• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

wenge neck

#29
vbasscustom said:
feel free to share. i always love adding new innovations to my instruments to make them more playable/more astetically pleasing.
Click to expand...

Here is a new idea that I'm going to try. I've been winding my own pups, so I thought I would build a 1/4" tall x 1/2" wide x 3" long pickup. Glue it to a thin piece of wood. I plan to slip it under the strings, clamp it and move it around before I route the pickup holes, that way I can find the best location for my pups. Sounds like a good idea, who knows I might not like it after all that work..lol..
 
#32
jworrellbass said:
Alot of my ideas seem cool until I try them. I've wasted more pickup wire than I've used..lol..
Click to expand...

Just a note that might help, There was a thread about 2 years ago put up by Phil Malloux about optimum placement and he had a chart in the thread with wavelength diagram of string vibrations along the area between the bridge and FB, you might want to search for this thread, could be quite helpful to you in deciding placements, and possibly help you to build a map for specific tone variants
 
#33
What I was thinking that say a bassist wanted his/her bass to sound a certain way. By hooking up a thin pup and running to thier amp you could move the pup around until they heard the tone that they wanted.

What I meant by wasting wire was my experiments in winding. You can take the same pup and put it different locations and get different tones. I've been working with neodymium magnets and tring to build humbuckers, So far I like the split coil design. I tried a stacked design and I really didn't like it. I've also experimented with bar magnets and failed like a one armed wall paper hanger.
 
#34
Unless you are going to use that particular pick-up build parameter for every pick-up, they are not going to hear the sound they want, it's a better idea to have a test bass with a open rout that you can slide around their pick-up choice to find the placement desired.

Say they want a stacked Jazz style pick-up, that test pick-up will not even come close to the true pick-up being used, or if they want a Ceramic HB, or say a Neo dymium with iron slugs, the little test pick-up won't even resemble the actual sound they will get from said position.

I just bought a Yamaha TRB-404 off Ebay for $80, and am making it into a pocketed test bass for just this purpose. There are always cheap used basses you can buy off Ebay, for $100 or less and use it as a slave for not only demo'ing pickup position for customers, but also for sound tests and sound demos for yourself and customers. It's well worth the time.

I have used the same test bass for years, but it finally turned into scrap, so I am making my 2nd generation test bass so I can demo pick-ups, positions, and use wood pockets to simulate their wood choice with their pickup choice. The Malloux diagram just helps to pinpoint where you are most likely to get a sound you seek. Just lending an idea. I do understand your goal, just trying to help you out with another item from the drawing board.
 
#37
Tom, I try to sit down with as many of my customers as possible, it's easier, but not always possible. I have a good deal of return customers, and word of mouth from repeat customers. You can't always make them happy, but you can do your best, I am sure your clientele will continue to grow. Besides we are in different worlds, my shop handles mostly mods and high end repairs, with some builds as I have time, you build. keep hammering em out Tom, you do nice work.
 
#38
vbasscustom said:
hey there everybody.
i know neck shaping has been beaten to death, but, i was wondering what is your favorite, and most efficent and easiest way to carve a wenge neck. ive used wenge in necks before, but never a totally wenge neck, and i plan on doing it very soon. and i need to know whats the best way to shape it. wenge is rediculously hard, so sharp tools, but what tools?

thanks guys, ill be sure to post the process
Click to expand...

microplane_40000_20.jpg


These things are awesome. I have the flat blades and the round blades both in course and fine. They make neck shaping so much quicker.

My method is bandsaw --> belt sander --> microplane --> orbital sander

Never underestimate how much you can do on a belt sander or spindle sander. Just eat away at it like it's corn on a cob until you get a good shape, then move on to hand tools.
 
#39
Musiclogic said:
Tom, I try to sit down with as many of my customers as possible, it's easier, but not always possible. I have a good deal of return customers, and word of mouth from repeat customers. You can't always make them happy, but you can do your best, I am sure your clientele will continue to grow. Besides we are in different worlds, my shop handles mostly mods and high end repairs, with some builds as I have time, you build. keep hammering em out Tom, you do nice work.
Click to expand...

Thanks because I work out of my house in a residential area I can't advertise locally so I get no local people. The few that have been local found me through e-bay or talkbass and just happen to live close by. I wish i could advertise and get some repairs. Almost all my repeat customers start out as e-bay buyers. ............ now back to Wenge necks!! :hyper:
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back