Narcissism Posted November 3, 2008 Report Share Posted November 3, 2008 So here's my neckthrough bass: I need to make a channel that goes from one pickup cavity to the next, and to the control cavity. I made a channel before i glued the body wings onto the neckthrough, but it got full of glue and is now useless. Basically, i need to get from the neck pickup, to the bridge pickup, to that first drill hole (first volume knob) How does everyone else do this? I saw another picture where someone had completely hollowed out the space between the pickups, only it cracked due to drying conditions. I'd like to just somehow get a little hole in there that won't leave any raw wood behind to expand. p.s. excuse the routing. everything on this bass was done either by hand and/or without routing templates. The body is also not entirely sanded or finished. What you're looking at is something to play while i get up the ambition to finish it. It feels awesome to play something i've built btw! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bizzar_Guitars Posted November 3, 2008 Report Share Posted November 3, 2008 Here's a couple of suggestions: Get a long drill bit and drill bit and drill two separate channels. One from each pickup cavity into the control cavity; Drill a "V" shaped channel from one cavity to the next. Ciao, Garth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackdog Posted November 3, 2008 Report Share Posted November 3, 2008 Another suggestion for you to consider. Get a long bit and drill through the endpin. Then you can just plug the hole and reinstall the endpin, should be reasonably inconspicuous. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ripthorn Posted November 3, 2008 Report Share Posted November 3, 2008 On my neck thru guitar, i just did a separate bore to the control cavity for each pickup. Use a really long drill bit and don't push it too hard, otherwise it will flex and walk on you. Just make sure the angle from the pickup cavity to control cavity is such that the drill doesn't come out the back. Works great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ilikes2shred Posted November 3, 2008 Report Share Posted November 3, 2008 I once saw an attachment for a hand drill that allowed drilling at different angles to the drill (It was a long metal tube that could bend with a turning wire inside) at a hardware store. When I saw it I thought of using it to drill holes between cavities, but I had no use for it as I haven't forgot to put a straw in the routed channel to prevent it from filling with glue. Best of Luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Narcissism Posted November 3, 2008 Author Report Share Posted November 3, 2008 I once saw an attachment for a hand drill that allowed drilling at different angles to the drill (It was a long metal tube that could bend with a turning wire inside) at a hardware store. When I saw it I thought of using it to drill holes between cavities, but I had no use for it as I haven't forgot to put a straw in the routed channel to prevent it from filling with glue. Best of Luck! I saw that. Its a dremel/rotozip attachment. I almost picked one up the other day for my problem, but what happens is the head of it is too big to fit in the cavity... (that's what she said) Seriously though, i like what i'm hearing so far! I like the V drill cavity the most. I actually thought about the strap pin one, but as it is right now, i have no strap pin locations planned out at the moment. I could always make a maple/mahogany plug and do what you were suggesting though. Good ideas everyone! Anything else? I'll make my decision at the end of the week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted November 3, 2008 Report Share Posted November 3, 2008 (edited) Shame about the channel fouled up by glue. It might have been useful to put a piece of wire or tubing in there to keep the channel open whilst it was glueing. Can you post pics of the control cavity and a complete pic of the front so a better opinion can be made? You might be able to drill direct to the cavity. I'd say that given the information of the build from the link in your sig, Blackdog's endpin jack idea would be the most logical course of action as long as you have a steady hand and nerves of steel, unless you don't have an endpin there. Otherwise the linked "V" holes might be the next consideration. Edited November 3, 2008 by Prostheta Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psw Posted November 4, 2008 Report Share Posted November 4, 2008 Hmmm...just a thought.... How much glue is clogging it up and what type. If it is a waterbased wood glue (we'd call it PVA down here)...most of these can soften with heat. If the hole isn't solid with glue all the way along, it might be worth trying to heat up a wire a little (make sure it doesn't touch the surface or anything) and see if you can melt your way through. Some flexible coat hanger wire comes to mind. It might be possible to push the glue plug through, or to bend a bit of a barb or hook in the wire and melt in a bit and pull out a bit of the glue plug perhaps. I'm not talking red hot here, just warm enough to soften it up and push your way through. Anyway...that's my lateral thinking on it...you never know, there might only be a bit of glue in there...also, water based glue tends to air dry, in a tight join, there is only a thin film to set, but it tends not to have gap filling qualities and shrink in such a hole...even not set at all inside if a plug is formed on either side of the tunnel forming an air tight seal...it could be that after getting through the major obstruction it's easier going... Just don't set the bass on fire...it looks pretty good! