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Hello, calling all Bass builders out there

About to embark on a build for a friend, normally stick to the old Acoustic guitars but this will be my first electric soloid body build.

Its a headless design, with a 5 way laminated through neck design

Neck will be Flamed maple, Bubinga, Flamed maple with a couple of dark stained fibre pieces inbetween
Body wings will be Ash with a figured Cocobolo 4mm cap.

Now thsi ay sound like a dumb question, and sorry for my ignorance, but I am in the process of figuring out the best way to construct this as the Cocobolo cap will be book matched and cover the entire top surface - now given this is a throughneck design does anyone have any construction tips/advice on how to get an exact 'join' and so no step between the cocobolo and where the through neck 'meets the body so that when the fingerboard is attached there is an nice astetic - sorry If I am struggling to describe this, but think of a normal throughneck design where the neck lam is visable to the frot and its easy to simply fit the fret board - but I will need to have a 4mm 'step' in the neckso that the Cocobolo will butt up nice.... any tips on this if anyone has understood what I mean?

I think what your saying is that you don't want to see the laminates on the body? I did the same style on a guitar I'm building now, and I cut the neckthru part away from where the fretboard ends to the end of the body on the band saw, only as deep as my top was, since I didn't need an angle neck for the style I built. It worked well, and then I bookmatched the maple top as normal and left a cut out where the fretboard would fit in.
that's what worked for me, if you need an angled neck, I'm sure someone else will chime in.
Hope I helped

I do not normally do neck thrus, but I always do set necks.

I build my body and neck and install the two of them. After I prepare my top cap, I measure out and draw on the fretboard/ neck template that will protrude from the body laminate through the top laminate, and cut it out with a bandsaw or scroll saw. I do this very carefully. Then I sand to match until the top cap just drops over the neck portion. I have pictures some place that may help...I just need to find them.

Stephen

http://ziegenfussguitars.blogspot.com/s ... date=false (this shows a little bit)

http://ziegenfussguitars.blogspot.com/s ... date=false (this shows it again)

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Thanks both

Lovely guitars by the way! I tried to persuade my dear friend to go with a set neck...but to no avail - cheeky chap said I should enjoy the challenge! Which i probably will when done cussing etc...

The design is made easier in that the neck is parallel to the the body (a la Rickenbacker) so I guess just got to decide on where to place the 'step'

I'll post a few pics when I get started for additiuonal tips along teh way if thats OK - wood arrived a few weeks ago so still acclimatizing, but should be starting thin in a week or so...

Thanks

Frank

If I want a truly seamless look I bookmatch and glue the top to the guitar before I glue the fretboard on, gluing the fretboard over the bookmatched top. It's a little trickier but the look can't be beat.

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Old growth, shmold growth!

I just build neck throughs with figured caps . I measure and trace the caps then bond them after the neck is set into the body. I always leave about 1/4 around the outer edge and then sand into flush .
The only difficulties I've had are some shifting when the glue is setting ( very minor) and making sure the neck interface is dead on .

I typically add a center accent strip of contrasting wood and abalone for aesthetics, it isn't needed but has become a signature item so I continue

I've contemplated this a bit. My idea is to make a template that matches your fretboard exactly in reverse, which would also work for routing your neck pocket if your fretboard were flush with the end of the neck, as would be a bolt on or set. If you have your fretboard to shape already, you can use that to make this template. I always like to super glue some square scraps of MDF to a fresh piece, butted up against the fretboard as to create a tight fit, then use this makeshift template to route a real one underneath it. I've always gotten nice tight fits with this method.

There's two cents if you need it.

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Thanks for all the helpful suggestions, much appreciated. Some progress has been made and I think I have a solution.

Below is a pic of the neck and wings now glued up. The plan is to rout flat the portion of the through neck to the body where the cocobolo cap will sit and use a router jig to create a diagonal cut between the points where the upper and lower horns will meet the neck. An exact copy of this will be cut into the cap. The cap will then slide into position and be glued down. The neck will then be planed to the the top level of the cap and the finger board will then cover the join and sit over the cap creating a perfect clean line....the body outline will then be cut out and in theory it should look nice....that is the plan anyway, so will keep you posted on how it goes.

I do have a couple of questions on the sequence of the next few steps.

1. I think it might be a good idea to rout the control cavities and pick up cavities (+ wire chanel as have an EMG precision set) before the 4mm cap goes on? Then for final fit only need to rout through the cap and drill the holes for the pots etc...thoughts?

