Thanks Rock! That absolutely helps, couldnt find a photo like that, seems obvious now that i see it. Hopefully haven't already taken off too much material to run that radius along the whole top edge.
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The Hossenfeffer III Build
- Thread starter Gilmourisgod
- Start date
As i had feared, I've already removed too much material to get a full 5/8" radius along the whole edge of the back heel "point" per @Rôckhewer photo. At this point the best I can do is blend my "swoop" for a slightly deeper relief and blend it in with body wings as best I can. Probably should have found some source photos before going to town with a rasp... sigh. So OK, this a Hossenfeffer, not an Alembic... lets roll with that....
Still some more work to do here, but that's as close as I dare before gluing the body wings on..
Time to glue this sucker up! I'll post again when it looks like something is done. I can still undercut the "swoop" even more if I decide to, but this seems to give me full thumb and palm access to the upper frets, even if it's not the "correct" Alembic profile.
Happy Holidays All!
Still some more work to do here, but that's as close as I dare before gluing the body wings on..
Time to glue this sucker up! I'll post again when it looks like something is done. I can still undercut the "swoop" even more if I decide to, but this seems to give me full thumb and palm access to the upper frets, even if it's not the "correct" Alembic profile.
Happy Holidays All!
- Apr 18, 2008
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I dunno. All I read was blah-blah-blah-boring-words but the pictures are pure sex!!! 
I get that you were going for a certain thing (being Alembic-like) but the comment I suppressed (upon getting that sense from further discussion) when you put up the photos of this part in the first place is that I think yours looks better than theirs.
And if it works for the access you want to that part of the fretboard, it's functionally good, too
And if it works for the access you want to that part of the fretboard, it's functionally good, too
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FINALLY glued these wings on. Yeah, I know, like watching paint dry. I never know which glue to use on dark/light wood sandwiches like this. Yellow to be close to the maple, or brown to be close to the mahogany/cocobolo? I went yellow glue because... reasons.
Over-engineered cork-lined gluing cauls? CHECK
Obligatory glue squeeze-out proof-shots? CHECK
Well, now I've done it. Time to carve out the Heart Omega. Wish me luck......
Over-engineered cork-lined gluing cauls? CHECK
Obligatory glue squeeze-out proof-shots? CHECK
Well, now I've done it. Time to carve out the Heart Omega. Wish me luck......
Looks great! If you are like me, each step gets you more motivated for the next step. Maybe its the anticipation that makes me watch the glue dry. 
Rôckhewer
Commercial User
- Feb 28, 2015
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- Owner/Builder- RockHewer Custom Guitars LLC
Wow.
I'm sitting here staring... for a good 3 minutes. Imagining the love that went into those.
Appreciating the sensibilities of care in preparation and advanced jiggery.
Reveling vicariously in their firm, yet comfy embrace.
...it's a warm and fuzzy feeling.
Like a good cup of nog & a felt blanket on Christmas.
Cheers Alex!
Impressive.
Happy Holidays.
- Apr 18, 2008
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Seventeen clams says they become part of the custom hard case he makes after the actual bass is done….
I maintain the illusion that all the templates and fixtures I make will get used again, which actually turned out to be true with the Ric builds. The rest of them tend to gather dust and take up space. I made cauls from the body cuttoffs for the Rics, but this one is probably a one-off. In my defense of blatant overkill, it only took me about 20 minutes to make them, and i had the cork left over so....Yeah. Still overkill.
The ship has sailed on a custom case build, I ran the numbers and realized just the materials and hardware would be more than just buying a Thomann flight case. Its kinda heavy, but otherwise pretty well made for $122 plus postage, which worked out to around $165 delivered. The first one showed up with a ding in the side, so they mailed me another one gratis! Got some 2" foam, gonna make a custom cut insert for it. More overkill......
https://www.thomannmusic.com/warwick_ebass_flightcase.htm
The ship has sailed on a custom case build, I ran the numbers and realized just the materials and hardware would be more than just buying a Thomann flight case. Its kinda heavy, but otherwise pretty well made for $122 plus postage, which worked out to around $165 delivered. The first one showed up with a ding in the side, so they mailed me another one gratis! Got some 2" foam, gonna make a custom cut insert for it. More overkill......
https://www.thomannmusic.com/warwick_ebass_flightcase.htm
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Since when did good quality, inexpensive products stop us from building more expensive DIY versions?
Another in the endless series of jigs and templates for this thing
Scary forstner holes
yes that little point is every bit as fragile as it looks. Might have to shorten it a little
Now some slow and excruciatingly careful file work to round all this off to match the body. There was probably a better way to sequence this, but whatever it was... i missed it. The Alembic versions are a lot more elaborate, with mutiple layers in the "horns", which probably makes them stronger. It's really a pretty impractical design, but in for a pound...
Scary forstner holes
yes that little point is every bit as fragile as it looks. Might have to shorten it a little
Now some slow and excruciatingly careful file work to round all this off to match the body. There was probably a better way to sequence this, but whatever it was... i missed it. The Alembic versions are a lot more elaborate, with mutiple layers in the "horns", which probably makes them stronger. It's really a pretty impractical design, but in for a pound...
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Hey @mapleglo, I totally stole your idea of chucking my Robosander into my cordless drill and holding it by the bearing end for the inside radius of the Omega. Thanks for the tip!
- Apr 18, 2008
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Yep, that works great! I also do that when shaping the volute and the heel transition.
I keep an extra cordless drill just for use as a tiny portable drum sander so I don't ruin the bearings in my main cordless drill (which I've done a couple times over the years thanks to all the "portable drum sander" work I do with it!)
Rôckhewer
Commercial User
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See? Wasn't that a piece of cake?View attachment 4125023
Which brings to mind the obligatory selfie I would hope to see in this thread. Not sure why it's a thing.
Here's mine.... View attachment 4125040
Gorgeous!
...
Don't leave me hanging bro... post up.
I don't think the bass-side one needed to extend past the point where the bass-side glues to the neck, but you did say over-engineered.
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I decided not to risk using a router for the the Heart Omega, it barely fits in there anyway so.... Grandad's ancient rifflers and a rat tail file it is. I did a sort of modified facet neck carve routine on it. probabaly doesn't match the body roundover exactly, but good enough for Government Work.
And after about 4 hours of fidgetry, this is what we got. Still a alot of hand sanding and refinement, but that's the gist of it, and all I got.
Let's take a moment to assign blame for this photo (ahem @Rôckhewer cough). Alas, I lack a stylish Do-Rag to cover my rats nest of hair. Yep, a bona-fide Old Fart, but I can still make some sawdust. Remember Rock, you asked for this.
I think I'll take a break from body carve and put the frets in..
And after about 4 hours of fidgetry, this is what we got. Still a alot of hand sanding and refinement, but that's the gist of it, and all I got.
Let's take a moment to assign blame for this photo (ahem @Rôckhewer cough). Alas, I lack a stylish Do-Rag to cover my rats nest of hair. Yep, a bona-fide Old Fart, but I can still make some sawdust. Remember Rock, you asked for this.
I think I'll take a break from body carve and put the frets in..
