I know but what I am saying is typically it will look better if the upper part is 70-80% of the lower width. Exceptions exist but they are few.
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.
Old-Noob's First Build Thread
- Thread starter Old_Noob
- Start date
I was trying to get the horn as far away from the body on the blank as I could because I tend to play with a more vertical position > 45 degrees from the floor.
Forgive me but I am not seeing it. Also your design seems to shift the body weight forward and I believe the weight should be more around the bridge to keep the neck up and not dive? As others indicated you should cut one out of cheap wood first to test your assumptions re ergonomics.
I tend to play like this guy and my design was intended to shift the weight away from the neck so the bass would sit naturally at a high angle--i.e so the horn would pull the neck up..
Attachments
You'll probably get a good sense of whether you like it and how it may feel against the body by cutting out a full sized version. I'll sometimes glue together a few 2x6 offcuts into a "body blank" so that I can cut it out to the rough shape to see how it feels. I've done it with hard insulation board as well, but that makes a heck of a mess. 
Ok. Thank you everyone for all the design help/advice. I have my final layout/mockup after exhausting all the scrap wood in my garage for blanks. Weekend plan is to finish the pickup route, do a simple straight control cavity in the back, and then cut out the body shape!
Should have listened to my wife. I completely suck at this. No clue what I am doing. My pickup template was a few mm off from the pickup, so I had to use a drill to take off the last few mm. Wound up chipping some of the wood on the edge. This looks like total poop. I would throw it away except for all the time I put into it already. Maybe I can fashion a plate around it or something. Done for the day.
**rant over
**rant over
Attachments
No one, even here, was perfect the first time. Just like playing bass building takes practice. You don’t mention if you did this with the pickup template but a test run, even on a scrap 2x6, is always a good thing with a new template. Also, if you’re using a pattern follower bit with a bearing any less then perfect spot on the template will transfer exactly to the body. I’ve tried to get away with an imperfection on a template. Trust me, it never works.
A trim ring may be the easiest route but I don’t remember ever seeing a premade one for an MM pickup.
I did a very shallow pass on a piece of plywood with the template and it looked like everything lined up. I used the shallow piece of plywood as a "master." When I did it on the piece of work, it was just slightly shallow in the corners and where the "humps are." Also, the bearing on the bit managed to dislodge part of the little protrusion between the two humps. Lesson I guess is to do a complete test run and fit the pickup fully in and make a master out of something sturdier than plywood.
Main concern at this point is just salvaging this.
Took the day of off work so I wouldn't go postal. Decided to work on my build. The body design did not turn out like I had intended, as doing all those cross curves was a lot harder on the thicker wood than on my practice piece. So, I kind of "used the force" and let the saw kind of dictate the shape. This is the first rough cut. I need to bring the sides in, round off/narrow the horns, and I made an aweful mess of the neck pocket area...nothing that can't be fixed though. No real prior experience with the saber saw.
My bigger concern is that I never realized how thick this damn thing is. Its nearly 2.0 thick and heavy as a mf'er. Don't know if I should rasp both sides down or use a routing sled on the back.
My bigger concern is that I never realized how thick this damn thing is. Its nearly 2.0 thick and heavy as a mf'er. Don't know if I should rasp both sides down or use a routing sled on the back.
Attachments
I had a similar router slip-up on my last build. I ended up opening the routes up further and then just putting a pick guard on it, but a pickup ring would probably suit your design much better!
Some more cutting and starting to sand in final shape. think i might just keep it insanely thick
Pretty sure I am at the final body shape/contours Final shaping and 60 grit sanding done. Going to triple check with the level and square and then start the sanding down process to prep for finishing. I need to take a break from sanding anyways. I don't have a belt sander and my cheapo B&D palm sander died. So I went with 60 grit on a block of wood and lots of elbow grease. Did the curves using an old tube of caulk wrapped in sandpaper. I "think" it is where I want it. Went with rounded off edges.
Oh, body weighs 6.5 pounds and is 1.83 inches thick. I was going to plane it, but haven't got a planer and it sits nice n my lap, so I just decided to go with it.
Oh, body weighs 6.5 pounds and is 1.83 inches thick. I was going to plane it, but haven't got a planer and it sits nice n my lap, so I just decided to go with it.
Attachments
Last edited:
