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What's On Your Workbench?

#1,441
Matt Liebenau said:
That’s cool. What’s it go to? Is it aluminum? Should I PM you my address? :D
Click to expand...
It is aluminum, it's just a body I made for now. I have an alumatone pickup and a brass floating bridge to put on it. Unfortunately I messed up routing the neck pocket and don't have access to a shop with a TIG machine. I think I know how I'm going to fix it, I'm going to rivet a cover plate down the whole length so it's a little thunderbird-ish and looks like I mean't to do it.
 
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#1,443
I'm continuing to plan my next personal bass build. This is supposed to be my new "main" bass, versus a fun project in a style meant to stretch my boundaries. It's going to be a 4 string fretted, I have a Warwick bridge and Nordstrand pickups. I'll start on this once the winter build off is done.

IMG_20200110_071807.jpg


Big hunk of bubinga for the body (I think that piece of bubinga weighs more than my car), Ovangkol for the neck, and a bookmarched madrone top. I'm trying to stay away from maple as a primary wood this time around and I chose these three woods because they all have a lot of depth and shimmer in the grain, versus crazy "figure" in a traditional sense. I had originally set aside a piece of highly flamed maple for the top but I decided I wanted something darker and more subtle. This piece of Ovangkol is so shimmery it's a mile deep. It looks like a giant piece of tiger's eye stone. And it is perfectly quartersawn with almost zero run-out in any direction. I really respect this piece of wood for how special it is and I hope I honor it with this build. I had half a thought to saw it up and use it for backs and sides on more uke basses or small guitars, but it's long enough for a bass neck so that's where it'll go.

The only big choice left is for an accent wood. I want a thin lamination between the top and the bubinga, and thin stripes between the Ovangkol laminations. I am stick between purpleheart or something dark brown (katalox, walnut, wenge). I've been thinking about this for a few months and just can't decide! I want something that doesn't blend into the existing woods, but also something that harmonizes with them and isn't so different that it looks out of place.
 
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#1,444
dwizum said:
The only big choice left is for an accent wood. I want a thin lamination between the top and the bubinga, and thin stripes between the Ovangkol laminations. I am stick between purpleheart or something dark brown (katalox, walnut, wenge). I've been thinking about this for a few months and just can't decide! I want something that doesn't blend into the existing woods, but also something that harmonizes with them and isn't so different that it looks out of place.
Click to expand...
If the ovankol is large enough why not just use one piece for the neck? Laminating is not really necessary.
 
#1,445
It's 4/4 and I want a through neck - if it was 6/4 or 8/4 I would consider that. Plus, I like the look of accent stripes and I want the stripes to match whatever accent goes in the middle of the body.

My theoretical next build after this is going to be a 5 string fretted and I'm thinking about doing a one piece neck on that, maybe even bolt on. Depending on how the cuts go for this neck, there may be a piece left over for that. Or I'll use wenge for that neck or another dark brown wood.
 
#1,446
Retro style but always making changes. A bunch of leftovers including Allparts neck, Lollar '51 pickup, Gretsch bucker from a Junior Jet 2202 or first run Electromatic. Doing a concentric pot control after the routing and finishing. Yellow Colortone dye going down on this roasted swamp ash body (I think) then a lot of hand finishing with the Tried and True polymerized linseed oil. Stoked about the Hipshot bridge coming sized for both pups.20200110_210740.jpg
 
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#1,448
My beloved Azola was on my workbench today.

My son has been playing it of late and he's given it a bad case of buckle rash. So into the paint booth it went to be brought back to acceptable condition again. Not sure I'll let him continue to use it.

There's still a fair bit of work to go. The overspray has to be rubbed back and it needs more coats to blend yet. David, the guy who owns the workshop where I do my builds, got the tint pretty much right first time.

6Ly1bpW.jpg


1oeX9Pl.jpg
 
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#1,449
dwizum said:
I'm continuing to plan my next personal bass build. This is supposed to be my new "main" bass, versus a fun project in a style meant to stretch my boundaries. It's going to be a 4 string fretted, I have a Warwick bridge and Nordstrand pickups. I'll start on this once the winter build off is done.

