Winter 2018 Build Off - 4004CTM

[ctmullins]

Don't mind if my thread looks like I'm stealing some things from you. I'm already planning the router thing for the taper... won't have to worry about the headstock angle though, doing a Fender style setback on mine. I feel like I'm behind already

Lol, no prob - I learned everything I know from copying others here!

I believe the earliest Ric basses had zero-tilt headstocks too. The extra-thick fingerboard somewhat alleviates that though.

I’m really trying to do as much as I can before I go back to work on Tuesday.

 

[RBS_Johnson]

Lol, no prob - I learned everything I know from copying others here!

I believe the earliest Ric basses had zero-tilt headstocks too. The extra-thick fingerboard somewhat alleviates that though.

I’m really trying to do as much as I can before I go back to work on Tuesday.

Well, I do have a 5/16" slab of a fretboard....

I know what you mean. I unfortunately haven't had as much time as I hoped with everything. I go back the 2nd too, you're not alone

 

[ctmullins]

Didn’t do as much today as I could have; turned out to be a lazy-around-the-house day. That’s a good thing, as the holidays are about rest and relaxation. But I did start work on the body wings.

This is the point in the build where I send a very warm “Thank you!” to our own @Gilmourisgod , for sending me a copy of his excellent technical 4003 drawing. Thanks brother, I’ll drink one in your honor tonight!

I cut out the body shape and glued it onto a nice piece of plywood (I love my neighborhood hardware store), and carefully jigsawed it out. I kept it in one piece, thinking I might want to use it down the road for a set-neck, or even a (gasp) bolt-on.

I drew the centerline, and also drew two lines indicating where my neck blank goes.

Then I went to select some walnut. The neck-thru design means less width is needed for body wing stock, yay. I can get both wings out of this single blank, if I cut carefully. I think I like the idea of featuring the heartwood/sapwood contrast on the back of the bass (remember, the front will have a quilted maple drop-top). What do you guys think? I do have another slab that is visually homogenous throughout, so I could go either way.

 

[RBS_Johnson]

I like the idea of the sapwood on the back. I also got a copy of the very nice tech drawings from Alex.

 

[ctmullins]

Was able to steal some time in the shop this afternoon/evening. More walnut sawdust! Smells so good...

I used the router to trim the fingerboard edges, and then again to drop the face 1/8”, so that the fingerboard sits that much higher. Just like on the real 4004.

Then I rough-cut my body wings, and trimmed them using my template. Was tedious; took a long time. Worthwhile though, as I’ve botched this step in the past by trying to go too fast.

Also went ahead and routed channels for pickup wiring.

Selected my quilt maple drop-top. I have a stash of several; this is the nicest one.

Thanks for looking!

 

[ctmullins]

I have to finalize my control cavity before I can go much further. I was going to use a simple black plastic cover like the real 4004s do. Then I researched them and discovered that they’re not inset flush; they are just screwed onto the back of the body and sit proud. Yuck. Now I’m thinking I may just make one out of some leftover walnut.

 

[ctmullins]

Gonna go with a “normal” cavity cover, the oblong kind, like StewMac and Warmoth sell. That’ll give me a little more room in the cavity for ease of wiring and future expansion (if I should feel the urge).

Stole some time this morning. Got the fingerboard radiused, not hard to put a 20” radius on a narrow board, unlike some people, heh heh. Also cut out my quilted maple caps for the wings, but it’s too cold upstairs to glue them, so I brought them down to warm up while we run some errands.

 

[ctmullins]

Not a lot of free time this weekend. Did get the wings above 55 degrees in the den, and glued them up late yesterday. Used all of my regular clamps and a couple of my ridiculously long bar clamps!

Had time to unclamp them today and inspect them, all the edges look nice and tight, so that’s good. No time to trim the maple down though.

 

[Jon Clegg]

Between you and @Gilmourisgod, I'm gonna have to build another Rick-ish bass.

