Typically piezo cables go into a groove where they stay a bit above (groove less deep than cable diameter). That way they can sense pressure variations without getting destroyed by a large constant pressure (like under the bridge foot of a DB).
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Double Bass Homebuilt EUB build thread
- Thread starter Videojunkie
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- build a bass diy bass eub
Yep. I've installed these on my acoustic guitars.
I plan to rout a slot under each saddle from front to back, along one side, that ends in a hole descending on each end. One end will be blind. The other going into the body cavity..
This will give me 5x 2.5mm ends in the body of the instrument to connect to the electronics.
I plan to rout a slot under each saddle from front to back, along one side, that ends in a hole descending on each end. One end will be blind. The other going into the body cavity..
This will give me 5x 2.5mm ends in the body of the instrument to connect to the electronics.
In other news, the replacement bridge got sent to South Carolina (via the tracking information) so the seller is sending me replacement number 2.
Since the garage is still below freezing, I took the opportunity to replace all of the lighting with new LED fixtures. Went from 3 fluorescent fixtures to a dozen LED fixtures that are all 5000k and 5200lm it is now very bright in the shop, and I can see what I am doing without shadows or other lighting irregularities.
I order the tuners later this week, and get the ball rolling on that. I plan on making the jig to radius the fretboard later this week so should start to see some sawdust type things happening. I checked the veneer that I have, and I am not going to be able to do what I wanted with it, so it will go back on the shelf for another day.
Since the garage is still below freezing, I took the opportunity to replace all of the lighting with new LED fixtures. Went from 3 fluorescent fixtures to a dozen LED fixtures that are all 5000k and 5200lm it is now very bright in the shop, and I can see what I am doing without shadows or other lighting irregularities.
I order the tuners later this week, and get the ball rolling on that. I plan on making the jig to radius the fretboard later this week so should start to see some sawdust type things happening. I checked the veneer that I have, and I am not going to be able to do what I wanted with it, so it will go back on the shelf for another day.
Turning model space into wood space.
I am getting excited! This is the start of the fun part.
I am getting excited! This is the start of the fun part.
Layout complete for the main frame of the body.
Next up, cutting the rest of the boards and laminating up the neck.
Next up, cutting the rest of the boards and laminating up the neck.
Doesn't look like I'll get much done this next week. My garage workshop isn't really heated. Brr. that's cold.
Got to make some sawdust today. In other news, tuners should be here next week, I hope I have something that I can work with when they arrive. Also, I hate my jig saw, but it is (marginally) better than doing this with a coping saw.
The order of operations for this is going to be interesting.
I think I am going to have to mark where these pieces join to other parts, and then finish all of the interior carving and sanding, then join them to the other parts that make the through neck backbone. Then finish all of those interior parts. then I can work on the scroll and neck finishing up with the body of the bass.
The order of operations for this is going to be interesting.
I think I am going to have to mark where these pieces join to other parts, and then finish all of the interior carving and sanding, then join them to the other parts that make the through neck backbone. Then finish all of those interior parts. then I can work on the scroll and neck finishing up with the body of the bass.
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On the other hand, I love my oscillating spindle sander. Probably one of my favorite (and most used) tools in my shop.
Cleaning up the jigsaw cuts was fun and easy.
Cleaning up the jigsaw cuts was fun and easy.
More sawdust this afternoon. Feels like it's coming together. Lots more sanding and finishing on the interior of the bass, but the neck is close to being ready to glue up.
Ok.. a few helpful hints as I have carved 3 finger boards from stretch.. (I posted a essay on this somewhere in here I think years ago)
Think of a fingerboard as a section of a cone.
Look at ship mast layout and carving.
It isn’t hard to do if you know how to use a hand plane, and takes about 2-4 hours depending on skill, wood squirlyness. Good luck on the purple heart, I hate working that stuff... it smells so bad...
I plan on building a jig and doing this with a router to get the curves correct. I could plane it to shape, but as you indicated that is a whole level of work that can be challenging (especially with tropical hardwoods). I also need to make the nut end of the fingerboard thinner than the bridge end, and I think that the jig will get me there with the least crying. I'll probably have to clean it up with my planes and sandpaper, especially some of the asymmetrical bits on the bass side to eliminate buzzing.
That sounds like a good thing to try. Oh also, since you are not using ebony you might want to finish the playing surface of the fingerboard with superglue. You want to do a bunch of super light coats. I think I did 13 on the pau ferro fingerboard I made to replace the original fingerboard my acoustic bass, It's held up really well over the last 13 years..
