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$100 Bass Challenge - Nucifera (The Violent Squirrel)

michaelwayneharwood

michaelwayneharwood

Builder of the Wastelands
In Memoriam
Commercial User
May 1, 2014
2,494
2,341
56
Colorado
michaelwayneharwood.blogspot.com
Disclosures
Owner Melodious Resonance Constructs
#1
I am making two Aleph basses for my kids on the Double Trouble build, and I thought to myself "Self, the extra work to do a third for yourself would be minimal." - I could not help but agree, so I decided to pick up some rustic walnut and birdseye maple and bang out an Aleph that has a magnetic pickup. I have been wanting a second Aleph strung with half wounds and an aggressive sound.

;)

Here's a quickie concept drawing, and the specs:

  • 5 String Headless Fretless (strung E to C)
  • 7 1/4" Fingerboard Radius
  • 32" Scale
  • Zero Fret
  • Floating walnut bridge
  • Single humbucking pickup wired straight to the jack with a walnut cover
  • Piano pin tuners (of course)
  • Walnut body, neck, and fingerboard
  • Birdseye maple top

walnut-aleph5_zpsmbjwi06g.png
 
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#10
I made a booboo. I used the wrong template for the Oculus and am going to have to carve out another piece of walnut with the right one. This is the price of not properly organizing the different iterations of my designs. The stouter version won't be wasted - I will just use it and build another bass out of hickory and walnut....I won't bore you guys with the details. Rest assured it will get used, and I'll bet that one more Aleph build thread is about the last thing you guys want to see. ;)
 
#11
A new bottom was hewn, and a template to match was created. The birdseye maple blank I made was a bit to short on the bass side so I cut a longer piece and glued it down. I will do the same for the treble side tomorrow, and Sunday I will bandsaw the top to within an 1/8" of the body and route the excess away. I made sure that the center seam of the top is on the center line. The neck is going to be a deep set neck, and the fingerboard will run all the way to the bottom of the bass, but it still seems like a good idea to do just in case.

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#12
Oh - and here's the price break down:

Walnut 4/4 (Fingerboard) $1.56
Walnut 4/4 (Neck) $8.29
Birdseye Maple 4/4 $18.20
Walnut 4/4 Body (12 x 22) $9.50
Piano Tuners $6.00
Electrosocket Jack Mount $5.00
Switchcraft Stereo Output Jack $3.00
Double Action truss Rod $19.00
5 String Humbucker $12.50

Total is $83.06

I am sure there are several minimal costs here and there (e.g. oil finish, sandpaper, the MDF for the template, etc.) that the last $17 can account for easily.
 
#13
So the birdseye maple is out for this build. While trimming up the edges with the router the piece got away from me and gave me a classic fan tearout...and I was SOOOO close to a damn near perfect trim. I did a quick pass with the 3/4" roundover bit to see if it's salvageable. It's not. I am going to have to plane back the top and do the top again - more than likely in hickory. I still have the stouter body shape I can use with the birdseye blank I made previously. I haven't decided what to do yet, and I feel sick with sadness.

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#14
Yeah, maple doesn't take well to the router in some cases. On my first build, all maple, I ran into this exact situation. I ended up cutting as close as I could with the jig saw, and using the drum sander to trim it to shape. Took a lot longer, made a lot more saw dust, but avoided the tear out.
 
#15
@mapleglo - That's good- thanks for the ideas!

I'm done with the pity party of one. ;) Rustic hickory it is! At this point I am wondering if a hickory back and fingerboard would compliment a walnut top and neck, or maybe I should just go with my original plan substituting the hickory for the birdseye maple.

DSC_0838_zpsbllo7y4v.jpg

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#16
I did a quick fingerboard line test on a piece of walnut scrap. From top to bottom:

1. CA glue
2. Black dye, sanded back, then CA glue
3. CA Glue
4. White Styrene strip
5. CA glue

The walnut was thirsty for the black dye and it spread through the wood fibers north and south of the dyed area making for a messy line, and the white styrene is blindingly white. I really like the CA glue by itself. The line is sharp and defined, and it's dark without being overbearing.

DSC_0855_zpsirvxuwks.jpg
 
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#17
Using a taper jig I cut out the walnut neck and and fingerboard blanks. I need to plane them down to the correct thicknesses, but the raw materials are ready. You can see a spot on the neck blank towards the bottom where a knot was filled with epoxy to shore it up, but since that part of the neck, which will be glued in a set neck design, will be glued into the body I am not concerned about structural integrity. There are a few knots here and there on the fingerboard blank that may need to be filled, but I am planning on either a CA or epoxy coating for the FB to help shore up the walnut's surface and keep wear to a minimum.

DSC_0858_zpsrruti7qv.jpg

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#18
Here's an updated concept drawing showing off the grain of the hickory blank that was made. The color is off a bit, but it's decent enough to provide a reference. Several things on this are a work in progress such as the shape of the pickup cover, and the placement of the tuners.

aleph-5-wide_zps3tsrgo3b.png
 
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#19
The hickory top is a huge pain to cut on the bandsaw - in fact I can't get a decent curve to save my life. My kingdom for a scroll saw! ;) I decided to take the safest route (no pun intended) by using my MDF template and a template bit. I am taking off at most 1/16" at a time and taking it slow. I am glad for the experience with both the birdseye fail and the challenges of the hickory as it will make me a better woodworker in general.

DSC_0001_zpseurpf338.jpg
 
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#20
michaelwayneharwood said:
The hickory top is a huge pain to cut on the bandsaw - in fact I can't get a decent curve to save my life. My kingdom for a scroll saw! ;) I decided to take the safest route (no pun intended) by using my MDF template and a template bit. I am taking off at most 1/16" at a time and taking it slow. I am glad for the experience with both the birdseye fail and the challenges of the hickory as it will make me a better woodworker in general.

DSC_0001_zpseurpf338.jpg
Click to expand...

If it's anything like maple, you're doing the right thing.
 

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