 

[Gilmourisgod]

Arrggghhhh! Can’t believe I missed the start of this build! I must be slipping. Your construction process looks really similar to what I’m going for on the HF II. I’m totally stealing your concealed wiring routs! I think we have three 4004 style builds going? @Jon Clegg, get to building, you slacker. I’m never gonna catch up with CT at this rate, but since I got bumped from the Walnut Build, no real deadline.
Edit:
Hey @ctmullins, I have a set of the Stewmac oblong control cavity router templates for their standard plastic cover, PM me if you want to borrow them. I was thinking the same thing, bigger is better on control cavities, I cut it a little fine on the HF I, anybody using those drawings may want to enlarge the cavity a little along the bottom edge of the body, the pots are too tight to the cavity wall as drawn. They fit, but the wiring is jammed in. I ended up freehand routing the cavity a little bigger.

 

[charlie monroe]

I have to finalize my control cavity before I can go much further. I was going to use a simple black plastic cover like the real 4004s do. Then I researched them and discovered that they’re not inset flush; they are just screwed onto the back of the body and sit proud. Yuck. Now I’m thinking I may just make one out of some leftover walnut.

Seriously? That's how they finish that off?

 

[mapleglo]

Seriously? That's how they finish that off?

Yeah, but at least they bevel the edges.

 

[Gilmourisgod]

A flush grain matched walnut cover would be sweet, if you buy the Stewmac plastic cover and use it as template, it will fit the cavity opening perfectly (assuming you use the Stewmac cavity templates). I’m trying to work out how I could make a continuous grain cover that way. Hmmmm....

 

[Jon Clegg]

A flush grain matched walnut cover would be sweet, if you buy the Stewmac plastic cover and use it as template, it will fit the cavity opening perfectly (assuming you use the Stewmac cavity templates). I’m trying to work out how I could make a continuous grain cover that way. Hmmmm....

Arrggghhhh! Can’t believe I missed the start of this build! I must be slipping. Your construction process looks really similar to what I’m going for on the HF II. I’m totally stealing your concealed wiring routs! I think we have three 4004 style builds going? @Jon Clegg, get to building, you slacker. I’m never gonna catch up with CT at this rate, but since I got bumped from the Walnut Build, no real deadline.
Edit:
Hey @ctmullins, I have a set of the Stewmac oblong control cavity router templates for their standard plastic cover, PM me if you want to borrow them. I was thinking the same thing, bigger is better on control cavities, I cut it a little fine on the HF I, anybody using those drawings may want to enlarge the cavity a little along the bottom edge of the body, the pots are too tight to the cavity wall as drawn. They fit, but the wiring is jammed in. I ended up freehand routing the cavity a little bigger.

Heh heh. Here's my current queue: walnut steampunk bass, walnut med scale EB 3 (EB-3m, I suppose), Return of the Son of Danobacker (480 Baritone), something made out of Ash, (?) 4003/4002?

 

[Gilmourisgod]

I’ll be lucky to get one bass done in 2018, guess that makes ME the slackest slacker in all of skackerdom.

 

[Jon Clegg]

Mind you, that queue will probably take a couple of years.

 

[Englishman]

Arrggghhhh! Can’t believe I missed the start of this build! I must be slipping. Your construction process looks really similar to what I’m going for on the HF II. I’m totally stealing your concealed wiring routs! I think we have three 4004 style builds going? @Jon Clegg, get to building, you slacker. I’m never gonna catch up with CT at this rate, but since I got bumped from the Walnut Build, no real deadline.
Edit:
Hey @ctmullins, I have a set of the Stewmac oblong control cavity router templates for their standard plastic cover, PM me if you want to borrow them. I was thinking the same thing, bigger is better on control cavities, I cut it a little fine on the HF I, anybody using those drawings may want to enlarge the cavity a little along the bottom edge of the body, the pots are too tight to the cavity wall as drawn. They fit, but the wiring is jammed in. I ended up freehand routing the cavity a little bigger.

Just a heads up, Stewmac has the templates on closeout for $15 the pair. The new improved thicker ones are like $40.

 

[ctmullins]

Day job and other life stuff intrudes on my time as well. Better to do it right than to rush through it. No shame in taking longer than anticipated if the outcome is good!

Thanks for the heads-up on the templates, I might pick some up. Or not, I might just cheap out and make a janky one.

 

[ctmullins]

Damn router table.

It’s not unrecoverable, it’s just annoying.

 

[franksidebottom]

Ouch. For all there uses, they can be straight out evil some days.