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New build starting

#43
Will_White said:
is a standard 4 string spacing now? If it was me I would just space the nut and bridge for 5 strings instead of 4, but you could add wood to either side for a wider spacing.
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Just re-read your post. It is spaced for a 4 string currently. So for me to be happy I would have to add wood to the sides.

One more question. As my fingerboard is cut to match the 4 string, do you or anyone else think adding the wood to the side of the neck after the fingerboard has been added is a good idea? Basically the wood added will not only widen the neck but the fingerboard at the same time making it a bound fingerboard so to speak. Just thinking about this and thought it could do both at one time.
 
#44
thebassbuilder said:
Just re-read your post. It is spaced for a 4 string currently. So for me to be happy I would have to add wood to the sides.

One more question. As my fingerboard is cut to match the 4 string, do you or anyone else think adding the wood to the side of the neck after the fingerboard has been added is a good idea? Basically the wood added will not only widen the neck but the fingerboard at the same time making it a bound fingerboard so to speak. Just thinking about this and thought it could do both at one time.
Click to expand...
I don't think that would be a good idea buy I also don't think that it wouldn't work, if was me I would add the extra wood to the side and get a wider fingerboard
 
#45
The 4 to 5 string conversion on this build is a go! I just re-drew a full scale drawing of the bass as a 5 string and if will work. My biggest question mark was the head stock. I had cut it out over the weekend as my normal 4 string but see there will be enough room for all 5 tuners. This kind of worked out good as the body is small and now the head stock will be as well.

Next up will be to profile the neck width to a wide 4 string and then add more wood back to it to make it work for a 5 string. I am going to use the same flamed maple board I used in the body core.

Then I will need to size the fingerboard and then add the bound edge to it, to make it fit the neck.

So wish me luck and if it does not work out, I will just make it a 4 string as planed.
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#46
I got the neck profiled down to a 4 string width. So now I will need to cut two 0.125" strips to widen the neck to meet the 5 string needs. I am going to use flamed maple for this. So hopefully it will add a touch style to it. I just hate I am cutting up the flamed maple even though I will have enough to make another 5 string neck through, if I want.
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#47
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Well I got the fingerboard profiled to the 4 string width of the neck. I cut the flames maple strips to be added to the sides of the neck to make it a 5 string. Now I just need to glue the on.

I want to know what you think about the way I should go with the fingerboard binding. I am leaning toward wenge so the fingerboard keeps the same appearance but did not know if you think it would look better with the flamed maple binding? You will have to imagine this based off the pictures.

Let me know what you think.
 
#52
Hey well, since you're laminating anyway... how about going with a couple of thin veneer strips of the maple first, and then put the wenge on outside that?
Might look cool to have some accent stripes down the length of the neck....or ...might look dumb. IDK.... I do know I haven't seen a neck binding done like that.
 
#54
I got the flamed maple stringers added to the neck and have leveled them down with the face of the neck (finger board side). I even did it with my 6" plane and it came out great. I am not a big fan of hand planes as I suck at them but this time I took my time and had the blade set very shallow so not to take too much wood off per pass. I also could not help my self and had to start shaping the back of the neck at the head stock side. To me it is coming out great and really love the way the woods are working with one another. I added Walnut veneers between the maple and flamed maple to give it a nice contrast and to actually show the path of the flamed maple. Now I just need to add the Wenge binding to the Wenge fingerboard before gluing it on and then things will really get moving. I need to hurry as I have my baby girl being born in December and I know when she gets here, I will not have a lot of time for while to work on this. Until next time.
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#57
I want to get some ideas as how to do this binding and fingerboard with basic hand tools. You will see in the picture I have the binding resting against the fingerboard. I do not have my shop at my house so my table saw, band saw and jointer are not available without tacking time off work. I have my small hand planer, router, files, drimal and sanding blocks. Let me know what you think.
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