The Guitar Project [Archive]

Slithers

04-07-2005, 12:32

Some of you might know that im starting building guitars, got all me equipment and materials now so should be startin next week.

Hopefully bass guitar number 1 should look like this:

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b206/Le_smithier/geeetar.jpg

Any thoughts on how it looks in a draft design state?

big hp

04-07-2005, 12:57

Like a guitar :roll: :wink:

Sorry :twisted:

northy

04-07-2005, 13:11

looks amazing mate...i wish you all the luck as its so hard to get a idea up and running...if u want any flyers, stickers doing give me a shout.

KingStromba

04-07-2005, 13:12

Pm Klaus. He is the guitar master.

Swervin_Mervin

04-07-2005, 13:12

If you need a hand on owt gis a shout Matt. Touched my bass for the first time in 5yrs last week!

FlamingMonkey

04-07-2005, 13:20

Looks good Matt, only 1 string short of a real guitar :wink:

Swervin_Mervin

04-07-2005, 13:29

Bloody gaylord guitar players.

2 live

04-07-2005, 14:31

it hasnt got any strings.............

good luck with the new venture fella hope it all goes to plan for ya

Swervin_Mervin

04-07-2005, 15:56

Just one thought though Matt. Would it not be best to start with a 4 string? 5 strings tend to need 2 neck rods (or whatever they're called I can't remember anymore) don't they?

FlamingMonkey

04-07-2005, 16:07

^^ Truss rods 8)

Slithers

04-07-2005, 16:22

you can get away with a single truss rod in a five string, but im gonna sling some carbon fibre supports in there for good measure.

+ im building a 7 piece wenge \ walnut \ maple laminate neck with cascamite so its going to be fairly rigid to begin with.

If any of u bassists or guitarists want to test it when its complete you more than welcome.

Swervin_Mervin

04-07-2005, 16:27

:twisted: Go on then.

Cheers Rob. I used to know these things.

Matt, maybe you can take a look at my bass when I get it from the 'rents. It had some work done a while ago for a warped neck, but it still doesn't feel right to me.

AFAIK it's a one piece Ash neck. I don't know whether it's the Badass bridge that needs sinking in to the body to sort it or what.

Slithers

04-07-2005, 16:36

Is it a really high action thats giving you trouble?

if so the neck angle might have been messed up during sorting the warping.

if its a bow in the centre of the neck give it a 1/2 turn on the truss rod to see if that reliefs the bow and vice versa for a raised bow.

if its beyond repair ill build a new neck for ya as i have a stack of maple that winging its way from the states that i dont really need.

Slithers

04-07-2005, 16:37

oh and a shit load of wenge

Swervin_Mervin

04-07-2005, 17:04

It always had a high action Matt, and also a high tension. Nothig turning the rod could fix.

In the end I took it to a guy we knew at Sound Control that built basses on the side. It was massively better but still not right. He had told SC to nob off when I got chance to go back.

It just feels different to say, when I pick up a Musicman or Warwick. Almost like there's less strain, with those, on the finger muscles to hold the string on the frets correctly. Mine kills your fingers especially when playing for a while or spanning a long way over frets.

I do think the body should be routed though for the bridge but it's something else I've never had done.

When I get it back I'll pop round with it for your verdict. Other than that it rocks big ones though. It's only a passive one, but the Bartolinis in it kill a lot of amps. My mate used it once for a set and blew someone's rig! Had to play it through the active port! Odd though 'costhe bartolinis came off his old bass and that never had anything like the gain mine seems to. :twisted:

(it's an ESP 400 BTW)

Slithers

04-07-2005, 17:09

routing a recess for the bridge shouldn't be a problem

i know this might sound daft but have the bridge saddles been moved around as that can make a load of difference to the tension of the strings.

also try a set of la bella light guage slappers, i love those strings sooooo much, thin as buggery but carry a shit load of weight.

www.stringbusters.co.uk

they do em quite cheap.

Swervin_Mervin

04-07-2005, 17:11

Can't even remember what strings I used to use mate. :oops: Bass Eiltes I think.

Always went for the 45 guage IIRC.

