Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
New Build- My Eighth, and a challenge
- Thread starter Rip Topaz
- Start date
Hmmm.... It's looking like I'll have to shim the nut a bit. I made the fingerboard a little thicker to accommodate the fiber optics, and now the nut slot seems too deep. The nut isn't going to clear the board.
Suggestions?
Suggestions?
MPU said:
That's a possibility. The wood choice wasn't the concern really. I'm more concerned with what is the best way to do this. I've cut several shims of different sizes, but if I mount the nut on top of the shim and the fit isn't right, I'll end up scarring the bass to remove and change it.
Why not just make a new nut from scratch? Ive started making all my nuts from Corian-counter top material-and I love it.
Ol'Bass'ead said:
I may end up doing just that. I already bought a graphite nut for it, but I suppose it may be easier to make a new one.
Where does one get pieces of Corian suitable to this?
That's interesting. What's the oldest nut you've made that gets regular use, and how is it holding up? As someone in construction, I have access to scrap Corian all the time.
One cutout scrap from a kitchen sink hole would last a lifetime, even for a steady builder.
I just went to a couple cabinet shops til I found one with some smaller scraps-the guy gave them to me. Its been about a year, and its still going strong-at least two gigs a week-and that particular nut was only about 1/8" thick (due to limited space which was due to a miscalculation). It sounds so good that I have determined to not only change all my other basses to Corian nuts, but all my future builds will use it too.
Ol'Bass'ead said:
It would be very cool if I could find some in a metal flake that matches the inlay.
EDIT: http://www2.dupont.com/Surfaces/en_US/products/corian/pr_corian_colors.html
(Available colors)
They have other stuff that allows light to pass through. Might be interesting for a future build to run fiber optics to the nut slot and light it up!!
Musiclogic
Commercial User
- Aug 6, 2005
- 6,505
- 73
- 60
- Disclosures
- Owner/Builder: HJC Customs USA, The Cool Lute, C G O
This is going to be one of the better looking T-birds I have seen in a while, love the coco top. Nice job Rip, and hope you are healing properly.
Musiclogic said:
Thanks, brother. I had a bit of good news yesterday. The implant is now charging properly!!! No 5th surgery!!!! Seems the swelling from the last surgery was causing the battery to not accept a charge, but now that the swelling has gone down, it's working again!!! Whew. Dodged a bullet on that one.
In bass news, more oil coats today. Nothing exciting. Still debating the nut. I may order a small slab of corian just to see.
Couple of quick pix. The grain is really starting to pop now.
Hmm... Interesting jar for finish mixing.
I'm thinking I may end up going for a matte finish on the front. The coats I'm applying are very thin, and it really looks nice even without a high gloss. I guess I'll decide after a few more coats.
I think I've solved all my dilemmas. Still trying to make up my mind on the nut. I'm gonna order a small slab of Corian direct from Dupont. That way there's no issue finding the color I'm after.
The coolest part of this build for me has been that due to the fact that I am still recovering from surgery, I'm being forced to take things very slow. The attention to detail has been alot more focused than on some of my previous builds. It changes things a bit when you're not pressed into a timeframe or have to meet a deadline for completion. The only pressure is what I've placed on myself, and that's just because I'm dying to play it!!!
Hmm... Interesting jar for finish mixing.
I'm thinking I may end up going for a matte finish on the front. The coats I'm applying are very thin, and it really looks nice even without a high gloss. I guess I'll decide after a few more coats.
I think I've solved all my dilemmas. Still trying to make up my mind on the nut. I'm gonna order a small slab of Corian direct from Dupont. That way there's no issue finding the color I'm after.
The coolest part of this build for me has been that due to the fact that I am still recovering from surgery, I'm being forced to take things very slow. The attention to detail has been alot more focused than on some of my previous builds. It changes things a bit when you're not pressed into a timeframe or have to meet a deadline for completion. The only pressure is what I've placed on myself, and that's just because I'm dying to play it!!!
PDGood said:Oh my eyes!! The beauty if killing me.
Lol. It's actually pretty embarrassing to have no choice but to leave such cheesy updates every day. I'd love to have something real to add. Working this slow, I'm sure most have long since lost interest in this build.
That said, I'm really enjoying all the build competition threads. There's some amazing stuff going on there!!
hmm, good point. I redid my mum's kitchen with Corian, I know there was some left over... it's a burnt orange colour though d: I wouldn't use it again for a counter top, if you burn it, you have to get them to come resurface it, a kettle will make a white ring on it, I'd use that recycled glass fake granite next time probably.
(I'm a handyman, among other things.)
I don't really know the big picture about what's going on in the luthier's corner - I'm only following a few - but this is turning our really nice.
To tell the truth, I was kind of surprised at how fast you were moving through the whole thing before the surgery. Now that you've had to slow down and you see the improvements in the details of your work I think you realize you've stumbled on an improvement in your method. When the bass is done, no one is going to ask how many days you built it in, they're just going to look at the result. When you hand them a beautiful bass you won't have that little voice in the back of your head saying - "I coulda done this a little better" or "I shouldn't have rushed through this part quite as much".
Don't worry about us watching your build; we're happy with pictures of whatever you've done whenever you can post. We should never be a factor in how you produce your instrument. Take your time and enjoy the process for yourself and your t-bird will reflect the extra attention you give it.
To tell the truth, I was kind of surprised at how fast you were moving through the whole thing before the surgery. Now that you've had to slow down and you see the improvements in the details of your work I think you realize you've stumbled on an improvement in your method. When the bass is done, no one is going to ask how many days you built it in, they're just going to look at the result. When you hand them a beautiful bass you won't have that little voice in the back of your head saying - "I coulda done this a little better" or "I shouldn't have rushed through this part quite as much".
Don't worry about us watching your build; we're happy with pictures of whatever you've done whenever you can post. We should never be a factor in how you produce your instrument. Take your time and enjoy the process for yourself and your t-bird will reflect the extra attention you give it.
I agree. Being forced to slow down HAS changed my methods a bit. I've figured out better ways to do several parts of the build process just because I'd been forced to stay out of the shop on a particular day.
I'm sure these things will be put into practice on future builds and will end up speeding things up!! Or at the very least, the changes I've made to my methods will up the quality of my instruments.
Thanks for the words of encouragement.
It's not so much that I'm worried about what the critics think, I'm using this thread as more of a diary of this build for myself. I'm on alot of painkillers because of the surgery, and reading through this has at times kept me on track and helped me to not forget to do certain things.
I'm sure these things will be put into practice on future builds and will end up speeding things up!! Or at the very least, the changes I've made to my methods will up the quality of my instruments.
Thanks for the words of encouragement.
It's not so much that I'm worried about what the critics think, I'm using this thread as more of a diary of this build for myself. I'm on alot of painkillers because of the surgery, and reading through this has at times kept me on track and helped me to not forget to do certain things.
keep it up and have patience! stepping back from any project you're buried in can give you some perspective and open up new possibilities. like, making a bass that can fly! (came to me in a dream.) ok, I'm sleep deprived, sorry. d:
cheers!
cheers!
