Norris Posted March 27, 2017 Report Share Posted March 27, 2017 Another option is to scoop it out more to recess the switch Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psikoT Posted March 27, 2017 Report Share Posted March 27, 2017 What about recessing around (PRS style)... ? EDIT: oops... too late! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
a2k Posted March 27, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 27, 2017 1 hour ago, curtisa said: What you need is someone with a CNC What would I need to do to bribe such a person into making a couple of "ten/eleven" switch plate covers for me? I can offer some pretty crazy Japanese kit kats. Or cash. But seriously, the kit kats are better than cash. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curtisa Posted March 28, 2017 Report Share Posted March 28, 2017 Kitkat's make the world go around. An engraved circular washer is probably about 3 minutes work on the mill. The only real challenge will be trying to locate some blank material to start with. PM me if you want to explore this further. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
a2k Posted March 30, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 30, 2017 (edited) Almost there! This is the most heads-down focused I've been on a build. Amazing what a deadline will do. Necks and bodies are shaped, frets installed, bodies stained, necks set, and now I'm going to spend the next few days applying coats of truoil. I actually might finish these in time! -- BEGIN PROGRESS PHOTOS --- Neck pre-carved. I used the facets approach which seems to work well. I'm learning - the initial facet can be used to determine the shape ranging from a "D" with the line closer to the edge, then a "C" a little closer to the center. Move a little closer to the center and it's a "soft V", and then a hard "V". A little too "D" shaped, so I worked it down after this. The single-cut as a cool heel. Working on the bodies. I did a hard bevel on the single cut and a rounded bevel on the double cut. Filing away... Starting to look like guitars. I did a black stain and sand back on the double cut, and a brown stain and sand back on the single cut. The black looked really cool - I almost kept it that way. Necks glueing in. At this point, I wasn't very happy with either color. I woke up this morning determined to cover the yellow with black and just go "stealth guitar". But after I saw what a coat of oil did to the blue, I changed my mind with the yellow. The truoil adds a little yellow to the blue to darken it and make it richer, plus the way it brings out the wood is just ridiculous. Here's the blue after one coat of oil: And the yellow. I tried to do a faux binding on it, but the coloring difference between the top and sides of the maple isn't very apparent. Now they are quietly drying. I'll be putting on two thin coats of oil a day until Sunday morning, when I leave for a few weeks while they sit. When I get back, I'll have a day to install the electronics, get the hardware on, and get them setup before the big "reveal". Edited March 30, 2017 by a2k 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted March 30, 2017 Report Share Posted March 30, 2017 Great progress and looking good Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Natural Posted March 31, 2017 Report Share Posted March 31, 2017 cranking them out dude!- geez- I feel like a slacker watching how much you have gotten done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Natural Posted March 31, 2017 Report Share Posted March 31, 2017 On 3/30/2017 at 1:59 AM, a2k said: Filing away... Now that is a rasp- my kinda tool! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
a2k Posted April 2, 2017 Author Report Share Posted April 2, 2017 On 3/31/2017 at 9:50 PM, Mr Natural said: Now that is a rasp- my kinda tool! The only tools I really use are a rasp and a set of cabinet scrapers. All of those routers and saws are just to speed up the rasping and scraping. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
a2k Posted April 2, 2017 Author Report Share Posted April 2, 2017 Here's where things stand... Tru Oil is magical stuff. Now the lil' piccolo basses are hanging to cure for 12 days while I head back to the states for work. When I get back, I'll have a day to level the frets, install the hardware and electronics, and get everything set up before the big "reveal". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post a2k Posted April 24, 2017 Author Popular Post Report Share Posted April 24, 2017 Everything went (mostly) as planned and I successfully surprised the guys with their new piccolo basses last week between sets at a gig. They seem pretty happy. Here's a shot of the the instruments before they were handed off: A ground came loose in the blue guitar, so Sean didn't get to play it plugged in until Friday night when I brought it to a jam session. Here's a video of him playing it literally for the first time (don't judge him for his singing or me for my camera work!): I am so stoked to be give these guitars to my bandmates. We all know that there's magic that happens when you turn a pile of wood and metal into a musical instrument and hear it make sound for the first time - the saying "the whole is greater than the sum of its parts" definitely applies here. There is even more magic when you take that newly minted instrument, place it in the hands of a skilled musician, and hear them make it come to life. Full pictures and write-up to come... 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charisjapan Posted April 24, 2017 Report Share Posted April 24, 2017 Hey a2k, Just WoW! Great looking pair of (ahem) guitars, and you made it on time. Sean is very talented, makes that sound like no bass I've ever heard. Singing and camera work are fine, too! Very happy for you to pull this project off. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Natural Posted April 24, 2017 Report Share Posted April 24, 2017 very cool A2K. great job on both axes. bonus points for the video. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted April 25, 2017 Report Share Posted April 25, 2017 Great job, @a2k They both look fantastic 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted April 25, 2017 Report Share Posted April 25, 2017 Oh man, how did I miss this thread? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted April 25, 2017 Report Share Posted April 25, 2017 Too many damn strings on those basses, Aaron! hahaha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
a2k Posted April 26, 2017 Author Report Share Posted April 26, 2017 On 4/24/2017 at 2:52 PM, charisjapan said: Hey a2k, Just WoW! Great looking pair of (ahem) guitars, and you made it on time. Sean is very talented, makes that sound like no bass I've ever heard. Singing and camera work are fine, too! Very happy for you to pull this project off. On 4/25/2017 at 0:36 AM, Mr Natural said: very cool A2K. great job on both axes. bonus points for the video. 20 hours ago, Andyjr1515 said: Great job, @a2k They both look fantastic Thanks for the kind words! I'm still riding the high of pulling this off. Now I just need to get Joe on video playing his single cut ax. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
a2k Posted April 26, 2017 Author Report Share Posted April 26, 2017 12 hours ago, Prostheta said: Too many damn strings on those basses, Aaron! hahaha Totally. And the frets are WAY too close together for my fat fingers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted April 26, 2017 Report Share Posted April 26, 2017 Well, the acoustic variety of these extended range baby basses have caught my imagination recently. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charisjapan Posted June 1, 2017 Report Share Posted June 1, 2017 Was really happy to go up and visit a2k today. Got to show off the Chinaberry Two bass ... though it's just a body and neck bolted together ... and play around a bit with resawing and (big) belt sanding. Really sad that my newfound builder friend will be leaving Japan soon ... Will go to see (and hear) a2k and his band's last gig on Saturday ... hope to experience all three of his builds playing at the same time!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted June 1, 2017 Report Share Posted June 1, 2017 Great that you guys caught up. Hopefully @a2k's journeys out of Japan aren't going to leave him without the opportunity to keep building....his recent work has really shown an aptitude, and I'd like to see how he develops that beyond here.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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