Thread: Andrews Projects (bass + guitar/s)

Originally Posted by Andrew_B

hmm i think everyone will agree mine is alot better looking than that

Yup, the upper horn looks devoid of any structural integrity whatsoever


Andy, I like the bass design. Enough meat there to not be a problem to handle.
Gotta love those metal shapes, and this is one of them.
Metal-heads unite !!!!!!
This is testament (pun) to my thoughts that there are many great designs out there by smaller builders that totally cream the well known Intnl. shapes.

BtW Andrew, enjoy the bevelling process with that one

thanks for the encouragement oz

the bevels have changed now... much more uniform and now as big....
but im sure i will change them yet again when i am actually doing them on the body...

to be honest i love beveling....
and i love my hand tools....
this is what will help me do a majority of the bevels



the rest will be done with one of my great chisels

now that i think about it....
i havnt decided if it will be a bolt on or set neck or neck thru....
hmmmmmmmm

Originally Posted by Andrew_B

now that i think about it....
i havnt decided if it will be a bolt on or set neck or neck thru....
hmmmmmmmm

The bass that's lurking in the recesses of my mind is currently a neck through ... so I vote that you do a neck through and post very detailed pictures of all stages so that I have a personal tutorial ... I mean, so that I can admire your build and give you feedback and encouragement

Make sure you give particular attention to detailing the fabrication and installation of the truss rod 'cos I haven't got a freakin' clue in that department!

I'll be interested to see how your design has further evolved since your last posts. I spose I can see a vague flavour of your ideas in the pic that tim posted ... but yours is a much more refined, functional, but still eye-catching design.

LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

your a funny one arent you

i was actually leaning towards neck thru....
then i was reading something and the writter was saying that a majority of basses are bolt on, which is true... and the way he put it... it just sounded good...
giving arguements about different aspects.... wish i didnt delete my internet history...
cant seem to find the article now... lol

and i want to try and get as much use out of the timber i have....
since i just bought over 300 worth of parts and tools....
im very much broke and not working at the moment doesnt help....

i think i will be able to get a bass neck and a 7string neck out of the blank of maple i have here....
and the offcuts, if i can get them clean enough might just be enough for a few maple fretboards.... not sure if i would use this maple for fingerboards though... we will see when i cut it, if i cut it....

and i might have enough maple to do 2 bodies...
but i dont want the bass to be full maple....
so im looking at some wood i have laying around here....
maybe do a maple and _______ something sandwich...

minds not made up yet....

if i won loto i wouldnt have to strain my brain trying to figure out how to best mark out and cut my timber to get ther most use out of it

design is comming along.... and changing and changing... and some more changes.. lol

im thinking i may try and adapt it to suit the 7 string and bass and 6 string...
if i can do that then i can use the same template and make a 3 piece set (bass/guitar 7/guitar 6)

headstock is proving hard....
iv seen SO many....
its just so hard to do something original lol....
it always ends up looking like something else


oh and i think i will be making my own truss rod as im all out of cash

sounds good so far. ill be watching on with interest. Your in the same boat as me with money. Im struggling for parts lol. paying a mortgage doesnt help....neither does the minister for finance!!!!

You've got some good design ideas going so im sure it'll be great dude. Im thinking of doing a fretless bass next. ive always wanted one. It sounds so good when geddy from rush plays it lol

cheers floody

heres one of my full scale drawings, i beefed up the top horn a bit.... not sure if i like it though.... looks a lil too rounded...

and the parts that will be cut down and made into a truss rod are laying on it
(a length of u channel and a steel rod, hopefully i can figure welding out.......)
just need to figure out where to get the cheapest allen key nuts...
if i cant find any then i will go with my original idea of a spoke wheel at the end of the fretboard....



im also trying to get a spool of pickup wire so i can wrap a few pickups....
but i cant seem to find any locally, or in australia....
actually thats not entirely true....
i did send out a few emails to the big austalian copper wire companies...
but they never replied...

so at the moment it looks like this bass will just have one jazz bass style pickup,,,
which is a bit of a shame.....

bridge and tuners should be here soon, as well as tools and some other stuff...







more progress soon

hey ...those full size drawings coming along well andrew!

the horns look like 2 mini axes cuttin a swathe through the mix

awesome metal look imo

thanks man....

i really like doing the full scale drawings

and for anyone else who draws them, or plans to do it.....
here is my way of storing them.....



old toilet rolls
the beauty of the toilet rolls is, if you want to say, stack your plans on a shelf, you can squash one side of the toilet roll flat... and it wont roll away
then just stack them ontop of each other.....
so simple
can even write what each drawing is on the toilet rolls if you wanted...

and while its on my mind....

this will be my first guitar/bass using templates....
iv used a router on my other builds... but i never had a template bit... so it was all free hand....

so in my mind.... the template will let me cut out those horns with ease
just got to remember to take it slow so i dont go chipping the points

headstock is proving hard to design....

in the meantime while i am waiting for my parts and stuff to arrive....
i have started thinking about my first acoustic build... (as well as planning the 7 string and others)

thats some nice work dude. If only i could design, then i wouldnt have to just copy classics lol. that will look so metal when its finished man

you can design....

all you need is a long-ish ruler (50 cm +) or a straight edge...

a large piece of paper... or a few bits of A4 or A3 paper taped together....

a flat surface to work on (as you can see in the pictures, my light table is a little small to do the bass on so im using the mdf i bought to make templates.... im thinking i will keep this mdf to use as my table top in the future and buy a new bit for templates)

a calculator, pencils and a rubber....

and your on your way....

once you have that centre line, its simple from there....

you just figure out what measurements you want for your nut and the end of your neck
(best to get that from the sting spacing on your bridge)

half your measurements with your calculator and draw them on from the centre line....

once you have the neck drawn out.. its pretty simple to do the body...

you just gotta remember that there is no right and wrong with this.....
you draw what you want, where you want it

well thats pretty much my way of drawing without going into too much detail lol

im sure some of the other blokes like stu and perry and others have better ways,
i just do what works for me

French curves are handy too.

You can always start with standard designs and then mix them up a little ... and a little more.

Imitation leads to creation.

So I'm assuming you have enough there for two truss rods?

That's an area I need to read up on ... I just don't get it yet?!?

if i had the cash id grab a french curve set
but im pretty decent at free handing stuff....

you need to read up on truss rods?
me too....
lol

i understand them a bit.....
but there is more i would like to know...
example, what different types do, why some are bent, why some have straight chanels and some have curved chanels etc etc etc

i will probably add whatever articles i find on the subject into this thread when i get too it....

there is only enough for one truss rod (since its a bass, its longer than a guitar)
if i were to use it as a guitar i could half it and just get by .....

although... if i cant figure out how to weld an anchor on the end of the rod then im a little bit screwed LOL......
(i have a stick welder that my grandfather gave me a few years ago... i never used it... he says its easy to weld and anchor on the end of the rod.... but i dont know much about welding and yea.... we will see how i go....)

luckily my acoustic build will be easier... as i already have a truss rod waiting here
but that build is a secret so lets pretend you never heard a thing

Looking good so far Andrew.

I've just ordered my wood so I'll have a build thread soon too.