More material removal. I flush trimmed the back end and used my little plane on frets 1-12 or so.
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One man's trash is another man's trashy Dolphin Nose bass
- Thread starter guitarbuilder
- Start date
I removed the peghead printout with some warm water and paper towel. Then just wiped everything down. I'll let it dry until tomorrow.
epizootics
Tele-Meister
Looking good Marty! Another cool, actually playable version of a cool vintage instrument.
What are you going to use for tuners? I see small holes in the headstock and assume you'll go for guitar tuners. I'm interested, as I am in the process of building a 34" bass with an LG50-ish body and a Silvertone-y headstock that seems to call for small tuners
What are you going to use for tuners? I see small holes in the headstock and assume you'll go for guitar tuners. I'm interested, as I am in the process of building a 34" bass with an LG50-ish body and a Silvertone-y headstock that seems to call for small tuners
Looking good Marty! Another cool, actually playable version of a cool vintage instrument.
What are you going to use for tuners? I see small holes in the headstock and assume you'll go for guitar tuners. I'm interested, as I am in the process of building a 34" bass with an LG50-ish body and a Silvertone-y headstock that seems to call for small tuners
Thanks. I am thinking guitar tuners but will have to look at the ends of the strings to see if they will go through the string holes. I'd imagine I could drill them larger if need be.
crazydave911
Doctor of Teleocity
Ahhh the trevails of subscale bass builders lol, either to big or to small. The ones I used on my subsonic bass were JUST small enough not to stick out like a sore thumb. It usually helps to find what gage strings the original came with. That helped me immensely with the Bass VI since there are many six string basses with strings way to big
This is kind of new territory for me. I'm used to either Elephant ears or the smaller more graceful ones by Gotoh.
Neck cross sections based on my neck so far.
Taking into consideration the pencil line width...I layout the lines to the nearest 1/32" I guess. That a vintage dano coke bottle neck heel and the PDF I bought for comparison. The bass neck joins at fret 17.
blurry but just to get a bit closer for anyone paying attention....
I use my fretboard clamping caul to support the neck during the carve. It has raised rails which put pressure on the fret ends. This causes a cradle effect with the fretboard sitting in it. One C clamp or sometimes two makes it easy to move around for easy access for the material removal.
I start at the peghead transitions with the half round rasp. Peghead first and then the heel side. This makes it easier to get the farrier's rasp in there for taking out the bulk. Farrier's rasp means less dips to deal with later. It's a wider surface than a spokeshave or surform. My first few necks were spokeshave. It worked...that's about the most positive thing I can say about it. You need a sharp one. Farrier rasping today was a 10 minute job. Use what works for you though.
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The rasp. I did both primary facets ( 45 degrees) and then flipped the rasp over for the file portion which smooths it out some.
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Primary facets done. Tomorrow the secondary facets.
Resources...
Let's make a neck! | Telecaster Guitar Forum (tdpri.com)
Let's make a neck ( volume 2) | Telecaster Guitar Forum (tdpri.com)
Let's make a neck ( volume 3) | Telecaster Guitar Forum (tdpri.com)
neck carving by drawing and creating facets on the wood | Page 5 | Telecaster Guitar Forum (tdpri.com)
Simple Fretboard radius jig | Telecaster Guitar Forum (tdpri.com)
Blackwater River Guitars - Tools - Fretboard Radius Jig .... They have measurements here from my design.
Resources...
Let's make a neck! | Telecaster Guitar Forum (tdpri.com)
Let's make a neck ( volume 2) | Telecaster Guitar Forum (tdpri.com)
Let's make a neck ( volume 3) | Telecaster Guitar Forum (tdpri.com)
neck carving by drawing and creating facets on the wood | Page 5 | Telecaster Guitar Forum (tdpri.com)
Simple Fretboard radius jig | Telecaster Guitar Forum (tdpri.com)
Blackwater River Guitars - Tools - Fretboard Radius Jig .... They have measurements here from my design.
