Beer of the Bass Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 I have a five string I built a while ago using an OLP neck. As the B string response has never been fantastic and I have trouble getting the relief right, I've decided to put together a new neck for it. I could have approached this by working on the existing neck, but I like a project! I've got hold of a neck blank and pre-slotted fingerboard from David Dyke, both are AA grade plain flat-sawn maple. I'm going to use a double action truss rod and a pair of 6mm square carbon fibre rods to help with stiffness. I'm working on drawing up some plans at the moment, and trying to decide between copying the Stingray headstock shape or coming up with something original. My next step will be to ask around various friends and see if I can borrow a router from one of them to do the channels for the rods. Here's the bass as it is at the moment, and my materials for the new neck. More to follow... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beer of the Bass Posted February 9, 2014 Author Share Posted February 9, 2014 This morning I've been playing around with different headstock shapes on paper. I'm constrained by having large Schaller BM tuners which I want to keep, so they can't be too close together. After a couple of abandoned efforts, I realised that the lines of the Stingray 5 headstock are more elegant than anything else I could come up with to fit these tuners. So I've ended up with more or less a straight rip-off of the MM headstock, but with the little point at the tip rounded off, as I don't feel it compliments this body. I also realised that I can't draw a smooth curve to save myself, and I should have paid more attention to technical drawing in school! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beer of the Bass Posted February 11, 2014 Author Share Posted February 11, 2014 Hmm, it turns out that finding a friend to borrow a router from is a bit of a stumbling block. I may have to buy a cheap one at this rate... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henry norton Posted February 14, 2014 Share Posted February 14, 2014 [quote name='Beer of the Bass' timestamp='1391949806' post='2362862'] This morning I've been playing around with different headstock shapes on paper. I'm constrained by having large Schaller BM tuners which I want to keep, so they can't be too close together. After a couple of abandoned efforts, I realised that the lines of the Stingray 5 headstock are more elegant than anything else I could come up with to fit these tuners. So I've ended up with more or less a straight rip-off of the MM headstock, but with the little point at the tip rounded off, as I don't feel it compliments this body. I also realised that I can't draw a smooth curve to save myself, and I should have paid more attention to technical drawing in school! [/quote] It's different enough - you're fairly limited when it comes to 4+1 headstocks anyway. If I can offer some unsolicited advice it would be to draw out your headstock sketches with the tuners drawn on too (not just the string posts) - it'll give you a much clearer picture of what it'll be like when it's all together. Looking forward to some more instalments Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beer of the Bass Posted February 14, 2014 Author Share Posted February 14, 2014 (edited) [quote name='henry norton' timestamp='1392362715' post='2367737'] It's different enough - you're fairly limited when it comes to 4+1 headstocks anyway. If I can offer some unsolicited advice it would be to draw out your headstock sketches with the tuners drawn on too (not just the string posts) - it'll give you a much clearer picture of what it'll be like when it's all together. Looking forward to some more instalments [/quote] I've tried tracing out the tuner baseplates onto it to check that they fit, but haven't drawn on the actual buttons yet. I should probably do that. I haven't managed to borrow a router yet, but a friend has offered the use of their table saw to cut the channels for the truss rod and CF rods. That seems workable to remove the bulk of the material, but I'd still need to use a drill and chisel for the ends of the channels. Although I'm still somewhat inclined to keep searching for a cheap router... Everything after the truss rod channel I'm happy enough doing with the hand tools I have available. Edited February 14, 2014 by Beer of the Bass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beer of the Bass Posted February 27, 2014 Author Share Posted February 27, 2014 (edited) No pictures today (as my cheapie digital camera is playing up), but I've picked up a basic router from Screwfix and routed out the channels in the neck. The router is very much a case of "you get what you pay for" as out of the box, the plastic pads on the parallel fence were wonkily moulded and caused the router to rock, which would have led to a couple of millimetres play - too big a tolerance for a truss rod route. I had to take a file to the plastic and true it up before I could use it. Once I'd done that it did the job OK though. Next up will be gluing in the CF rods, cutting the neck to a rough outline and gluing on the fingerboard. Edited February 27, 2014 by Beer of the Bass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beer of the Bass Posted March 7, 2014 Author Share Posted March 7, 2014 My camera seems to be behaving right now and I've made a bit of progress with the neck. The CF rods are epoxied in, one was a just a hair proud of the surface so I had to scrape it level. I've cut out the rough outline and planed the sides of the neck, while the headstock outline still needs a little tidying. I did this with an ordinary rip saw for the straight lines and a coping saw for the headstock. This was a bit of a workout, and I remembered why they call it rock maple! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beer of the Bass Posted March 13, 2014 Author Share Posted March 13, 2014 Cutting out the nut slot with a small Japanese hobby saw and a little 1/8" chisel I rummaged out of a car boot sale for the job: Then on to gluing the fingerboard. I used three small tacks to stop it from slipping while clamping, two through the 21st fret slot and one through the nut slot, so that the holes will not be visible when they are removed. The clamping itself could have gone better - I skimped a bit and didn't make a proper caul, thinking I had enough clamps to spread the load well enough. Of course, I should have used some heftier clamps and a caul, but I didn't fully realise that until I had the glue on! I ended up clamping one side in my little work bench and the other side with my cheap plastic clamps. I think I've got it done well enough, but this is definitely on my list of things to plan better and do differently next time... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beer of the Bass Posted March 22, 2014 Author Share Posted March 22, 2014 A little more progress; I got hold of a 12" radius block and applied the radius for the fingerboard. Here it is at the start of the sanding - I made pencil marks all over the board so that I could see where material was being removed. Then on to drilling for the marker dots. I'm using 8mm black pearl dots, for a touch of bling. I then glued in the dots using CA glue and sanded them level. They are not quite levelled in this picture. I've also tidied up the headstock outline, but didn't take a picture of that. I still need to round the corners of the neck at the heel to match the pocket. Next I'm going to do the side dots and drill the tuner holes. Fretting will come after than, then I'll start profiling the back of the neck. It's slowly looking more and more like a neck... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beer of the Bass Posted June 27, 2014 Author Share Posted June 27, 2014 (edited) After getting a bit distracted with other things for a while, I've pulled this back out and done some more work on it, though I keep forgetting to take photographs. I've added the side dots (2mm black plastic rod), drilled the tuner holes, cut the headstock depth and shaped the curve behind the nut. I'm leaving the back of the neck square to make fretting easier, and I'll contour it after fretting. Photos to follow soon. I also need to think about a headstock decal - I want to put my surname (Beer) on it, but I need to experiment a little with fonts and printing with laser decal paper... Edited June 27, 2014 by Beer of the Bass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beer of the Bass Posted June 30, 2014 Author Share Posted June 30, 2014 Photos! Corners rounded off and side dots added: Headstock cut down to depth and curved into fingerboard. Still some finish sanding to do here; And on to the frets. After experimenting with a rubber mallet (too light) and a regular hammer with a block of maple (too easy to mark the board), I ended up using a hammer with a piece of leather stuck to the end to avoid denting the frets and board. I'm using quite small frets here, close to vintage Fender size. This is mostly because I had some of this size fretwire in the house from another project! This felt like a job that would get easier with practice, but I got it done to my satisfaction eventually. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beer of the Bass Posted July 15, 2014 Author Share Posted July 15, 2014 I've been starting to shape the back of the neck. The intention is to shape it at the nut end and heel end, then join those up. I think I've got the profile at the nut end close to where I want it, though there's still some smoothing to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horizontalste Posted July 15, 2014 Share Posted July 15, 2014 Looking really good. What finish (if any) are you going for? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beer of the Bass Posted July 15, 2014 Author Share Posted July 15, 2014 I'm going to use Tru-Oil (musicman style), for a fairly minimal but still finished feel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horizontalste Posted July 15, 2014 Share Posted July 15, 2014 [quote name='Beer of the Bass' timestamp='1405432877' post='2501855'] I'm going to use Tru-Oil (musicman style), for a fairly minimal but still finished feel. [/quote] I hear ya! I have a Stingray with an unfinished neck & when its got about ten coats of gunstock wax on it feels & looks great, I do wish it was lacquered sometimes though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beer of the Bass Posted July 21, 2014 Author Share Posted July 21, 2014 (edited) I've finished carving the back of the neck. I started by hogging a load of material off with a surform, then when I got closer to the desired profile I used a spokeshave for a slightly smoother cut. A small block plane proved useful too. The transitions at the headstock and heel were shaped partly by carving with a chisel and partly with a rasp, then smoothed with sandpaper wrapped round a large dowel. Now I just have lots of sanding to do before applying the first coat of oil. I've ended up with a somewhat visible glue line between the fingerboard and neck. This is less than ideal, but the joint seems solid and I think it is mostly due to carbon fibre dust darkening the glueing surface of the neck where I had to sand down the top of the rods slightly. If I do this again, I will make sure to route the slots slightly deeper so that the rods sit a hair below the neck surface. Edited July 21, 2014 by Beer of the Bass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rubis Posted July 21, 2014 Share Posted July 21, 2014 Very nice job there, you must be well chuffed with that. Hope it plays as well as it looks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beer of the Bass Posted July 24, 2014 Author Share Posted July 24, 2014 I've done some more sanding and the first coat of tru-oil is on. Unfortunately my camera batteries are dead! I'm also doing some experimenting with decal paper. It's just going to say "beer" (my surname) in Helvetica Neue lt 75 outline font, with the centre filled in with silver paint pen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beer