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Phantombacker (AKA Ghost Bass Killa!)

#66
Looks like we have a consensus on the arctic white! I was just looking at various AW basses in Google Images, and it looks like it has a very slight cream tone to it sometimes, which leads me to believe it would get there in a few years on its own. Natural aging usually looks better anyway, right?

By the way, I think the treble pickup should arrive today, so we'll get a look at it this afternoon!
 
#67
Here's the pickup mounting ring & cover, along with the treble pickup itself, which just arrived. The pickup looks great (thanks, Brad @ Classic Amplification!), but you can see that the cavity was not routed wide enough, so I'll have to do a bit of cutting to make it fit.

100_2409_zps9cabb039.jpg
 
#70
Now we're cooking with gas! The neck is beautiful--Thanks, Warmoth!

Here's what it looks like all laid out:
100_2412_zpsacd9094f.jpg


Now to the problem. The neck tang is obviously short, as you can see here:
100_2413_zpsc026f051.jpg


It also is very slightly narrow (see below), which I could probably fix with a sliver/veneer on each side.
100_2415_zps822b0d33.jpg


What do you guys think? If I glue a block to the end of the tang to make it an inch and a half longer, then rout the "pocket" and glue the neck in, would that be stable enough? Or should I just use this body to make a template, and make a new body with a proper-length-and-width tang? And if the latter, where can I get a rock maple blank? I've done some cursory searching, but I couldn't find anything the right size so far.
 
#72
Rock maple body....man that's heavy. I haven't seen any rock maple body blanks. Best bet, if you go that route, would be buying some 8/4 lumber and gluing the blank yourself. Almost certainly cheaper than buying a premade blank too (if you have the tools, that is). I would just about rather go with an Eastern Soft Maple body (Acer rubrum). It looks pretty close to the same, and weighs a lot less. And since you'll be painting it anyway....

Edit:
I think I'd make a new body using that one as a template.
 
#73
IvanMunoz said:
This is looking really nice! Is it going to be bolt on or set neck?
Click to expand...

Thanks! It'll be a set-in.

HaMMerHeD said:
I would just about rather go with an Eastern Soft Maple body (Acer rubrum). It looks pretty close to the same, and weighs a lot less. And since you'll be painting it anyway....

Edit:
I think I'd make a new body using that one as a template.
Click to expand...

Good call. I'll look into the Eastern Soft Maple.
 
#74
Real rics are sugar maple (acer saccharum) it's part of the ethos. :)

I think that tongue is long enough to mount stably, but the width is more problematic, as it's nice to get the tenon into at least a three sided mortise, but when it's just two (like this would be) plus with the short tongue, might be better off making a new blank. It might just be doable as is though, maple is tough stuff...
 
#75
I think you can salvage it. Cut off the too short neck extension that is already on the body. Rout out the back of the body so you can glue in a neck pocket extension, of the same thickness of the bottom of the pocket. The fact that it extends into the back of the body should give it plenty of strength.
 
#77
I'm not sure if I'm echoing what Hopkins said here (if I am sorry) but what if you just shorten the area that is supposed to go in the pocket, that makes the "neck" (playable part) longer as well and you'll have more access to the upper register.
The problem I would see with this idea though would be a smaller amount of contact from neck to body, which could lead to neck shift later on.
EDIT: Also, let me add I'm not a luthier or guitar builder like some of the guys here (I'd like to have that skill someday though) I was just suggesting an idea, if one of the more skilled people could back it up, then it has a chance to work.
 
#78
IvanMunoz said:
I'm not sure if I'm echoing what Hopkins said here (if I am sorry) but what if you just shorten the area that is supposed to go in the pocket, that makes the "neck" (playable part) longer as well and you'll have more access to the upper register.
The problem I would see with this idea though would be a smaller amount of contact from neck to body, which could lead to neck shift later on.
Click to expand...

I hear what you're saying Ivan, but if I do what Hopkins is suggesting (which I probably will), then I'll be lengthening the tang anyway, which means I'll have neck to body contact all the way up to where the neck starts tapering (I forget what you call that part--the "heel", maybe?).
 
#79
ronaldpdbrandt said:
I hear what you're saying Ivan, but if I do what Hopkins is suggesting (which I probably will), then I'll be lengthening the tang anyway, which means I'll have neck to body contact all the way up to where the neck starts tapering (I forget what you call that part--the "heel", maybe?).
Click to expand...

Obviously take Hopkin's advice!:D
Are you going to "blend" it to make it look like a neck though?
The reason I'm asking this, is I've ordered plans from Australia to build my own as well, but I'm gonna have to do some changing (I love shortscale.) And depending on how cheap this body is, I might make a 'prototype' just for fun.
Which leads me to my next question: can you PM me the link for this body? Thanks.:)

One more thing, do you plan on squaring off the heel of the neck to make it more "rickish" or are you just going to leave the fender style round. I feel like a square heel would blend with the pickguard better.

Really excited to see how this comes out!
 

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