2. Next up will be routing the channels for the dual action truss rod and carbon fibre reinforcements

thoughts/tips very welcome

Pic 1: the body meets the neck - shows the throughneck portion that will be routed back to the level of the body



Pic 2: the bookmatched Cocobolo cap planed/to 4mm

Just a comment - that Coco is sweet!

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Managed to break a £35 router bit whislt removeing the large amount of wood for the cocobolo cap recess - thankfully wear the googles as it came flying!

Still need to use teh same angled jig on the cap to get a perfect fit.

that is one pretty piece of wood!

Is nice Was originally bought as part of am acoustic B+S set about 2 years ago, but simply likely to be too unstaable for that... the sides were both straight grain QS. When my friend who the bass is for saw the colour under a bit of meth, spirit, it was perfect for a solid top... I amanged to find a nice QS back set to match the sides I had spair so we wer all happy - seriously the coulour under a finisnh will be a glorious rich red - will look stunning, so need to keep my wits about me on this one...

Should have some update/progress pic by the weekend as will have the truss rod and carbon fibre rods in by then and hopefull the control cavities marked out and cable channels routed.

Not too much been happening since work work been taking over, but got the truss rod in and carbon fibre reinforcements in the neck...as well as planing down to the correct height...

...Its been a while... work, work and more work in the the old day job department getting in the way of more serious loo theory

But some good progress made this weekend and with a week off next week, should get it to the point of a pre set up prior to finish prep.

Mananged to rout the body shape and

First up a pic of the clamping of the Cocobolo top



Then here are a couple with the cap routed flusg to the body edge





And finally, have begun the fun process of carving out the body contours on the back - very rough at the moment



Loads more to come this week, have to get this sucker finished by mid May!

...PS. This is my first comissioned build ...well up to a point, in that I am doing it for a friend at cost of materials.... but I recently aquired the exact sister set of that Cocobolo and am tempting him with a fretless as a matched pair....

Two words Frank,
Kill-er!
Man, that really looks great!
Thanks for the inspiration!
Dan

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It looks like your top is flush with the neck without the fretboard on. I hope you either angled your neck or are planning to recess the bridge, or else you might be in for a surprise. If I'm right, the fretboard height plus frets will probably not be high enough to allow a low enough bridge setting to be reasonably playable. Unless I'm wrong or your fretboard is super duper thick, or you're going to recess the bridge into the body quite a bit, you're in for some issues.

P.S. Make sure you put your logo on there. That way you're not just working for cost, you're advertising.

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There is slight angle on the neck, but in addition the bridge is to be recessed. As to logo, its going on the back on the control cover plate - Fretboard is without markers (just side dots) so very clean look.

Fair bit done today, fret board now glued on...well clamped overnight. The Pic below shows a very dry string up - just a check to ensure I did my sums right and accurate centre line, so checking alignment before gluing down.. sort of an impression of what the finished product will look like - there are Chrome knobs and Black EMG Active PJX PUs to go on this, still need to route teh PU cavities and the recess for the bridge + the 'tuner' also needs to be lowered, but thats probably Friday.... Now have two days to profile teh neck and finish the body contours...

Oh very good. Looks nice, except the headless, which I will never like. But as long as I imagine one being there it looks great!

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Began the neck shaping today using my very old wooden (flamed maple) spoke shave - works a treat!



Got as far as the first sand to 120grit - will allow future owner to have a feel of the neck before next stage



Tomorrow is work some more on the body contours and make the control cavity plate

Not a huge aamount done...

Finished the Control cavity cover (with rebated battery box)
Routed the pick up cavities and bridge recess
Droped in side postion markers (2mm white MOP)
Radiused Fret board - Compound 12"-16" radius

So whats left...

er, drop in my Kingfisher logo on 12th fret and ..... sand, sand, sand.... ready for finish

Heardware just laid on to give a feel for how it will look... although cant wiat to get a finish on that Cocobolo... should look pretty sweet.





The logo is only 14mmm in length - this is the second one as the first lost its tiny beek! Just sat on the fret board for now... he still needs a wee sand.

Looking fantastic frank! I love that coco top.

Very nice work , the cocobolo is delicious

Nice cocobolo! I like the kingfisher inlay too. It's a decapitated bass too. Nice!


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