I got the first coat of oil on. I didn't take any pics and it's hanging up in a bad spot, but it looks awesome. There are two glue spots that I will need to sand off, but I didn't see any scratches. More pics later.
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Winter Build Off 2020 - Kuun Space
- Thread starter Jisch
- Start date
Not great pictures, but here's where it's at - 2 coats in. (upside down like this it's a surprised alien)
Wait until you see this neck, the figuring is insane.
Wait until you see this neck, the figuring is insane.
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Here's the neck, after the third (maybe fourth) coat and before I flattened it out. Of course pictures don't do it justice. When you turn birds eye 90 degrees it's just figured wood - you can't see any eyes on the back of the neck.
Here's how I make knobs, in this case walnut with ebony tops and a white dot marker.
Using the hole saw as a guide, clamp the walnut down, then drill with a .25" bit. In this case when I'm putting a cap on the knob, I just drill all the way through the walnut.
Then drill clearance for the nut, I'll probably have to stretch this out a bit using a sanding cylinder on a dremel.
Then using a hole saw with the center drill removed I cut out the knob. One thing I learned is that you should line up this so the edge of the hole saw is off the edge of the wood you're cutting, the hole saw doesn't do a great job of clearing out the sawdust, having it at the edge allows the sawdust to just fall away. If you don't do that then you have to keep pulling the drill up and cleaning out the dust. There's a good risk of burning wood (which is a pain to sand away).
I always make more knobs than I need assuming the walnut board will move (even a little) and some of them will be off center.
I made six, five of them are good, so I glued up the five that were ok.
At this point I'm officially out of ebony, I had to split the last piece in order to get enough for this.
I'll probably put another coat of oil on later tonight, I project to maybe start putting it together on Tuesday or Wednesday, depending on how the coats look. I need to bring a Q-tip down for the next coat of oil so I can get it down in the holes where the strings come through the body. I couldn't get it all the way down using a rag.
Here's how I make knobs, in this case walnut with ebony tops and a white dot marker.
Using the hole saw as a guide, clamp the walnut down, then drill with a .25" bit. In this case when I'm putting a cap on the knob, I just drill all the way through the walnut.
Then drill clearance for the nut, I'll probably have to stretch this out a bit using a sanding cylinder on a dremel.
Then using a hole saw with the center drill removed I cut out the knob. One thing I learned is that you should line up this so the edge of the hole saw is off the edge of the wood you're cutting, the hole saw doesn't do a great job of clearing out the sawdust, having it at the edge allows the sawdust to just fall away. If you don't do that then you have to keep pulling the drill up and cleaning out the dust. There's a good risk of burning wood (which is a pain to sand away).
I always make more knobs than I need assuming the walnut board will move (even a little) and some of them will be off center.
I made six, five of them are good, so I glued up the five that were ok.
At this point I'm officially out of ebony, I had to split the last piece in order to get enough for this.
I'll probably put another coat of oil on later tonight, I project to maybe start putting it together on Tuesday or Wednesday, depending on how the coats look. I need to bring a Q-tip down for the next coat of oil so I can get it down in the holes where the strings come through the body. I couldn't get it all the way down using a rag.
Jisch I just went through this whole thread in one sitting and it’s been such a treat so far, WITH SUCH DRAMA
some highlights:
-The first reveal of the body with the stunning walnut lines and ample wings
- THAT TWO-TIERED HEEL CONTOUR. WHAT A FLEX!
- The bridge drama- I have to say I thought the original tailpiece took away from the stunning elegance of the body- then the accident happened, and I am so pleased for you the for the direction you took from there
I really love this build, your threads are such a gas and they’re inspiring me a lot in my opening chapters of woodwork and ‘luthiery’
some highlights:
-The first reveal of the body with the stunning walnut lines and ample wings
- THAT TWO-TIERED HEEL CONTOUR. WHAT A FLEX!
