6 String Build Carvin Tribute

[Slidlow]

Bass wing glued up. Just needs the nogal back trimmed.

The treble side is in the clamp farm.

So far all the wood bits untrimmed are just under 9 pounds. There is a fair amount of trimming to be done and I will chamber some. The Carvin body thickness spec is 1 5/8" and I will make this the same.

 

[Slidlow]

I have the treble side wing trimmed and total wood weight is down to 8 pounds 5 ounces. Still a fair amount of trimming as the fretboard is still full width, the neck is not carved and the body needs to be rounded.

 

[Slidlow]

Here's a little information for anyone interested. I have always tilted my necks back on my builds. Typically this entails a 1/8" drop at the bridge and I have the top of the body on a line from the 22nd fret (on a 24 fret bass) to a point 1/8 below the neck plane at the bridge. See the drawing in the photo attached. This has worked for Badass II, typical bent plate Fender style, Hipshot, the Sung Il bridge I use for piezos and some other import cast bridges I have used. If a customer wants more space between the strings and body then I just drop the line for the top of the body equal amounts at both ends but the bridge needs to be checked if it can raise enough or a spacer can be used under the bridge. Either way.
When rebuilding a Carvin LB75 I found they built theirs with the top of the body parallel to the neck plane but lower by the same 1/8". The Carvin was equipped with a Hipshot B style bridge. As a production bass I expect this is done for process issues more then anything else but is totally acceptable. So for neck through or set neck builds this is a starting point that can be used for any design.
As a side note, for bolt on applications, I route the same angle into the neck pocket to create a slight tilt back for the neck.
Also note the drawing does not show the fretboard/fingerboard and typically I use a 1/4" thick board. The Carvin also had a 1/4" thick fretboard.

 

[Slidlow]

I had a little time this afternoon so I spent it truing the glue surfaces for both wings.

 

[Slidlow]

Today I ran the neck and body wings through the planer to bring them all down. The wings are at 1 9/16" and I need to take 1/8" off the front of the body section of the neck. Front view mock up (curly Claro walnut).

Rear view (nogal).

That puts this at 8 pounds for all the wood bits (fretboard and headstock overlay included) with a fair amount of trimming to go.

 

[Slidlow]

Weighed the hardware (including trussrod not shown) and got 3 lbs 14 ozs with a pair of Seymour Duncan pickups or maybe just 2 lbs 14ozs with a single Lace Alumitone. So worst case right now is 11 lbs 14 ozs with SD humbuckers or just under 11 lbs with the Lace pickup.

 

[TerribleTim68]

I find that most of the time you remove about the same weight in wood to mount said hardware, so the weight is a net push. Give or take a few ounces. No way this thing will be 11lbs 14oz.
I had to go back and look at your sammich glue-up, but I don't recall you removing the control cavity yet, so there's a lot of that weight, right? You still need to route a cavity for the pickups, battery box, etc. That's where the net push comes in. In my VERY limited experience anyways.
You've also still got material to remove when you profile the neck. It all adds up.
I would wager that you'll be just under 9lbs by the time you're done, but worse case just over 9lbs. No way you're gonna be almost 12lbs.

Also, in other news, I still love that body shape.

 

[Slidlow]

I find that most of the time you remove about the same weight in wood to mount said hardware, so the weight is a net push. Give or take a few ounces. No way this thing will be 11lbs 14oz.
I had to go back and look at your sammich glue-up, but I don't recall you removing the control cavity yet, so there's a lot of that weight, right? You still need to route a cavity for the pickups, battery box, etc. That's where the net push comes in. In my VERY limited experience anyways.
You've also still got material to remove when you profile the neck. It all adds up.
I would wager that you'll be just under 9lbs by the time you're done, but worse case just over 9lbs. No way you're gonna be almost 12lbs.

Also, in other news, I still love that body shape.

Likely it will drop down a lot but hedging my bets. Yes there is the control cavity route, pickup routes, and profiling the neck so absolute worst case is probably 11 ish pounds but likely to be under 10 and maybe closer to 9. Most of this wood is pretty light except the purple heart so cutting it out won't give me huge savings.
As far as the body shape I could always build you one or maybe you would like this one?

 

[Slidlow]

Sad news, I wasn't watching what I was doing and cut the palm fretboard too narrow. It's still wide enough for a five string so it will go elsewhere but now I need to find an alternative. Thinking EI rosewood or Ebony. Everything else I have on hand is too close to the walnut and purpleheart.

 

[TerribleTim68]

...As far as the body shape I could always build you one or maybe you would like this one?

I already own one 6 string that I can't play very well, not sure I need another.
That, and my wife said she'd kill me in my sleep if I buy any more basses. Thus the reason I started building them!

 

[Slidlow]

I already own one 6 string that I can't play very well, not sure I need another.
That, and my wife said she'd kill me in my sleep if I buy any more basses. Thus the reason I started building them!

Yeah I was only teasing!

 

[TFM94]

Sad news, I wasn't watching what I was doing and cut the palm fretboard too narrow. It's still wide enough for a five string so it will go elsewhere but now I need to find an alternative. Thinking EI rosewood or Ebony. Everything else I have on hand is too close to the walnut and purpleheart.

I don't know how narrow it is, but palmwood with ebony binding would look killer and would give you some extra width.

 

[Slidlow]

I don't know how narrow it is, but palmwood with ebony binding would look killer and would give you some extra width.

Possibly, I’ll look at it again.

 

[RichterScale]

I don't know how narrow it is, but palmwood with ebony binding would look killer and would give you some extra width.

Someone did a wenge board with ebony binding and it looked amazing. So, I think it would work.

 

[TFM94]

Someone did a wenge board with ebony binding and it looked amazing. So, I think it would work.

This one form my twisted sister build? I magine palm and ebony would look not too dissimilar.

 

[RichterScale]

Oh that was you?!
Never mind.
I don't like it then

 

[Slidlow]

I did a little coring around the pickups and bridge locations. Weight of the wood is now at 7 lbs 3 ozs.

Then I glued on the treble wing. Later I'll glue on the bass side and then work from there.

 

[Slidlow]

By the way, Happy New Year to everyone!

 

[Slidlow]

Both wings on now. Once dry I can go further.

 

[Slidlow]

May seem a little early to do this but I like to carve the heel at this point. I use a template for the profile at the 17th fret and rough in the heel shape. Later I use a template for the neck at the 1st fret and then its just a straight shot with planes/files/sanding blocks for the neck profile.

A quick word about the outer maple stringers. They are quite darker then the center piece. A friend bought an old house and in the garage were several maple pieces that were very old. I salvaged two to make the outer stringers and the wood is somewhat light comparatively but tough as nails. Carving it has been almost as hard and the purpleheart. Pictured is another piece waiting for a future project. I have no idea what the No. 3 marking means.