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There's another storm brewing!
- Thread starter pilotjones
- Start date
Thanks. I'm trying out a smaller one today.
Thanks. You know, i was going to take it further down to the black layer, which would then have a red ring around it. I think I'll leave it this way, but I'm not certain yet. If I leave it red, it matches the bridge slot reveals; if I take it down to black, I get a red stripe that matches a lot of the bass, but also get a black area, which has no sibling here. The third option is to take it all the way down through both red layers to the walnut of the body, and revealing more of the spectrum stripes which are mostly visible only on the back.
Recent work
- I am looking at having a professional finisher do a proper gloss coat on this
- The fretboard will be glossed also, same as standard maple fretboards. I will be trying a fret level and crown to work out the uneven relief issue before finishing. If I don’t like the results, and/or if I still want to get the absolute best finish and serviceability, I’ll pull the frets, get it finished, and refret it after.
- I test fitted the preamp to see how knob and switch feel works with the hole pattern. The holes are closer together than on the previous bass, and I definitely want knobs that are smaller than these standard 3/4” diameter for the 4-band EQ. Likely for the other three knobs, also.
- I was hoping to use these flat lever switches, but they don’t feel good in these tight quarters due to the sharp corners. The final switches will be either standard sized standard round stick actuators, or if I can get them, shorty round or flat levers.
- I have found that C&K switches have a much firmer feel and tighter snap than NKK
- Once this is figured out, I can design the knobs. That’s the fun part.
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- Jun 30, 2010
- 49,587
- 221,942
- Disclosures
- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
Thanks. I actually have already contacted him about the bass, and he said that he would do the job.
That said, he is both a fantastic finisher, and 3000 miles from me. I have asked around and I have a line on another very reputable pro whose work we have all seen, and who is within a drivable distance. If it works out, I will use him and avoid the FedEx/UPS anxiety.
Some knobs I ordered to try out different sizes. Also, shorty flat lever switches, which still are not comfortable between the knobs. I’ll be going with short round levers.
Subbed because this just popped into view.
I have to admire both your woodworking and perseverance on this project. I'm sure you were tempted many times to turn it into kindling at various points.
I have to admire both your woodworking and perseverance on this project. I'm sure you were tempted many times to turn it into kindling at various points.
Thanks. Disgusted maybe, but not violent. This is not my livelihood, so I know that there's always some amount of time I can put something aside and and ignore it until I'm ready to deal with it. Unless it's dinner or the mortgage.
Something knobby this way comes...
...once Roger at THG gets the laminated blanks that I just shipped off to him
...once Roger at THG gets the laminated blanks that I just shipped off to him
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Fretboard
After doing a lot of measuring of the relief from side to side of the neck I decided that it was best to pull the frets and re-level the board. Before I did that, I did a full fret level and crown on the frets, to get practice. This reinforced how far the board was off - I had to remove a fair amount of metal in some places.
I ended up spending a some more cash to get a decent fret puller, as well as buying some better fret masks and crowning files than what I had.
I removed the frets with the puller and a 30W soldering iron with some solder for heat transfer. Only one tiny fretboard chip came up, on the first fret I pulled, which I think is not bad at all for flatsawn wenge. Also early on I scorched the board with too much heat through the fret in one spot, which really would be invisible on the wenge if you didn't know about it. Plus, the leveling afterward removed all traces. But I learned, and would be more confident now if I had to do a maple board.
Knobs progress
The knobs are turned and are being shipped back to me from Roger @thg. They are without any finish at this point. He had trouble tapping the wood — and to be clear, I have tapped maple, padauk and wenge with no problem, but I had not done a test on walnut, which is quite softer — so we decided to use the brass inserts that he normally uses.
After I get them I will try adding a round or bevel feature at the top, to enable blind feeling and setting of the position. I had one extra knob made so that I can experiment with some ideas that I have in mind.
Finishing
I have gone through a couple of possiblilities of professional guitar finishers for this, who are all backed up on work. I have someone lined up now, and I am working at getting the body to a consistent surface so that the final finish won't be blotchy. The epoxy as skim coat has left some garbage that I don't want to be around, so I'm sanding all remaining skim back to wood, and if some pores open up I will leave that filling to be done by the finisher.
I bought an ATA-type case, since the bass will have to be shipped to and from the finisher.
After doing a lot of measuring of the relief from side to side of the neck I decided that it was best to pull the frets and re-level the board. Before I did that, I did a full fret level and crown on the frets, to get practice. This reinforced how far the board was off - I had to remove a fair amount of metal in some places.
I ended up spending a some more cash to get a decent fret puller, as well as buying some better fret masks and crowning files than what I had.
I removed the frets with the puller and a 30W soldering iron with some solder for heat transfer. Only one tiny fretboard chip came up, on the first fret I pulled, which I think is not bad at all for flatsawn wenge. Also early on I scorched the board with too much heat through the fret in one spot, which really would be invisible on the wenge if you didn't know about it. Plus, the leveling afterward removed all traces. But I learned, and would be more confident now if I had to do a maple board.
Knobs progress
The knobs are turned and are being shipped back to me from Roger @thg. They are without any finish at this point. He had trouble tapping the wood — and to be clear, I have tapped maple, padauk and wenge with no problem, but I had not done a test on walnut, which is quite softer — so we decided to use the brass inserts that he normally uses.
After I get them I will try adding a round or bevel feature at the top, to enable blind feeling and setting of the position. I had one extra knob made so that I can experiment with some ideas that I have in mind.
Finishing
I have gone through a couple of possiblilities of professional guitar finishers for this, who are all backed up on work. I have someone lined up now, and I am working at getting the body to a consistent surface so that the final finish won't be blotchy. The epoxy as skim coat has left some garbage that I don't want to be around, so I'm sanding all remaining skim back to wood, and if some pores open up I will leave that filling to be done by the finisher.
I bought an ATA-type case, since the bass will have to be shipped to and from the finisher.
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Yeah, I got the package in the mail yesterday. They look good in person. I expect I'll do a pic with them sitting in positions, once I finish re-sanding the bass. It's interesting, and work, revisiting all those curves and bevels.Those knobs look great! It's all coming together now.
Do it!
Thanks.
Decisions, decisions
I have the bass ready to ship to the finisher, and remembered I still have to decide which logo so I can include it. I have both available, and these are a digital mockup. Thoughts?
I have the bass ready to ship to the finisher, and remembered I still have to decide which logo so I can include it. I have both available, and these are a digital mockup. Thoughts?
I like the first one. A touch more subtle and blends with everything else going on, but still easy to see. And it matches the smaller writing.
First one is better up-close, but I recommend printing out images of the whole instrument with both design examples and seeing which looks better from across the room, because that's how most people are going to see the logo.
