Starting a project with a neck... the Mauve NoirStar

[JIO]

Many times a project of mine begins with a part, and this one is beginning with a neck! A good tb friend generously gifted me a nice Squier Jazz Bass maple/maple w/blocks neck. He builds some awesome parts basses but choses to do so quietly. (as on, not wanting to post them on tb)

Anyway, I started by redefining the hs shape. My design reference/inspiration was my '68 Coral Deluxe Bass.

The CDB (made by Danelectro) has an unusual solid rosewood hs that is grafted on the poplar neck. There have been other versions of this over time but it's rare.

I sanded the amber finish off the hs & neck, and have been doing multiple hand-rubbed coats of warm satin poly.

Had to fill all the tuner-screw holes from two different tuner locations, so a lot of holes. Two per tuner are still showing, but it doesn't bother me. I had a set of new Gotoh GB10 nickel tuners which are faves of mine but I had to do a bit of work to make them compatible. So this part is in reverse because now I'll show what I had to do.

The hs has the larger 11/16" tuner-post holes and the Gotoh collars are for the smaller 9/16" post holes. There has been a number of ways this has been addressed here in the Corner, but I started by visiting the hardware store. Most of the time I'm in the hardware store is spent looking for something to use to do something it's not made for. If I'm ever asked if I need help, I always have to explain what I'm attempting to do and try to describe what I'm looking for. This time on my own, I found these gold patina'd steel threaded inserts. I don't know what they are used for, but with modification - they were exactly what I needed! My domed Gotoh collars fit nicely inside the opening of the whatever they are. First step was to cut off the majority of the barrel that included the threaded part. They were ribbed like a standard collar, but they were a tiny bit smaller so I had to wrap them with silver duct tape strips so they fit the 11/16" holes snug.

I used a nifty well designed hack-saw with a THICK METAL blade and got to work creating the needed part. After doing the first one the rest went smoothly. Cut, grind, file and polish the gold off of the exposed outer ring. FTR, a standard larger post collar that fit the hs holes opening is too small for the Gotoh collar...

So the result is a double collar or collar-within-a-collar that solved the problem. As already noted, I needed to wrap both with silver duct-tape strips for a snug fit. They were both very close but the wrap made them perfect and will hold them both securely in place.

I really lucked out on this mod - it works and it looks good! Score!

So for now - the rest will organically evolve over time. Since I adopted the CDB hs shape, I'm thinking of creating a body that echoes that basses highly sculpted body. It is one of the coolest bass guitar bodies out there - it'll be fun riffing on it. I'm looking into light-weight blanks and will fully start the project once I have something. Maybe one Novak DarkStar/Bi-Sonic pu...

My CDB - I'm thinking maybe designing something between this and a late '60s Gibson NR T-bird which has a similar outline... maybe w/one Novak DarkStar/Bi-Sonic pu - time will tell...

 

[Indiedog]

Very cool, JIO!
I really am impressed how you never stop creating.

I look forward to more.

 

[JIO]

Very cool, JIO!
I really am impressed how you never stop creating.

I look forward to more.

Thanks! I get bored if I don't have some new project to work on. It's the curse of being an artist!

 

[bassman10096]

I really like the headstock shape you chose. I may copy you on a bass I’m working on.

 

[JIO]

Depending on the final product, this may or may not stay. What happened was the rattle can I was using sputtered the second coat. As it did so in a unified 'pattern' - I left it (for now) cause it looks kinda cool. I'm waiting to hear back from a wood source - I want something light.

another angle shows a bit more textural detail - it's basically gloss over satin black

 

[JIO]

I really like the headstock shape you chose. I may copy you on a bass I’m working on.

It's kinda' generic, but well designed. No TM here

 

[bassman10096]

It's kinda' generic, but well designed. No TM here

Thanks. Frankly, given my skills I might not be able to copy it closely enough to create any Tm issues

 

[Indiedog]

Depending on the final product, this may or may not stay. What happened was the rattle can I was using sputtered the second coat. As it did so in a unified 'pattern' - I left it (for now) cause it looks kinda cool. I'm waiting to hear back from a wood source - I want something light.

