Do you ever put any kind of identifying mark on your builds? I think it would be cool to have an inlay or something on the headst... err somewhere.
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Carl Factor 6 Fretless
- Thread starter Jisch
- Start date
I usually put something inside the control cavity or neck pocket, but I really need to do something better.
Out of the clamps and planed. These will sit flush with the front of the drop in the neck blank. It leaves a bit under .5" on back which I'll fill with padauk and wenge.
I'll get the top glued up today.
I'll get the top glued up today.
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I ran the top through the planer, it was pretty flat, but I probably took 1/64th off each side to get it ready for glue up.
Next I started marking things on the wings. I checked the pickup placement, made sure everything lined up and looks proportional
then drilled out/routed the chamber and control cavity.
I've got to figure out the pickup covers and a possible ramp.
Next I started marking things on the wings. I checked the pickup placement, made sure everything lined up and looks proportional
I've got to figure out the pickup covers and a possible ramp.
Agreed, I got it from Kimball Hardwoods, he's got some great stuff. I noticed his prices have now started to go up. They used to be a pretty good deal, now he's getting to "Luthier" pricing. I wish I bought more from him a few months ago.
I've seen this quite a bit online over the last few years, with suppliers increasing prices in some cases more than double what they sold for just months earlier. A local supplier to me who also sells online what-you-see-is-what-you-get boards, has raised his prices, in some cases, over 75% in the past year.
I was harassing him about this last week, and he explained that when he was selling figured top sets for $35 cdn per set, he was selling in batches online with a wholesale discount, and then seeing the same boards being sold on eBay for double or more - and still selling like hotcakes. He said he put two and two together, figured out the resellers, worked away from giving quantity discounts wholesale (just for tops sold online), and raised his online advertised prices to "match what's out there". He was clear that he's actually selling more of the nicely figured stuff now than he was when they were cheaper.
All the more reason for me to keep finding jewels in the rough and doing all my own milling.
I have toyed with the idea of buying a wood mill, I fear the mess it would make and becoming a wood hoarder in short order (I'm bad, my wife is worse). The high prices of wood keeps me in check. My wood guy just texted me a few weeks back that he's got some walnut and cherry logs, so I'll satisfy my wood cravings through that. His prices are very reasonable, but I'm buying green wood, so I'm taking the chance on cupping, splitting etc.
Ah, but do you have a five foot section of walnut trunk sitting in the corner of your garage drying... just waiting for the day when you can get it milled?
I got a little time at lunch and after work and got the body rough cut, at some point I'll get brave and cut right to the line, but today is not that day. I'll bring it in closer once I get everything glued up
I got the neck cut out. The owner uses a hanger for his basses so this one will have a flair at the top so it will fit in the hanger. I haven't designed the flair yet, so it's just a massive hunk of wood right now.
I rough cut the top too, but I guess I didn't take a picture of it.
Then I started working on covers. I changed the process up a bit, this worked great (so far). I marked out where the holes need to be, then drilled almost all the way through with a forstner bit. I double stick taped the blank down on a piece of mdf and used a router bit to get it roughed in. At that point it was still a pretty big piece of wood so the router was ok on top (though it was a bit precarious. Once that was done I fine tuned it with the dremel.
I then cut the two covers apart and made them both the same width. I made tops for the covers out of thin pieces of wenge and padauk. I glued them together with CA. I'll cut the top off the covers then glue the thin pieces on. Leaving the top on up until this point ensures they aren't all floppy while I'm working on them.
The padauk is too wide, but I'll trim it up after I get it glued up. The good thing about doing it this way is I know exactly how thick the top is and the pickup will be a consistent distance from the strings.
I got the neck cut out. The owner uses a hanger for his basses so this one will have a flair at the top so it will fit in the hanger. I haven't designed the flair yet, so it's just a massive hunk of wood right now.
Then I started working on covers. I changed the process up a bit, this worked great (so far). I marked out where the holes need to be, then drilled almost all the way through with a forstner bit. I double stick taped the blank down on a piece of mdf and used a router bit to get it roughed in. At that point it was still a pretty big piece of wood so the router was ok on top (though it was a bit precarious. Once that was done I fine tuned it with the dremel.
I then cut the two covers apart and made them both the same width. I made tops for the covers out of thin pieces of wenge and padauk. I glued them together with CA. I'll cut the top off the covers then glue the thin pieces on. Leaving the top on up until this point ensures they aren't all floppy while I'm working on them.
The padauk is too wide, but I'll trim it up after I get it glued up. The good thing about doing it this way is I know exactly how thick the top is and the pickup will be a consistent distance from the strings.
When I get moving on a project, things get messy! I did take a second and clean up right after that last pic, but it's a mess again!
Ha Monday, probably at least a few Mondays away.
I kind of stumbled on this technique for pickup covers when I was thinning down the top of a cover and the cut accidentally took the top off the cover. I guess that kind of sums up my building experience, make a mistake figure out how to fix it and use that lesson in the next build.
"the bad thing about experience is you always get it right after you need it".
I kind of stumbled on this technique for pickup covers when I was thinning down the top of a cover and the cut accidentally took the top off the cover. I guess that kind of sums up my building experience, make a mistake figure out how to fix it and use that lesson in the next build.
"the bad thing about experience is you always get it right after you need it".
I cut the tops of the pickup covers, cleaned out the inside and glued the tops on
I had a little mishap with the neck blank, looks like I'm going to get another shot at making it. No big deal, I thought of something that will make the process better anyway.