Slithers

04-07-2005, 17:16

La bella Custom light slappers code sn40, if u need new strings try them, only 13 quid aswell.

http://www.zencatalog.com/Stringbuster/

Slithers

05-07-2005, 18:26

Just ordered 2 24" long carbon fibre rods for the neck support set me back £30.00......grrrrrrr

VIPERONE

05-07-2005, 23:51

i make the best guitars :-). les paul was one of my numbers

Slithers

12-07-2005, 17:00

***UPDATE***

Carbon fibre rods arrived, theyre strong as feck

Started building the neck, have encountered the following problems so far:

Its too hot to work.

The planer is way too loud.

Ran out of wood for the neck, had to buy some more wenge, cost me 60 quid for a 8ft run of the shit.

Swervin_Mervin

12-07-2005, 17:35

I've been meaning to ask you WTF wenge is Matt. So here goes:

What is wenge Matt?

Slithers

12-07-2005, 17:49

Wenge is a very dark very dense and very hard wood

Comes from africa, abundant in cameroon IIRC

Very expensive as you can tell.

Great for necks and bodies as it resonates like buggery

Weighs a fukkin tonne

Looks amazing when planed parallel to the grain

This wenge (one in middle)

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b206/Le_smithier/DSCF0759.jpg

Swervin_Mervin

12-07-2005, 23:27

Cool.

I might have to pop along and check out this operation!

Slithers

13-07-2005, 19:05

Seen as building the necks on hold until thie other load of wenge arrives i started work on the body today, quite chuffed with how the bubinga wood comes out.

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b206/Le_smithier/DSCF0768.jpg

The woods that are shown in the design sketch will be laminated on top of this body piece.

Swervin_Mervin

20-07-2005, 14:35

Just ordered a set of Ernie Ball Hybrid Slinkys. 8)

Slithers

29-07-2005, 12:58

Right projects been stalled a bit as of late due to waiting on a new piece of equipment:

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b206/Le_smithier/DSCF0844.jpg

^^Thicknesser Planer

But as a result finally started getting the neck together, glueing one side to another takes a whole day to dry so these 5 pieces have taken me 4 days to stick together and theres another 2 to go on either side:

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b206/Le_smithier/DSCF0845.jpg

Walnut, wenge, maple and sapele neck soon to be :D

VIPERONE

29-07-2005, 19:10

Slithers.. can i have my money back please.

http://homepage3.nifty.com/nono_cry/okusokutai/images/brokenguitar.jpg

Dancliovalver

29-07-2005, 19:32

^^^^^ LMAO

Slithers

29-07-2005, 19:44

Slithers.. can i have my money back please.

http://homepage3.nifty.com/nono_cry/okusokutai/images/brokenguitar.jpg

No you cant.....that was sold as seen and you know it. :lol:

Slithers

08-08-2005, 19:31

Necks nearly done, got a few more cuts to do on it but the time consming part is out of the way.

Headstock close up

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b206/Le_smithier/DSCF0883.jpg

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b206/Le_smithier/DSCF0882.jpg

2 live

09-08-2005, 09:37

looks like its comin on alrite fella

for all i know about gee tars lol

FlamingMonkey

09-08-2005, 09:39

Looks a bobby dazzler that fella, good work

Swervin_Mervin

09-08-2005, 10:41

Can't wait to come and see this in the wood.

Slithers

21-08-2005, 22:53

Necks nearly done just need fingerboard adding then its readu for the frets to go in.

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b206/Le_smithier/DSCF0897.jpg

^^^fingerboards on the right

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b206/Le_smithier/DSCF0898.jpg

And a close up

Should be done by end of september i reackon

VIPERONE

22-08-2005, 00:50

how cool is that!!! well done mate looks the dogs bollox..look forawrd to seeing you busking with it:

http://www.artbox.org.nz/images/busking-web.jpg

Winston

22-08-2005, 00:51

That looks the dogs dude

Slithers

25-08-2005, 22:04

Done a bit more on the neck:

Fingerboard is now on, fret slots in too.

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b206/Le_smithier/DSCF0908.jpg

Shaping of the volute at the rear of the headstock

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b206/Le_smithier/DSCF0911.jpg

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b206/Le_smithier/DSCF0910.jpg

Gav

25-08-2005, 22:30

you got some talent dude, where you find out how to do that?

and how do you make it electric?

Slithers

25-08-2005, 22:53

you got some talent dude, where you find out how to do that?

and how do you make it electric?

