• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

CNC or not

CNC or not ?

  • I like my basses cut by hand.

    Votes: 8 2.8%

  • I prefer a cnc cut bass.

    Votes: 38 13.1%

  • I don't mind.

    Votes: 243 84.1%
  • Total voters
    289
  • Poll closed .
#21
regardless of the why's , any material roughed to the same basic size, whether by G-code or spokeshave will be...
....roughed to the same basic size...

the finish cuts could differ if they are made by a rotary
cutter vs/ a hand plane on certain species , with regard
to grain tearout and such....

but it won't matter at all if a FANUC robot moves the tool ...or it's done "by hand" (!) with a makita router .
to say different is just plain ridiculous and ******* .

( am i biased because i own a $90K cnc milling machine...
probably.....:D .... but i'm also realistic and have experience
with both worlds)
 
#22
allexcosta said:
I feel the difference on the back of the neck. Prefer by hand tools...

I don't care if the rest of the bass is cut by CNC or hand...
Click to expand...

CNC machines cut to 1/1000th of an inch tolerance and they cut however they are diagrammed/programed to cut. With that kind of tolerance and capability, they can cut in just about any custom manner. No one's hands could feel the difference.
 
#23
The neck on my bass is 100% hand-carved, and the guy who's shaping the neck can easily make it how you want it...I asked for a wider neck and got it for a reasonable upcharge.

If that same guy was using a CNC mill to shape the neck he would have had to reprogram a new toolpath using the machining software and it would have taken a whole afternoon to do that $$$$$$$
 
#25
RoboChrist said:
If that same guy was using a CNC mill to shape the neck he would have had to reprogram a new toolpath using the machining software and it would have taken a whole afternoon to do that $$$$$$$
Click to expand...

I have a one-of-a-kind bass in the works. The builder will develop the CNC program, which will be used once, to custom cut the body.
 
#26
depends upon the software used to shape said neck.

are they profiling the neck and headstock on the same
setup?

are they cutting the neck 360 deg in a 4th axis rotary setup?

lots of options .

more to"CNC" than most non-programmers realize .
 
#27
or a five axis with a ball nose end mill, or...

I find the statement that one can feel a difference between a CNC cut and hand cut neck completely ridiculous, as the last steps in both processes are finish sanding. It's like saying one can feel the difference in two cotton tee shirts, one made by machine and one made by hand. The only difference in the necks, given the same wood was used, might be a custom neck profile.
 
#28
Craig_S said:
I find the statement that one can feel a difference between a CNC cut and hand cut neck completely ridiculous
Click to expand...

So, I guess the guys at Fodera think it's fun having their customers on a 3 year wait... I've talked to many luthiers who say hand carved necks have a different feel... Instrument making is both technique and art...
 
#29
What I don't want on my basses are wood-working mistakes. I like the high level of precision a CNC makes possible. I know it's also possible for human hands to accomplish practically the same level of mistake-free precision, but their products are well out of my price range.
 
#30
allexcosta said:
Is that an answer to my "hand tools" statement?

You clearly have no clue of how a bass guitar is made.

I'll just leave this here:

YouTube - Ramirez Custom Bass Guitars: Neck Shaping

A CNC carved neck does not feel like a hand carved neck. It just doesn't...



Yeah, I'm sure Fodera can't afford a CNC router... :rollno:
Click to expand...



You're kidding, right?? THIS is an example of how you think basses are made?? LOL!!!! Friend, I'm afraid it's YOU who doesn't understand how a bass is made! :)

First, if you look around that little shop, you'll see a belt sander, a drill press and a band saw. Among other machines. I hate to break it to you, but those machines do the same job as a CNC machine does. In fact, if you look on Ramierez' web site, he talks about purchasing a CNC machine to wind his pickups! Sanders, grinders, drills, saws, these machines all use the same bits to cut wood as a CNC machine does.


I think it's TOO funny that you claim there's a palpable difference between a "hand shaped" neck and a machine shaped neck. Especially since you wouldn't be able to tell the difference between the two if someone didn't tell you.
 
#32
allexcosta said:
So, I guess the guys at Fodera think it's fun having their customers on a 3 year wait... I've talked to many luthiers who say hand carved necks have a different feel... Instrument making is both technique and art...
Click to expand...

Can you attempt to explain how a hand-operated machine and a CNC machine using the exact same routing bit can produce different results?
 
#33
RoboChrist said:
The neck on my bass is 100% hand-carved, and the guy who's shaping the neck can easily make it how you want it...I asked for a wider neck and got it for a reasonable upcharge.

If that same guy was using a CNC mill to shape the neck he would have had to reprogram a new toolpath using the machining software and it would have taken a whole afternoon to do that $$$$$$$
Click to expand...

Tools are tools, whether CNC-run or hand operated. The difference is that CNC machines will deliver better results.
 
#34
smcd said:
Tools are tools, whether CNC-run or hand operated. The difference is that CNC machines will deliver better results.
Click to expand...

Sort of. If the wood is consistent, then the CNC can get things spot on every time with better accuracy than a human.

A human can adjust to local variation in the materials in a way the machine can't, which can affect finish quality. As one of my CNC instructors once said: "always remember, wood is not an engineering material".

So my vote would be for CNC cut, human finished.
 
#35
smcd said:
First, if you look around that little shop, you'll see a belt sander, a drill press and a band saw. Among other machines. I hate to break it to you, but those machines do the same job as a CNC machine does. In fact, if you look on Ramierez' web site, he talks about purchasing a CNC machine to wind his pickups! Sanders, grinders, drills, saws, these machines all use the same bits to cut wood as a CNC machine does.
Click to expand...

If you're not carving a neck with a CNC you do it with a milling machine or a hand tool?
 
#37
Mechanization (IE: CNC milling) allows faster production. and more consistant repeatability, therefore less waste for the company, therefore, lower prices to the end user.

My favorites are now CNC milled, both neck and body, but the sanding and finishing is by hand.
 
#40
Some of you guys really crack me up. A CNC machine is just a power tool like a router, drill press or many others. It happens to be a really nifty, programable tool, but it's still a tool. Use a dull bit and you'll get poor results. User errors still cause poor results.

CNC machines do what a human would do using a set of jigs and various power tools. They do it faster, generally in a more precise manner, and they save money in the long run. This isn't a matter of an evil, soulless robot machine vs. a kind, lovable luthier with a chisel in his hand. A human still has to program the machine and supervise its operation. The design still comes from a human brain, and without that human creativity, you'd never have satisfactory results.

Final sanding and finishing is where you all should be a lot more concerned.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back