Talk Bass inspired 5 String Build Semi Accoustic

[Toban.Ivan]

Just an idea..

It looks like the pickups are on the same level of the body top. Is this in the plan or are these just mock up picktures?

If you were planning to screw tham that low in the cavity it will be eventually hard to move them confortably.
So my idea.. have you considered to glue on top of both pickups a piece of wood acting as thumb rest and then cover the whole cavity with a sort of ramp leaving just a linear hollow guide/hole that let the 2 thumb rests pass thru?

This way the 2 thumb rests will help you in playing giving you a place for the thumb and in the same time will help you in the pickups moving. playing with wood colors you'll may even be able to almost hide it / camouflage it.

Just my idea however..

 

[Snort]

Thanks for the ideas Toban. Ivan (which is your first name?) yes these are just mock ups at the moment, I do intend to foam mount the pups so that height is adjustable, so no they wont be level with the top, however, your idea has made me think how to cover the foam so that it isn't visible. I may well cover the pups so that they have a wooden top, and this may extend over the top to aid in moving the pickups. I will fine tune that idea later.

So today I worked a little on the neck. I glued the top laminate on two nights ago. so today I thinned the top and back down to 3/4" and trued up the top of the neck ready for fret board.


The fretboard will extend out over the machine head and then get sanded to a good join with the top laminate. I am pleased with the white line laminate it breaks up the headstock a little.

 

[Snort]

Also today I did the truss rod route and learnt a valuable sequencing lesson. I had a tricky time getting the router guide past the wings on the headstock. So note to self in future do the truss route before scarf joints or ears are applied.

I couldn't use my regular router for this truss route so I used my dremel router instead. This meant very shallow cuts and multiple passes.



I decided to reroute so that the adjustment nut was inside the neck which required enlargement of the rear route portion to allow access to a 7mm socket for adjustment of the truss rod. After removing most of the required access with a small chisel I refined the cavity with a dremmel sander.

As the pickups are adjustable the access to the truss rod will be through a small bulkhead accessed through the pickup area.

 

[Snort]

So the last two nights I have glued the neck veneers that will provide a transition between the fretboard and the neck. I have a walnut strip next to the birch and white oak next to the cocobolo. Pictures tomorrow hopefully. Next task will be crunch time, I have enough neck to make this either a 33" or a 34" scale. just need to decide on the neck pocket length, and which scale will give enough transition between body and neck. Is there any hard and fast rule for how deep the neck pocket should be for best stability? I am thinking 5 or 6 bolts ATM?

 

[Snort]

some more photos as promised, sorry they are from my phone so you wont see great detail



The back is not fitted in these photos

 

[Snort]

Can anyone recommend the best way to finish both cocobolo and Paduak? I think the fretboard will most likely be ok just oiled? but the main body with its mix of maples some spalting and Paduak has me thinking that a water based gloss polyurethane wouldn't be the correct choice here? please someone with experience help me out here!

 

[Hopkins]

The bass in my avatar is padauk finished in Formby's low gloss tung oil. I would definitely go low gloss oil, as it keeps it looking and feeling like natural wood.

 

[flameworker]

Hey I dig the adjustable pickup thing, My next bass I'm doing that, i got 2 6 string humbuckers from Eden (they are cheap , $28$ and sound surprisingly good. Every bit as good as a MK1 Bartolini anyway, kinda like a ken smith pickup, individual pole pieces, passive, around 6.8, and you can split the coils. The brand starts with an A. can't remeber, the only 6 string humbucker they have tho. I got them as a stopgap while waiting for "real pickups". I was thinking about building a thin wooden box like a giant pickup cover and gluing little brass tabs to the sides of the pickups to slide them around under it. Then I don't have to use rails, and it will act like a ramp. I don't use ramps tho so maybe I will just rip off your design.

your pickups look like mine, could they be artecs? They dropped the price to $18!! I reccomend them, I got the ones from ebay from china, and these are much better (probably still from china but they really sound good, I'll post a clip.

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IS it done ? Movaable pickups is the thing brother, I'm about it, your method is clean and simple, inspired by alembic's go at it? They complained about it not "tying into the wood" so mine will be in channels tighly and side mounted. Shouldnt make much difference.

By the way, the pole pieces are huge like a music man inside there, I had to cut one open and see. Wish I had kept it.

 

[Snort]

Thanks Hopkins, tung oil will be a new finish for me, will it be alright for the neck as well, also does it alter the colour at all?

