• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Build 4 - headless fretless chambered 6 string

#81
b3e said:
I totally like your planning phase and all the drawing you did! Fingers crossed for the next phase! :)
Click to expand...

Well, let's just say it's taken a LONG time to learn this is the best approach. Up until recently, I'd leave a lot of things out of my plan drawing. Then I'd encounter issues during the build process. As per usual I can't do anything normally so I'd end up with weird problems not associated with normal hardware. The tail end of the last fretless I built is a great example of that.

liquidambar010.jpg

I ended up stringing through the body when I was really intending to build a bolt on tailpiece. Because I didn't draw it up properly before starting, I couldn't fit the tailpiece on the body without some very awkward additions. Now, it all worked out sort of ok, but not as I'd planned. Speaking of which, maybe I should draw up the bridge before I move on much further. You've also reminded me I haven't drawn in a hole for the Piezo wiring.
 
#82
reverendrally said:
Have another question about PUs. If you used super strong magnets to hold your PUs on, would that effect the magnetic field of PU negatively?
Click to expand...

Contacted Stew at Nordstrand about this idea. Apparently it not a great idea. So, back to mounting screws. ;)

On a related note, I was considering having PUs you could move around. I may still be able to do this, but it will depend on where I can put the wiring neatly.
 
#83
Teacher, "Why haven't you done your bass building homework?"
RR, "Umm, sorry sir I got distracted."
Teacher, "so what have you been doing with your time?"
RR, "Umm, this..."

IMG20171120103947.jpg


Teacher, "dodgy car repairs? Not good enough! Hurry up and build that bass!"

:sour:

On a semi-related note; why is America the only country in the world where it's easy/cheap to buy guitar parts. Just cost me $50 for a few pots and some side markers. Seriously.
 
  • Like
Reactions: franksidebottom, delta7fred and ctmullins
#88
reverendrally said:
Contacted Stew at Nordstrand about this idea. Apparently it not a great idea. So, back to mounting screws. ;)

On a related note, I was considering having PUs you could move around. I may still be able to do this, but it will depend on where I can put the wiring neatly.
Click to expand...

I believe the Grabber was the Gibson bass with the moveable pickup. You might look that over for possible help designing a plan.
 
#89
tubedude said:
I believe the Grabber was the Gibson bass with the moveable pickup. You might look that over for possible help designing a plan.
Click to expand...

There are actually a few basses that have explored that idea; the Westone Rail; Warwick Guy Pratt custom model and as you say; the Grabber. I guess the question I'm asking myself is, "Is it worth the effort to try and make it work on an instrument with so many different ideas going on already?" I'm still figuring that out now. I'm leaning towards leaving it for another instrument of this sort. My other BIG concern is how to build that sort of system without having it looking like it fell off the top of the ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down. Up til now, nearly all of them looked hideous. Only one guy has really sorted that out I reckon.
 
#90
I made a bench mockup on a 2x4 with a bridge and tuners of a 25.5" scale so i could experiment with pickup positioning. Turned out i couldn't get a better tone out of a Strat pickup than Leo's neck and bridge positions anyway.
You could do that with a 34" scale, or whatever your preferred scale, then use the results to implement a fixed position pickup on your build.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ctmullins
#92
Today is my day off. So I've been at it this morning. Last night I took Skeletor to Jazz Club again, but I ended up leaving early because my arms started hurting in weird ways. That should be a great surprise though, because this week I've so far done the follow; dug a 2 1/2' hole in hard clay; went indoor rock climbing. Really I've been over-doing a bit. Last night I woke up at 3am with a wicked leg cramp, so I decided today would be a quiet day for my body...

Which leaves me in the shed with power tools. :thumbsup:

Copied plans on MDF and then cut and sanded to shape as templates.

IMG20171123101132.jpg


I went to lay out the templates on the old desk top and found this pencil writing on the back of it.

IMG20171123101606.jpg


"Bellevue" I think. Whatever that means? Templates laid out with slight bow in the desk top facing up.

IMG20171123101916.jpg


Then it was thicknesser time... that should be "noise pollution time". I thicknessed the following; headstock to 13mm, neck blank to 18mm, body wings to 20mm, fingerboard to 7mm.I really need to sharpen the blades on it before I use it next time.

IMG20171123113504.jpg


IMG20171123113510.jpg


I'm still at a complete loss as to what sort of timber the body wings are. Looks nice, but I've got plans and might not be able to see the grain at all. Then I came inside to my office and found my pots (not singular, just to clarify) had arrived.

IMG20171123114416.jpg


I realised as I looked at the blend pots I may have an issue with depth. I guess we'll burn that bridge when we get to it. :eyebrow:
 
  • Like
Reactions: ctmullins
#93
Taped the templates to the wings and headstock, trimmed them on the bandsaw and then got out the router table. Used the trim bit, then the radius bit. Then it was time to to the cavity. There were a few tear outs but nothing sanding can't fix.

IMG20171123150422.jpg
IMG20171123172038.jpg


IMG20171123191811.jpg
IMG20171123191835.jpg
IMG20171123192407.jpg
IMG20171123204707.jpg
IMG20171123204721.jpg
IMG20171123204738.jpg
IMG20171123204806.jpg
IMG20171123204918.jpg


In the last pic here, the bass side wing is sitting next to a 600mm long straight edge. It's hard to get an idea of just how huge it is.
 
  • Like
Reactions: emjazz and ctmullins
#95
Another day off today. I was hoping to get the neck all sorted and the board glued on. Hmm...

Instead I spend about an hour or two just figuring out the router table.

VZGJrUT.jpg


4vwTWPB.jpg


mBtk7qs.jpg


If I measured once I measured a million times.

Nmo87g8.jpg


Of course on the FIRST pass, the bit starting coming loose and dug itself 9mm into the blank instead of the 3mm I'd set up for. Thankfully, 9mm is the depth I need for the trussrod! A few more passes and it was done properly.

TSV87Y3.jpg


Then I set up for the carbon rods. Again, measure a million times. I started off conservatively again, and...

hvSjdbu.jpg


The 4mm bit came loose as well. Grr. I will have to fill this hole a little. It's 9mm too. This time as soon as the pitch of cutting sound changed I stopped straight away. Probably just as well as I think I'd have lunched the blank. Phew!

KlXe8ua.jpg


f8K8let.jpg


So a few hundred passes later, I had it machined. I found I had to go 1.5mm at a time with the 4mm singled edged bit. I am having another issue though. The carbon rods don't want to go into their slots. Not sure what to do about that exactly. Maybe I'll try sanding them down a little.

BTW, what do people use to glue their carbon rods in with?
 
  • Like
Reactions: ctmullins
#100
I won't pretend I haven't been avoiding this job, procrastinating and over-thinking it... ie. panicking about which way I will fail and ruin the neck blank...

However, today I pulled out my finger and presto!

9DhXfu5.jpg


P9JoUxF.jpg


klndKTr.jpg


Because the epoxy was so thick (I got the slow cure stuff) and the rods were tight-ish, I had to knock them in a little and wipe off the excess.

yDXdRy1.jpg


AET21v0.jpg


Done! After a little sanding, it'll be ready for the board to go on tomorrow. Yay, radius sanding next... Hmm.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Matt Liebenau and ctmullins

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back