- The bridge drama- I have to say I thought the original tailpiece took away from the stunning elegance of the body- then the accident happened, and I am so pleased for you the for the direction you took from there
I really love this build, your threads are such a gas and they’re inspiring me a lot in my opening chapters of woodwork and ‘luthiery’
Ha! I love that you used the word drama. Believe me in early builds any small problem would be major drama, now it's just part of the process, it's what I love about building. I should say there is far less drama in a build when I'm replicating a build I've done before. I also have been accused of "oversharing" and there's probably some truth in that.
I got some time in the shop this morning.
I have been working on some coasters for my daughter in between the bass work. I coated these with Tru Oil, then put a couple coats of Varathane (matte).
I like the color of the maple right now and I didn't necessarily want to add more amber tint with the Tru Oil, and my wife is actively working on a cutting board and is complaining about the smell. So with the above test good, I decided to switch to glossy Varathane for the finish. I can't use my sprayer, it's too cold out and I don't have space inside, so I had to do foam brushes. Less than ideal, but I've done it before with good results. I have probably 10 coats on now. Oh and I made a stand so I could do this more easily.
I'm doing the neck and other parts in Varathane as well.
Most of the morning was spend on knobs though. I got them all done using the methods in that recent "making wood knobs" tutorial. Putting them on the drill worked out great. It's so much easier than trying to hand sand them, man my fingers got sore doing that. Right now they just have Tru Oil on them, I'll put some Varathane on them once they dry.
I'll do another 6 or so coats this afternoon and see how hard it is in the morning. I'll bet it would be Wednesday or Thursday before it's done.
I have been working on some coasters for my daughter in between the bass work. I coated these with Tru Oil, then put a couple coats of Varathane (matte).
I like the color of the maple right now and I didn't necessarily want to add more amber tint with the Tru Oil, and my wife is actively working on a cutting board and is complaining about the smell. So with the above test good, I decided to switch to glossy Varathane for the finish. I can't use my sprayer, it's too cold out and I don't have space inside, so I had to do foam brushes. Less than ideal, but I've done it before with good results. I have probably 10 coats on now. Oh and I made a stand so I could do this more easily.
I'm doing the neck and other parts in Varathane as well.
Most of the morning was spend on knobs though. I got them all done using the methods in that recent "making wood knobs" tutorial. Putting them on the drill worked out great. It's so much easier than trying to hand sand them, man my fingers got sore doing that. Right now they just have Tru Oil on them, I'll put some Varathane on them once they dry.
I'll do another 6 or so coats this afternoon and see how hard it is in the morning. I'll bet it would be Wednesday or Thursday before it's done.
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This morning I pulled the bass out of the finishing fixture and started working on sanding it. In retrospect I should have sanded flat every 3 or 4 coats, but just due to available time yesterday (and general impatience), I just layered coats on, probably 6-8, but 6-8 coats of Varathane is much thicker than 6-8 coats of Tru Oil. I can see how thick it is and it's a lot more than I would get down with 15 or 20 coats of Tru Oil, I think.
I started with it looking kind of like the pic above, very rough with lots of paint brush lines. After a few minutes with a green scotch brite pad I got it here. I was really surprised how quickly I got it all knocked down, I was super careful on the edges so I didn't sand through. I used 220 sandpaper in a few hard to reach spots.
then I went at it with Abralon pads going up through the 4000 grit and got here.
You can see a few pits in the finish, which were hard to see when it was flat. I went back over those spots with the scotch brite pad and started over with the Abralon pads. I got to 2000 and got to this luster. I'm going to leave it like this. I've got some spots to clean up, but it's looking pretty good right now considering I really only worked on it for an hour or so this morning.
I've got to get the control cover and the pickup cover sanded, and clean up some dust inside the body (not sure exactly how I'm going to do that yet), and a few spots to address, then I should be ready to get building.
I started with it looking kind of like the pic above, very rough with lots of paint brush lines. After a few minutes with a green scotch brite pad I got it here. I was really surprised how quickly I got it all knocked down, I was super careful on the edges so I didn't sand through. I used 220 sandpaper in a few hard to reach spots.
then I went at it with Abralon pads going up through the 4000 grit and got here.
