Mitch

I recently build a pine back 1/4oak top 4003 styled bass, with nothing more than minimal center block and a 1/2 ledge around the edge of the body I've only had problems with microphonics and not so much actual feedback (i might not play loud enough haha). as for what you should do, what kind of pickups are you using and what kind of bridge? you'll need a way to mount these things.

It's basically a Jazz Bass setup. It will have 2 single-coil pickups, though I haven't chosen any particular model yet. The bridge will be just a standard hardtail. Since the top will be quite thin, I will glue a block under the bridge (not touching the back of the cavity) or leave a block of back wood under the bridge. I can't say I have ever had problems with a bass guitar feeding back before but then again, I have only ever played solid bodys.

Hi everyone

I am in the planning stages of a new 4-string bass build. I have based the design on a Fender Jazz Bass with a 1/4" to 1/2" thick, flat top (possibly western red cedar) and a hardwood back. Anyway, I want to heavily chamber the body to gain the warmer, more resonant tone of a hollow body but I am worried this may cause feedback issues. For this reason, I think it may be a good idea to incorporate a centre block, and this is my quandary, I'm not sure if I need to have a full-length centre block, a block only under the pickups or a block only under the bridge. I'm aware that there are various different causes of feedback (sympathetic resonance of the strings, microphonic pickups etc.) but I don't know which type is most likely to cause problems. Or will the top be thick enough to fully chamber and have no feedback issues? Would a full centre block still allow me the tone I am looking for?

Thanks

Mitch

Oakie Doke 5

This is my second proper build but my last build before this was three years ago (I'm now 17 years old). I have come across many new things and learned a lot.

Specs:

All the wood except the veneer and the fretboard has been locally sourced and was grown within a few miles of where I live.

Body: Burl oak top and sycamore back with a thin layer of cedar between

Neck: 3 laminates of cherry (the centre laminate is from a different tree hence the colour difference)

Fretboard: Indian rosewood with spalted beech inlay

34" scale length

5 strings (BEADG)

Through-neck

24 frets

10" radius

Chrome hardware

3-layer bound fretboard

My own body shape design

Seymour Duncan Basslines Phase II pickup

Volume control

Tone control with push/pull to switch between 2 different capacitor values (one is a standard tone control, one has a high cutoff point to subtly smooth out the sound)

Second tone control (with very low cutoff point)

Hi everyone! It has been a little while since I last posted as I took a 2 or 3 year break from guitar making. I'm 17 now and hopefully my gain in patience will more than compensate for my forgetting of knowledge. It's great to be back!

Anyway, I'm building a 5-string electric bass at the moment and I'm mapping out the fretboard to find what shape I need to cut it to. On basses, the standard gap between the outer edge of the string and the edge of the fretboard is 4mm. I was wondering if anyone has ever tried making a tapered gap, maybe a 3mm gap at the nut to a 5mm gap at the 12th fret. It would make sense as, near the nut, the string is less likely to slip off the edge of the fretboard.

Thanks for your help.

Mitch

I had the same problem exactly. Only it didnt end up being okay in the end because i destroyed the pot with the heat from the soldering iron. Whoopsie!

If i was doing that build I would leave the orange peel and say it was supposed to look like a fruit.

But you probably wont wanna do that.

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=orange+peel+on+guitar+paint+

I don't believe in string sweet spots.

I try to get the pickups as far apart as possible to get the widest range of tone.

Sorry guys. Didn't realise. I'm sure I've been told that was what quilted was but I just can't remember where.

Hey just wondering can you make a neck out of quilted maple? Considering you can out of flamed I dont see why not?

I've just never seen it done, as long as you lam it up the figure instability shouldnt be a problem, and if you get a deep figure the pattern wont be too distorted by carving...

Cheers

Remember quilted maple is just flame maple on its side. Flame maple is flatsawn and quilted is quarter sawn.

People don't usually use quartersawn maple for guitar necks.

I think the stripes look pretty good. I would have grain filled it though but i guess the wood grain showing through is okay.

I would also sort out a cover of some sort for the battery instead of sellotape.

Overall though it's a pretty awesome looking guitar.

The use of the "It's A Girl" pencil is probably better than the ubiquitous "shoe shot."

I always find it interesting what some folks notice when we see the WIP pics.

It's okay. I use my little sisters pink bang on the door protractor all the time.

You have done an amazing job of matching up the cap. If you hadn't told me I would have thought it was 1 piece. This is looking like a very nice guitar so far.

Oops. Didn't read it properly. Sorry guys.

Flatsawn maple is fine. It was either martin koch or melvyn hiscock thats suggested flatsawn maple rather than quartersaw maple in their book. I'm not so sure about 45 degree though

The teak that grows in sand actually sucks sand up into the trunk or so i have been told and can spark when it's cut(probably not to good for blades and stuff).

Interesting project. I think you got a great price for it too. Looking forward to seeing how this one goes.

Woah. Your doing really well. I think this is gonna turn out a very good neck.

Jmrentis is right. The scarf joint is very very clean.

I think this is the first lap steel that i actually like the look of. Well done, awesome guitar.

I don't think the fit will be effected as tru oil is very thin. But the glue may have problems sticking to it. I think its best keeping it out just to be safe.

Woah. For a first build that is very impressive. Very clean looking and an amazing top.

I think it looks allright,aside from the fact that the lower horn is too long aestheitically...no use going for originality if it looks awkward...just shorten it like an esp eclipse.

I agree. It just looks a little odd.

This was my first (half) project. did it about 4 years ago for a friend. the guitar used to be a samic strat but he needed a travel guitar so I chopped it...

the midi pickup is a later addition

Interesting guitar. You wouldn't know that it had been a strat.

Whats the pickguard made of?

Are those doggy slippers?

I think having a through neck helps. You get a lot more freedom with the heel.

Hello friends

This is the uglyest guitar i ever seen. Its builded wrong to the first steps.The European oak is not the same whit red or white american oak and is not good for building guitars. Second it is builded like to the foot. And its ugly.The tunomatic is in wrong pozition.And the hand work its krapy. The neck hell its wrong make it and the neck is on air.

So the guitar is an mess. This is not an guitar this is an pcs of wood for make house work around .

Its look like crapy.

What's wrong with you?

I bought one and the kerf was too large so I "closed" the kerf by knocking all the teeth flat resulting in the cut being the same thickness as the saw blade.

I thought gents saws didnt have set on them. Do i have to make sure they dont have a set?