5 string fretless showcase: Habanero V

[Beej]

Really? I love number 3...

 

[trayner1]

1-3 are pretty nice, but 4 is sexy as all get out! You really got a nice piece of wood there, brother.

 

[adam.beauchene]

I'll wait on the final decision, because I also have to consider the neck pocket, pickup, and bridge. But 4 and 3 are definitely speaking to me.

 

[adam.beauchene]

Here's the back. I need to read a tutorial on continuous cover plates. This piece of cocobolo is from the same slab as the front, just farther down.

 

[roberthabraken]

1 and 4 have their grain running in the same directions as the horns, both less weak and looks better. I would definitely go with 4 !

Wow, what a wonderful piece of Cocobolo that is!

 

[Big B.]

Here's the back. I need to read a tutorial on continuous cover plates. This piece of cocobolo is from the same slab as the front, just farther down.

Nice looking cocobolo! #4 is my personal favorite. I like that you reversed the grain to point in the "opposite direction" and you get that great curl on the upper horn and focused around the bridge. Very sexy stuff.

IME a thin back cap like yours is the easiest way to make a matching cover plate. Once I have the back glued together and trimmed slightly larger than the bass, I lay out the cover plate and cut it out with a bandsaw before the back cap gets glued to the body. Then just glue the back with out the coverplate and line it up to match the grain of the back before the final screw holes are drilled. Just my method but maybe it helps. Here is a pic of a fiver to show how it looks when complete.

 

[adam.beauchene]

Big B, thanks for the tip. That bass looks amazing!

 

[15000volts]

either 2 or 4. oh, and I still don't like the headstock either..

oh, and Big B, that bass makes my testies tingle

 

[Beej]

oh, and Big B, that bass makes my testies tingle

Gosh Big B, how do you like knowing your handiwork has that effect on a man?

 

[Big B.]

Gosh Big B, how do you like knowing your handiwork has that effect on a man?

I just try to wear life with a smile

I am really digging this build. I love matching tops and backs and cocobolo is a personal favorite. The curl in those pieces is very nice.

 

[adam.beauchene]

...we interrupt this discussion to bring you our regularly scheduled programming.

Got to it with the safety planer, making lots of coco, maple, and mahogany chips.

Probably gonna thin those maple strips a little more, they are 3/16" now. I think I want them half of that.

Here's an expensive mess. I need a real tablesaw.

Happy New Year, LC!

 

[adam.beauchene]

Slow day today. Mahogany body core gluing up. I'm using System Three T-88 for the entire build, except fingerboard:

Jointed the edges of top, back, and maple lams. Maple joints will be staggered off center to add a little strength.

 

[rojo412]

Sub'd...

This is looking like it's name... small and super hot.
As a chili maker and bass player, I love the Habanero concept.

 

[adam.beauchene]

Sub'd...

This is looking like it's name... small and super hot.
As a chili maker and bass player, I love the Habanero concept.

Thanks! The name kinda happened during my last build of the same name. I was having some strong reactions to cocobolo dust, and I also had to get pepper-sprayed for work midway through the build. I like your interpretation better though!

 

[adam.beauchene]

Gluing up my 5 piece tapered-core neck blank. Two 1/4" ziricote stringers between three pieces of maple. I am gluing each joint one at a time, and I'm trying to keep the flame continuous between each pice of maple. These tapered cores take more planning and time than straight ones, but I like the look. I'm headed out of town for work tomorrow, I'll do the second stringer next week.

This build thread will be a lot more interesting once it starts looking like a bass. I'm trying to document the details though, I pretty much learned how to build basses from this forum, so just trying to give back

 

[adam.beauchene]

Got back from my work conference, and found that my cocobolo top and back sets, despite sitting in a humidity and temperature controlled space, have decided that flat is not where it's at:

Grrr. Got them sitting under some weights, hopefully they'll come back enough to epoxy them flat. Otherwise I'm on the hunt for new tops and backs. I've got some redheart, and a little claro walnut, but I really wanna use that cocobolo.

Meanwhile, got a set of maple intermediate lams on the mahogany core:

And one glue joint left to go on my neck blank:

I think from now on I'll just rout channels for the neck stringers, instead of doing lams-- it would be quicker, easier, and probably look nicer, too.

 

[miziomix]

no problem... just put those Cocobolo MFers under enough weight for a few days and they'll know who's the boss looking good, looking very good

 

[pushifier]

I had the same problem with my cocobolo tops; They cubbed.
Put them in some clamps for a few days and they will be fine. Not totaly straight but if the thickness is good and consistend, glue to the bodycore and it will be fine.

 

[adam.beauchene]

Putting the back maple lam on, I snapped a cell phone pic of the mahogany under epoxy:

Sooo pretty. I have enough mahogany to make at least three more bodies, I don't think I'm going to cover it up on future builds. The chatoyance is crazy. I got this piece by way of an estate sale, it's like 50 years old.

 

[pushifier]

Nice Mahogany!; is that swietenia (true) mahogany?
I was wondering how thick your body is going to be? And why are u using epoxy and not woodglue?