You can see a few pits in the finish, which were hard to see when it was flat. I went back over those spots with the scotch brite pad and started over with the Abralon pads. I got to 2000 and got to this luster. I'm going to leave it like this. I've got some spots to clean up, but it's looking pretty good right now considering I really only worked on it for an hour or so this morning.
I've got to get the control cover and the pickup cover sanded, and clean up some dust inside the body (not sure exactly how I'm going to do that yet), and a few spots to address, then I should be ready to get building.
I got an hour in the shop this morning. I got everything mounted and soldered in. I had the body up in daylight yesterday and wasn't 100% happy with the finish, it looked kind of dull, beyond just matte, it lacked depth. I'm not sure what words to use, but I wasn't happy. I really don't want to go to full gloss (although that's an option).
This morning I put a coat of wax on it and the finish woke up, wow, what a huge difference. It looks really nice now. I'll take it out in daylight later, but 90% sure this is good now.
You can see how neat my control cavity is (I'm joking, I need to get back in there and straighten things up, I wanted to make sure I wasn't going to have any electrical problems before getting to that), but the cover does match well and it's sturdily held in place by the four magnets (ok really 8):
The front looks really nice as well.
I wish I could say this was the first, or even the third time this has happened, but as I was putting the strings on I somehow lost the nut. I had it IN MY HAND as I walked into the workshop two seconds before I mounted the first string. Now it's lost to the ether, no doubt partying with all the socks that have disappeared from my dryer. I had a graphite nut in my toolbox, it's too narrow, but it worked to hold the strings enough so I could verify everything was working. I am determined to find that stupid nut, I know it's RIGHT THERE, somewhere. Search party at noon.
I was concerned about getting the strings through the ferrules and up into the body - it worked fine when the ferrules weren't installed, but those add some rigidity to the whole system. The ferrules had to be tapped in with a hammer, they are not coming out easily, so I kind of had to make it work. The only one that gave me trouble was the G string, but even that only took a minute or 2 to find its way from the end of the ferrule to string path up.
I got it up to tune, roughly adjusted the bridge and plugged it in. Everything works! There is a very distinct difference between the magnetic and transducer sounds - the magnetic is very deep and muddy, the transducer is bright, but not harsh. Mixed together it sounds pretty great. Of course the action is insane and the intonation is not nearly correct, but at least I know the electronics work and the transducers sound good.
I'll mark the bridge, take the strings off and put slots in it, I need to finish the knobs as well.
I'll find that nut, I WILL find that nut. Although at this point I've probably spent half the time it would have taken me to make a new one, it's a matter of principle at this point.
(edit: I feel compelled to say that the maple is not nearly as yellow as it looks in this picture, bad lighting).
This morning I put a coat of wax on it and the finish woke up, wow, what a huge difference. It looks really nice now. I'll take it out in daylight later, but 90% sure this is good now.
You can see how neat my control cavity is (I'm joking, I need to get back in there and straighten things up, I wanted to make sure I wasn't going to have any electrical problems before getting to that), but the cover does match well and it's sturdily held in place by the four magnets (ok really 8):
The front looks really nice as well.
I wish I could say this was the first, or even the third time this has happened, but as I was putting the strings on I somehow lost the nut. I had it IN MY HAND as I walked into the workshop two seconds before I mounted the first string. Now it's lost to the ether, no doubt partying with all the socks that have disappeared from my dryer. I had a graphite nut in my toolbox, it's too narrow, but it worked to hold the strings enough so I could verify everything was working. I am determined to find that stupid nut, I know it's RIGHT THERE, somewhere. Search party at noon.
I was concerned about getting the strings through the ferrules and up into the body - it worked fine when the ferrules weren't installed, but those add some rigidity to the whole system. The ferrules had to be tapped in with a hammer, they are not coming out easily, so I kind of had to make it work. The only one that gave me trouble was the G string, but even that only took a minute or 2 to find its way from the end of the ferrule to string path up.