View attachment 7439178
another angle shows a bit more textural detail - it's basically gloss over satin black
View attachment 7439182

I like it; it is sort of like the “pebble” finish on the original Coral Electric Sitar Guitar (and the ensuing Jerry Jones Sitar Guitar).

 

[JIO]

Thanks. Frankly, given my skills I might not be able to copy it closely enough to create any Tm issues

It's actually pretty straight forward if you have basic shop skills and a few power tools. I've been able to get away with multiple, sometimes pretty elaborate builds with a minimal 'shop'. (more a space) It's the detail hand-work where it sings! Ask any Luthiers Corner builder.

The sketching part is critical - feel free to post your 'outline' here and I can help you refine it.

 

[JIO]

I like it; it is sort of like the “pebble” finish on the original Coral Electric Sitar Guitar (and the ensuing Jerry Jones Sitar Guitar).

That Dano finish/technique is called "craquelure" - it's a two-part paint reaction that can be instigated a couple of different ways. It's basically a base colour and a layered colour that reacts to the under-coat and separates in an organic way. It's pretty damn cool!

The Coral (Dano ) sitars were done in that finish, but it was used earlier on Dano guitars - here's an example where the craquelure technique was mono-coloured but textural. Like old leather - really cool.

 

[bassman10096]

It's actually pretty straight forward if you have basic shop skills and a few power tools. I've been able to get away with multiple, sometimes pretty elaborate builds with a minimal 'shop'. (more a space) It's the detail hand-work where it sings! Ask any Luthiers Corner builder.

The sketching part is critical - feel free to post your 'outline' here and I can help you refine it.

Thanks!

 

[JIO]

Just ordered a blank of poplar from Exotic Wood Zone in St Louis. Good price, free shipping and plained to 1-1/4" at no extra charge. I chose poplar because that's what my Dano-made Coral Deluxe Bass & Silvertone Hornets are made of. The wood is probably not that light, but I'll cross that bridge when I get to it. Not a wood normally used with a natural finish - I'm thinking an opaque colour anyway. At this point either piano black or a Benjamin Moore colour called 'pumpkin spice' which is very close to the fb patina. Maybe mono textured like the red guitar above. I'm sure Montana rattle-can's offer something close.

 

[JIO]

The amber fb patina looks very close to the pumpkin spice colour above. It looks closer in person - I need to get a colour swatch at the paint store when I go to Blik's to buy the Montana spray-can. I usually don't like Fender vintage "amber-ing" because it doesn't look like an actual vintage maple aging. (too yellow) So I think I'll go with pumpkin spice on the body to link it visually to the fb and celebrate the colour. A black pg would complete the gestalt.

 

[JIO]

The poplar blank arrived a bit ago. UPS - my favored carrier and I told the guy I'm a supporter of UPS and that FedEx can go f themselves. (as you can tell... no fan) But... I contacted the provider before ordering asking if they would plane it to 1-1/4", which they said the would for no extra charge. Frankly it's what made the sale. Fine... but it's 1-3/4" ... I have a local guy who is part of a collective of woodworkers who has helped me over the years. He/they have a huge awesome digital planer that he's planed many of my blanks through. I informed them of their f-up, and offered to send it back at their expense, or have my guy plane it for whatever he's charging these days and they will reimburse me. How they respond will determine if I do biz with them again.

 

[rudy4444]

Just ordered a blank of poplar from Exotic Wood Zone in St Louis. Good price, free shipping and plained to 1-1/4" at no extra charge. I chose poplar because that's what my Dano-made Coral Deluxe Bass & Silvertone Hornets are made of. The wood is probably not that light, but I'll cross that bridge when I get to it. Not a wood normally used with a natural finish - I'm thinking an opaque colour anyway. At this point either piano black or a Benjamin Moore colour called 'pumpkin spice' which is very close to the fb patina. Maybe mono textured like the red guitar above. I'm sure Montana rattle-can's offer something close.

Good that you found a solution to what to do for a body.

