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New Member Bass Build

A

automan

Aug 29, 2009
39
0
#1
Hi, all. I was pointed to this forum through a pickup builder page I am a member of. I wanted to share my current build with you all and see if you have any feed back. This bass is about 2 weeks from completion I just need to complete the finishing process, build the wooden pickup covers, and do final assembly.

Final design drawing
shr01.jpg


Selecting woods
shr02.jpg


The 7 piece neck through section all cut and lined up in prep for gluing
shr03.jpg


Neck through section all glued up
shr04.jpg


Once it is dry, I make a lot of this
shr05.jpg


Until it looks like this
shr06.jpg


Next I cut out and glue up what will become the wings
shr07.jpg


Get the sandwich all clamped together
shr08.jpg


Once that is dry, I clean up the sides so I can run them through the jointer
shr09.jpg


Layout after everything has been squared
shr10.jpg


Cut and select a fingerboard
shr12.jpg


Everything together to see if I like the wood selections
shr13.jpg


Cut out the wings
shr14.jpg


Now here I am missing a lot of pictures due to a hard drive crash. Basically, it involves slotting the fingerboard. This is going to be fretless but with lines. Routing and installing the truss rod, glue the wings to the body, epoxy the fingerboard to the neck (Cocobola is a very resinous wood so I have to use epoxy over wood glue), and a few other things.

Neck is shaped and contoured into the headstock
shr15.jpg


Neck is contoured into the body. None of that slamming into the body with your thumb. It's hard to tell from this picture, but there is a nicely sculpted angle that leads into the body that feathers into the round over of the body edge.
shr16.jpg


The horns are a point within a curve. The top wood thins and comes to a point on an otherwise curved core and back wood horn.
shr17.jpg


Route for the pickups and electronics cavity
shr18.jpg


Money shot up the body
shr19.jpg


A finish coat of oil has been applied. Check out how much oil the wood is soaking up!
shr20.jpg


I still have to put the maple lines into the slots (fretless), radius is, and do a thin CA gloss finish of the fingerboard.
I'll post the pics of it fully assembled after finishing is completed and maybe a few sound clips.

:)
 
#7
Akshat said:
looks really nice,the p bass pups kinda ruin it for me,other than that looks awesome.what about the headstock ?
Click to expand...

I don't like P style pickups, but it's what the customer wanted. I didn't realize I didn't post a headstock pic. I have to spend the next 4 days up in Maine, but I'll be back by Thursday. I'll take and post a pic of the headstock then.

Thanks for the kind words, all.
 
#12
automan said:
I, too, am looking forward to seeing the finished product. I didn't like the wood selection scheme that the customer picked, but I am really starting to dig it.
Click to expand...

I am starting to really ponder starting my first bass build, and like yours, it will be a neck-thru. I have a couple of questions which may seem obvious to others, but not to me. First of all, does everyone always use dowels when joining the body wings to the neck-thru assembly? Second, what is the deal with glues? What kind of glue do you like to use for all the work you've done to date? Are different glues used for different areas, or is it all the same?

Thanks for any help! Beautiful work by the way ...
 
#14
49sfine said:
I am starting to really ponder starting my first bass build, and like yours, it will be a neck-thru. I have a couple of questions which may seem obvious to others, but not to me. First of all, does everyone always use dowels when joining the body wings to the neck-thru assembly? Second, what is the deal with glues? What kind of glue do you like to use for all the work you've done to date? Are different glues used for different areas, or is it all the same?

Thanks for any help! Beautiful work by the way ...
Click to expand...

Some guys use dowels and some use biscuits to help with alignment and to minimize sliding during glue-up - all depends on preference and skill in freehanding it. In terms of glues, I've had great success with both Gorilla Glue and Titebond II, fairly common stuff and I see them in use all the time around here.

Lonnybass
 
#15
49sfine said:
I am starting to really ponder starting my first bass build, and like yours, it will be a neck-thru. I have a couple of questions which may seem obvious to others, but not to me. First of all, does everyone always use dowels when joining the body wings to the neck-thru assembly? Second, what is the deal with glues? What kind of glue do you like to use for all the work you've done to date? Are different glues used for different areas, or is it all the same?

Thanks for any help! Beautiful work by the way ...
Click to expand...

You don't need to use dowels, I glue the body wing/ neck through using a speed clamp just long enough until it stops slipping and then I put on the heavy duty clamps. Tite bond as well.
 
#16
49sfine said:
I am starting to really ponder starting my first bass build, and like yours, it will be a neck-thru. I have a couple of questions which may seem obvious to others, but not to me. First of all, does everyone always use dowels when joining the body wings to the neck-thru assembly?
Click to expand...

I don't use any dowels. Good joints, lots of clamps, and the right glue for the woods you are using has always worked fine for me.

Second, what is the deal with glues?
What kind of glue do you like to use for all the work you've done to date? Are different glues used for different areas, or is it all the same?
Click to expand...

I use titebond for most all domestic nonresonous woods. Like for the maple/walnut/purpleheart neck through section, I used titebond, but to glue the cocobola fingerboard on I used 2 part epoxy.

Thanks for any help! Beautiful work by the way ..
Click to expand...

Thanks!
 
#17
automan said:
I don't use any dowels. Good joints, lots of clamps, and the right glue for the woods you are using has always worked fine for me.



I use titebond for most all domestic nonresonous woods. Like for the maple/walnut/purpleheart neck through section, I used titebond, but to glue the cocobola fingerboard on I used 2 part epoxy.



Thanks!
Click to expand...
Guys: Thanks for all the feedback. Once I get my garage set-up for my shop (within the next 6 weeks I hope) I am going to be getting closer to launching my first build. I'm getting pretty hyped about it ... Got a lot more reading to do for now, though!
 
#18
fingerboard-finish.jpg


fingerboard-finish2.jpg


Sorry, the pics aren't so good. The finish on the fingerboard is CA glue. 14 coats went on, then sanded with 320 on a block, then I went up through the micro-mesh pads until it had a mirror shine. Like I said, the pics suck, but in the pic of just the fingerboard, the 2 bar lights reflected in the fingerboard finish are 2 fluro bulbs behind a cover. You can stand a quarter up on it and see every detail. The best part about this kid of finish is it takes about 30 minutes from start to finish. Tomorrow, I make the nut, and string it up.
 

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