Bass VI project

[tylereot]

I figured I should post this here, since it was you guys who really introduced me to the Bass VI, and suggested I should build one. 

Having made friends with a neighbor who builds guitars in a great shop in a converted garage, he invited me to do the body from scratch.  I ordered the neck from USACG, as Warmoth's neck is a little wider, and the plans I got from Paul Rhoney would have to be modified to accept the wider neck.  Rob at USACG has been great to work with.

Anyway, I got the plans in a .pdf format, and had them printed out at Kinkos.  They're not as kinky as the name might suggest.
We got a nice slab of poplar, way under budget, cut and glued it up.  Mark has a cool little jig for doing this kind of thing...

I fiddled with the plans a bit, to Jazzmasterize the body shape, and transfered that to the poplar, which has been planed down a little thinner than usual at 1 5/8" thick.  It's going to be heavy, anyway.

Then on to the spindle sander...

It's starting to look like a guitar!!

So I went down to the local plastic place, to see if they could just laser me out a template for the trem, pickups, neck pocket, etc. 
Not so fast, son!  $175, and 4 weeks?  Nevermind, I'll do it myself.

So today I cut out the template, making a lot of snow for next years nativity scenes.

 

[Cagey]

Since you're not required to adhere to any licensing silliness, I'd strongly advise you to cut channels between the pickup cavities and lower horn switch cavity, as well as between the pickup cavity and the control cavity. Normally, those are just holes drilled between the barriers, but doing it that way makes life extraordinarily difficult and there's no good reason for it. You want to be able to lay the wires in, rather than thread them.

 

[tylereot]

You're a very smart feller, Cagey. 
I haven't quite had time to think about those kind of things, but that makes perfect sense.
Also no reason not to make such cavities a little larger, depending upon the plates covering (which should be here presently).  Just to make it easier to get stuff in/out.
I'm only going to use a three switch pickup selector plate, so I should probably hold off on any body routing until I get that.  In case that cavity will be too big for the end screws of the plate.

 

[Cagey]

Not so much smart as road-worn. I just wrestled a Jaguar together, and it was an enlightening experience. I know why Fender called them "premium" guitars back in the day. It wasn't that there was anything particularly special about them, they were just a cast iron bitch to build so they had to charge more for them.

 

[tylereot]

The neck arrived, and I'm setting up to do the inlay.
The plan: the neck was only partly finished, and the fretboard only partly radius sanded by USACG.
I put down some painters tape, and glued the blocks in position. I'll cut around them, and remove the tape and shell.
Then route out the rosewood to a depth where the pearl will stand just proud of the fretboard. Then it goes back for a final radius sand and fretting. I'll probably wait until they return it to do the headstock modification and the headstock inlay.

I really appreciate that USACG was happy to do the process like this, working with me to do the inlay, and the professional fretboard finishing should be worth the turnaround time. Not to mention, that I've never done fretboard inlay, or fretting before... 

 

[alterbridgefan]

Looks great. will you be reshaping the headstock to look more like a fender stock, or leave it?

 

[tylereot]

Hey, Altar!
I'm thinking I'll probably reshape it.  It's just kinda awkward looking.  But I'll probably leave that until I'm done with the blocks, and it comes back from finish sand and fretting.
I've got an idea for the headstock, simple and elegant (I hope..).

Started the routing a bit today...

Saving some of the dust for filling boo-boos...

 

[tylereot]

Inlay is in.  Once the routing was done, and the blocks fit was checked, I laid down a coat of thin CA glue, just to fill and flatten the bottom of the route.  Once that dried, I laid down a heavier coat of thicker CA gel and squished the shell into it.  I rubbed rosewood dust into the cracks surrounding the shell, and then flooded that with the thin CA.
The shell is all proud of the rosewood surface.  It's pretty ugly now, but USACG will sand the fretboard down a little, making the shell flush with the surface.  This rosewood is pretty purple, and more than a little dry.  So when it comes back, it's getting a good oiling.  That should darken it, and the CA/dust around the blocks won't stand out.  I hope.

Closer...

 

[Scuffcakes]

I love watching projects like this.  Thanks for the updates.  It's looking great so far.

 

[Cagey]

You and me both. Always something to learn.

 

[tylereot]

Great, thanks guys!

