Here we go another new build thread!!!

[Tedward]

When I saw jbossolo's Tele-blaster I had to have one of my own. I told jbossolo that I would document and post the build. It will be a '51P, mahogany body, maple neck, fret board is undecided (maybe have a vote on what to use). Electronics are undecided, it's a toss up between and EMG P or a Quater pound P. Got the mahogany blank cut, the box tore apart, and the neck blank started. About the neck it will be a three piece lam of rock maple. A friend of mine scored about 800 square feet of and old gymnasium floor that was going to trashed. The Pieces need to be cleaned up and trimmed but they will work great!!!

Tedward

[Tedward]

I can only up load two pics at a time.

In have to pull the staples and trim it down a bit. The end result is 1.87 wide x .850 thick.

[Tedward]

Looking good. I really like the grain!

[curbowkid]

I'm so glad someone else is going with the wood floor neck! At my work the wood floor is from the 1920s and has strips of FLAMED BIRDSEYE MAPLE. So I will be on top of that of they ever pull it up plus its over 5000 square feet so id be set on necks for years. Each strip is aprox 5-6 feet long

[Tedward]

This is going to be a fun build!!!

[curbowkid]

Originally Posted by Tedward

This is going to be a fun build!!!

Use the "dangerous high explosives" piece for the arm contour ;D

[Tedward]

curbowkid, the pieces we have are around 48" with some birds eye and flame. I decided to use the regular grain as not distract from the body top.
Tedward

[curbowkid]

Originally Posted by Tedward

curbowkid, the pieces we have are around 48" with some birds eye and flame. I decided to use the regular grain as not distract from the body top.
Tedward

Very nice. I don't know why more people don't use old wood floors. There's plenty of wood for hundreds of necks, plus it's all very well seasoned and finished moving

[Tedward]

Got some top layouts to consider.

jbossolo, looking closly at your bass it looks like the finger joints are not glued together. It gives it an open natural look.

[HaMMerHeD]

That's cool. It makes me want to make a bass body out of 1/2 flamed maple, and 1/2 claro walnut, with a dovetail joint on the center line of the body.

[Tedward]

I'm leaning towards the one with the knot in the upper bout. I forgot to mention that it will have an F hole in the top, chambered, and control cavity in back. No '51P control plate on the front just volume and tone.

The last pic is of a piece of the crate that is thinner than the other parts. I think I will use "THIS SIDE UP" as the face plate. I will have to thin it down to about .60" to work though.

If anybody has other ideas through them out. I'm open.

Tedward

[rubis]

This is a really cool build
Good luck

[Tedward]

Finally I can get back to this build. Life ain't it wonderful!!
On with the build.
Got the template cut out and the body ruff cut and chambered.
I haven't done anything with the neck since I cut the maple. I really should get on it. Still can't make my mind up to use rose woood or maple for the fret board.

For those like me here are the pics

[Tedward]

One more pic

[Tedward]

The top was a challenge. The fingers in the joints were different sizes so I had to trim them to get a good fit. Some of them needed only a few thousands of an inch. I took my time lining the piece up to the blade as I didn't want to cut too much off.

[Tedward]

After I got everything to line up and fit together I had to figure out how to glue it up. I decided to glue the horizontal edges first. The glue was applied to the lower edge to prevent squeeze out on top. I can't sand the top. If I do I will ruin the lettering. A piece of 1/2" plywood with parchment paper to keep it from sticking. To glue the two halves together I will put them together and tape the back side. Slow setting epoxy will be used applied from the top. The tape on the back will keep the epoxy from running out. It all sounds good I hope it works.

Tedward

[Ninja>Pirate]

subbed, there are some old boxes like this in the basement of where I work that tempt me to do a similar thing.
These always have so much character, looking forward to seeing the little touches on this one.

[Tedward]

Spent a little time Saturday working on the bass. I was able to get the body routed with the template. That actually went faster that I thought it would. I screwed the template to the body and used a top bearing 3/8" bit. That Mahogany cuts pretty smooth useing short passes. Since a top was going on this bass it didn't matter where I put the screws in the template but I thought a head and put the screws in the neck pocket area and where the bridge will go. That way I can use the template on a veneered top, too.

As I was ruff cutting the top I found a crack and the pieces separated so, I'll had to glue it back together. The more cracks the more character, right.

I decided not to fill the finger joints with epoxy but, fill them just enough to seal the bottom openings and when I glue the top on I'll sue epoxy and coat the whole inside of the top to seal it from moisture. I'm thinking that since the wood is so dry that moisture from a humid day and a dry day after would cause it to crack more. Am I right in thinking this way?

Tedward

[Tedward]

To cut the "F" hole I applied blue tape to the top. Blue tape isn't as sticky as regular masking tape that way I wouldn't damage the wood. Traced out the pattern on a piece of paper. I cheated on that part. I found a picture of a guitar with an "F" hole in it and enlarged on my lap top so that the size was proportional to what I needed and layed a piece of onion skin paper on the screen and traced it. I then located the chamber to the top and taped the pattern to the blue tape. That way the "F" will be over the chamber. I didn't want to miss on this one. I drilled holes in the top and bottom of the pattern using corresponding sized bits and finished cutting with a coping saw. With different sized and shaped files and pencils rapped with sand paper I was able to clean up the inside of the cut.

Tedward

[Tedward]

More pics