Recent content by Big B.

Outside of the Festool which is not cheap, the larger version of the Bosch jigsaw is the way to go. Every shop I've worked in for the last 10 years has used those because they cut cleaner, last a long time, and most jigsaw blades will fit them.

I just need a bigger space to hold it all.

If you have a decent table saw you should take a look at a slotting blade for your fingerboards. You can build a simple jig that fits in the mitre slots and use the same templates the mitre box setup uses. I can do a full 24 fret board in about 5 minutes and you aren't limited by board width...

Through the years working in different woodshops I'm always amazed at how different people can produce amazing work using entirly different workflows and methods. I'm the opposite from you in that I like to make sure the body turns out well before I invest the time in making all the important...

I would add the carbon fiber rods if it were my build. Cherry is fine for a neck but it's going to be on the flexible side. I've made mutlilam necks with cherry and it flexes more than most neck woods will.

I've been using router bits to trim highly figured bodies to shape for years but I prefer small top bearing bits, not a big pattern bit that will cut the whole face at once. The key is never going deeper than 1/8" - 3/16" depth per pass. Basically whatever depth allows you to climb cut without...

It gets wired off of the volume knob just like a Pbass and a separate wire runs from the volume to the preamp. The wiring chain would be pickups - coil switches - blend knob - volume knob (tied to the the passive tone) - active preamp - output jack. Because the tone knob is tied to the volume it...

I did make it. The top is Ziricote which is not too dissimilar from bocote and comes from the same general part of the world. The pickups are Zen Blades from Nordstrand with a 3 band Nordstrand preamp. The 3 large knobs are volume, pickup blend, and a fender style passive tone knob. The 3 small...

I'm a fan of conversion varnish. As long as its being applied well its a beautiful and durable finish. As far as the surface quality, as long as they are spraying coats clean of particles and dust the surface quality will come from the wetsanding and polishing. Conversion varnish dries fairly...

The steel rods come with the neck no charge so it's 60$ for the upgrade. The upgrade itself is definitely worth it, and the price only bothers me because I know how the sausage is made, so to speak. :D I think at their size, the cost has more to do with it being nonstandard and requiring special...

I agree with this. The Pbass neck I got from them is beautifully made but it was a stock neck and already had the steel rods installed. I'm used to my own necks with carbon fiber rods and combined with the traditional style tuners it's heavier than I would like. If I were having a neck built for...

A lot depends on the wood you are dealing with. Very brittle woods like ebony can be quite prone to chipping out. First, I would recommend some fret pullers like these. I got mine from Stew Mac so they weren't cheap but I suspect you could find something close for half the price on Amazon if...

They are incredibly nifty tools when you need them but the thought of putting one to a bass build makes me clench up in unpleasant places.

A lot of people will scoff at the idea but I've been using a 25$ spray gun from harbor freight for my last few basses and it's been fine. Expensive spray guns are for cabinet shops and production guitar factories where the labor cost of sanding and buffing is more expensive than nice gear. You...

I was skeptical when I first started building but I've found that neck through vs bolt on makes a more noticeable and consistent difference to the tone and feel than any other aspect of construction when it comes to the actual woodwork. It's one of the first 3 things I ask a customer about when...