I'm wanting to do a build based on the Reggie Young fodera model but I need a template for it so I can cut it out and the headstock as well? Does anyone know how I could blow it up to make a template out of it?
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Can someone help me with a template?
- Thread starter chaunceyjiggson
- Start date
- May 1, 2014
- 2,494
- 2,341
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- Disclosures
- Owner Melodious Resonance Constructs
I have done similar work by using Inkscape. The workflow is (at its most basic):
1. Create a new document and make sure the scale is set to English rather than metric
2. Import the image of the bass you want to make the template from
3. Scale the image to the correct size by using the scale length as a guide. Taking a measurement from the nut to the 12th fret should yield 1/2 of the scale (e.g. 17" for a 34" scale length)
4. Trace the bitmap to create paths
5. Cut, copy, modify, etc. the resulting paths from traced image
Inkscape has a bit of a learning curve if you are not used to the app, but my results have been fairly good.
1. Create a new document and make sure the scale is set to English rather than metric
2. Import the image of the bass you want to make the template from
3. Scale the image to the correct size by using the scale length as a guide. Taking a measurement from the nut to the 12th fret should yield 1/2 of the scale (e.g. 17" for a 34" scale length)
4. Trace the bitmap to create paths
5. Cut, copy, modify, etc. the resulting paths from traced image
Inkscape has a bit of a learning curve if you are not used to the app, but my results have been fairly good.
This is what you need to do. The only thing I would add is a tiny bit to #3: make sure when you're scaling that you're maintaining the aspect ratio of the original image.
I do all of my work of this nature in Adobe Illustrator and it works essentially the same way. Tracing in this way — or any way, really — isn't an exact science, but neither is building a guitar. If you scale and trace a photograph, there will inherently be some differences in the resulting image, but it'll be close enough that any differences wouldn't be discernible in a finished product.