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Narcissism Posted November 4, 2008 Author Report Share Posted November 4, 2008 (edited) Well, here's part of the control cavity as posted in the thread i have linked in my signiature As you can see, its curved, and very thin. The control cavity isn't actually routed out as i don't have a routing table set up at this house. Actually, the one i was going to use as a routing table ended up getting sold by the Fiencee But that's okay, i'll just use her desk! Here's a top pic of the body itself with both pickups out. You can see the little tiny hole i was hoping to use located in the bridge pickup cavity between the maple and mahogany join on the bottom join. As you can see in the previous ic, its curved, so chances are that I won't make it through with a heated wire, unless i have enough patients and work teediously enough. Even then, i have to get into the control cavity, which is going to be located on the back just behind the 3 holes (they're faint in the above linked picture). I'm trying to conserve as much wood as possible here as well so i can keep a nice thick sound. This thing sounds amazing unplugged (not that i can plug it in right now lol)! The glue is Titebond II As far as setting the bass on fire, my finish may or may not include the use of fire lol. I'm probably going to go against it and just use a black stain instead though, as i hear fire raises grain and can cause cracks and a lot of other unpleasentness. Altering the chemical properties of the wood is one of them. As far as the end pin goes, i'll be placing my strap pins after the body is done being contoured. I'm still penciling in contour lines right now, because i think this thing needs a bit more curve in it to bring out its true sexyness. Right now it looks like a fat chick with potential. As it turns out, i've taken a picture of the back of the bass and posted it in the other thread as well. So here's that so you can all have a reference of where the control cavity is going to be, as well as the horrible tools i'm using for contouring work lol. Edited November 4, 2008 by Narcissism Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted November 4, 2008 Report Share Posted November 4, 2008 That is QUITE an interesting shape...very modern and It looks as if it may be comfy... You need to get it ready to play and twaek the concept a bit for playability...if it is neck heavy use a heavier body wood on the next one,etc... Then trace it out on posterboard and make the lines flow a bit more...you might be surprised how you may be able to tweak that into a great design...sometimes it takes me days to tweak a design...even weeks...then you have to build the new prototype every time you think you have it...then when your prototype works...you are there...make a bunch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Narcissism Posted November 4, 2008 Author Report Share Posted November 4, 2008 (edited) That is QUITE an interesting shape...very modern and It looks as if it may be comfy... You need to get it ready to play and twaek the concept a bit for playability...if it is neck heavy use a heavier body wood on the next one,etc... Then trace it out on posterboard and make the lines flow a bit more...you might be surprised how you may be able to tweak that into a great design...sometimes it takes me days to tweak a design...even weeks...then you have to build the new prototype every time you think you have it...then when your prototype works...you are there...make a bunch. This is definately a prototype. It becomes more and more of a "this is definately a prototype" situation every time i get further into it. I keep finding little things here and there that i could have done better and i should do better, etc. The biggest thing i noticed when i first picked it up and put it into playing position was its size. This thing is ****ing huge! completely balanced and comfortable to play though (for me anyway). I'll definitely be making a custom case for the final version. Like i said earlier, its covered in pencle marks right now which mark out where contours are to be carved out, and just a bunch of other stuff. This build will definately be in the works for a while. hahaha, i just found the original version that i pasted onto my old Rogue 5 string to see if it would be weird to play on or not Edited November 4, 2008 by Narcissism Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NotYou Posted November 4, 2008 Report Share Posted November 4, 2008 I saw another picture where someone had completely hollowed out the space between the pickups, only it cracked due to drying conditions. Are you talking about me? http://projectguitar.ibforums.com/index.php?showtopic=38726 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psw Posted November 4, 2008 Report Share Posted November 4, 2008 Yeah you, not you...i mean that was notyou...that's right... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Narcissism Posted November 4, 2008 Author Report Share Posted November 4, 2008 lmao i was waiting for a situation to use NotYou's name, but go psw for snaggage of the jokeage Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Traveler Posted November 9, 2008 Report Share Posted November 9, 2008 I'm still in process with my first LP type but I rolled up part of an old t-shirt that fit snug in the channel and after I glued the top on I pulled the tee from the control cavity thru and out thru the switch cavity thus cleaning out the glue that would have potentially fouled the channel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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