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Double Bass Matthew's Double Bass Building Project

#163
And now a word from our sponsor ...

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#166
KSB - Ken Smith said:
Sitting on the neck like that might cause a forward bow especially with your 'body heat' warming up the wood like that. Maybe a vice on a bench would be in order here.. you think?
Click to expand...

If you read his blog, he said he could not get it clamped well enough on his bench and it kept moving, so this was the only solution he had that would work at the time. Also, this is possibly not the neck he will use. He said he was waiting on a proper maple block to use, but in the meantime he used some local "Blackwood" and did a laminant neck to get in some practice. He said if it works out well he might use it, and if not, its good practice for the real thing.
 
#167
I think if you checked out the design of a traditional shaving horse, you'd see it looks a lot like the arrangement Matt's got going there. But you'd be sitting on the horse, not the stock! Often a rope or something would be used for clamping, with body weight doing the work (force exerted via your legs.) You still see that all over the world. Fast, convenient, cheap.
 
#168
I'm sitting on the heel, not the middle of the neck. It is still rough cut and there's a lot of wood to support my weight (which is, after all, only 94kg ...) Ken, do you really think my body heat would heat up the wood enough to cause a permanent bow? :eyebrow: I can only generate 37 degrees at best!!!

I am going to use this neck, I think. It has worked out quite well. I was going to get a maple neck block but as I have got so far on this one it seems a pity to waste it, n'est-ce pas? And I can always replace it with a maple one if it doesn't work out. I am attempting a removable neck, because I live in Australia, but I'd like to bring my bass over to show you all one day ...
 
#172
Matthew,

You're a dog! It kills me everytime I visit your page and see the progress you're making with your bass. I've talked for several years with a colleague at work about attempting to build my OWN bass. I even have access to a decent supply of beautiful maple for the sides and back.

At the same. I remember the conversation I've had with a friend (Bob) who makes fiddles. Good fiddles. Darol Anger has one and recorded the last [Invalid or Expired Link Removed] recording with it.

Anyway, Bob (the builder) built a carved bass a few years back. I've played it, the bass saounds good and I asked Bob about it. He said he'd never do it again.

But that's not too much of a deterent. I built my son his first F-style mandolin and it came out very good, tone wise. I wish I had taken a bit more time and completed things a bit more cleanly. But, after a REAL setup by Link Removedin Nashville, it's his favorite and he also has a Invalid Link Removed.

Maybe I'll set fire to a bunch of junk in the basement (just to clear out some space) and have a go at it, sometime.

I love playing the bass. I have 2 good American Standards. It would be very satisfying to be playing an instrument I built myself and have someone come up at the end of the music and ask about the bass, due to the tone and sound of it, and then be able to say "I built it!"

Mash on Matthew!
 
#175
Because I've put a very slight slight curve in the bottom two braces of the (flat) back, there is now a gentle outward bow to the back. I'm happy with this, because my theory is that when it swells with humidity it will tend to bow outward rather than just pop a side seam.

However, although the top fits all around very closely now, there is a 1mm gap at the front of the bottom block, as the back curves away from the rib.

I don't want to clamp this down though, do I? Because that looks like it will really stress things. So I'm thinking of gluing in a thin shaped shim on top of the block, probably cedar like the rest of the block.

Any thoughts?
 
#179
Matthew nice progress! I just viewed your site and read all the posts and am up to date...and excited :hyper: :hyper: :hyper: :hyper: :hyper: :hyper: :bassist: :bassist: :bassist: :bassist: :bassist: :bassist: :bassist:

I think that was a good move curving the back braces so the plate would have a curve to it. Now when it gets dry, it will not cave in! Because you were unable to glue the cross braces at a low relative humidity ( I am guessing based on your climate) this was very important...ask me how I know?
 
#180
Yeah this morning it was pissing with rain again ... I removed the clamps and set the top on the ribs to dream ... and I'm going to have a hell of a time getting that overhang evn as well. But i guess this is probably a normal problem? I think my overhange problem stems from too long between removing the ribs from the armature and gluing up. Next time I'll leave more edge on the back plate. Now how on earth did that e jump from "even" to "overhang"??

I clamped at all the blocks this morning and tapped the top all over. Sounds OK to me ... but really, what would I know?!!!

The bass bar feels a bit stiff; the "tap" isn't as resonant over the bassbar. I'm going to remove a bit of wood on the bassbar, and maybe a bit more all over I think.
 

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