I've run into a little snag: the lower control plate.  I ordered a Jaguar lower plate, which it seems curves the wrong direction, and is a little small for the larger guitar.
I could:
1-Wait a few months for the next Paul Rhoney order... $45
2-Cut myself a pickguard that would cover it (dang, that would need a 14" piece of pickguard material!!  Or make it a two piece pickguard...).
3- Cut the control plates myself out of .125" copper plate.  Hm... copper...
I wonder if I could copper plate the trem unit, and tuners...?
Dang, these things just take on a life of their own.  :doh:

 

[tylereot]

I've run into a little snag: the lower control plate.  I ordered a Jaguar lower plate, which it seems curves the wrong direction, and is a little small for the larger guitar.
I could:
1-Wait a few months for the next Paul Rhoney order... $45
2-Cut myself a pickguard that would cover it (dang, that would need a 14" piece of pickguard material!!  Or make it a two piece pickguard...).
3- Cut the control plates myself out of .125" copper plate.  Hm... copper...
I wonder if I could copper plate the trem unit, and tuners...?
Dang, these things just take on a life of their own.  :doh:

Ha!  Problem esolved!  Lower control plate on it's way from Prague due to another Bass VI enthusiast on the OSG forum.

 

[tylereot]

Got some of the routing done today.  The neck pocket and cavities, anyway.  Thinking about the route between the pickups and switches, and the control cavity, I can see why they did it this way.  If there's any gap between the pickguard and the control/switch plates, you'd see an unsightly route full of wires.  I may kick myself for not following Cagey's wisdom, but at this point I'm thinking of leaving it as Fender designed it.

About half routed....

Neck is in the pocket and it's tight as a two year old.  Gives you an idea of the size, in comparison to a few of Mark's guitars (mostly 25" scales).

 

[Cagey]

If the fit of your pickguard/control plates is so sloppy that you'd see wires through the gaps, you need to re-evaluate your suppliers (or your own skills if you're making them yourself).

Believe me, this isn't like trying to stuff the wires in under a Strat 'guard (where you DO have channels). With separate pieces, it becomes very inconvenient to wire the thing. Plus, if you use shielded cable like a good noise-hating boy, you need lotsa room for the wire which means very large through-holes. May as well route the bitches out and save yourself some grief and the cost of large aircraft bits.

 

[tylereot]

True, Cagey.  Still thinking. 
Other conundrums: I've got access to a vintage red two pole switch.  If I put the whole 4 switch array in there with three black switches, do the whole shebang in a subtle metallic black, pearloid guard...with One. Red. Switch.  That would sync the bridge and middle pickups in series.

But, I'd have to cut my own four switch plate out of brass, and have it plated or some krap.

 

[Updown]

Great work  :icon_thumright:

Could you please be so kind and tell me.
What sort of routing tool that is ? .... I'm looking for one that does small stuff like what your doing.

What sort of depth are you going ? or does that depend on the inlays  :dontknow:

Thanks  :icon_thumright:

 

[Cagey]

It's StewMac's "Precision Router Base" for the Dremel motor. See here.

 

[tylereot]

Great work  :icon_thumright:

Could you please be so kind and tell me.
What sort of routing tool that is ? .... I'm looking for one that does small stuff like what your doing.

What sort of depth are you going ? or does that depend on the inlays  :dontknow:

Thanks  :icon_thumright:

That tool is just a Black and Decker version of the Dremel rotary tool.  It's shown in a routing jig I got from StewMac.  All kinds of bits are available, depending upon what you're doing.  I use a diamond blade to cut pearl, and a set of tiny router bits to cut the inlay depth.  Inlay blanks come in different thicknesses, so the depth you're routing is likely different, but it runs about a millimeter to two millimeters deep.  I squared up the corners with a chisel and a craft knife.  You leave a the pearl a little proud of the rosewood, so that it can all be sanded flush.

 

[tylereot]

Finished the body sculpting this weekend.  We used a (I think) 3/4" roundover bit for the edges, so she'll be curvy.  A grinder with a willd looking chainsaw blade carved out the arm and body contours...

We got started on the sanding, but there's a lot of this to come....

 

[tylereot]

Body sanding well underway.  I opened wiring channels between the pickup and control routes, per Cagey's advice.  I've been all over this with 320 at this point.  Still finding some sanding marks on the bottom.

Y'know, poplar is a very pretty wood, once you get going with it.  It's fairly soft, like ash, so I'm being super careful any time I pick it up, or put it down.  It gets wrapped in a towel like a baby!

You'll see a little knot on the back, which we filled with CA twice.  If I close my eyes, my fingers can't find it.  Still, black paint will find boo-boos my hands and eyes won't, I'm sure.