of the Bass Posted July 25, 2014 Author Share Posted July 25, 2014 (edited) I've been carrying on with the tru-oil. This is three coats in, and I don't think I'll go much further, though I think I'll use steel wool and Briwax for a bit of a sheen. The last time I used tru-oil, I left too much on and had to do loads of cutting back to get it even. This time I've wiped it on with a coffee filter and tried to leave only enough to barely wet the surface, which seems to work much better. The wood is looking quite pretty in an understated sort of way, much nicer than the yellow "vintage" matt poly on the old neck. I've also tru-oiled an offcut from the headstock to try out my decal idea. I was toying with the idea of trying to get it ready for my gig tomorrow, but I reckon I'd be better to take my time and do a decent job of the fret-dressing and nut. Edited July 25, 2014 by Beer of the Bass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beer of the Bass Posted July 25, 2014 Author Share Posted July 25, 2014 I've done a quick test of my decal using an offcut from the headstock. I've reversed the image and printed it to laser decal paper, then filled in the letters with silver paint pen. The decal is then soaked off its backing and applied to the headstock. Because the decal paper is used the wrong way round, I have added a drop or two of PVA to the water to help things stick. I've applied the decal over a couple of coats of tru-oil, allowed it to dry then added a couple more coats over the top and they seem to be compatible. I'm not sure whether I want to leave the decal as plain as this or perhaps add a couple of words in smaller text. I think I like this font though - it's nice and simple and not reminiscent of a particular maker. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rubis Posted July 25, 2014 Share Posted July 25, 2014 Very tidy job Mr Beer, may I ask where you got the decal paper from and which kind it is. As I understand it, there are more than one kind and I'm not sure which to get Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beer of the Bass Posted July 25, 2014 Author Share Posted July 25, 2014 Cheers! The decal paper was the clear laserjet version from this chap on eBay, though he seems to be out of stock at the moment. [url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1-X-INKJET-OR-LASERJET-WATERSLIDE-DECAL-PAPER-CLEAR-WHITE-BLUE-BACK-/321461032416?pt=UK_Crafts_Other_Crafts_EH&var=510356810014&hash=item4ad89215e0"]http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1-X-INKJET-OR-LASERJET-WATERSLIDE-DECAL-PAPER-CLEAR-WHITE-BLUE-BACK-/321461032416?pt=UK_Crafts_Other_Crafts_EH&var=510356810014&hash=item4ad89215e0[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beer of the Bass Posted July 29, 2014 Author Share Posted July 29, 2014 It's getting perilously close to being a finished neck now! The headstock decal is on and I've coated over it with several coats of tru-oil. Hopefully that will be enough to stop it from peeling. I've roughly cut the nut too, which I'll finish during the setup. Next I need to level and crown the frets. I have a gig on Saturday, so hopefully I'll have it together for that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beer of the Bass Posted August 1, 2014 Author Share Posted August 1, 2014 Just in time for my gig tomorrow, I've got it done. Frets being polished after levelling and crowning. I went back and bevelled the edges a little more after this photo, as I realised they still felt a little prominent. I levelled them with sandpaper over a long sanding block, crowned them with a three-corner file and polished with various grades of wet and dry paper and one of those little fingernail polishers from Boots. They're just several grades of fine abrasive on a foam block and I find them very convenient for this job! I checked the fit of the neck in the neck pocket and found that it had ended up a touch narrower than the old neck, leaving a gap. It was a small gap and I could have left it, but I chose to fit some matching veneer along one side of the pocket to keep things snug. I had to enlarge the truss rod adjustment cavity a little, as the old neck had a wheel adjustment and the new one is an allen key type. I may make I plastic cover for the cavity, I'm not sure yet. Here's the headstock with all of it's hardware. I used a Hipshot three-string retainer as I felt the old round button didn't give a very good back-angle on the G-string. I cut the nut from a piece of Buffalo horn. I probably won't choose this material next time as the dust smells even worse than bone dust and it doesn't look much different from black plastic once its done. I tried to keep the level of the top fairly low so that only about half of the string sits in the slot. The finished bass plays better than it did before, the truss rod works well to adjust the relief and I prefer the smaller frets. There are a couple of blemishes like file marks, the less-than-invisible glue line and some spots where I should have spent longer finish sanding, but I guess those are part of the learning experience. I [i]think[/i] the stiffer neck has helped the B-string response, though it's hard to be definite about these things. With flatwounds there is a certain amount of thump (especially higher up the neck on the low strings), but the B does sound like it belongs with the other four. Of course, the issue with projects like this is that I'm all enthused about building stuff and wondering what I'll do next. Perhaps a cheeky five-string Ric-inspired bass... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JPJ Posted August 1, 2014 Share Posted August 1, 2014 [quote name='Beer of the Bass' timestamp='1406901782' post='2515779'] Perhaps a cheeky five-string Ric-inspired bass... [/quote] BANNED! Seriously though, great work on the neck. I've made a few bodies now and I have it in my head to make a neck next but I doubt I'll achieve this standard. Well done, go buy yourself a beer you deserve it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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