Rasps used
NKTM 8" and 10" Golden Tapered Wood Rasp Bastard File with Rubber Handle in Gift Bag for Carving 2 Pack - - Amazon.com
My Farrier's rasp is a Sandvik. I don't think they make it anymore.
This looks close.
Amazon.com : Hoofere Professional Farrier Tool Kits Hoof rasp hoof Nippers hoof Knife 3 in 1 for Farriers, Veterinarians, and Horsemen : Pet Supplies
NKTM 8" and 10" Golden Tapered Wood Rasp Bastard File with Rubber Handle in Gift Bag for Carving 2 Pack - - Amazon.com
My Farrier's rasp is a Sandvik. I don't think they make it anymore.
This looks close.
Amazon.com : Hoofere Professional Farrier Tool Kits Hoof rasp hoof Nippers hoof Knife 3 in 1 for Farriers, Veterinarians, and Horsemen : Pet Supplies
crazydave911
Doctor of Teleocity
I was simply suggesting you try and find the Gage strings used on these and let that be your tuner guide. Worked for me on Bass VI and D'addario still makes them
. You never know
I was simply suggesting you try and find the Gage strings used on these and let that be your tuner guide. Worked for me on Bass VI and D'addario still makes them
I wonder what they used because back then there weren't that many choices for guitar, let alone a bass. Until Super slinkys came out, I think it was Black Diamond or Black Diamond....
.
crazydave911
Doctor of Teleocity
I wonder what they used because back then there weren't that many choices for guitar, let alone a bass. Until Super slinkys came out, I think it was Black Diamond or Black Diamond....
I played a friend's vintage dual pickup Dano. There seemed to be a problem with the top in a spot and I wasn't sure what was happening. It was the Masonite.
I had no idea that anyone ever thought that was a good structural material for guitars. But "follow the money" explains many otherwise inexplicable occurrences.
Nice build! That's how they should have done it in the 60's.
epizootics
Tele-Meister
Regarding strings, I know LaBella make a set designed for the smaller tuner holes on Longhorn basses, but I seem to recall they are flatwounds, maybe not what you're after?
Spokeshaves are one of those tools that people love to mention but usually struggle with. Kinda like scrapers. They have their uses but sometimes they simply aren't the tool for the job. I use spokeshaves on maple necks - as long as you sharpen the iron to a shallow enough angle so the back of the bevel doesn't touch the wood before the sole does they work fine - but never on interlocked woods like mahogany or sapele, where the depth of pass needed to do a quick job (and I'm with you here - more than ten minutes for primary facets is too long) is a recipe for tearout. On those I used whatever rasp I have on my bench. And/or a sanding drum. I chisel out the transitions first because that's the fastest way I know how to do it. As they say, many ways to skin a possum...
Spokeshaves are one of those tools that people love to mention but usually struggle with. Kinda like scrapers. They have their uses but sometimes they simply aren't the tool for the job. I use spokeshaves on maple necks - as long as you sharpen the iron to a shallow enough angle so the back of the bevel doesn't touch the wood before the sole does they work fine - but never on interlocked woods like mahogany or sapele, where the depth of pass needed to do a quick job (and I'm with you here - more than ten minutes for primary facets is too long) is a recipe for tearout. On those I used whatever rasp I have on my bench. And/or a sanding drum. I chisel out the transitions first because that's the fastest way I know how to do it. As they say, many ways to skin a possum...
crazydave911
Doctor of Teleocity
Re: Strings
https://www.talkbass.com/threads/silvertone-1442.689218/?amp=1283737255
Scroll down to the post from Tom Richards, reference the Labella flatwounds and a D'ADDARIO set used by Jerry Jones on 6 string bass. Use only the 4 heavy strings. References the solid body Silvertone which in essence, you're building
https://www.talkbass.com/threads/silvertone-1442.689218/?amp=1283737255
Scroll down to the post from Tom Richards, reference the Labella flatwounds and a D'ADDARIO set used by Jerry Jones on 6 string bass. Use only the 4 heavy strings. References the solid body Silvertone which in essence, you're building
