Kiwi Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 fascinating thread now if only we could see some photos of all those commissions some of us waiting on as well... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7string Posted March 26, 2008 Share Posted March 26, 2008 Yup, a great thread indeed. Like others, I'd love to have a go at this although I'm no Mr.D-I-Y Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tait Posted March 26, 2008 Author Share Posted March 26, 2008 got back from day 3 a couplpe of hours ago, but have been busy since so only just got on the computer. today was mostly about the neck, although give the body a few coats of lacquer throughout the day, the wood's looking really nice now. [attachment=6912:shuker_day_3__5_.JPG] [attachment=6913:shuker_day_3__6_.JPG] the first thing we did on the neck was put the dip on the headstock (sorry, i dont know what its called, and "dip" is the best word i can think of!) so now its not level with the fretboard, it dips down and is lower than the fretboard. we also decided on putting lightweight tuners on, so we made the headstock five millimeters thinner so the the lightweight tuners could fit on, and then drilled the holes for the tuners. [attachment=6914:shuker_day_3__2_.JPG] next job was to put frets in the neck - a job im sure many of you have done and only really involves smashing the fretwire with a hammer so im not going to go into detail about that. [attachment=6915:shuker_day_3__1_.JPG] finally was the job that took most of the day, carving the C shape in the neck with only a file. basically you start at either end of the neck, carve a basic C shape and feel it, then carry on carving with your file. when it feels like a neck should feel, carve the other end. then you use some tool (i cant remember its name - its sort of a wood thing with a blade that scrapes along the wood and scrapes strips off) to join the two together. [attachment=6916:shuker_day_3__3_.JPG] [attachment=6917:shuker_day_3__4_.JPG] and one my mum took of me carving the neck: [attachment=6918:shuker_day_3__7_.JPG] sorry about the blurred pictures - i took them all at the end of the day and i was in a rush. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiwi Posted March 26, 2008 Share Posted March 26, 2008 Did Jon give you any tips for making sure the neck was carved in a consistent and parallel way? Was there anything to stop you from taking a large chunk of wood out by mistake? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jono Posted March 26, 2008 Share Posted March 26, 2008 wow - loving that swamp ash and lacquer finish. I found routing the 'dip' very satisifying for some reason when i did it... It's amazing how a block of wood gradually becomes your neck... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tait Posted March 26, 2008 Author Share Posted March 26, 2008 [quote name='Crazykiwi' post='164032' date='Mar 26 2008, 08:05 PM']Did Jon give you any tips for making sure the neck was carved in a consistent and parallel way? Was there anything to stop you from taking a large chunk of wood out by mistake?[/quote] the answer to both of those is no - i think. he just told me to file it into a rounded shape and keep feeling the neck to make sure it feels like a neck should feel - anything that doesn't feel right, you make it feel right. he gave me a demonstration and began the carving of the end of the neck nearest the body, showing me how to carve it properly. whilst giving the demonstration he might have showed me how to carve in a consistent and parallel way, but if it did i took it in without realising, because every time he checked over it he said i was doing well, and just pointed out things like "carve a bit deeper over here". as for taking a large chunk of wood out by mistake, it was only a hand file and a sort of scraper tool - it would have been hard to take a large chunk out. i hope that answers your question. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jwbassman Posted March 26, 2008 Share Posted March 26, 2008 Hey this is going well, you're making it look easy - have you done this before I'd imagine the neck is the trickiest bit, guess you just have to keep checking, be confident with what you're doing and keep checking... Just 2 more days to go, bring it on home... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Finbar Posted March 26, 2008 Share Posted March 26, 2008 I'm sure when you make the assumption that putting frets in a neck is something many of us have done before, you're probably wrong! That lacquer has come up really nicely though Are either of the dogs there this week? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scoop Posted March 27, 2008 Share Posted March 27, 2008 The scraper thing - would that be a spoke shave? I'm dredging back over thirty years here to O level woodwork but "spoke shave" seems to ring a bell. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nash Posted March 27, 2008 Share Posted March 27, 2008 i want a telecaster shaped bass now. damn it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matt_citizenbass Posted March 27, 2008 Share Posted March 27, 2008 ^^ i know, same! i can't wait to see how this turns out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tait Posted March 27, 2008 Author Share Posted March 27, 2008 [quote name='Scoop' post='164201' date='Mar 27 2008, 12:21 AM']The scraper thing - would that be a spoke shave? I'm dredging back over thirty years here to O level woodwork but "spoke shave" seems to ring a bell.