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It's been a while
since I did a major build and now I have two! One is under wraps at the moment
(mainly because it may not work )
but the other is a challenge in a different way.
I want
to break the back of the under-wraps project, so it might be a little while
before I make much progress on this other one but it is to try to build a
lightweight body (Cort Curbow sort of light!) from a chunk of solid american
black walnut.
Yes....quite
The
plan is to strip a Cort's bits and just replace the body. The outline will be
similar to the Cort but the carve will be something like this:
The
depth of carve will be quite deep, something like two of my earlier 6
strings...one I did a few years ago in solid mahogany:
...but
probably with the top of the lower bout more like the one I did in Yew:
Two
reasons - firstly because I think those kind of shapes bring out grain patterns
of nice woods out a treat...secondly because it takes a lot of wood (weight)
out of the proceedings.
But,
the Cort Curbow is made out of light plastic-type material and walnut is
b*****y heavy! So I know that won't be enough.
With a
two-piece (back and top) like the yew / mahogany six string above, chambering
is an option. However, with a solid it's a bit more tricky. So my thought is
two control chambers at the back...and both quite generous in dimensions - with
chamber covers using the same walnut as the body itself. It will end up like
half of a centre-blocked semi-acoustic.
Additionally,
I will minimise the depth of the body to that just deep enough for the
controls. It will probably end up about the same thickness as an SG. The
density of the walnut SHOULD (fingers crossed) still retain the mass needed in
a good bass.
To achieve
the matching control panel covers, I got Kirk (great bloke) at www.exotichardwoodsukltd.com to bandsaw a 4mm plate off one of the blocks of the
two-part body wood I bought for the project.
Balance
in theory should be a big issue. Interestingly, the Cort balances
beautifully...it shouldn't. The neck is set in as far as it can without the
bridge hanging in fresh air, and the headstock is TINY. So, the theory
(yeah...right) is that if the walnut body can be made the same weight as the
Cort and have the same geometry, it will balance too!
Well,
without a few challenges, where's the fun??
I'll
post a shot of the timber and doner bass soon, and then there may be a long
period of silence...
Andy
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Comments
electric proddy probe machine
My trading feedback thread
Anticipate great things from you here, looks like it might turn out looovely
Vintage v400mh mahogany topped dreadnought acoustic FS - £100
Yup - done in the style of @WezV :-)
Looks like it might turn out heeeeavy!
So, got my hands on the donor guitar, got the walnut and the 'other' project is temporarily paused while I wait for some info and bits relating to it. So if it stays dry this week, I may be able to make a proper start on this one.
Here's the Cort:
Actually, I reckon it's a bit heavier than the owner's identical Tanglewood, which might give me a fighting chance to get the weight down enough.
First jobs are to:
Thanks for looking, all!
Andy
It was dry today so I was able to plane down the walnut halves to the initial thickness of 1.5" I'll see how the carve and weight goes - it may come down to more like 1.25" but I don't want to get it too slim for the electrics to fit...
For the thicknessing I used my new Makita planer - the first 'proper' tool I've bought - superb.
Walnut is a nice wood to work with and these pieces have some interesting detailing in them:
The edges were fairly straight but angled. I have spent a bit of time reading up how to set and use a hand plane and used a second hand jack plane with a shooting board to square them up...just look at them shavings
To my great surprise, it worked and, with a final little bit of sanding with my straight sanding bar, resulted the joint above.
The two pieces are now in the sash clamps waiting for the glue to dry
Andy
Vintage v400mh mahogany topped dreadnought acoustic FS - £100
Vintage v400mh mahogany topped dreadnought acoustic FS - £100
Vintage v400mh mahogany topped dreadnought acoustic FS - £100