I was going to suggest doing a variation on the lightweight "pancake" bodies I've been working with. Normally I use cheap lumberyard pine so they end up costing around $10, are super light, work well for adding arm and waist bevels, end up a full 1-1/2" thick, requiring no planing, and a great for a painted finish.

Here's a version in mahogany, as I had an old countertop piece laying around for years, and I'm not getting any younger.
The surface planing (top left) was done because this was re-sawed from a 2" thick one piece board. Using big box stores 1" by 10" means no planing necessary.

 

[2saddleslab]

Why not? I started the custom Cabronita project from just a bridge. Talk about the tail waggin' the dog.

Just discovered this project. Looking great so far!

 

[JIO]

Good that you found a solution to what to do for a body.

I was going to suggest doing a variation on the lightweight "pancake" bodies I've been working with. Normally I use cheap lumberyard pine so they end up costing around $10, are super light, work well for adding arm and waist bevels, end up a full 1-1/2" thick, requiring no planing, and a great for a painted finish.

Here's a version in mahogany, as I had an old countertop piece laying around for years, and I'm not getting any younger.
The surface planing (top left) was done because this was re-sawed from a 2" thick one piece board. Using big box stores 1" by 10" means no planing necessary.

If you review my threads here, you'll see that I have incorporated this technique many times and more extensively. I've lost as much as a pound "chambering". I didn't want to do it this time. I also prefer 1-1/4" because it is not only less wood/lighter, but it feels better/more ergonomic not having a thick body. All my custom basses are 1-1/4".

My most recent example -

 

[JIO]

The Ebay based wood source claimed I didn't request the 1-1/4" when I made the order. I did. They just lost a potential repeat buyer. No worries, there's other sources I have used in the past. My local guy did the planing earlier today. When I was there, knowing I make basses/guitars he asked if I knew who Steve Klein is. (!) His wife went to high school with him. I told him about my K-Bass. Small world.

Anyway - traced my Coral Deluxe Bass body. I found that it's off-center and so I mimic'd it as closely as possible. I'm doing the neck-pocket ledge differently, not squared off.

Routed the neck-pocket (first) and then cut the perimeter. As is, it weighs 5lbs/2oz. I'll be doing extensive shaping/sculpting which will get the weight down a bit. Once I get to a point of connecting the neck I'll weigh it again and determine if I want it lighter. I plan to design and install a pg so I can do some 'chambering' under it which is good for a few ounces.

 

[JIO]

I ordered this Sandberg bridge - well designed & stylish. I used one on my recent Ubersonic build.

My choice of pu is a Novak Darkstar/Bi-Sonic w/solo stacked V/T pot. This one from 2018 - my favorite sounding single-coil pu -

Sketch of my concept ... basically referencing my highly sculpted CDB and a late '60s "NR" T-bird. A similar shape - but... Dano made a bass called the Dane in the early '60s that was later RI'd as the CDB. (like mine) The second generation '60s Gibson T-bird did not appear until late '65. (after the Dano Dane) so by using common deduction... Gibson's attempt at 'goosing' flailing sales for the first generation ('63-mid year '65) T-bird was to copy Danelctro's body design. Bravo Gibson... not. Dano did it better.

At this point in guitar design, it's all about aesthetics & ergonomics. Or better stated... it should be. As someone who delves deeply in guitar aesthetics - this bass will honor the ergonomic innovation (along with a few other innovations) that Danelectro sponsored from the 1950s on. True innovators in whatever capacity they were moving forward on. Meaning, regardless of original intent which could be variable related to that time... they broke ground and introduced a "new thing". (based on history of course.., but contemporarily "new/innovative")

 

[JIO]

After cutting the outline - shaping the edge so all lines flow smoothly was next in the process. I used my drill press with barrel sanders to accomplish this. Maybe someday I'll own a true barrel sander where the barrel goes up & down as well as round & round... a really useful shop tool/machine.

On to the physical part - sculpting the body with rasps, files and sandpaper. The fun part. I imagine this could all be accomplished by scanning my CDB body and CNC cloning it.., but this one is all by hand baby and it's going to rock.