View attachment 3662324

Big hunk of bubinga for the body (I think that piece of bubinga weighs more than my car), Ovangkol for the neck, and a bookmarched madrone top. I'm trying to stay away from maple as a primary wood this time around and I chose these three woods because they all have a lot of depth and shimmer in the grain, versus crazy "figure" in a traditional sense. I had originally set aside a piece of highly flamed maple for the top but I decided I wanted something darker and more subtle. This piece of Ovangkol is so shimmery it's a mile deep. It looks like a giant piece of tiger's eye stone. And it is perfectly quartersawn with almost zero run-out in any direction. I really respect this piece of wood for how special it is and I hope I honor it with this build. I had half a thought to saw it up and use it for backs and sides on more uke basses or small guitars, but it's long enough for a bass neck so that's where it'll go.

The only big choice left is for an accent wood. I want a thin lamination between the top and the bubinga, and thin stripes between the Ovangkol laminations. I am stick between purpleheart or something dark brown (katalox, walnut, wenge). I've been thinking about this for a few months and just can't decide! I want something that doesn't blend into the existing woods, but also something that harmonizes with them and isn't so different that it looks out of place.
Click to expand...
I'd use something dark as accent wood. It would nicely go together with dark stripes of ovangkol. Maybe wenge stripes with wenge fretboard?
 
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#1,450
I'm kicking myself for not taking a pic, but yesterday I had a '63 Strat on my bench. It had a string slot in the nut that was cut too low. I filled with CA and refiled, all good.

That's a $10,000 guitar in used condition.

However in the early 80's the guy chambered the front with a drill, had it refretted, then a few years ago he had the chambers filled in, the top resurfaced and had it repainted. So while it's technically a 1963, in reality it just occupies the same space as a 1963. The fretboard had awesome wear patterns on it, perhaps the coolest part of the instrument.

I have a '58 reissue Strat and the neck on mine is a lot thicker than the neck on this one.
 
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#1,451
MPU said:
I'd use something dark as accent wood. It would nicely go together with dark stripes of ovangkol. Maybe wenge stripes with wenge fretboard?
Click to expand...

Yeah after writing it all out and thinking about it, that's about what I was thinking. The accents should be wenge. Although I may use ebony for the fretboard just because I like the smooth feel.

And I laid out my cuts on the ovangkol, I will definitely have enough for a one piece bolt on neck, maybe even a neckthrough with a heel block, for the eventual 5 string.
 
#1,453
So I am almost ready to recover this Vox VR212 cabinet. The speaker baffle was bashed in. It will go with my V125 Lead amp (I'll have two cabinets now). I also have the V125 Bass amp and just got a lead on another 1 x 15" cabinet.
IMG_6077.JPG
Always wanted to get a second cabinet to try with the amp. I'll have the 2x12 and if things work out another 15" as well. Here is my brace of V125s. The one on the left is the guitar and the one on the right is the bass amp. Always looking for heads in any condition as well.
IMG_6078.JPG
 
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#1,454
Needed something to cover these gaps, so I made some kinda ramp pickup ring thing.

I honestly wish I had made it thicker like a ramp, but I AM pleasantly pleased that it looks pretty nice as a rectangle; I was concerned I’d need to do a second draft with some contours

530D88C5-99E3-4D50-90DB-6257A1E8F4F2.jpeg 43EDFA2D-4874-44E1-83F7-462420B0E0B7.jpeg B5D29605-09D8-4FC5-8D65-C8EF3927C11D.jpeg
 
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#1,455
basshack said:
My beloved Azola was on my workbench today.

My son has been playing it of late and he's given it a bad case of buckle rash. So into the paint booth it went to be brought back to acceptable condition again. Not sure I'll let him continue to use it.

There's still a fair bit of work to go. The overspray has to be rubbed back and it needs more coats to blend yet. David, the guy who owns the workshop where I do my builds, got the tint pretty much right first time.

View attachment 3663351

View attachment 3663352
Click to expand...

it’s coming along nicely I think.

BA0E1D4B-78E0-462C-896A-CEADC2A7FF4C.jpeg
 
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