7-string fretless super hollowbody for Alex

[SDB Guitars]

So what is that miter saw radial saw or both? pretty sweet setup! I MUST HAVE ONE....

Looks like a sliding compound miter saw... IIRC, Sheldon Dingwall uses something quite similar to that to slot his boards.

 

[eleonn]

I guess some of us (if not all) are waiting for a detail description of this tool.

 

[SDB Guitars]

Just looks like a standard sliding miter saw, to me... built up so that the smaller saw blade can reach the fretboards. The only other thing I could think of that would be useful (but that I don't see) is a means of indexing a fret slotting template... a pin of some sort.

 

[Son of Magni]

Ok, so it's a sliding compound miter saw. Built up for the smaller blade as you said. In the last pic you can see that the board is taped to a plastic template and the pin is laying there. The pin goes in through the back of the fence to index the template.

I also have a laser attachment mounted but it will take some practice to use that without losing accuracy. I really only put that on in case I want to do fan-fret slotting.

 

[iamlowsound]

Have people really never seen a sliding miter saw before? I use one almost every day at work.

lowsound

 

[grace & groove]

Justin, where do you work?

 

[Phil Mailloux]

I bought a SCMS a few months ago in part for making a jig just like Karl did. As soon as I get off my ass and get the Stewmac blade's bore cut to match the 30mm bore of the Metabo saw I should have this thing ready to cut. Can't wait to use it. Yours looks amazing Karl!

For those of you guys wanting to go and buy one right now, don't buy a crap saw, they dont stay straight/true when you cut. For a tool like this one used on fretboards you need to buy a HIGH QUALITY mitre saw. i.e. you won't get good results with a saw that's less than $500.

 

[iamlowsound]

Justin, where do you work?

I am a framer.

lowsound

 

[Son of Magni]

So, I've been working on this project but not keeping up with the pictures. I think I better post some progress before Alex sends someone to break my knees. Here's some pics of the body parts and beginning to glue it up. I'm basically using the same process you saw on Steve's bass except more steps because of the special body design.

Edit: hmm, something weird is up with the pics...

Ah, fixed it. jpg's can look pretty odd if you upload them as ascii
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[Alex Xander]

So, I've been working on this project but not keeping up with the pictures. I think I better post some progress before Alex sends someone to break my knees.

Looking good Karl - Ill call off the hit

 

[Son of Magni]

Thanks Alex

Ok, for this post I'm inlaying the fretlines. As you may recall, I used a regular fret sawblade to cut the slots. Now I've taken the Maple veneer and cut pieces on a paper-cutter (don't tell my wife). Since they fit pretty tight I then thin them a bit with a piece of 120 sandpaper.

Then I mix some Titebond with water to make a thin glue that won't try to set-up and make the veneer stick before it's all the way into the slot. This also makes it easier for any excess to escape.

Then one by one I test fit, smear glue on the bottom edge of the veneer, slip it in place, and wipe off excess glue.

After it drys, I take a sharp chisel (just sharpened so it's almost razer sharp), and trim the excess veneer off. The rest will be cleaned up with a radius block.

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[Rickett Customs]

Dude, you're at it again huh?

Really good work.

I assume that flats will be used on it?

That fingerboard is too pretty to marr up.

 

[Son of Magni]

Dude, you're at it again huh?

Really good work.

I assume that flats will be used on it?

That fingerboard is too pretty to marr up.

I'm pretty sure Alex will be putting rounds on it. But I wouldn't worry about it. Ebony can take tons of abuse. Besides you don't bend the strings sideways on a fretless do you

 

[john turner]

sometimes i do. looking pretty sweet, btw .

 

[Ammioz77]

This thread is for Alex's bass. My intent is to detail how I build a full hollowbody electric bass, not an acoustic bass but a hollowbody bass that can be played acoustically in a quiet setting or amplified in any setting with an acoustic sound.

The basic idea of the design is like a semi hollowbody, except that it's hollowed out to the max inside and is twice as thick as an electric to add more resonant space. Also it is a neck-thru design but there are some structural and acoustic tweaks to the way the neck goes through the body and the way the bridge is mounted in order to maximize the quality of both the acoustic and amplified sound.

This project has just barely been started and is expected to take a good many weeks to complete. Also there are a few features that have yet to be ironed out. I'll start by laying out what is known.

This is basically an all Maple bass, but pretty much everywhere there are multiple Maple laminations with walnut veneer highlights in between. All chrome hardware. ABM piezo bridge and one Bartolini magnetic pickup right at the fingerboard. Bookmatched fretless lined (Maple) Macassar Ebony fingerboard. 34 inch scale and 7-string fretless. Some of the electronics is still TBD, so I'll get to that in the next week or two.

Also towards the end of this will be building a custom hard case for this axe. Especially since it will be shipping a few thousand miles, NH-USA to Australia.

I hope you enjoy this build as much as I know I will

I just saw this thread and almost fell to the floor! Good lord man! I've been hunting for a six or seven string hollow body for a long time and i'm actually working on getting a thick (3") semi hollow seven string made with a 17" lower bout... Shades of my old archtop guitar... I'm in! Keep it coming and when do I get in line for a single cut?

 

[Rickett Customs]

I'm pretty sure Alex will be putting rounds on it. But I wouldn't worry about it. Ebony can take tons of abuse. Besides you don't bend the strings sideways on a fretless do you

Surprisingly, I do play a bit aggressively,and I do find myself using both techniques of vibrato.

I have a fretless 6er that has a macasser ebony fingerboard (old growth IIRC), which has "roundwound" marks in it as a result of my playing style. The luthier that built it for me would not do epoxy on the fingerboard, which he had said the same about the abuse it can take.

Right now it has been taken apart (hardware) and i'm trying to do enough research to do an epoxy job on it correctly (have not done it before), but it's been almost a year and i'm at the point where i'm tired of looking at this pretty bass, but not able to play it, but on the other side of the coin, I don't want to ruin it either.Enough of my snibbling, this is your thread. Carry on.

/Jason

 

[Son of Magni]

Some boring stuff here, just cutting out the front and back on the bandsaw. But some nice evening light coming in through the window

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[Son of Magni]

And someone had asked in another thread about cutting f holes. I do it the old fashioned way. Drill a hole and get the coping saw in there and cut them out, then clean up with files then sandpaper. It's a pain but gets the job done. Does make me dream about NC though...

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[Ammioz77]

what do you suppose the final weight of this will be?

 

[tdogg]

what do you suppose the final weight of this will be?

47 pounds... not including the steel frame to hold the neck up