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Build Thread
- Thread starter LedBelli Bass
- Start date
You realize that could be considered cruel and inhumane treatment
As always it looks spectacular! Keep up the good work.
LedBelli, I have never made my own necks. When you rout the trussrod channel, is it a constant depth for the entire length? How do you get the bow in the truss rod to put opposide pressure on the neck to counteract string pressure? Some use a small arched shim or block placed in the propper place on the neck.
I'm headed out the door (15th wedding anniversary) but I'll post or PM later tonight on this . . .
happy anneversary!
the truss question: i have read many claims that a truss rod does not fight bowing, it just helps correct it in setup. things that do help are carbon fiber rods on the sides of the truss channel, and multi laminate necks, the more the better. i try and make all the inner lams fit inside the nut though. the rod should only be routed enough to get it in there flush. most rods just need a flat channel. stew mac hot rods require a 1/2" depth channels, while most lmii truss rods only need a 3/8" channel. leave at the very least 1/4" wood behind the truss all through the neck, and use templates (made from pre existing necks with a contour gauge) to check for perfect symetry.
the truss question: i have read many claims that a truss rod does not fight bowing, it just helps correct it in setup. things that do help are carbon fiber rods on the sides of the truss channel, and multi laminate necks, the more the better. i try and make all the inner lams fit inside the nut though. the rod should only be routed enough to get it in there flush. most rods just need a flat channel. stew mac hot rods require a 1/2" depth channels, while most lmii truss rods only need a 3/8" channel. leave at the very least 1/4" wood behind the truss all through the neck, and use templates (made from pre existing necks with a contour gauge) to check for perfect symetry.
When I route the truss rod channel it is a constant depth throughout, usually about 1/64th inch deeper than the truss rod is. The truss rods I use are a double-action rod that comes from LMI and they are 24 inches long, 1/4 inch wide, and 3/8 inch deep. So the channel is just ever so slightly deeper.
I do not like the "HotRod" from Stew Mac. It has brass & solder components that are weaker than the all steel welded construction of LMI's; and it also is made from two round rods rather than the welded ends flat-bar + round threaded rod design that LMI uses. When installed correctly, the LMI design has much more surface area in contact with the bottom of the fingerboard, thus dispersing the load better.
(I am aware that many people use HotRods w/o difficulty. LMI's design is my own preference)
The truss rod is installed in the milled channel flat-side up. The fingerboard is glued down on the neck over this.
When the neck attempts to bow forward under string tension, the center of the truss rod counteracts the bow by pressing against the bottom of the fingerboard in the middle of the truss span, while the ends of the truss press in the opposite direction -- into the bottom of the channel at each end.
With a double-acton truss rod, this "action", or bowing tendency of the neck, is adjustable in both directions . . . more bow, or less bow, or theoretically even negative bow. (Of course, negative bow is never used in practice.)
This is how the truss rod works to keep the neck straight. Without the fingerboard in place, the truss rod will not work.
Also, as pictured earlier in the thread, I use two graphite rods (3/16" wide x 1/4" deep x 24") arrayed in a "fan" pattern to provide additional stability to the neck. those channels are milled as near to exact as I am capable of doing.
Negative bow can happen, I didnt see the point either, until I did 'Frank's Bass'. The neck was Purple and Wenge, blank was jointed, dead flat, so was the wenge board, everything flat. Then I fretted it, and when came time to level the frets I really asked myself what the hell had happened... and the neck was stiff enough to keep the unwanted bow.. well it was stiff enough to keep the unwanted an unwanted bow. So the rod came in handy and I actually put tension on it the other way, it was somewhat awkward.
When I saw the new CT videos that a fellow TBer posted, it all came clear to me what had happened. Passionate people are great.
Cleve.. you do really nice work, you really got me wondering what you are doing on this bass.. surprises eh?.. I love your designs and clean work. Peace
-Mario
When I saw the new CT videos that a fellow TBer posted, it all came clear to me what had happened. Passionate people are great.
Cleve.. you do really nice work, you really got me wondering what you are doing on this bass.. surprises eh?.. I love your designs and clean work. Peace
-Mario
That is looking really interesting. I can't wait to see what you're doing with all that block painting. I'm intrigued...
Wow. I really like the looks of this.
Thanks!
FYI to all LC'ers: there is a LOT of fun to be had over in the Bass Humor/Bad Gigs forum!
Post: 01/24/2009 Quote" Also, around now is where I will start using the profile guage pictured on the left. All profiles are taken from the original Noah. Thin: 1/2" "C" at the nut to 9/16" "soft-C" at the 17th fret.
Are these measurments -eg:1/2" at the nut" just the neck or the neck including the fretboard thickness?
Thanks, I know this a question way back in this tread!
