Winter 2017 Build Off -- The Dan-0-Backer

[Jon Clegg]

Thanks, that makes sense, I still have the "bridge" of wood between the holes, so I can cut that out. My control cavity was a little too small overall, had to hog some more out along the edges to get everything in. Are you using a stock harness?

No, I'm just using random components; the controls are 17 mm diameter push-pulls, the switch is a generic 3-way pick up selector. My plan is to put coil splitting on the lip-buckers and a phase switch along with either a switch for the 'bass-cut' capacitor on the bridge or a coil selector when in single coil mode. I've done a lot of screwing around with wiring on my strats, etc so I figured that I might as well try some craziness on this bass as well.

 

[Jon Clegg]

Actually the leaf green pearl binding would have worked on my (bronze/ivory) TeiscoT45bird as a cool accent - green is like orange and purple... it depends on the hue. Certain hues of each could sway me - like a pale lima-bean green, a dusty burnt orange or dark eggplant...

I've grown quite fond of the Performer candy green - more so because it's so rare and is one of its characteristic shades. An alien colour for a space-age bass!

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I knew @JIO would have ideas on how to make green binding work.

 

[Jon Clegg]

Schematic for how I'm wiring this up.

Vol push-pull controls the coil split for it's corresponding pickup, Tone push-pull controls phase/coil selection. In the future, I may just coil-split both on one push-pull and use the extra for something else.

 

[Jon Clegg]

I cut the 6 degree angle for the headstock using my pull saw and had some wander... end result, after getting everything planed out, the neck's too short unless I give up some frets. So it looks like I'm doing a scarf joint to gain the length back. Learning has occurred.

Two possible approaches here; scarf on a full headstock or just scarf on a 1/4" maple plate to get the length back. (recommendations appreciated)

I've decided that I'm going to use a piece of the mahogany veneer that I used on the body and bind the headstock. Needless to say, barring a miracle, I'll miss the deadline.

 

[Jon Clegg]

OK progress (no really!) Got the maple cap on so now I have the length needed again (note to self, cut long next time!)

Ready to rout the TR channel

TR Channel routed! Got a little crazy on the end and needed to fill I guess I'm committed to the veneer and binding now.

So, never having done a volute before... How does this look? I drew things to ensure that I have at least 1/8" under the truss rod and under the adjuster end.

Next I need to rout the channels for the carbon fiber rods, cut the headstock wings and make the headstock template. When's the deadline for us scrubs again?

 

[Gilmourisgod]

I'd go a little deeper on the volute, I started out big and shaved it down until it looked right, glad I had the extra wood since I never did one before. Won't the truss rod channel get covered by a TRC anyway? I wondered if I should cut mine longer in case I ever need to get it out.

 

[Jon Clegg]

Good advice; I'll go deeper and shave back until I like it keeping the limitations in mind.

I'd gone so long on it that the TRC screw on the tip wouldn't have anything to bite into. The mahogany veneer will cover but it's only 1/42 of an inch thick.

 

[Gilmourisgod]

Have you decided how you are carving the neck? I router planed mine on the back to just over minimum thickness, then used the "facet" method, leaving a swathe about 3/8" wide under the trussrod untouched except for sanding to blend it in. It felt safe and controllable, I don't have the experience to wing it by feel.

 

[Jon Clegg]

Hey look! An update!

Got the Carbon fiber strips routed and installed. Hard to see since they ended up in the walnut stripes.

And got the headstock and taper templates made:

After much procrastination, the neck is tapered! I did a full taper through the body

And after cleaning up the sides on the router table using a pattern bit and the taper-template

Heading out of town for a quick business trip, now. But at least I have some progress to show!

 

[RBS_Johnson]

The veneers and binding look great. It's a nice contrast to the "coffee table" basses(which are very nice in their own right). Your bass is going to be awesome for sure!

-Jake

 

[Beej]

That looks amazing Jon - keep going!

 

[Jon Clegg]

Thanks guys! Helps to keep me motivated!

 

[Beej]

Okay, just checking in here to continue to apply pressure. Soo.... you got the holiday weekend off? Any build time scheduled?

 

[Jon Clegg]

More progress... Spent a lot of last weekend building a planing jig, managed to bite the bullet and start working on the fretboard in earnest:

Preparing to do dot fret markers and seeing overall layout:

Fret marker holes drilled with a 1/4" Forstner and markers ready to be glued in:

And the step I'd been procrastinating on, tapering the fretboard:

And rabbeted for the binding:

That's all for today.

 

[Jon Clegg]

Realized on the bus ride into work that I didn't double-dot the 12th fret....

 

[gsnad2000]

Realized on the bus ride into work that I didn't double-dot the 12th fret....

Add 2 smaller dots beside the center dot and call it a custom feature.

Build is looking great!

 

[Gilmourisgod]

Brian May's guitar has three dots at 12th and 24th, roll with it!
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It's your bass, and the fretboard police do not exist.

 

[Gilmourisgod]

Hey Jon, I'm curious, how did you rabbet for the neck binding after the fingerboard was radiused, in the planer jig? I did mine while the FB was flat, installed binding, then radiused the whole shebang. The downside was I couldn't set side dots until I had the FB radiused, didn't know how thick the bound edge would be.

 

[Jon Clegg]

I was thinking just that - who sez it has to be 2? I do like the idea of 3. Since the body veneers are Brian May inspired, it fits!

 

[Gilmourisgod]

Bam! Problem solved. Bass looks great, BTW. I'm kind of regretting I didn't inject a few more personal details into my build, it's a little too slavish to the original 4001 design. No worries, I can get a little jiggy with it on Hossenfeffer II.