Wow i just love the way that fretboard looks on the bass! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Posted December 8, 2006 Author Report Share Posted December 8, 2006 It definitely came out great, I'll be using this technique on other basses. Which is making the neck thicker, then splitting off a little and making it into a fingerboard. Simple and very nice looking! I still have room for a couple more frets, I need to get those measurements there or slim down the fingerboard a little at the end, like ScottyD's current bass. I should have made the neck shorter! Live and learn, this was my first project and I didn't take a lot of measurements into consideration. But now that I'm carefully planning with my newer projects, I'm not screwing up as often. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
travismoore Posted December 8, 2006 Report Share Posted December 8, 2006 Cool i think its really awsome for a frist project =) And i might have to steal that idea from you lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Mailloux Posted January 9, 2007 Report Share Posted January 9, 2007 Your pickup is almost done. I thought you'd like to have a look at it It only needs to be potted and tested before it's shipped. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Posted January 9, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 9, 2007 Can't wait! Soon as I get the bridge in I'll be able to finish the bass. Although there is one small detail I am worried about. I'm about to glue the fingerboard on, but I'm worried about the spacing between the first fret and the nut. I figure if that's off, I wont be able to intonate the bass properly. How can I measure the distance precisely? Once I get all this done, I'll post pictures of the neck finished (just need to glue the fingerboard on and finish an inlay) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erikbojerik Posted January 9, 2007 Report Share Posted January 9, 2007 A dial or digital caliper (which reads to 0.0001") is something I use multiple times every day I build. http://www.highlandwoodworking.com/index.a...amp;ProdID=4961 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
travismoore Posted January 9, 2007 Report Share Posted January 9, 2007 Cant wait till this bass is finished ! Im also really interested to hear out it sounds especially with that pickup =) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goat Posted January 9, 2007 Report Share Posted January 9, 2007 That`s coming along really nice Jon. I know you`re itchin` to fire `er up! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xanthus Posted January 10, 2007 Report Share Posted January 10, 2007 Wow, that Phil-Designed pickup looks sexy! The bass itself is coming along nicely, too, but I had one question: Is the fretboard going to be glued directly onto the neck? My reason for this is that just myself being a perfectionist in most respects, the grain patterns on the two might not line up all that well. Well, on second thought, you'd only really see it from the side of the fretboard and the neck heel, so I suppose it's not that bad. Not that it's bad at all, it's all up to you man but the first thing that jumped to my head when I saw the matching fingerboard and neck woods was to throw an ebony veneer in between. Kickin' some ass on this project, keep it up! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Posted January 10, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 10, 2007 Correct, I will be gluing the fingerboard on the neck with nothing between. The grains will match fairly well since the fingerboard was cut off of the neck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Posted January 30, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 30, 2007 I promise you guys I'm getting some progress on this! I've decided to do a few extra thing on the bass that will require some extra thought and suggestions. One, I've decided to make this a 26 fret bass. There is nearly an inch gap at the end of the fingerboard that would have no frets, I think it would look best if I add two more. Two, I'm a little stumped on the fingerboard finish. Since the fingerboard has a laminate of Padauk, I really want to keep it as orange as possible for as long as possible. I'm not sure which order to go about the finish. Spray poly before I fret: PRO'S: Can be sprayed consistently since there are no frets in the way. Can be leveled evenly with a radius block. CON'S: Fretting the fingerboard with the finish on may grab the finish and chip it out - I'm not positive on how to prevent this. Spray poly after I fret: PRO'S: Not having to worry about the finish chipping since the neck will already be fretted. CON'S: May be difficult to level it precisely. May ruin finish after removing tape from frets - not positive on what time after I spray the fingerboard I should remove it. As you can see, the pro's and con's are pretty equal on either side. It can be pulled off easily with a little extra knowledge that I do not have. Any tips guys? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Posted January 30, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 30, 2007 I've got a little more work to do on the accent line, then it will be perfect. The stiffening rods are gluing in now and after they're glued in, I'll even it off with epoxy to get a nice flat surface again. Then on goes the fingerboard! Still looking for tips and suggestions on the above post! Side-shot Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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