Club Alleva-Coppolo (Part 13)

[Lichtaffen]

Our shop used to produce prototypes on that CNC machine with detail that would blow your mind. Granted there was sanding work and finishing, but all the contours, routes, screw holes, etc. are capable of being precisely cut/formed on those machines. Obviously, consistency is guaranteed from one piece to another. I'd even go so far as to say that cutouts for the frets would be precisely cut also. Those machines are really unbelievable in the detail they can achieve. The downside is that the tooling is expensive to maintain, not to mention service calls if the machine went down for any reason. We were lucky enough to have staff who worked in Autocad and could churn out files on the spot and correct mistakes. I'm not sure what we charged for that service (I ran the photo studio), but I'm sure it wasn't cheap. It is quite the undertaking, but in the long run it will be highly beneficial to him.

The CNC will not do the finish work.
It will just replace many man hours in going from a body blank to a roughed body that will still be finished by hand.
At least from what Jimmy told me when we talked about it...

 

[svtb15]

Here is my LG5 neck on the CNC. With nice dark DN Fingerboard. Jimmy will finish it out by hand as normal.

 

[Bernie Connors]

Thanks for those pics, Kirk.

That right there shows how much of a difference this machine will make in production times. All the 'grunt' work is done by the CNC and the 'magic' is performed by Jimmy. I really see no negative impact on the process.

 

[svtb15]

I told Jimmy that he could get a bunch of small Chinese kids in China to do the grunt work and rough it all out. Hey its the American way! Only joking people! About the Chinese kids that is.
Then ship it back to him to finish. and it would probably be a whole lot cheaper in the long run than getting the CNC.. probably about $1.50 a neck...Wait is that politically correct? ehh sure it is..
Anyway he opted for the machine..

Thanks for those pics, Kirk.

That right there shows how much of a difference this machine will make in production times. All the 'grunt' work is done by the CNC and the 'magic' is performed by Jimmy. I really see no negative impact on the process.

 

[esoxhntr]

I told Jimmy that he could get a bunch of small Chinese kids in China to do the grunt work and rough it all out.

Well, look on the bright side Kirk - the machine is probably made in China.

You KNOW we're both going to H*ll for this, right?

 

[svtb15]

LOL you may be right on both counts.. Boy that would suck
(I can say that right?)

Well, look on the bright side Kirk - the machine is probably made in China.

You KNOW we're both going to H*ll for this, right?

 

[sps500]

Looks like Jimmy put some hardworking kids out of a job! Just kidding!

 

[bassarama]

Fellow TB ers thanks for all the stunning pics and usefull comments.

I really dig Harvest Gold Mustard colour.
But how it look on a LG 5 rosewood
neck, matching headstock, blocks and
binding?


I guess dots and binding and no matching headstock could less over
the top.

Does this help ?

There are 4 distinct JAZZ bass ( body only ) looks. Choose your favourite. Mine is the last #4.

1. With a tortoise or black guard on a light colour body you will get the effect from a distance or the untrained eye of a one pickup bass in the bridge position.
(CAR, LP Blue, Burgundy Mist, whites, sunbursts and all of the colours in #4 also )

2. With a white, pearloid or mint guard on a dark coloured body you will get the effect again of a one pick up bass in the neck position, ( walnut, black and all colours in #1 save whites)

3. With a black guard on a black body, both pickups almost disappear.

4. With a white, pearloid or mint guard on a light colour bass, BOTH pickups are visible. This is the coolest look for my tastes by far.

The Harvest Gold and all golds, Butterscotch blonde, Seafoam and Surf Green, Daphne, Sonic, and Ice Blue, Shell Pink etc etc get this effect.

Note Ken's 2 AC basses.
Both fall into this category #4 and could be a subconscious desired passion for said instruments other than tone and playability.

I am thinking of the fingerboard /headstock, binding, blocks or not to blocks and thinking of cool combinations ??

Any thoughts guys ?

 

[bassarama]

Fellow TB ers thanks for all the stunning pics and usefull comments.

I really dig Harvest Gold Mustard colour.
But how it look on a LG 5 rosewood
neck, matching headstock, blocks and
binding?


I guess dots and binding and no matching headstock could less over
the top.

Oh yeah I had:

1964 Jazz Shoreline Gold with matching headstock. Dots and no binding of course Very hot.

1969 Jazz Lake Placid Blue mint matching headstock, blocks and binding on a rose board ( D'Adarrio ad ). Very hot also

1969 Shoreline Gold Jazz. Pearl blocks and binding, rose board and matching headstock. Because this fits into the #4 of my choices (both pickups visible).

It was the "hottest" bass for my tastes by far.

Good luck and I hope this gives you food for thought.

 

[Baccomang]

Oh yeah I had:

1964 Jazz Shoreline Gold with matching headstock. Dots and no binding of course Very hot.

1969 Jazz Lake Placid Blue mint matching headstock, blocks and binding on a rose board ( D'Adarrio ad ). Very hot also

1969 Shoreline Gold Jazz. Pearl blocks and binding, rose board and matching headstock. Because this fits into the #4 of my choices (both pickups visible).

It was the "hottest" bass for my tastes by far.

Good luck and I hope this gives you food for thought.

Bassarama,

Thanks for your thoughts!

Its the combi of rosewood neck and Harvest Gold that
'bothers' me. With a maple neck and no matching headstock it always perfect IMO.

Hmm... still got a few months to decide for my LG5 on order.
Started off with Aged Oly White , than moved to CAOJ and now you guys hyped me for a " Mustard or Harvest Golden Child"

 

[TimothyGroovy]

Thanks for the pics Kirk!

It is amazing and I'm wondering if the blinding neck can done by CNC machine too?!

 

[Baccomang]

Here is my LG5 neck on the CNC. With nice dark DN Fingerboard. Jimmy will finish it out by hand as normal.

Nice pics Kirk !
That DN board looks fantastic!

Hope your pics helps in the "CNC sceptism " with some of the TB-ers.

 

[esoxhntr]

that would suck
(I can say that right?)

Now you're going for sure!

Seriously though, great pics! This would be the neck that Jimmy told me about that is going to make it to a bass, yes?

 

[witchbass]

wow i guess my lg5 will be one of the last fully hand made by jimmy, cool

 

[Chef]

there's plenty of handmade in a bass that has the parts roughed out by a cnc process.

 

[YCBass]

Thanks for the pics Kirk!

It is amazing and I'm wondering if the blinding neck can done by CNC machine too?!

Yes, the routes for blocks & binding can be and was done by the machine on Tuesday when I was there... To perfection I might add. But of course it can't actually glue the binding and inlay materials...

 

[YCBass]

there's plenty of handmade in a bass that has the parts roughed out by a cnc process.

For sure Chef, to the very least Jimmy and I still gotta sand it... I wish that was the only thing left to do.

 

[vision]

there's plenty of handmade in a bass that has the parts roughed out by a cnc process.

+1...seeing those pics makes it pretty clear that the CNC machine is just another tool that Jimmy is using - that bass is still handmade.

 

[peterpalmieri]

Doesn't seem any different at the end of the day, just saves time.

Jimmy can use a pocket knife or a CNC machine at the end of the day he's just cutting a piece of wood. It's just a matter of how long it takes to shape it into a bass.

When he's got racks of rough cut bodies and necks that he can grab off the shelf to build a bass life will be better for everyone.

Thanks for sharing the pictures.

 

[KJung]

+1 Nice pic's... that's going to be a beautiful bass Kirk!