Special Edition Build Off: Build 2 Walwannabe6

[madmaskbass]

Hey guys!

First build off and I am a little late to post because I started on the weekend but this is my first build off. Wonderful concept keen to be involved.

So i have document my failed tribulations in my first build and this is round two...Had a cracker of a start. I have some super exciting and very expensive parts for this build including that I am itching to hear!!

Wood:
Queensland Maple Body
Quilted Queensland Maple Top (also called Silkwood) Doesn't look that figured but this wood has incredible chatoyance that I cannot wait to try to bring out.
Neck is a New Korean Spector Legend neck...Excellent neck, 35" Dual trussrod and carbon fibre. Rosewood board lovely profile. Partsisparts got it for me for a pretty awesome price not sure on details but yeah stoked. I am not confident/nor have the tools yet for neck building..working on it (I have a neck underway for another build)

Parts:
Rautia Custom Multicoil MM )lakland style pickups. Can be run in single/ series/parallel for each row of each pickup
ACG 01 Filter Preamp with tone pot.
Hipshot B 17mm bridge
Gotoh pegs
Brass nut
Dunlop dual buttons

Ideas:
As anyone can probably tell this is a pretty serious homage to the incredible Wal Mk3. I don't have the $14,000 Aus asking price yet for one (I am pretty sure it'll happen soon) So i figured I would have a red hot stab at doing the best I could. I finished my last basses neck with a black stained truoil and will be doing so again. I am undecided on stain at this stage but will be finishing with Polyx Osmo for that matte sheen with grain texture. I think the stain will probably be a red cedar type top and a lighter more natural body. I am majorly fond of darker hues Blacks and Grey but it's also important that the wood can show off to me aswell.

I recently tried my hand at my first build and after a fair bit of planning and extra advice i am ready for round two. My ethos for this build is "learn from my mistakes" and "Slow down". I am making templates for everything on this one and it will all be tested prior to cutting.

So lots of measured work ahead. Will update over time.

All the best can't wait to see everyone's end.

 

[madmaskbass]

This is a terrible photo I am afraid and does not do this incredible timber Justice.

Anyone who has not heard or seen Queensland Maple before it is a Northern Australian timber that is very close to the Mahogany family. If you have heard of Maton guitars they use it quite alot. It is pinker and lighter coloured than Mahogany and it can get some incredible figuring. It is a stunning timber to work with, Stains easily, lovely grain, stable, not too heavy or but not light and strong.

Oh yeah it is neither easy to get or cheap lol. But worth it.

 

[dwizum]

You've caught my interest with that queensland maple. I looked it up on wood finder:

Queensland Maple | The Wood Database - Lumber Identification (Hardwood)

It does look similar to mahogany in terms of density and other characteristics. Interesting that it's the only species on wood finder in that genus. I've never heard of it or seen it for sale in the US but some googling does bring up some pretty spectacular photos of figured lumber!

 

[ctmullins]

Wow, I love everything happening here!

 

[rojo412]

Looking forward to this one

 

[Jon Clegg]

Welcome to the party!

 

[madmaskbass]

Had another thread on how to Rout a nice pickup cavity thread here:

Advice for routing a custom MM 6 string pickup cavity

But seeing as it is part of this build I am going to combine here.

Spent the morning attempting to get this right...when i say morning i mean 5hours straight and have to start again!HAHAHA

So my first step was to have a go with a template i have laid out and i then drilled the tabs first and then used a jigsaw to cut out the shape between the lines and then filed it all down as close as possible. Spent ages on it and gave it a good go but when i tested it..it just wasn't good enough. It is so hard to get it looking straight.

Anyway my next step was to start again and cut the holes and then i made up a template with straight timber offcuts and superglue/masking taped them down on the lines (my rectangle was oversize) and then rout it out.. turned out great and a part from a little bit of tweaking on one tab was happy. Went to test it and got it all done and had about 0.5 of a cm before my router bottomed out...dang so anyway had my other router setup with longer bit ready to go and took at it but did'nt have it set well and chewed out a lovely chunk of my lovely new template...hmmm all I had to do was remove the template and i would have been golden but no i grabbed a bigger bit and tried to rout on an inch wall....major lesson learned there. It isn't the first time i have stuffed up from not thinking to remove the template once the edge has been routed into the wood!!! Never will i forget again.

I write this all up to say that it was crap but the lessons i am learning with routing are going to help greatly at the end. Even better my lessons are on cheap mdf so no loss. So i put the tools down for the day and have to make another template tomorrow but honestly the day was a good one. I know it'll

Pic to come of the template making before the disaster lol.

 

[madmaskbass]

Oh i have been cleaning up the ends and am very stoked with body shape and all joins seem great. my top join is almost invisible! Here's the figuring in the sunlight

 

[madmaskbass]

Pics of fun

 

[ctmullins]

File under “Learned from my mistakes”.

Practicing on scrap was an exceedingly wise approach!