Your work is inspiring to say the least!
I love your work bench set up in a later post in this thread. My quess is that you have a table saw out feed extention that clamps in the vise to the right of your bench alining with the table saw. Could you share a photo of that if so?
Thanks greatly, DBC, Dino
Are these measurments -eg:1/2" at the nut" just the neck or the neck including the fretboard thickness?
Thanks, I know this a question way back in this tread!
Your work is inspiring to say the least!
I love your work bench set up in a later post in this thread. My quess is that you have a table saw out feed extention that clamps in the vise to the right of your bench alining with the table saw. Could you share a photo of that if so?
Thanks greatly, DBC, Dino
Wow, was that all the way back in January?! I'm not breaking any speed records here am I?? Too much bike ridin' I guess.
The measurement is NOT counting the fingerboard thickness. The fingerboard adds another 1/4" (roughly).
Actually, I don't have an outfeed table. The bench itself provides outfeed for 90% of my work, up to 6 feet long. However, I really like your idea and it would work well for longer stuff like full length plywood, etc. So I may build an extension now!
Thanks, and I hope that helps!
Forgive me if this is a duplicate post, I attempted to reply but it doesn't appear to have taken?
Do you have a prefered radius you like on a five string?
My Current 5'er Design I am working on, I am trying to keep the nut width about 1-11/16" at the nut and as thin as possible and 3/4" spacing at the bridge.
Undesided on 35 or 36" scale.
Low as action as possible .040x.080 frets.
I have played basses that have played like power steering no buzzes all the way up the neck(few)!
I stumbeled accross a article found on "Stewmac" (what a great company) about why compound radius necks are used.
Link to article:
Invalid Link Removed
What have you found to work to your likeing?
2nd Question:
I had chose to use the "Stewmac" "Hotrod dbl. Action TR. w/Spoke wheel and was going to put the adjuster wheel at the body end.
I think you mentioned in one of your posts (forgive me if it was someone elses post) that the personal choice was "LMI's" Dbl action Rod or a Gibson Style because it required a shallower route slot in the neck, thus being able to keep the neek thinner and still maintainin 1/4" of wood beneth the rod?
Oh and use a allen adjuster at the head end.
I know it is a personal design toss up wether you want a cover at the head stock or body end.
To mention also neck thru or glue set neck so I can get a fully contoured neck to body transion.
Thankyou for any and all imput,
always as the new cool tee shirt says "Rock Bottom"
(Plug for the Talk Bass Store) I just got my new shirt!
"Rock Bottom"
DBC, dino
Do you have a prefered radius you like on a five string?
My Current 5'er Design I am working on, I am trying to keep the nut width about 1-11/16" at the nut and as thin as possible and 3/4" spacing at the bridge.
Undesided on 35 or 36" scale.
Low as action as possible .040x.080 frets.
I have played basses that have played like power steering no buzzes all the way up the neck(few)!
I stumbeled accross a article found on "Stewmac" (what a great company) about why compound radius necks are used.
Link to article:
Invalid Link Removed
What have you found to work to your likeing?
2nd Question:
I had chose to use the "Stewmac" "Hotrod dbl. Action TR. w/Spoke wheel and was going to put the adjuster wheel at the body end.
I think you mentioned in one of your posts (forgive me if it was someone elses post) that the personal choice was "LMI's" Dbl action Rod or a Gibson Style because it required a shallower route slot in the neck, thus being able to keep the neek thinner and still maintainin 1/4" of wood beneth the rod?
Oh and use a allen adjuster at the head end.
I know it is a personal design toss up wether you want a cover at the head stock or body end.
To mention also neck thru or glue set neck so I can get a fully contoured neck to body transion.
Thankyou for any and all imput,
always as the new cool tee shirt says "Rock Bottom"
(Plug for the Talk Bass Store) I just got my new shirt!
"Rock Bottom"
DBC, dino
I use a compund radius of 12 inches at the nut and 20 inches at the 24th fret. I use a compound radius jig that works very well. My neck width is 1 3/4" at the nut and 3" wide at fret 24. I use a progressive string spacing that compensates for the wide variation in string diameters on a bass.
My choice of the LMI truss rod is based solely on its design and construction, not on its dimensions (see earlier post in this thread for more info).
Thanks again for your kind words!
Can you go into a little more detail about this compound radius jig if you don't mind? It just seems like that is a very tedious and time consuming part of building that I can make go faster with the right jig.
I'm on the run as I write this & I'm gigging tonight, but I'll try to get a pic and an explanation up in the next 12 hours or so! thanks all
Here's a couple of pics of the jig I currently use. I am building a new prototype that will differ in a couple of significant points from this one, but for now here are the pics. I will post more details on how it works tomorrow:
