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Double Bass Homebuilt EUB build thread

#201
I applaud your efforts! I went through a similar exercise several yours ago and posted an "Ultimate EUB" build topic here on Talkbass. The photo links are no longer applicable because they were linked to my own website server space.

The details are still covered on my Youtube site video. (Warning... not for the faint of heart! It's well outside of the normal EUB conventions.)



I can recommend Miniwax Wipe-on poly as finish for the body portions of your build, and Osmo PolyX for a neck that feels simply fantastic to play.
 
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#202
Ok. Time to say thank you to all of you for sticking with me through my meandering 200(+!!!) Posts.

Somewhere along the way the thread has picked up nearly 9000 views! I am astounded and humbled that so many have taken the time to read through the posts.

I really appreciate all the comments, likes, and other encouragement as I slowly work through building this bass. I have a ways to go yet, but I have a goal to be mostly done by the end of August. Finishing may take a bit longer...

Cheers!
(I make meads when I am not in the wood shop...)
20201231_213558.jpg
 
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#203
I just want to add why oil is used instead of laquer on the played side of the fingerboard.
The reason is that if you find a high spot on the fingerboard (string is rattling when pressed down completely, high point is in front of the pressed position), with laquer you add some height when you repair the finish after scaping the high part a bit down (and do this slowly and incrementally because you don‘t want to make it worse by scraping at the wrong position.
The oil goes into the wood, no height added, so you can scrape a bit, check, scrape more if needed, check and again until you are satisfied. The oil that part again. Maybe you need to scrape a bit again when the oil went into the wood but in most cases that is not needed.
 
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#204
DoubleMIDI said:
I just want to add why oil is used instead of laquer on the played side of the fingerboard.
The reason is that if you find a high spot on the fingerboard (string is rattling when pressed down completely, high point is in front of the pressed position), with laquer you add some height when you repair the finish after scaping the high part a bit down (and do this slowly and incrementally because you don‘t want to make it worse by scraping at the wrong position.
The oil goes into the wood, no height added, so you can scrape a bit, check, scrape more if needed, check and again until you are satisfied. The oil that part again. Maybe you need to scrape a bit again when the oil went into the wood but in most cases that is not needed.
Click to expand...
My concern (maybe misplaced) is that I believe oiling the purpleheart almost guarantees that it will turn brown, and I would really like to keep it as close to the current vibrant color as possible. If I had any sort of reassurance to the contrary I would probably go down this road just for ease of application.

If my research is correct, a CA glue finish is almost as easy to spot finish, but I can't find anything on how it will affect the color.

I can find lots of resources that confirm that polyurethane over shellac will retain the color. I know Fender and others commonly lacquer fretboards, but usually when they are maple.

I don't have a ton of scrap to practice on, but I have some smaller pieces that I may press into service.
 
#205
Videojunkie said:
My concern (maybe misplaced) is that I believe oiling the purpleheart almost guarantees that it will turn brown, and I would really like to keep it as close to the current vibrant color as possible. If I had any sort of reassurance to the contrary I would probably go down this road just for ease of application.

If my research is correct, a CA glue finish is almost as easy to spot finish, but I can't find anything on how it will affect the color.

I can find lots of resources that confirm that polyurethane over shellac will retain the color. I know Fender and others commonly lacquer fretboards, but usually when they are maple.

I don't have a ton of scrap to practice on, but I have some smaller pieces that I may press into service.
Click to expand...
You can always scrape the laquer off if you get problems with buzzing fingered notes and use oil then. It‘s not possible the other way round.
Playability is more important than color. Except if you just want to hang it at the wall as an art object.
 
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#206
I think you need to be realistic about the ultimate outcome: purpleheart will eventually turn brown no matter what you apply, and the only question is how fast. Because of that, trying to match the color of purpleheart with dye today will eventually leave you with a purple burst body and a brown fingerboard.

Not sure that shellac does anything special, I would think polyurethane is probably OK all on its own, but your research is probably telling you the right approach. Also, in case you haven't already seen it, there is a big thread here about using water based finishes.
 
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#208
I think the shellac is a grain filler / sealer for the oils in the wood. As I understand it, you wipe the wood down with alcohol or some thinner and then seal it with several coats of shellac. Once the shellac dries and cures, then you can lightly sand and top coat with a UV resistant poly finish that can be buffed to a gloss.
 
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#209
Videojunkie said:
I think the shellac is a grain filler / sealer for the oils in the wood. As I understand it, you wipe the wood down with alcohol or some thinner and then seal it with several coats of shellac. Once the shellac dries and cures, then you can lightly sand and top coat with a UV resistant poly finish that can be buffed to a gloss.
Click to expand...

Shellac might work as a grain filler, but don't people normally just use grain filler if that's what they are trying to accomplish? I tend to like grain so don't usually fill it and really have no experience with that. I always thought of shellac more as a barrier layer between otherwise incompatible finishes. I have used maple pretty extensively and never found a need to put down shellac before poly.
 
#210
Jeff Siddall said:
Shellac might work as a grain filler, but don't people normally just use grain filler if that's what they are trying to accomplish? I tend to like grain so don't usually fill it and really have no experience with that. I always thought of shellac more as a barrier layer between otherwise incompatible finishes. I have used maple pretty extensively and never found a need to put down shellac before poly.
Click to expand...

That's for the purpleheart not the maple. The maple I will work with dyes and then just go straight to poly I think.

Still researching the finish, and I think I have gotten to about 2010 in that thread you linked earlier....

The maple in the picture was just wetted to raise the grain as I was sanding.
 
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#211
Videojunkie said:
That's for the purpleheart not the maple. The maple I will work with dyes and then just go straight to poly I think.

Still researching the finish, and I think I have gotten to about 2010 in that thread you linked earlier....

The maple in the picture was just wetted to raise the grain as I was sanding.
Click to expand...

Ah, that makes sense about the maple.

Haha, yeah, that thread goes on for a long time! Might be better to work backwards on that one.
 
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#212
Leap of faith tonight. I decided to glue the fingerboard to the neck. This is the first step in finishing the neck so I can really get going on the body. I started by cleaning both sides with some acetone to remove any oils (particularly from the purpleheart) and then taped over the truss rods to prevent glue from slipping into the channels. (I removed the tape once the glue was spread out.)

I took some time to sand the curved bit under the end of the fingerboard down to almost finish level (220 grit) as it will be very challenging to get to once the glue sets.

Next up, side dots, neck carving, and then I get to assemble the body pieces.
20210802_211112.jpg
 
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#213
Videojunkie said:
Leap of faith tonight. I decided to glue the fingerboard to the neck. This is the first step in finishing the neck so I can really get going on the body. I started by cleaning both sides with some acetone to remove any oils (particularly from the purpleheart) and then taped over the truss rods to prevent glue from slipping into the channels. (I removed the tape once the glue was spread out.)

I took some time to sand the curved bit under the end of the fingerboard down to almost finish level (220 grit) as it will be very challenging to get to once the glue sets.

Next up, side dots, neck carving, and then I get to assemble the body pieces.
View attachment 4355681
Click to expand...
Just curious, I'm wondering how you are going to determine where to put the dots which I assume will mark certain pitches? Have you calculated this using string length? I have put dots(stick ons) on my EUB and DB but that was when they were strung and I could use a tuner to find the correct place for the dot. I know nothing about instrument building, so I'm wondering how this is done.
Interesting thread and fine work, it will be interesting to see how it sounds.
 
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#214
Up and Away said:
Just curious, I'm wondering how you are going to determine where to put the dots which I assume will mark certain pitches? Have you calculated this using string length?
Click to expand...

The bass is designed to a 34" scale, so I will reference my other bass (or use a fret calculator, not sure) to mark the fret locations. I am planning on using some brass rod in 3 different diameters to mark the fret locations. The smallest (1/16") for each fret. The prime frets (where dots are normally) will get both a 1/16" and a 1/8" dot. The octaves will get a 3/16" dot and 2x 1/16" dots.

If I was smart, I would have done this waaay back before I radiused the fingerboard. However, here I am. So the goal is to put these dots at the corner where the fingerboard side and radius meet, so that a 'tooth' shaped piece of the brass is visible from the front.
 
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#217
Videojunkie said:
The bass is designed to a 34" scale, so I will reference my other bass (or use a fret calculator, not sure) to mark the fret locations. I am planning on using some brass rod in 3 different diameters to mark the fret locations. The smallest (1/16") for each fret. The prime frets (where dots are normally) will get both a 1/16" and a 1/8" dot. The octaves will get a 3/16" dot and 2x 1/16" dots.

If I was smart, I would have done this waaay back before I radiused the fingerboard. However, here I am. So the goal is to put these dots at the corner where the fingerboard side and radius meet, so that a 'tooth' shaped piece of the brass is visible from the front.
Click to expand...
Sounds like a good plan and you should be able to get the pitch "close enough for jazz" as the saying goes, especially with that 34" scale.
Interesting idea to put the dots on the corner, that could be really nice.
 
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#218
So one of my next steps is to bend the sides and top to match the curve under the fingerboard.

My current thought is to use a piece of 6" pvc pipe as a mold to steam bend around. I am thinking that if I have a piece of pvc longer than my wood, I can figure out how to clamp it securely, and then using a second piece, with a section cut out (that I can use as a spacer) I can use it as a form to bend the wood in.

The sides and top are both less that 3/16 thick, but they are also kiln dried. So I will need to soak them for a week before trying this.

Any thoughts?
 

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