5 string fan fretted 36"-34" all in Wenge

[lbridenstine]

Holy cow, that's a lot of fretwire.

I think I have the same model of tuners (if not, very similar) on my bass and I really like them.

 

[bassingeorge]

Thats a crazy design! Subbed!

 

[Matteo Marziali]

I was busy with my band, some gigs around, so there is no big update...

I cutted the headstock core.
As you can see it's twisted to follow the angle of the fanned nut.

I glued it on the neck.
I use paper adhesive tape to avoid movement while i'm clamping

And now i try to explain what i mean for TR with access from the rear of the headstock.
If you look at the mockup on the 1# thread you can see a black ellipse on the back of the headstock, it's an hole for an articulate wrench like this:

Here a detail:

Why i'm doing this? Because i like when i can easily adjust the truss rod without remove or lossen the strings, like on all the CT basses, but i didn't want a big and heavy headstock for this bass, so this is the only way i found to do it with a narrow headstock. Hope it works!

Next step: glueing the side, the top and the back of the headstock, and carve it.

I have yet to decide the fretboard dots... i would like to put some red dots, but i dunno what to use. The clay i used for the baby rainbow is to soft for a bass like this, any suggestion?

 

[miziomix]

.....It's a good choice! Probably better then mine, because the veneer is so thin and probably it will not look like i figured...

Ciao Matteo,

IME, a veneer will not give you the result you are after. I am talking about standard .6mm thin veneer. Here's what I did years ago and it is likely what you are going to achieve with that kind of veneer. Also be careful about where you decide the veneer line to fall. The more angled it is the trickier it gets to get a sharp line. That's because so thin the edges will crumble beyond a certain angle. So, the less contour the better. Or, make the accent line fall at the beginning of the contour, where the slope is minimal.

What you are trying to achieve - at the least based on your sketches - is probably this:

If that's what you want, then you need at the least a 2mm thick laminate (3mm would be better. The one in the picture is 3mm). Bloodwood would be the best choice as it doesn't oxidize to a brownish hue over time as Padauk does. Also, we have focused obviously on the veneer side of the equation. Alas, be mindful of Wenge. That too might play tricks along the edges as you shape it.

Hope this helped. Good luck, I'm sure you'll pull it off

 

[Nomad98]

Been waiting for a good build to follow…

 

[Matteo Marziali]

Grazie Maurizio!

What a want is something like your ebony veneer, but i'm not able to find Bloodwood from italian wood-seller...
I was thinking about use two layer of red dyed veneer, but i don't think it's a good idea.
Or i could use a light wood and dye it after the carving, with aniline...

 

[Matteo Marziali]

Update:

I made the hole for the articulate wrench. It works!

I made some holes to lighten the headstock

The top-headstock glued with the "infamous" red veneer, it should work here!

 

[CDuff]

Intriguing veneer shenanigans. Sub'd.

 

[TheJoshinator]

Chambering headstocks for weight reduction... Why have I never seen that before? No-brainer when you think about it.

 

[Matteo Marziali]

Chambering headstocks for weight reduction... Why have I never seen that before?

Probably because is a stupid idea!!!

 

[miziomix]

Grazie Maurizio!

What a want is something like your ebony veneer, but i'm not able to find Bloodwood from italian wood-seller...
I was thinking about use two layer of red dyed veneer, but i don't think it's a good idea.
Or i could use a light wood and dye it after the carving, with aniline...

Di niente, Matteo

Why would the double veneer not work? Multi-layered veneers are routinely used in luthiery. Properly glued they'll become as one. The only catch is, how will they take contouring? I had hard time to make the single red veneer in the other build come out sharp. Maybe two veneers will work better? I don't know. By comparison, with the Ebony mid lam it was a lot easier to keep a sharp line, because E is so hard. I would expect Bloodwood to behave similarly. Anyway, if you want a similar effect as the ebony mid laminate on my build, then you should consider using at the least three veneers. Given the cost of three veneers and I assume shipment, have you consider ordering Bloodwood from another supplier?

Ciao!

Maurizio

 

[GKon]

Sub'd! (or, in new TB 2014 lingo, Watched!)

 

[Essen]

This is looking great!

Sub'd.

 

[collins81]

Sub'd! (or, in new TB 2014 lingo, Watched!)

So would the new term be Peeping tom, or voyeur???

 

[Matteo Marziali]

Some update, i'm working very slowly...

The wrench hole is so cool!

Why would the double veneer not work? Multi-layered veneers are routinely used in luthiery. Properly glued they'll become as one. The only catch is, how will they take contouring? I had hard time to make the single red veneer in the other build come out sharp. Maybe two veneers will work better? I don't know. By comparison, with the Ebony mid lam it was a lot easier to keep a sharp line, because E is so hard. I would expect Bloodwood to behave similarly. Anyway, if you want a similar effect as the ebony mid laminate on my build, then you should consider using at the least three veneers. Given the cost of three veneers and I assume shipment, have you consider ordering Bloodwood from another supplier?

I think to try with 3 ply of red veneer, i have a lot of it. But do you think i can use Titebond glue or there is a better glue for veneer?
Anyway i will try with som scrap pieces.

The real issue for me now is the dots... i really don't know how to do...
I was thinking about something like this, but dunno... http://www.allparts.com/LT-0483-026-Quarter-Inch-Red-Inlay-Dots_p_2052.html i can put it in an alluminun tube....

 

[Hopkins]

Those dots look a bit to bright to fit this bass. I think you need a slightly darker red. What if you got some red epoxy tint and mixed up a color slightly darker than your veneers, capped off your aluminum tube on one end and filled it with the epoxy. Then you could slice it however thick your dots need to be.

 

[miziomix]

....I think to try with 3 ply of red veneer, i have a lot of it. But do you think i can use Titebond glue or there is a better glue for veneer?

I use Titebond. But you have to be fast with that as it contains water and the veneers will quickly start misbehaving Or you can use a non water based glue. Like epoxy I suppose.

 

[Matteo Marziali]

The neck is almost done!

The back profile is slighty asimmetrical: thin under the first frets of low strings, and thin under the last frets of high strings. I know it isn't the usual way, but i thnk it will be confortable playing it hard.

Should i use a filler for the fretboard???

Dots are made of a 3mm aluminium tube and a 2mm plastic side dot

 

[blablas]

You're building a beautiful bass once again Matteo.
Those red accents look lovely.

 

[Technotitclan]

Can't wait to see this finished.