[/quote] that's the one! just got back from day four of the course. to be honest we didn't do anything too exciting today. i finished carving the neck with the spoke shave (thanks scoop!), sanded the lacquer on the body from yesterday so that it was flat, routed the musicman pickup, then we spent the rest of today lacquering. there was nothing much we could do whilst we were lacquering - we started cutting the nut, switched the blend on the seymour duncan tone circuit to a 3 way switch and sanded the edges of the scratchplate, small jobs like that, but mostly just played with ruby (jons dog) whilst we waited to put on the next coat. the neck's feeling lovely now, and the body's looking really cool. [attachment=6960:shuker_day_4__1_.JPG] [attachment=6961:shuker_day_4__2_.JPG] all looking good, but quite a hard day tommorow as we've got a lot to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Horse Murphy Posted March 27, 2008 Share Posted March 27, 2008 (edited) [quote name='lwtait' post='164686' date='Mar 27 2008, 06:36 PM']that's the one! just got back from day four of the course. to be honest we didn't do anything too exciting today. i finished carving the neck with the spoke shave (thanks scoop!), sanded the lacquer on the body from yesterday so that it was flat, routed the musicman pickup, then we spent the rest of today lacquering. there was nothing much we could do whilst we were lacquering - we started cutting the nut, switched the blend on the seymour duncan tone circuit to a 3 way switch and sanded the edges of the scratchplate, small jobs like that, but mostly just played with ruby (jons dog) whilst we waited to put on the next coat. the neck's feeling lovely now, and the body's looking really cool. [attachment=6960:shuker_day_4__1_.JPG] [attachment=6961:shuker_day_4__2_.JPG] all looking good, but quite a hard day tommorow as we've got a lot to do.[/quote] Looks better each day!! This is one of the best Posts on BC I've come across. I've been tuning every evening and looking forward to the next one each night. God knows what I'm going to do after tomorrow night. My wife says I'm sad How about we have a whip round and send you back to build another one during your next holiday!! Edited March 27, 2008 by Old Horse Murphy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noisyjon Posted March 27, 2008 Share Posted March 27, 2008 Looking good! Thanks for putting the pictures and commentary up as you go, it's much appreciated and facinating to see. Regards, Jon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jwbassman Posted March 27, 2008 Share Posted March 27, 2008 [quote name='Old Horse Murphy' post='164692' date='Mar 27 2008, 07:41 PM']Looks better each day!! This is one of the best Posts on BC I've come across. I've been tuning every evening and looking forward to the next one each night. God knows what I'm going to do after tomorrow night. My wife says I'm sad How about we have a whip round and send you back to build another one during your next holiday!![/quote] ^^Glad it's not just me then - thinking about it, it's kind of like a soap opera... only much better That neck is looking great, and I'm sure you're hard graft tomorrow will all be worth it, looking forward to seeing the end result, great job Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dood Posted March 27, 2008 Share Posted March 27, 2008 Totally agree! I have loved reading the thread. So good to see an instrument appearing before our eyes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MacDaddy Posted March 27, 2008 Share Posted March 27, 2008 [quote name='dood' post='164757' date='Mar 27 2008, 08:25 PM']Totally agree! I have loved reading the thread. So good to see an instrument appearing before our eyes![/quote] +1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldGit Posted March 27, 2008 Share Posted March 27, 2008 Ah so that's what "carving the neck" entails ... It's great to read about all these things . Thanks for bothering. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul, the Posted March 27, 2008 Share Posted March 27, 2008 There ought to be workshops that you can rent out and make instruments in. It looks like a lot of hard work, but not something that's impossible. Just my kind of thing. Great value for money, this. I hope to have a go one day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scoop Posted March 27, 2008 Share Posted March 27, 2008 [quote name='MacDaddy' post='164781' date='Mar 27 2008, 08:53 PM']+1 [/quote] +1 million. I've [b]really[/b] enjoyed this thread and your ASAT-alike is looking very very good. I suspect you're going to have every right to feel mighty proud of yourself when this is all over. Yours, Scoop Shave. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnnylager Posted March 27, 2008 Share Posted March 27, 2008 [quote name='lwtait' post='164686' date='Mar 27 2008, 06:36 PM']...and the body's looking really cool.[/quote] No sh*t tait, way cool. All of it is. An absolutely spanking job fella. I can't think where my next holiday's going to be spent.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MacDaddy Posted March 27, 2008 Share Posted March 27, 2008 lwtait, I hope you will be at the Bash? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tait Posted March 27, 2008 Author Share Posted March 27, 2008 (edited) [quote name='MacDaddy' post='164884' date='Mar 27 2008, 10:48 PM']lwtait, I hope you will be at the Bash?[/quote] afraid not, I've got a gig! (bet you can't guess which bass I'll be playing ) PS. jon's going, though. Edited March 27, 2008 by lwtait Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
d-basser Posted March 27, 2008 Share Posted March 27, 2008 I soooooo want to do this course now, looking great dude Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr pablo Posted March 27, 2008 Share Posted March 27, 2008 [quote name='d-basser' post='164929' date='Mar 27 2008, 11:30 PM']I soooooo want to do this course now, looking great dude[/quote] +1000000000000 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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