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Chinaberries ... a Build and a Half
- Thread starter charisjapan
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- cherry
I really like this. As opposed to (many) examples of "trying to hide it, but not quite doing it" or the dreaded plastic slab, that nice rounded hole and contrasting wood cover really makes it a design feature (though of course it's a good thing that it's minimalist, as there isn't much space left inside it this way.) Unique in my experience, anyway.
Truss rod, carbon fiber, and paddle headstock. I suspected I could get more movement after slimming down the neck shaft and routing ... and indeed a week later there was a bit of twist. The routs were intentionally 1mm deeper than necessary, and after re-planing twice (once before carving the neck, once after) and gluing the fretboard, the neck finally settled down. Which is precisely why Japanese luthiers prefer more traditional foreign woods like mahogany and maple. I suppose I could have made a laminate neck, reversing the cherry or adding a center stripe of something really stable, but that would have (IMHO) ruined the Mt.Fuji headstock!
You can also see that I used a short truss rod, a normal guitar unit, because I couldn't find anything in between this and a bass TR. Japan has a very small luthier market, so parts are hard to come by, unless we pay ridiculous freight. Also, because everything ships by air, no flammables or large items. I visit my kids and grandkids in Hawaii, and they visit us, always "pack-muling" wood and guitar parts, lol!
You can also see that I used a short truss rod, a normal guitar unit, because I couldn't find anything in between this and a bass TR. Japan has a very small luthier market, so parts are hard to come by, unless we pay ridiculous freight. Also, because everything ships by air, no flammables or large items. I visit my kids and grandkids in Hawaii, and they visit us, always "pack-muling" wood and guitar parts, lol!
The headstock was another challenge ... matching that snowcap from sapwood was mostly done with hand tools. I made a template, but mating an irregular pattern was a lot more trouble than I expected. I figured I better oversize it and then plane down than try to get it to work after thicknessing the headstock. Was a good move!
I made a block of cherry for the truss rod access hole, and used a 10' long bit to "find" the rout. Got it first time, but lots of anxiety leading up to the drilling!
I made a block of cherry for the truss rod access hole, and used a 10' long bit to "find" the rout. Got it first time, but lots of anxiety leading up to the drilling!
Slotting the fretboard was also nerve-wracking ... this was my first try. I thought about buying a Stew-Mac jig, but with shipping was more than I could afford. I made a jig from some of the cherry cutoffs, and radiused the top of the jig. The line on the saw was my depth stop, and eyeballing it, arced the saw while cutting to give me a radiused fret slot.
(let me say that at this point, I never wanted to do it again! I wasn't going to spend another yen (cent) on tools or wood!! I wanted to finish this thing ... or maybe throw it in the trash!!!)
(let me say that at this point, I never wanted to do it again! I wasn't going to spend another yen (cent) on tools or wood!! I wanted to finish this thing ... or maybe throw it in the trash!!!)
After a little emotional cool-off break, I worked up the courage to carve the neck. When the volute took shape, things began to get hopeful ...
("Could this actually become a useful bass guitar?")
("Would I be able to show it to folks?")
("Might I be able to say 'I made this ... look at it, and listen to it!' with pride?")
... my dear wife, who has zero interest in guitars or wood, actually peeked in my workshop and said, "That's pretty!"
I wanted fret markers that were NOT DOTS ... and was not confident of making side markers, so came up with something double-duty. I bought a brass nut blank, and kinda liked the way it turned out ... and the build was (ahem) revitalized.
This was getting to be FUN!
("Could this actually become a useful bass guitar?")
("Would I be able to show it to folks?")
("Might I be able to say 'I made this ... look at it, and listen to it!' with pride?")
... my dear wife, who has zero interest in guitars or wood, actually peeked in my workshop and said, "That's pretty!"
I wanted fret markers that were NOT DOTS ... and was not confident of making side markers, so came up with something double-duty. I bought a brass nut blank, and kinda liked the way it turned out ... and the build was (ahem) revitalized.
This was getting to be FUN!
The truss rod was short on the body side, so decided to have an unusual bolt pattern.
My first fret job went smoothly ... well, relatively. At least I wasn't climbing the walls.
My first fret job went smoothly ... well, relatively. At least I wasn't climbing the walls.
Up to this point, I had no idea what to do with controls other than there were three. I posted these on my Facebook page, and actually got a lot of responses. In the end, the first one seemed to make the most sense from a players point of view, and allowed me to continue with my minimalist ideology. But Yikes! It was tight!! I made the cover from a burled area just north of the headstock. Cutting this with hand tools was not fun. Again, recessed with a neodymium magnet.
For finish, I went the same route as the One, but did not want it to be the same color. I'm limited to rattle-can lacquer, so I just added a few drops of "Bordeaux" Transtint to the epoxy grain filler, and this is the color that happened! Probably the violet reacted to the natural redness of this wood and ... voila!
Was very surprised that it came in almost the same weight as the Chinaberry One. It's a fun guitar, I gig it two-three times a month, and it does whatever I need. (my needs are pretty basic). I did lend it to a bass builder buddy at the Zama Air Base for a blues gig at the base all-hands club, and he stretched it more than I ever could. That's him in the last picture ... and he built both of the guitars used that night, as well as two of his own basses. Sadly, he went back to the States soon after this.
Was very surprised that it came in almost the same weight as the Chinaberry One. It's a fun guitar, I gig it two-three times a month, and it does whatever I need. (my needs are pretty basic). I did lend it to a bass builder buddy at the Zama Air Base for a blues gig at the base all-hands club, and he stretched it more than I ever could. That's him in the last picture ... and he built both of the guitars used that night, as well as two of his own basses. Sadly, he went back to the States soon after this.
Btw, this is my personal setup, presently using a Soul Preacher Compressor and Soul Food OD. (kind of appropriate )
That's me during a practice ...
)That's me during a practice ...
Nicely done. I really like that two tone headstock, I'm working on a six string right now and I may borrow that concept a bit. I haven't ever thought of doing something like that. This will also be my first experience with using transtint, good to see it work out so well for you.
Very nice on the second build as well. I like the position markers and the headstock. Well, heck, I like it all.
Don't know if these would be considered an inappropriate images on TalkBass, but I am now in the final stages of my first (dare I use the word?) guitar scratch-build. White Limba body, Padauk neck, Multiscale 628~648mm, TV Jones Filter'Tron Classic Plus pickup with matching black/chrome Hipshot hardware, and ... (ta-daaaa) Mt. Fuji headstock.
(and my super secret Tone generator ... 45-degree string-through with Padauk Tone Intensifier Block)
(and my super secret Tone generator ... 45-degree string-through with Padauk Tone Intensifier Block)
Great! I might put up a compressed build thread up here, as my next bass will probably incorporate a lot of what I learned on the guitar build ... and hopefully not repeat a lot of the mistakes!