Stolen from another forum:
About finishing Purple Heart and Padauk;
Both of these woods are almost self-finishing, because of their inherent high resin content. The bare wood can be polished up to a gloss, which in many cases is all you need. When I use Purple Heart and Padauk for guitar fingerboards, I bring them up to a gloss, and then give them one or two light coats of a hardening polyurethane "oil" finish. I use Stewart-MacDonald's Fingerboard Oil, which is a special blend for instrument use, but Minwax or Olympic Oil-Based polyurethane will work too. The finish will significantly darken the color (although it's still quite beautiful), but then it will brighten up somewhat over the next week or two.
By the way, here's my favorite technique for smoothing woods hard like Purple Heart, Padauk, Ebony, etc. up to a gloss:
1. Do most of the shaping with sharp files, not coarse sandpaper. It's faster, and doesn't leave deep random scratches. Finish up the smoothing with a Smooth or even a #2 Swiss file.
2. Fine sand with 320 and 400 Stearated paper on a rubber block, only in the direction of the grain, to remove the last file marks.
3. Finish up with ScotchBrite-style woven abrasives. I usually use Green, then Gray, then White. Use them over a rubber block, with pressure and elbow grease, again only in the direction of the grain. The White Scotchbrite will take the wood up to a mirror gloss.
You can go crazy trying to polish ebony with fine sandpaper. I understand that this is because the ebony dust is quite hard and abrasive by itself, and will embed itself in the sandpaper, cutting coarser than the sandpapers' abrasive. I think the Scotchbrite works so well here because the open weave allows the dust to get out.
Yes, while that is true, I'm not talking about smoothness or shine... I've made a padauk fingerboard [I've been using padauk in instrument for over 20 years], it's about hardness and resistance to wear from playing... I know for a fact padauk gets chewed up pretty quickly and while I have not used purple heart for a fretless instrument fingerboard I have worked with it enough.. It holds a shine a bit better but...
Also.. one the other thing is ebony, pau ferro, rosewood and even maple have more of a closed grain structure then those 2, so while yes you can get it shiny without a grain filler getting a super smooth surface is harder to do.
Also.. one the other thing is ebony, pau ferro, rosewood and even maple have more of a closed grain structure then those 2, so while yes you can get it shiny without a grain filler getting a super smooth surface is harder to do.
Lots of sawdust today, this is probably my last good working day until we get back above freezing... 
So I started on the jig (I used the router base to cut the channels for the dual truss rods) then my router bit broke
Fortunately I live in close proximity to a hardware store and was able to quickly replace it - so that wasn't a show stopper.
Both truss rods are fitted, and I am started on cutting out the opening in the headstock.
So I started on the jig (I used the router base to cut the channels for the dual truss rods) then my router bit broke
Fortunately I live in close proximity to a hardware store and was able to quickly replace it - so that wasn't a show stopper.
Both truss rods are fitted, and I am started on cutting out the opening in the headstock.
On the plus side, having a forced break from working on the bass means that when I get back to work all the electronics and hardware should have arrived.
I am pretty happy with the size of the instrument, and I can't wait to string it up and listen to it.
I am pretty happy with the size of the instrument, and I can't wait to string it up and listen to it.
Both the new bridge and the master electronics have arrived. The tuners should arrive this weekend (?) and the under saddle piezos should arrive some point next week. So by the end of next week I should have all of the hardware to complete the build.
Between the two sets of bridges I have enough good ones to make a full set of 5. I also have a scratched up set that I can use for mocking up the bridge and not worrying too much about scratching the finish on in the shop.
The Electronics were obviously designed for an acoustic guitar and to set into the curve on the top bout of a guitar. I am thinking that I will make a small bezel that matches the flat angles of my bass and the curves of the electronics so that if I replace it, I don't have to replace a piece of the final instrument. I have to double check some measurements, but I am thinking about placing it on the 'top' of the side right next to the neck, facing 'up' when the bass is in the upright playing position. (I'll post a picture) This makes sense to me as I will have easy access to the controls, and be able to see the built in tuner very easily.
Between the two sets of bridges I have enough good ones to make a full set of 5. I also have a scratched up set that I can use for mocking up the bridge and not worrying too much about scratching the finish on in the shop.
The Electronics were obviously designed for an acoustic guitar and to set into the curve on the top bout of a guitar. I am thinking that I will make a small bezel that matches the flat angles of my bass and the curves of the electronics so that if I replace it, I don't have to replace a piece of the final instrument. I have to double check some measurements, but I am thinking about placing it on the 'top' of the side right next to the neck, facing 'up' when the bass is in the upright playing position. (I'll post a picture) This makes sense to me as I will have easy access to the controls, and be able to see the built in tuner very easily.
Electronics position looking down from the head of the bass. No I haven't done any shaping of the neck yet...