Cheers dude

TBH mate its just reading books, and mostly trial and error from previous attempts, id show a picture of my first bass but it broke due to a defective part, and its embarassing to look at as i was stuck in a teenage heavy metal phase at the time.

To make it electric im going to install a triple coil bartolini MV5CBC pickup with some active bartolini NTBM 3 band circuitry, and in theroy it should make it:

"Honk like a mother****er"

When im finished im gonna upload an MP3 of what it sounds like.

Gav

26-08-2005, 00:14

wicked man, let me know if you need someone to jam with i'll bring my gibson down and show you up :wink:

full respect for being commited to doing something like that fella, looks like a good thing to do if you havr the patience and tools

2 live

26-08-2005, 08:52

lookin better evry pic mate.

wen uv done this ul have to spend some time behind the wheel of ur car tho :wink:

NickFr

26-08-2005, 09:42

Proper little clever Dude.....quality..best of luck =D>

Slithers

01-09-2005, 23:48

Necks about 90% complete now, just need to fret it, install a truss rod cover a wee bit more sanding, drill the peg holes and its ready for oiling.

Front

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b206/Le_smithier/DSCF0930.jpg

Back

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b206/Le_smithier/DSCF0931.jpg

Headstock

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b206/Le_smithier/DSCF0935.jpg

Gav

02-09-2005, 00:28

keep us updated on it fella

When you gonna start the body and what shape you goin for?

Slithers

04-09-2005, 22:28

Frets and tuners are in, fingerboards radiused, just needs oiling and fret levelling now.

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b206/Le_smithier/DSCF0940.jpg

Gav

04-09-2005, 23:02

what does it weight so far matey?

Slithers

15-09-2005, 12:15

Got the body laminates on now, need to rout out pickup and control cavity and battery box hole, then got to mount neck to body.

Then its just a case of wiring it up and finishing it to a shine :D

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b206/Le_smithier/DSCF0955.jpg

Swervin_Mervin

15-09-2005, 12:26

Looking seriously FG. Hope I can get to see this in the wood.

TriO`

15-09-2005, 13:24

wow just seen this thread...

That's a serious project you've got going on there...

looks real goodso far :D

FlamingMonkey

15-09-2005, 13:37

Looking good trev

northy

15-09-2005, 13:52

thats mint matt - keep us updated !

hat off to u buddy.

Gav

16-09-2005, 22:26

well done fella

FATBOY

17-09-2005, 03:15

looks like a purmo 600mm high compact raD TO ME!!! LOL NAH WELL DONE FELLA!!!!

Slithers

19-09-2005, 17:55

Had a busy weekend on it, put a radius around the edge of the body and carved some of the body away for a more ergonomic feel.

Also mounted the neck to the body:

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b206/Le_smithier/DSCF0958.jpg

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b206/Le_smithier/DSCF0959.jpg

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b206/Le_smithier/DSCF0960.jpg

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b206/Le_smithier/DSCF0961.jpg

Slithers

05-10-2005, 17:58

Pickups gone in, as soon as i complete the wiring, its just a case of varnish and setting the bugger up.

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b206/Le_smithier/DSCF0998.jpg

But this is the wiring:

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b206/Le_smithier/DSCF1000.jpg

ARRRRRRRGGGGHHHHH!!!!!!

J o n

05-10-2005, 18:49

looks stunning mate, really really impressed by that, that's one serious talent you have there mate. Maybe you could bring the bass to a meet? ;)

Winston

05-10-2005, 19:05

Wow :D

Slithers

10-10-2005, 16:05

Almost done pickups in and working (its fukkin well loud), just waiting on some screws to arrive so i can screw the cavity plate and truss rod cover down.

Wiring was a twat

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b206/Le_smithier/DSCF1024.jpg

Bodies done now:

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b206/Le_smithier/DSCF1022.jpg

And a preview of it all together

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b206/Le_smithier/DSCF1026.jpg

Slithers

10-10-2005, 16:06

And yes i know my room needs a tidy, lol

Slithers

01-11-2005, 15:23

All done :D, its taken me ages but im chuffed to **** with it:

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b206/Le_smithier/DSCF1090.jpg

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b206/Le_smithier/DSCF1091.jpg

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b206/Le_smithier/DSCF1093.jpg

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b206/Le_smithier/DSCF1089.jpg

+ A lil vid of the bass in action, only 2 bumnotes in the whole vid too, lol

http://media.putfile.com/matt-bass