oh kay... finally got the goods...

BassMan257 · #1 04-07-2006, 11:14 PM

so i went balls out today, and bought a router bit kit, some MDF and the center maple that im going to use for my body... (its soft by the way)

(just felt like showing off, thats the mahogany in the pic, i have more, and thats prolly not even the piece im gonna use)

so first question is first... What to laminate with...

what Glue should i laminate with? I think i get the idea of laminating, you just have to make sure everything is nice and centered... Im planning on laminating the 2 maple sides and then the top and bottom to the maple... this is right correct?

Dont worry, ive got clamps... do you normally put something down under the clamp spots to keep from scuffing? if so what?

thanks for all the help allready guys... i really appreciate it...

JSPguitars · #2 04-08-2006, 12:11 AM

Original titebond (with the red label) is what I've been using, but there's probly many others that will work just as good.

wilser · #3 04-08-2006, 08:29 AM

any carpenter's yellow glue is fine. Most people like titebond, but I've used even the cheapest oldest yellow glue you can imagine (in my first bass) and it's been holding great for 4 years now.

BassMan257 · #4 04-08-2006, 10:07 AM

crap... (well, its ok about the glue)

my dad just told me his planer only will plane boards that are 14 inches wide...

my solid top is 16 inches wide...

help?

i mean, the bass is only 12 inches, but it would be nice to have a uniform blank....

and i really want it to be a solid piece... (the back i dont care about, and will be planing a piece thats probably 8inches wide...)

so... um... help?

edit: i hate to say this, but they had some nice wide pieces of ash at the hardwood store... its kind of tempting to go and pick some up and make a body out of it... just so i know i wont do a hack job on this one... with the laminating and all...

Geoff St. Germaine · #5 04-08-2006, 01:39 PM

Just cut the piece down so that it will fit. You'll be left with a 2"+ strip of wood that I'm sure you'll be able to use somewhere down the line.

JSPguitars · #6 04-08-2006, 01:54 PM

Yep, what Geoff said. 14" is perfect for body width.
My planer will only cut like 12 or 13", and I've taken a 1-piece body and cut it down the middle just so I could plane it down to the right thickness, then glued it back up. Even though it's not what I ultimately wanted to do, I got some more practice cutting, joining, clamping, etc.....part of the learning curve, I guess. Gotta make do with what ya got.

BassMan257 · #7 04-10-2006, 06:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSPguitars

Yep, what Geoff said. 14" is perfect for body width.
My planer will only cut like 12 or 13", and I've taken a 1-piece body and cut it down the middle just so I could plane it down to the right thickness, then glued it back up. Even though it's not what I ultimately wanted to do, I got some more practice cutting, joining, clamping, etc.....part of the learning curve, I guess. Gotta make do with what ya got.

sounds good... but i decided to wait on this bass body...

I want to build one out of a single (or two) piece body...

once again, the problem is, my stupid hardwood store close has nothing...

nothing...

they have alot of wood, but its all like 3/4 by 6" by 9'

I just want a simple alder blank... or an ash one... or anything cheap... but nope, they only have floorboards...

so what can i do? can anyone help?

JSPguitars · #8 04-10-2006, 06:40 PM

Buy it online. You'll have to pay shipping, but so what.
Contact Larry at Gallery or the new wood man Tribal, I'm sure they could hook you up.
Otherwise, eBay always has some kind of wood for body blanks.

rdhbass · #9 04-11-2006, 02:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BassMan257

crap... (well, its ok about the glue)

i mean, the bass is only 12 inches,............

Man, that is pretty small width for a bass. I kept trimming my current project down and down intill it is 12 1/2 wide and that seems small. Most basses are more in the 13 inches+ range. I guess you are making a petite bass, huh. As far as using MDF for a template goes...nah, i dont need one....so far. I guess I lucked out and traced good onto my wood.

BassMan257 · #10 04-12-2006, 01:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSPguitars

Buy it online. You'll have to pay shipping, but so what.
Contact Larry at Gallery or the new wood man Tribal, I'm sure they could hook you up.
Otherwise, eBay always has some kind of wood for body blanks.

i cant find anywhere to buy... but i dont care anymore.... i think im onna stick with this one, and laminate it and everything...

ps, my dad knows someone with a 16" wide plainer....

I did notice it was kinda small, so i might make it a bit bigger... but the bass im playing on now doesnt seem to much larger...

oh well...

BassMan257 · #11 04-12-2006, 06:53 PM

ps...

is an all maple body going to make my bass sound like crap?

cause im thinking hard about it..... i may even paint over it...

or put a top on it... either way...

is it gonna sound extremo bright? cause i dont really want that...

but ill be putting phat buckers in there... i might post the desgn later...

rdhbass · #12 04-13-2006, 01:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BassMan257

ps...

is an all maple body going to make my bass sound like crap?

cause im thinking hard about it..... i may even paint over it...

or put a top on it... either way...

is it gonna sound extremo bright? cause i dont really want that...

but ill be putting phat buckers in there... i might post the desgn later...

maple is a brighter wood and also depends if u are using soft or hard maple. With you using humbuckers and no jazz pickups, i wouldn't worry at all. I would even stick in a .1 ohm capacitor when you wire it up. (.045 capacitor is brighter).

BassMan257 · #13 04-13-2006, 11:49 AM

hmmm... oh kay...

that means i might be able to get ahold of the wood i really need.... i mean, just to make a body...

I need to find an easy source so if someone wants me to do a project for them, i can get the wood... its kind of insaneo hard to get it now, which is really annoying...