I got it up to tune, roughly adjusted the bridge and plugged it in. Everything works! There is a very distinct difference between the magnetic and transducer sounds - the magnetic is very deep and muddy, the transducer is bright, but not harsh. Mixed together it sounds pretty great. Of course the action is insane and the intonation is not nearly correct, but at least I know the electronics work and the transducers sound good.
I'll mark the bridge, take the strings off and put slots in it, I need to finish the knobs as well.
I'll find that nut, I WILL find that nut. Although at this point I've probably spent half the time it would have taken me to make a new one, it's a matter of principle at this point.
(edit: I feel compelled to say that the maple is not nearly as yellow as it looks in this picture, bad lighting).
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I crawled around on my hands and knees in the shop for 10 minutes and found a few things I've been looking for, none of which were the nut.
I gave in, I'm not happy about it, but I did.
And I know that when I'm making that next four string, I'll find that five string nut (which will be totally useless at that moment) and know at last where I put it down. I am about 90% sure I put it down somewhere I didn't drop it or knock it off something. Ok, done obsessing about this stupid nut.
Anyway at lunch I made a new nut and slotted the ebony for the bridge. Intonation came out good by just angling the bridge, all strings are intonated close enough for fretless. I figured I'd go 2 or 3 times on slotting the bridge, but I went further down than I thought. Four out of five strings are perfect, the E string is too low. I'll put a little CA in there to boost it up a bit - no big deal.
I'll need to do a little touch up on the body and headstock, and I need to form the nut and bridge piece, they are both just squared off blocks at this point.
When I plugged it in originally I thought the transducers and the mag pickups were pretty well matched. When I started really playing it I found the transducers to be very low comparatively. Thankfully the volume pot on the transducers inside the control cavity was turned about 3/4's down. If I turn it up all the way it's louder than the mag pickup. Of course with those transducers turned on the top becomes very microphonic, that's something I'll have to be careful of when playing. I've only plugged it into the monitor speakers so far, I'll put it through my amp later on today. Likewise I haven't put it on a strap yet, in my lap it lays perfectly, no neck dive and it's comfortable to play.
I also got the knobs done, so one more gratuitous shot with the knobs on (this was before I made the new nut, it still has the short graphite one in there and the bridge is not slotted).
So probably an hour or so of clean up and this one will be done.
I gave in, I'm not happy about it, but I did.
And I know that when I'm making that next four string, I'll find that five string nut (which will be totally useless at that moment) and know at last where I put it down. I am about 90% sure I put it down somewhere I didn't drop it or knock it off something. Ok, done obsessing about this stupid nut.
Anyway at lunch I made a new nut and slotted the ebony for the bridge. Intonation came out good by just angling the bridge, all strings are intonated close enough for fretless. I figured I'd go 2 or 3 times on slotting the bridge, but I went further down than I thought. Four out of five strings are perfect, the E string is too low. I'll put a little CA in there to boost it up a bit - no big deal.
I'll need to do a little touch up on the body and headstock, and I need to form the nut and bridge piece, they are both just squared off blocks at this point.
When I plugged it in originally I thought the transducers and the mag pickups were pretty well matched. When I started really playing it I found the transducers to be very low comparatively. Thankfully the volume pot on the transducers inside the control cavity was turned about 3/4's down. If I turn it up all the way it's louder than the mag pickup. Of course with those transducers turned on the top becomes very microphonic, that's something I'll have to be careful of when playing. I've only plugged it into the monitor speakers so far, I'll put it through my amp later on today. Likewise I haven't put it on a strap yet, in my lap it lays perfectly, no neck dive and it's comfortable to play.
I also got the knobs done, so one more gratuitous shot with the knobs on (this was before I made the new nut, it still has the short graphite one in there and the bridge is not slotted).
So probably an hour or so of clean up and this one will be done.
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Ha! I have set something down, turned around, went to pick it up and it’s gone sooooo many times! I thought I was just getting old. It’s reassuring that other people do it to. 
It’s rolls of tape for me. And tape measures. Anything with tape in the name I can lose in an empty room.
The nut is in your sock drawer and the socks are in the wood shop junk drawer. Don't ask how I know.