Flameworker, my pickups have the same label on the back but only two wires as opposed to four. I bought mine online from Bezdez (eBay shop) he always does good rates and he is in Canada so shipping rates are lower. Glad you like the rail system, my inspiration came from the Gibson Grabber, I had one once, the slide was a recess under the scratch plate in which the pickup went back and forth. I think my variation will give greater movement, and I kinda like the brass rails. Your method sounds good as well kinda like tongue and groove?

 

[Hopkins]

Thanks Hopkins, tung oil will be a new finish for me, will it be alright for the neck as well, also does it alter the colour at all?

Flameworker, my pickups have the same label on the back but only two wires as opposed to four. I bought mine online from Bezdez (eBay shop) he always does good rates and hi is in Canada so shipping rates are lower. Glad you like the rail system, my inspiration came from the Gibson Grabber, I had one once, the slide was a recess under the scratch plate in which the pickup went back and forth. I think my variation will give greater movement, and I kinda like the brass rails. Your method sounds good as well kinda like tongue and groove?

Formby's will darken the the color slightly, but its not bad. Its one of the easiest finishes there is to do.

 

[Snort]

Thanks Hopkins I will try that method, oh and by the way that bass in your avatar is gorgeous this forum has inspired me so much especially the quality of the work delivered by members like yourself.

So yesterday and today I have worked on the neck pocket, focus on the top and the maple sub layer. The spalted core will be routed out to the correct depth once the top 2 layers are perfect.



I cut just inside the line with the band saw, and then transferred to the scroll saw to get the horizontal cut. then it was over to rasp, file and drill press sander, for the final touch up.

 

[Snort]

Having cut the neck pocket to almost finished dimensions, I decided it was time to glue up the top 2 layers, this will allow both layers to be final sanded together. So with glue spread I bolted both layers together, and then used every clamp in my shop to ensure a good squeeze out, I definitely need more G clamps.

I will let that set for a day

 

[couchsofa]

So with glue spread I bolted both layers together, and then used every clamp in my shop to ensure a good squeeze out, I definitely need more G clamps.y

There is no such thing as enough clamps!

 

[Snort]

Yep you can never have enough clamps, so last night I took the clamps off the top 2 layers, and cleaned the edges up a little. I couldnt resist bolting the whole thing together and trying the neck in the semi final position. The neck pocket has to be made deeper to accomodate the neck heel when it is glued on. I took some measurements of the neck nut to bridge, looks like it will be a 34" scale. Anyway here are some photos:

 

[flameworker]

I LOVE YOU!!!!

I am totally doing the moving pickup system, I have been tossing the idea around since I first signed up on talkbass, and you are the first who has done it clean enough.

Have you considered making wood blocks of your scrap from the top to pop in like little ramps if you later find you don't need to move the pickups around as much?

i'm so glad I didn't laminate my walnut body last night, I think i will do the construction like you did.. I just got tired and it was too late for power tools.

Really nice work. Cant wait to hear it.

 

[flameworker]

can you split the coils to single? artec pu/s are dirt cheap and sound amazing! like 28$ ea brand new, from edenbass stuff whatever.com

 

[Snort]

Thanks Flameworker, I hadn't thought about changing Pups, however, it will be easy enough to do in the future if I wish, as there will be no pickup routes to do ..... just screw on another set and wire them in. Actually now I think of it that will be very cool to check out different Pups, thanks for the inspiration.

Its been a couple of weeks since I progressed any, a promotion at work has taken up a great deal of my spare time. Hopefully I will get some more done this weekend.

 

[Snort]

So finally I managed to do a little more today, I have rebuilt the pickup carriage and added some side caps so that the foam cant be seen. The carriages need a little more work and then I can think about gluing the central core into position.

I also did some work on the neck heel, I will need to glue it into position once the fretboard is fitted. Talking of the neck heel I still need to route out the neck pocket to final depth. Also I have bought a half dozen brass inserts and bolts for securing the neck. Never used them before but we will see how it goes, I am guessing pilot holes first to locate the insert positions on the neck.

 

[Snort]

I was given this Japanese wood working knife for my Birthday, I am not quite sure what to use it for, however, I do know it is the sharpest blade I have ever felt. At first glance it looks like a cut throat razor, but it is designed as a woodworking tool.

It is scary sharp and you may well be able to shave with it, not sure how I would go about sharpening it though if it gets dull.

 

[Snort]

Hi I need a little help, I want to cut out the cavity cover from the back board, and keep it intact to use as the cover. I have a scroll saw which can do the cut, however, the saw blade has a pin through it. My question is how do I start the cut so that I can get the saw blade through the piece, without making a 3mm hole? Is it possible to remove the pins from these blades and then put them back once through the wood?