alittlebitrobot

For me, because changing the blade is a massive pain in the joolies, I tend to stick with the widest blade. It's best for straight cuts, and anything with a tight corner can be achieved with relief cuts, rather than one continuous cut.

Nice one! First of all, really take the time to set it up. True the table, get everything nice and perpendicular, watch videos about how to get the blade tension right (extremely tight is not better - it can lead to wandering when trying to cut a straight line), remember to de-tension the blade after every session (and remember to tension before turning it on the next time!) Dust collection is a necessity. As with any power tool; let the tool do the work. Don't push wood through with any force - let the gullets clear to avoid burning the woods and overheating the blade. Watch this video. The bandsaw was invented for butchers to cut through bone. Bear that in mind. A lot of people who've been maimed by a bandsaw got bit when they were pushing the piece through and, just at the end, an unexpected soft spot in the wood meant that the last centimetre or so happened way quicker than they were expecting, and the thumb followed through... Always use a push stick or sacrificial block for that last bit of the cut when the blade is about to pop out. Never cross-cut through a pipe/cylinder (eg. a log) freehand - make a jig. See YouTube. If cutting curves (like a body blank) make sure you have a blade of the right width for the job. Narrow blades are good for tight bends but less reliable for long, straight cuts - and vice versa. Snapping a bandsaw blade is a real change of underwear moment. The one time I did it, I realised in hindsight that I'd been so focused on the curve I was cutting, I lost track of where "straight" was. That is, the imaginary straight line from the front of the bandsaw, through the blade, and out the back. I had been moving the wood (MDF actually) around the table in a way that was twisting the blade. The great thing about the bandsaw, unlike the table saw, is that it's not trying to suck your fingers in or throw wood at you. If you're making a cut and you don't like how it's going, just stop pushing, leave one hand on the workpiece and turn off the saw with the other. It's a great tool, and it looks like you've got a good one. Enjoy!

That's good to know. I've a bunch of wood from an old front door. I'm pretty sure it's mahogany but I was wondering if it might be teak. No particularly noticeable smell when cut.

Wet Wet Vet

Just got a lovely set of strings from @spacecowboy Good communication and speedy delivery. What more do you want. Highly recommended seller 👍

I was on Denmark street years ago, looking at all the nice things I can't afford. I played a Peavey Grind at the time, so when I saw a Cirrus, I wanted to know what the difference was. The second I had it in my lap, I could tell it was spectacular. The guy working there was bemused, and amused, that I wasn't bothered about plugging it in. God I wish I could get on with the 35" scale cause otherwise the Peavey neck is made for me.

Kala Ubass with a LOT of packing.

I'm just a bedroom noodler so I can't justify a collection in any way, so what I've decided is that a new bass would have to bring something new. I have a 34" fretted 6 string, which means I also own a 34" fretted 4 and 5 string in one instrument. I have a fretless 34" 4 string. I made a 30" 4 string bass because I think the short scale does bring something unique and now I'm planning a new build; a short scale 5 string fretless with piezo pickups. I think that is sufficiently different from my existing collection. Thereafter it's going to have to be a one-in-one-out policy. My short scale is fine and I enjoyed the challenge of making it because it's unusual in a few ways, but I would be willing to let it go for something like a Bronco or maybe one of those short scale Stingrays..

Am I missing something or is this more expensive than a brand new one that hasn't had it frets crowbarred off?

I completely agree that the full-size control plate on the Sterling looks off. Obviously it's an economical decision on their part but it does look squeezed. One other thing that might be an issue here; I brought these images into Photoshop and there's a decent amount of camera distortion on the EBMM which is pretty normal when photographing something this size. The fact that there's none on the Sterling makes me think that the headstock in that photo has been replaced digitally. It just adds to the subtle feeling that something's a bit off. I think you'd have to compare them in person to really know what you think about the Sterling. ....I'd gladly have one if it was going to waste..

100% keep the blocks. This looks great

Not exactly. Aesthetically, I like headstocks, but not tuning keys, so I made one using a headless bridge and some DIY string clamps.

Oh yeah, definitely the white guard. My tastes are mostly the modern, boutiquey, fancy pants stuff rather than the classics but, for some reason, these, the Mustang, the bronco really work for me. I love the simplicity of the one wee pickup in the middle.

Oh no! I'm new to the epoxy game but this has definitely happened me, thanks to my devil-may-care approach to measuring ratios. With this build, why go with epoxy over wood glue?

Watching with interest. I've a new build planned and I want to do the piezo thing but I've never worked with them before

God, I'm never doing an archtop 😆

Oh, that's brilliant. I'm very much a slab body guy so this not my area but that's a great jig.

🤐 Love the progress. What's going on here, though? It's intriguing

What's this? Development? Growth? Learning from mistakes? I call that deviating from your programming. Unacceptable. Very interesting build, though. Hitting those hidden knots and sap pools is like whatever the opposite of striking oil is. Glad you're able to make this piece work in spite of it.

😍 That's stunning