Winter Build Off 2018- The sketchy nebulous bass.

[Englishman]

That's some crazy grain going on in that piece! Are you going to dye and sand back at all?

As you may have gathered at this point, I'm not thinking this one out very well. The quick answer is that I have no idea. When it's together and ready for finish it will dictate to me the best course. I'm a sucker for natural wood though.

 

[Englishman]

Some progress today. Did the neck glue up yesterday and ran it through the jointer this morning. Frikkin cold in the garage.
Put the rough shaped top on the wings to give me an idea of where I’m going here.
Plenty of room to go for 35” scale.

 

[Englishman]

On another note, I did this walnut project a couple of years back. The wood was donated as it was in the way at a friends place. Love to find some more like it.

 

[Englishman]

Got the parts. It looks really messy... and that won’t change much lol.

 

[reverendrally]

That guitar you built is lovely. Some great work there. Can I strongly urge you to work up proper plan and a template for this bass. It seems silly now, but in the end it will deliver results.

 

[Englishman]

That guitar you built is lovely. Some great work there. Can I strongly urge you to work up proper plan and a template for this bass. It seems silly now, but in the end it will deliver results.

I appreciate your concern. As a rule I don't use body templates, I have no table router and experienced less than optimal results trying to use the 'regular' router for that. With the walnut 6 string, I drew around my Les Paul with it sitting on the body blank and just 'mirrored' the cutaway on the bass side. With a one-off, I have a picture in my head and usually I can remove everything that doesn't look like it. It'll be ok, I don't expect to compare to most of the other entries but then I'm doing it for fun.

 

[RBS_Johnson]

It'll be ok, I don't expect to compare to most of the other entries but then I'm doing it for fun.

I've been really impressed with what I've seen of your work. I'm just in this for fun as well, plus I get a new bass if I don't screw it up too bad

-Jake

 

[Englishman]

So progress.
Two way trussrod channel done.
Some refining of the shape.
Chambering the wings and cutting out the horns (I like to have a flat surface to clamp the wings on).
I should cut the fret slots in the ebony board but that stuff is hard work lol.
Using the same headstock design as my first bass.

This is the one I did before:

 

[Englishman]

This bit makes me nuts.

 

[T_Bone_TL]

Put down some clean paper and save that dust - it's very useful.

 

[Englishman]

Well, first the good news. I figured out what was wrong with the belt sander, the drive belt teeth disappeared. $7 replacement will be better than a new sander.

Made some progress. Got the fret slots cut and the board radiused. Sliced off a chunk under the neck and angled the headstock.

I’ve lost the damn nut though. Hoping I don’t have to order another.

 

[Englishman]

Used the router sled thing to take the lower part of the through neck down a 1/4 inch. Band sawed the taper roughly onto the neck. Going to chisel away along the sides of the neck part where the fingerboard is and try and fit the maple top in there so I can get the shape finalized.

 

[ctmullins]

Nice chambering! I’m a fan of a generously chambered body. Still need to refine that outline though...

 

[Englishman]

Nice chambering! I’m a fan of a generously chambered body. Still need to refine that outline though...

Yeah, I have the maple top the shape I want, so it was a matter of leveling the walnut and ‘cutting’ around the fingerboard so I can fit the top and get the shape right.

 

[Englishman]

Still really sketchy, not so nebulous now though.

Glued wings to the headstock and got it roughed to shape. Cleaned up the body wings somewhat. Quickie mock up with some naphtha to see how the grain will look. I’m kinda liking it.

 

[ctmullins]

I’m kinda liking it.

Yeah, me too!

 

[Jisch]

That's coming along nicely!

 

[postalflunkie]

That top is a beauty!

 

[Englishman]

Almost ready to glue the fingerboard on!

 

[Englishman]

Glued the fretboard on last night and brought it into the house to cure. Although it looks like it’ll be 50 and raining here today.