Got the fingerboard bound and dotted, couldn't resist a mockup. I've run out of excuses not to taper the neck beam.....
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The Hossenfeffer IV Build
- Thread starter Gilmourisgod
- Start date
Will you taper the whole beam to match the neck taper? Or will you be gluing it in then tapering?
I'll taper the whole beam. I tried going straight for the body wings and then tapering on my first Ric clone build, it was a nightmare.
It's not that bad. If a rookie like me can pull it off...
Seriously though, with that much invested in the body wings, I totally understand going the easy way.
The continuous taper is how Ric builds them, I like how it looks too. It’s hard to describe, if you search Luthiers Corner for The Hossenfeffer Bass Build, you can see all the self-inflicted pain I put myself through, mostly because I was catastrophically over my head. Basically a series of mistakes and the fixing of them, but black paint hides all sins. I know every flaw on that bass, but it came out better than I had any right to hope for.
https://www.talkbass.com/threads/the-hossenfeffer-bass-build.1102535/
https://www.talkbass.com/threads/the-hossenfeffer-bass-build.1102535/
Last edited:
- Apr 18, 2008
- 16,013
- 1
- 31,721
- Disclosures
- I'm highly opinionated and extremely self-assured
Templates CA glued on tape to the neck and headstock and bandsawed to rough line
With all the changing grain on the headstock, I decided to play it safe and Robosand against the headstock template.
I template cut the neck beam with the Infinity sprial cut bit. Nice tool.
Fingerboard registering pins made from 1/16" fretboard dot rod, will keep the board from slipping during glue-up, and it's easy to cut back with a fret saw later.
Into my crude router box to cut the neck beam down to 1-1/4" thick where it meets the body.
Starting to look like a bass.
Next up is doweling the body wings to neck beam and routing the body wings for the checker binding.
With all the changing grain on the headstock, I decided to play it safe and Robosand against the headstock template.
I template cut the neck beam with the Infinity sprial cut bit. Nice tool.
Fingerboard registering pins made from 1/16" fretboard dot rod, will keep the board from slipping during glue-up, and it's easy to cut back with a fret saw later.
Into my crude router box to cut the neck beam down to 1-1/4" thick where it meets the body.
Starting to look like a bass.
Next up is doweling the body wings to neck beam and routing the body wings for the checker binding.
Last edited:
- Apr 18, 2008
- 16,013
- 1
- 31,721
- Disclosures
- I'm highly opinionated and extremely self-assured
The star position markers look even better now that they are placed into context.
I need some advice from the TB Hive Mind:
Headstock: to bind or not to bind, that is the question.
I bound this one on my walnut 4004 style build, and yeah.... it was difficult, but I know how to do it now.
Yea or Nay? The genuine Lemmy's were not bound headstock, but this isn't a Lemmy, it's a Hossenfeffer.
Headstock: to bind or not to bind, that is the question.
I bound this one on my walnut 4004 style build, and yeah.... it was difficult, but I know how to do it now.
Yea or Nay? The genuine Lemmy's were not bound headstock, but this isn't a Lemmy, it's a Hossenfeffer.
I like it either way... but if I was buying it, I'd pick the bound one. It's got that little extra that would have me selling other basses to get it.I need some advice from the TB Hive Mind:
Headstock: to bind or not to bind, that is the question.
I bound this one on my walnut 4004 style build, and yeah.... it was difficult, but I know how to do it now.
Yea or Nay? The genuine Lemmy's were not bound headstock, but this isn't a Lemmy, it's a Hossenfeffer.
