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Finally, another build thread...

Basschair

Basschair

..............
Supporting Member
Feb 5, 2004
2,523
24
Stockton, Ca
#1
It's been a while since I've been able to find time to work on another build, and even longer since I've actually posted a build thread. At any rate, here's the scoop:

4 string set-neck Walnut bass, a freehand copy of the Antimatter bass body.
Body woods: walnut, walnut burl, wenge, and cherry veneer.
Fingerboard: LMII cocobolo, 16" radius, 24 frets (they didn't have a piece long enough for 26 frets).
Hipshot A style chrome-on-brass bridge.
Hipshot ultralight Schaller-style tuners.
Nordstrand bridge/neck DC pickups, wired for parallel/single/series switching; passive circuit with tone & volume.
 
#2
Here's a pic of the top (with naptha). I'm not much of a photographer, and the sun wasn't quite up yet so the design is subtle in the pic. I got this top from Larry a few years ago.

2960269156_6df823214b.png



Here is a pic of the neck template, the blank (scarfed but not with the stock widened) and the fingerboard.

2960948901_82bd7acbc3.png



Here are some wenge pieces re-sawn from the larger plank to be used for accents.

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Gluing down the top to the core.

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I don't have any pics of gluing up the bookmatched top or the joining of the two body pieces as they were done a long time ago. More pics as I get things done...
 
#7
Lots of progress, but not much of it is super flashy...basically a lot of busy work.

1/4-sawn wenge back:
2977103448_6356ec7ca0.png


Another top pic, post glue-up:
2976248045_2d9539b3c9.png


Walnut burl top, cherry veneer (can't be seen in this pic), walnut core, wenge back...final body glue-up:
2976247889_fc2a65c1fb.png


Pickup cavity routing template with neck pocket cut away to accommodate the FB once it's glued in:
2976247745_06fcce3c48.png


Neck pocket routing template:
2977102796_3cd5f89104.png


Plates for the headstock, plus some future project wood:
2977102426_e75913dd02.png


Mahogany core, control cover, maple burl top, and bubinga back for the next build. Also the walnut strips for building up the current build's headstock and one of my beloved planes:
2976247385_8e1d946f1e.png
 
#12
A little more progress this weekend. It rained a bunch so I decided to leave the headstock wings in the clamps for a few more days. Therefore, no laminating/veneering it this weekend. I did get the truss rod channel routed out and the channel to give access to the TR nut started.

Here's the headstock in the clamps:
2998302310_125c9e8a6c.png



Here's the TR channel...notice the few spots where the router drifted? I was pretty pissed about that. The rod fits very nicely, is snug and will not move, and no one would ever see those few spots where the channel is imperfect. Still, I'll always know it's there :mad:.
2997461305_4fabcccdf3.png



Some cherry veneer to go under the headstock's burl plate:
2998302428_f2dd7ae1ab.png



The walnut burl that the headstock plate will be cut from:
2998302714_00a6fc701a.png



This coming weekend I've lucked out: 4 days off...so, routing the neck pocket, final seating of the truss rod, gluing on the fingerboard, tapering the neck, fitting the neck to the pocket, and on and on and on.
 
#14
I managed to get some more work done yesterday, and will get back to it tomorrow: today, it's all about getting well...darn students got me sick :rolleyes:.


I dragged my bench outside so that the garage wouldn't get full of walnut shavings/dust. I'm securing melamine strips as ramps to support the router before cutting away the neck pocket.
3017230989_e6f65a05e3.png



The view from the left: that dark strip between the melamine strips is a length of planed ebony. It was scrap that I made into a straight edge for bit bearings to run against.
3018064538_6cf39562bb.png



The view from the right and a better shot of the body blank and my lovely Porter Cable variable speed router.
3017231227_827fd85145.png



Fitting the neck pocket: the extra gap of removed material around the square edges of the neck is where the neck pickup will go. Removing the extra material right now helps with fitting the neck.
3017231329_e83e0ece71.png



Snug fit view from the right.
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Snug fit view from the left.
3017231641_17055cf988.png



It looks pretty well-centered to the body's centerline, but I'll verify that tomorrow. Right now, I need a nap.
3017231733_a940b6deca.png



The taper of the neck's body-end matches the taper of the pocket, it's very snug, and will stay seated.
3018065436_99696f941b.png



I'm pretty stoked about it, and plan on getting the pickup cavities routed tomorrow followed by cutting out the body shape, cutting out and plating the headstock, finishing the TR access cavity, and putting together a control pot wiring jig.
 
#20
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Here's the photo of the side of the bass body. The topmost layer is the walnut burl, below which is the cherry veneer. Next is the walnut core, and at the bottom is the wenge layer. The walnut core looks like it has two layers because of the different types of router bits I used to smooth out the edges. I started with a template bit (with the body template secured to the top of the bass. That gave me about 5/8" smooth surface from a CMT bit. I then flipped the body over and switched to a flush-trim Freud bit and smoothed out the remainder. The gave a different cut direction and therefore the look of the core having two layers.

By the way...I almost broke a brand new band saw blade yesterday while installing it simply because I was in a hurry and didn't take the time to read my manual. I thought I had loosened the wheel tensioner enough, tried to roll the blade on, and got some great crimping. I figured it out and got it done right, but that blade won't be the same. Oh well.
 

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