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Short scale semi-hollow body build

#43
ctmullins said:
That Hammersmith looks awesome. Hadn’t heard about the production difficulties. Is there a spec sheet anywhere? Wondering about woods, neck joint, scale length, etc - might just want to build me (and Freddy) one one of these winters.... :cool:

Edit: duh, the scale length is right in front of my face....
Click to expand...
This is the thread that I was following....
Makes sad reading....

For Sale - Hammersmith K4 - TalkBass Special Model
 
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#46
Ok, back to our regularly scheduled program.
I got the front glued up this morning, doing a few measurements and comparisons, the body needs to be a bit bigger, but there's plenty of room to make it so. I think if I add half inch to the length and a bit more booty, I'll be in good shape. And yes I know this is not the right way to do things, I should have this totally designed out before gluing, but sometimes that's the way I roll.
20181206_080841.jpg

In my wood clean up the other day I found a neck blank I had put together a few years ago. It was used in my piezo only bass, it's a nice piece of wood with light figuring all the way up. I'm pretty sure it's sapele. It's two pieces glued back to back. It's proven to be a very stable neck on that other bass.
20181206_082552.jpg

After getting everything squared up I routed the truss rod slot, I need to do the flare outs for the adjusting nut, but it's mostly done.
20181206_084920.jpg

Even though the description above says fretless, I think I'm going to put frets on this one. I want to sell this thing when it's done and I think fretted would be a lot easier to sell.
 
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#47
Wow does it feel good to be building again. I just spent my lunch hour in the workshop and it was so great to step away from work for a bit.

Here's the back of the neck from the other bass that was made from the same neck blank. This has a pretty round neck profile and I'll probably do something similar on this bass. Personally I like a flat, thin profile, but again thinking of this a bass I will sell more people probably want a rounder profile.
20181206_090329.jpg

I got the truss rod slot completed
20181206_140820.jpg

I pulled the wood out of the clamps and worked out a bigger body design. It definitely looks better being a bit chunkier. I know the F holes are effed up, but I'll draw one on paper and use the same template for both sides, once I get to that point, I freehanded these while I was on a conference call. The additional lines on the body are contour lines. The first half inch along the edge will be flat then it will contour up to the full height in the middle. Right along that edge the top plate will be 1/4" thick. In fact the entire top plate will be 1/4" thick with the exception of where the middle beam is, where it will be full thickness which is a little over 1/2". I got a new angle grinder, I did a test on a piece of scrap and it seems like I could control it well enough, but it scares me a bit. The alternative would be making router templates, which is a possibility as well.

The back will be ash and it will be chambered in the same spots where the top is thinned out. Through the F holes it will look hollow. I have some ash, but I've got to find the right pieces for this body.

Lately I've been building my bodies to be about 1 1/2" thick or bit less, this one will be a full 1 3/4" thick, if not thicker, though with all the chambering it should end up being lightish. I'm pretty psyched about this design. As always there are things I haven't done before, so this should be interesting.
20181206_140634.jpg
 

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#48
I love everything about this build! Makes me want to do one too, but I need to focus on prepping for my build-off project.... :cool:
 
#49
Jisch said:
Wow does it feel good to be building again. I just spent my lunch hour in the workshop and it was so great to step away from work for a bit.

Here's the back of the neck from the other bass that was made from the same neck blank. This has a pretty round neck profile and I'll probably do something similar on this bass. Personally I like a flat, thin profile, but again thinking of this a bass I will sell more people probably want a rounder profile.
View attachment 3238892
I got the truss rod slot completed
View attachment 3238894
I pulled the wood out of the clamps and worked out a bigger body design. It definitely looks better being a bit chunkier. I know the F holes are effed up, but I'll draw one on paper and use the same template for both sides, once I get to that point, I freehanded these while I was on a conference call. The additional lines on the body are contour lines. The first half inch along the edge will be flat then it will contour up to the full height in the middle. Right along that edge the top plate will be 1/4" thick. In fact the entire top plate will be 1/4" thick with the exception of where the middle beam is, where it will be full thickness which is a little over 1/2". I got a new angle grinder, I did a test on a piece of scrap and it seems like I could control it well enough, but it scares me a bit. The alternative would be making router templates, which is a possibility as well.

The back will be ash and it will be chambered in the same spots where the top is thinned out. Through the F holes it will look hollow. I have some ash, but I've got to find the right pieces for this body.

Lately I've been building my bodies to be about 1 1/2" thick or bit less, this one will be a full 1 3/4" thick, if not thicker, though with all the chambering it should end up being lightish. I'm pretty psyched about this design. As always there are things I haven't done before, so this should be interesting.
View attachment 3238896
Click to expand...
Looks like a contender for a piezo only bass to me.....:)
 
#51
ctmullins said:
I love everything about this build! Makes me want to do one too, but I need to focus on prepping for my build-off project.... :cool:
Click to expand...
I just pulled out the template for my build-off and my brain was spinning, I'm going to need to switch gears pretty quickly when that gets started and probably not come back to this build until I'm well into the build-off.
 
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#53
Fat Freddy said:
Fretless.....:whistle:
Click to expand...
I play almost exclusively fretless at this point, so if I was going to keep it, definitely fretless. I'm trying to appeal to the masses. If I use the ebony fretboard I have here it's slotted and radiused. Honestly though if I made this to my fretless specs I wouldn't do lines, except on the side of the board.

I tell you what, I'll get the top carved and the back chambered, then I'll make the decisions on frets and pickups. Dang you guys! :cool:
 
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#54
I got up early today and got an hour in the shop before work.

First I used my french curves to smooth out the general shape I worked out yesterday.
20181207_075737.jpg


Then I cut it out on the bandsaw and finalized it with the oscillating drum sander (one of the indispensable tools in my shop).
20181207_083824.jpg

Next up is carving the top, which terrifies me. I guess I'll establish that flat spot all the way around the perimeter first, then carve from the end of that up to the flat spot. Once I have all that done I'll use the drill press to set the thickness and carve out the inside. That's the plan, we'll see how it goes.
 
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