First Build (warning: Noob content)

[psychotiger]

Inspired by all of the folks on this forum, I have been building my first bass. I found out Chip Todd of Peavey and Fender fame "retired" to a home near mine. I looked him up and for some crazy reason he agreed to be my luthier teacher, of sorts. In the book, American Basses by Jim Roberts, Harvey Peavey describes Chip as a "mechanical genius". He is that. He can think of 4 ways to fix a problem before I can say, "Uh...wait..now what?". This bass will be a passive (for now) P/J 4 banger. I think I will call this model the Tele-Todd. Anyway, I am finally getting around to posting some pics.

Neck: Flat sawn hard maple
Fingerboard: Macassar Ebony, fretted
Under body: Alder, chambered
Top: Spalted Maple with accent layer of bubinga
Bridge: Schaller
Pups: Nordstrand NPJ4se
Nut: Ivory or bone
Tuners: Schaller
Knobs: ebony
LMII Dbl-action welded nut truss rod
All hardware will be black

Yours truly using a wiggler on Chip's mill to center the neck.

 

[psychotiger]

Chip checking the body blank after running it through his planer.
The second pic is the under body with some chambering.

 

[psychotiger]

Pic1: Gluing up
Pic2: Some sanding and neck pocket done.

 

[WRXbase]

That's some nice spalt!

 

[psychotiger]

That's some nice spalt!

Thanks, man. Got it off ebay. Good stuff.

 

[PasdaBeer]

man, I would KILL for a milling machine like that.

I started off originaly doing metal work out of high school, I miss the control you get with them!

 

[psychotiger]

man, I would KILL for a milling machine like that.

I started off originaly doing metal work out of high school, I miss the control you get with them!

It is surgical. I am having to translate techniques learned on the mill to my tools (router, bandsaw, table saw, drill press, etc.)

 

[PasdaBeer]

Yea I know how it is. Im still looking for a less costly way to set up an overhead pin router. That along with my nice new safe-t-planer and I think I would feel almost at home again.

 

[psychotiger]

Yea I know how it is. Im still looking for a less costly way to set up an overhead pin router. That along with my nice new safe-t-planer and I think I would feel almost at home again.

How do you like the Safe-T-Planer? I was thinking of getting one of those for thicknessing and maybe radiusing fretboards.

 

[BassSurfer]

Looks great so far, but you don't have to say " Noob Content "...lol who cares.

 

[pilotjones]

Yea I know how it is. Im still looking for a less costly way to set up an overhead pin router. That along with my nice new safe-t-planer and I think I would feel almost at home again.

Here are some pin router plans.
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[andrew_b]

you are one lucky lucky lucky lucky man..............
people would kill to have someone like chip to guide them through an instrument build....

nice top on that bass..... interesting shape, where did the inspperation for that come from?

 

[PasdaBeer]

How do you like the Safe-T-Planer? I was thinking of getting one of those for thicknessing and maybe radiusing fretboards.

Ive honestly only used it a few times so far. I just picked it up last week from woodcraft.

But so far, so good, I dont know if ill be replacing my 14" planner with it by any means, but for working on fingerboards/neck blanks it seems to work pretty nice. Definatly better then my plexiglass sled jig i made for my router.

 

[tdogg]

you are one lucky lucky lucky lucky man..............
people would kill to have someone like chip to guide them through an instrument build....

+1. having a chance to apprentice under someone like that would be cool

 

[psychotiger]

you are one lucky lucky lucky lucky man..............
people would kill to have someone like chip to guide them through an instrument build....

nice top on that bass..... interesting shape, where did the inspperation for that come from?

Very lucky indeed. And he is exceptionally nice and patient. Interesting teaching style. Kind of a "see one, do one" thing so I have to pay attention to all the little details. But the best thing is all the stories. The guy is a living history book of the development of electric guitar and bass. He's still doing custom work and set ups.

The inspiration for the shape was Chip. The body if a knock off of something Chip was working on. I call it a Tele-Todd because it reminded me of a Telecaster with Mr. Todd's influences. Just got back from his shop, actually. The pick up routes were done on the mill. I think I avoided mucking it up too bad.

 

[Son of Magni]

I think you need to get more variety of clamps

 

[psychotiger]

Finished except for a couple of details. I need a string tree / retainer. I think I have the wiring messed up a bit. The last 75% of volume occurs in the last 33% of turning the volume knob. Otherwise, it has the P/J blended sound I was going for. I still have fretwork to do but not much. Plays almost as good as my Fender Jazz and I haven't really set it up yet. Sometimes Luck smiles on me ( a lot actually). Any comments or suggestions appreciated.

 

[neurotictim]

I really dig the headstock shape.

+1 on the awesome spalt, too.

 

[psychotiger]

I really dig the headstock shape.

+1 on the awesome spalt, too.

Thanks, neuro. The spalted was tricky to work with. Here is another pic which looks a little too red on my monitor:

 

[HogieWan]

the only comment I'll make is that the bridge seems quite far from the end of the body, moving the nut out farther from the player