- Dec 21, 2007
- 15,232
- 45,109
- Disclosures
- Lark in the Morning Instructional Videos; Audix Microphones
Last night I got the bridge formed (kind of funny calling a small stick of ebony a "bridge", but you know what I mean), I might need to do another round of forming on that. I also got the nut smoothed out a bit. Ibid on the second round on that too.
This morning I cut and mounted the truss rod cover, it's held in place by magnets. I had to recess the magnet in the headstock given the thickness of the cover. It's very secure in place, the magnet on the cover clicks into a hole in the headstock and the embedded magnet holds it in place. Often when I do stuff like this I think "if I sell this thing I have to make sure to tell the buyer how to work this particular thing". I can imagine someone trying to slide the cover off and ripping the magnet off.
(edit: Seeing that pic reminded me to mention the string length. These are D'Addario XL strings, when I first put them on I thought I was going to have to go on a search for longer strings (longer between the ball ends and the full diameter). It ended up that the full diameter of the string just barely goes past the front edge of the nut once the string was up to tension, it didn't look good when the string was tight, but not at pitch, whew.)
Next I have to get the electronics organized inside the cavity.
This morning I cut and mounted the truss rod cover, it's held in place by magnets. I had to recess the magnet in the headstock given the thickness of the cover. It's very secure in place, the magnet on the cover clicks into a hole in the headstock and the embedded magnet holds it in place. Often when I do stuff like this I think "if I sell this thing I have to make sure to tell the buyer how to work this particular thing". I can imagine someone trying to slide the cover off and ripping the magnet off.
(edit: Seeing that pic reminded me to mention the string length. These are D'Addario XL strings, when I first put them on I thought I was going to have to go on a search for longer strings (longer between the ball ends and the full diameter). It ended up that the full diameter of the string just barely goes past the front edge of the nut once the string was up to tension, it didn't look good when the string was tight, but not at pitch, whew.)
Next I have to get the electronics organized inside the cavity.
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Thanks for the kind words. I'll get some simple sound samples up soon and a full song and video with the final WBO submission.
I recorded this with drums in Garageband then pulled the drums out. It sounded much better with the drums covering my finger noise! but in the interest of posting "what this bass sounds like", here it is, finger noise and all. These are brand new round wounds, so they articulate every bit of it, obviously technique (which I didn't work on at all) could minimize this. It's actually brighter than I expected, but new round wounds are bright.
Four bars each of:
- transducers solo'ed - flat EQ
- magnetic solo'ed - flat EQ
- magnetic and transducers equally mixed - flat EQ
- transducers solo'ed with treble rolled off and bass boosted - this is why I like active basses, this sounds really good to me.
Then:
- after the decay of the note on the last sample above I did a little soloing with transducers and magnetic mixed and treble rolled off - this is why I like having a preamp, I can get a broad range of sounds right from the instrument.
I tried to make all the samples equal volume. I played it through my amp last night and it sounds good. The true test will be playing it at band practice next week though, I always find things I didn't expect during band practice.
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
One thing of interest (maybe) is that the instrument makes enough sound directly from it that when I'm playing sitting in front of the monitors I can hear what's coming out of the bass directly, besides what's coming out of the monitors. Obviously that's less noticeable with the amp putting out more volume.
Four bars each of:
- transducers solo'ed - flat EQ
- magnetic solo'ed - flat EQ
- magnetic and transducers equally mixed - flat EQ
- transducers solo'ed with treble rolled off and bass boosted - this is why I like active basses, this sounds really good to me.
Then:
- after the decay of the note on the last sample above I did a little soloing with transducers and magnetic mixed and treble rolled off - this is why I like having a preamp, I can get a broad range of sounds right from the instrument.
I tried to make all the samples equal volume. I played it through my amp last night and it sounds good. The true test will be playing it at band practice next week though, I always find things I didn't expect during band practice.
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
One thing of interest (maybe) is that the instrument makes enough sound directly from it that when I'm playing sitting in front of the monitors I can hear what's coming out of the bass directly, besides what's coming out of the monitors. Obviously that's less noticeable with the amp putting out more volume.
