Joiner "Rhapsody" Build Progress

[teej]

It seems that word of my bass-building hobby is spreading! A local recording studio asked if I would build an in-studio bass for them... at a price, of course. I'm a little nervous, to be honest. I've never built a bass for anyone other than myself, but fortunately, I set high standards even for myself. Anyway, they asked for something "basic" -- no exotic woods or high-end electronics, pickups, etc. So here's what I've got lined up for them:

- Serenade DC-4 design
- Solid walnut/poplar/bolivian rosewood/poplar/walnut body
- Maple/rosewood neck
- Black hardware
- EMG pickups?

I've already got a lot of the supplies, like the walnut for the body, nuts, pots, and carbon neck reinforcments. The truss rod, neck blank, and fingerboard are coming from Warmoth, along with a few other things (jack, maybe the knobs, tuners...)

Anyway, I guess you could consider this the official progress thread. My own personal Serenade is still in-progress. I've been really consumed with my full-time job and saving up for a new car. And then there's school, so that really kills any free time I've got left.

Until next time...

 

[Dusty G]

Nice!
Another passionate Teej thread!

 

[teej]

Slight change of plans. Originally, I was going to have a solid two-piece walnut body, but here's the thing: The piece of walnut I have is 48" x 12" x 2". In order for me to fit the entire body onto the blank, I'd have to cut the blank in half, and then glue the sides together, yielding a 24x24 blank.

Instead, what I'm going to do it this: I'm going to have walnut body wings, both of which I can fit within the 12" width, and then add a 2" wide piece of a different wood to the middle. I'm thinking either poplar (VERY easy to get locally) or maple. Who knows... I'll take mahogany and korina into consideration as well.

 

[teej]

I encountered a very hard hurdle this morning. Apparently, my jigsaw isn't going to cut the mustard, or in this case, the walnut. It's one of the more expensive Skil models, and it's worked great on softer woods like poplar and alder, and 1/4" rosewood, maple, and ebony, but I've never used it on 2" walnut before. Lowes has a 10" Delta bandsaw for $99, and I know that will do fine cutting out body blanks, but I don't know if it will cut out the actual body.

In a related story, I've got to have that 2" walnut planed down to 1 3/4" (1/8" off the top and bottom). Where could I go to have this done? My first guess was a cabinet shop, but I just wanted some sort of confirmation before I rush out.

Oh! I just thought of something. Would a circular saw be able to cut the walnut? I don't mean cutting out bodies, but just making a straight cut, cutting out a blank?

 

[spudmaster34]

Why do you really need controlls? I understand that going straight to output does wonders for the sound, and this is a recording studio, so they would be more than able to adjust the volume and tone far more than the pots could.

 

[teej]

Versatility, really. If the need for controls ever arises, I'd like to know that the option is there. And if the need for direct out ever arises, that's what a push-pull bypassing the circutry is for.

 

[klocwerk]

Sounds good!
A cabinetry shop should have a bed sander, most good lumberyards do too.
And a good circular saw should be able to handle 2" walnut, just take it nice and slow.

 

[teej]

I should have had Woodcraft do it for me when I bought the piece. :scowl:

By the way, EMG pups it is. I've read some reviews about how they're a "hi-fi" pickup with a flat sound, and I thought that would be good for recording work.

 

[teej]

Found a local cabinet shop with an ad in the Yellow Pages that lists "Custom Woodworking" among their services, so I called them up, and lo and behold, I get their secretary. I asked her if they could plane a small piece of walnut lumber for me, and she told me that she would have to ask someone. That someone wasn't there (lunch break?), so she took my name and number and told me that either she or that someone would call me back.

 

[klocwerk]

teej, if you want a nice surface, make sure you communicate that to the guy. If the planer knives are old-ish you're going to end up with a checked up surface.
If they have a large bed sander get them to do it that way instead!

 

[Luke Sheridan]

Teej:
If you can swing it, but a surface planer or sander. The planer I bought for $199 is one of the best additions I've made to the shop. Its saved me hours of work already and I've only used it on two basses.
Luke

 

[teej]

I'd love to have a big workspace full of tools and whatnot, but I live in an apartment, so I'm restricted to the front patio and about 4 sq. ft. of our outside storage unit. I'm already saving up for a car, and then a bandsaw, so there's no planer in my immediate future. Now if Larry stops offering woods cut to thickness, THEN I'll consider a planer.

So, a bed sander, eh? I'll ask about that.

 

[klocwerk]

or other variety of thickness sander.

 

[teej]

Planer, thickness sander, whatever. I just want the 2" walnut to become 1 3/4" walnut.

In other news, Boatwright & Scott (the cabinet co. I called today) said that they were to busy making cabinets, so... Basically, I got a "no." Ooooh... rejected. 'Tis OK, though. I've about 4 other local cabinet shops that I can call.

I suppose I could always use the router, with a saf-t-plane perhaps, or an ordinary straight bit, but that would take forever. And then there's the trusty hand plane, but c'mon, what is this, the 1800s?

Back to the phone book...

 

[Rodent]

T -

if I was still living in Huntsville, I'd invite you up for the afternoon and we could thickness that Walnut for you on the spot. I know it'd be a little bit of a drive to HSV, but ... unfortunately I'm just a little farther NW now

if you get totally stuck, drop me a PM. If you cover R/T shipping, I can help you out

all the best,

R

 

[teej]

I didn't know you used to live here. It's funny because I was born on the west coast (California! Woo!) and moved here; and you were living here, and moved to the west coast.

Thanks for the offer! I'll definitely keep it in mind.

 

[Dusty G]

Teej, don't buy that Delta jigsaw!!!! It really sucks, no matter how well you set it up. It's only good for thin wood.
You're better off having the same person that planes your wood for you cut out the shape with a good bandsaw. If you have a router tho, I'de cut it out that way, w/ a template.

 

[Cerb]

Planing the board down shouldn't be much trouble with a router. I just set up two planks of wood on either side of the piece and put sleds on the bottom of my router. Rest those on the side planks and use a straight bit to take off about 1/8" at a time.

 

[teej]

Dusty, don't you mean Delta BANDsaw?
And yep, I've a router - a GOOD router - Bosch 1617EVS.

Cerb, I may just do that. It seems the closest cabinet shops are busy doing their own thing. That just seems like a LOT of walnut to thin with a router. Fortunately, 1/8" is all I want to take off from the front and back, and I'm off work tomorrow, so it's not like I don't have the time. What size bit would you recommend??

 

[Cerb]

I'm using a 1/2" diam. with 1/4" shank. You could certainly use a larger one, but I'm most comfortable with the 1/2".