 

[MPU]

I've been thinking about the best way to make an accurate template for these eared pickups and I think bondo fitting is it. Tape 3-4 layers of masking tape around the pickup to get proper gap, saw an oversized pickup hole in the template material and fill the oversized gap with bondo. Then use that template to make the real template. Just like you would do a tight fitting cavity cover.
Fashioning Complementary Templates for Tight Control Cavity Covers

 

[Beej]

I've been thinking about the best way to make an accurate template for these eared pickups and I think bondo fitting is it. Tape 3-4 layers of masking tape around the pickup to get proper gap, saw an oversized pickup hole in the template material and fill the oversized gap with bondo. Then use that template to make the real template. Just like you would do a tight fitting cavity cover.
Fashioning Complementary Templates for Tight Control Cavity Covers

I totally agree. As I was reading the thread, I was thinking the same thing. I use this method regularly - most of my threads show at least parts and pieces of the method. It's very easy to use, works well on complex shapes and results in a perfect template every time.

 

[Reedt2000]

Love this project

I had a legend 6 string, MIK, bought it in early 2000s. The neck was awesome, you wont be disappointed.

Sub'd

 

[madmaskbass]

Love this project

I had a legend 6 string, MIK, bought it in early 2000s. The neck was awesome, you wont be disappointed.

Sub'd

Yeah i picked one up for super cheap as my first 6 string..then it was my first pickup and preamp upgrade, then i converted it fretless, then i stole it all to make my first bass lol. Love the neck but the main reason i got it is so that I can make a tribute style mk1 head and the headstock on the Spector 6 is pretty close! cheers man

 

[madmaskbass]

Big day today!

Pics will tell the story today...

Hanging on wall no bolts lol.. took longer to draw everything up than the rout took. Massively happy as i didn't do great on my first basses pocket.


a tiny tiny tiny bit weird in the corners but i am stoked


Looks messy makes a really good rout but i am trying not to rush so i let it be till tomorrow. Was mainly smooth sailing...think i will have to make a home router table to get it perfect though...tommorrow's worry..

 

[madmaskbass]

Update time!

Again pics show whats going on but isolation makes me want to type lol. Gives connection.

pickups I am happy enough with the cavities. Not perfect but better and it isn't enough of an issue to bug me when i am looking at it. Bridge mounted.


Started carving today which is my absolute favourite thing to do. I did the arm bevel but it isn't aggressive enough so will hack some more off tomorrow. Also started the rear neck join carve...I tried to mix in what Wal do but also suit the neck contour. Some of the carving isn't needed but hey I love the look so why not!!



Belly cut and finish carving tomorrow and keep nutting out my control cavity. Think I will run separate battery box as I like that feature. Probably do neck bolts aswell. The more I look at it the more i think I have to tweak the top horn slightly as well but geez I am happy with this build so far!

 

[Dark Horse]

It’s really looking great so far !

 

[madmaskbass]

Well all cutting of wood is complete I think!.. Gonna hold off on pics until reveal now as i decided on my finish and taking pictures of my hands cramping from sanding isn't really interesting lol.

Control cavity is fine much improved from my last and pre-drilling the pot holes really helped take so much guess work out of getting the cavity in proportion and laid out well. I was going to do an external battery box but i couldn't be bothered mucking with something that is only 4 screws. All the wait and extra pressure of getting the cavity right isn't worth the small convenience. I am just going with a plastic cavity cover because i like the black contrast with that much wood (same as why i love blacked out necks).

I think i am going to go with a bright red/brown mahogany stain on the front of the bass which i made up for my previous build and it blows me away how bright it brings out the grain. I am then going to leave the back natural and let the wood do the work. Queensland maple has a unique colour that isn't unpleasant and will contrast nicely with the bright red brown of the top. I think this will give it that classic Wal look which is what this bass is supposed to be about.

I am still going to black out the neck and give it a truoil finish but i am working up to get the courage to take to a factory fresh finished neck lol. It is a really great end result and I need to keep telling myself that.

One of the biggest things that i keep doing and have to become really disciplined with from this point on is working on the bass with padding. I am shocking at getting stuck into the work and the bass surfaces end up with microscratches and even dints from tools and bench marks. it makes the sanding process twice as long and I had to get stuck in with the 80 grit on the orbital today and then had to hand sand my edges again because the 80 cuts enough away to alter the corner profile and adds a line to the edge. annoying..If I had used better wood protection earlier i wouldn't have had that and other minor problems to deal with.

Another thing I have to really think about in the future is being super careful with things like forstners and drill bits because even a slight slip with the bit even just dropping it gently onto the bass can cause a deep dint that is a nightmare to remove. luckily i did this in a place that it didn't matter greatly but an easy mistake to make with possibly bad consequences.

Anyway sanding sanding sanding for me but I am super happy with this build and excited to hear this thing sing maybe even by the end of my holdays!!

 

[dwizum]

I keep a silicone dish-drying mat on my workbench. It adds some nice cushion but doesn't "catch" and hold little bits of debris like some pads can (I used to use a felt pad but little bits of woodchips and other debris would stick to it). Probably my favorite repurposed item in my workshop.

 

[madmaskbass]

I keep a silicone dish-drying mat on my workbench. It adds some nice cushion but doesn't "catch" and hold little bits of debris like some pads can (I used to use a felt pad but little bits of woodchips and other debris would stick to it). Probably my favorite repurposed item in my workshop.

Cheers for tip man I think I know the ones.