alittlebitrobot

13 hours ago, Silky999 said:

The machine will take up to 3/4 blade but from what I have seen so far suggests that 1/2 width with 4-6tpi seems a good compromise for cutting a body as long as I don’t get to ambitious with too tight a radius. Would that be a good option for a general purpose blade? 

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!

2 hours ago, Reggaebass said:

Hard to say exactly but I’ve worked with a lot of teak and it does look like it to me, it’s got quite a distinctive smell when it’s machined or cut, it’s a nice wood 

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.

31 minutes ago, PaulThePlug said:

Hi, I'll take the neck for a tenner!

Got too many basses...

Gotta sneak bits by the wife as parts.

I'll tell her its for DIY, 😉

 like Shawshank Redemption in reverse..

Wet Wet Vet

Just bumping again to clarify that this is a full electronics kit, not just the pickups.

Me again. This never sold, then I had a baby, and now I'm slowly getting back to reality 😁

So I'm bumping this with a note to any potential buyers; if you're in the UK and you're willing to be patient, I am willing to hop across the border and post this from Northern Ireland to avoid any import duty etc.

Holy mackerel, a Rob Allen. Some day....

Just got a lovely set of strings from @spacecowboy

Good communication and speedy delivery. What more do you want.

Highly recommended seller 👍

10 hours ago, GuyR said:

If I’m trying a bass, I don’t plug in for a good while. A lively, zingy response unamplified will invariably give me the tone I want plugged in.

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.

Sorry this isn't an offer, but my jaw is on the floor. This is absolutely stunning. Do you just play it like a bass? Or sometimes chordy, like a Bass VI? 

9 hours ago, honza992 said:

Ok this is a bit frightening. The epoxy hasn't completely hardened. It's hard but I can still push my finger nail into it. I've had failures before with epoxy, but never with West Systems and my way of measuring out exact amounts with syringes. Fingers crossed it just needs more time. This is why it's always good practice to keep the mixing pot so you can check it's completely hardened. We'll see how it is in a few more hours. 

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 😆

1 hour ago, honza992 said:

 

It's basically a moxon clamp adapted to hold guitar bodies.  Two outer pieces of 18mm MDF, then two inner pieces of 4mm MDF held in a curve.

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

22 hours ago, honza992 said:

 Ho hum. Will I never learn....@alittlebitrobot don't answer that)

🤐

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

5 hours ago, honza992 said:

 

First I glued the braces to the back.  And just to prove to @alittlebitrobotthat in fact I am not a machine man with a machine mind, but a free man with freewill, I glued the four braces on in two halves.  2 at a time.

 

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