Search found 28 matches

by Bill Bell
Fri Mar 08, 2013 2:59 pm
Forum: Solid-Body and Chambered or Semi-Solid Electric Guitars and Bass Guitars
Topic: Fretboard Shaping
Replies: 9
Views: 8758

Re: Fretboard Shaping

A 12" radius changes about 1mm (.040") over a 2" wide fretboard. Unless you plan to get very close to the edges of the fretboard you should be fine inlaying with the fretboard unradiused. That is of course as long as you don't drop the entire level of the fretboard too much when radiu...
by Bill Bell
Mon Feb 11, 2013 7:49 pm
Forum: Flat-Top Acoustic Guitars and Bass Guitars
Topic: Bowl turning blank for a veneer rosette?
Replies: 8
Views: 4912

Re: Bowl turning blank for a veneer rosette?

Doug, I created a tiled rosette just recently and used a tracing paper backing as you mentioned to keep it all together. I used a 3M spray contact cement that worked well.
by Bill Bell
Mon Jan 21, 2013 5:02 pm
Forum: Solid-Body and Chambered or Semi-Solid Electric Guitars and Bass Guitars
Topic: Bonding metal to wood
Replies: 15
Views: 10467

Re: Bonding metal to wood

As I mentioned earlier and Dave in the last post, 3M sells several "transfer tapes" that will do the job very well. The advantages are, the adhesive stays flexible to allow for the differential expansion, it's very thin, and as Dave mentions it creates a kind of visco-elastic damper that c...
by Bill Bell
Mon Jan 21, 2013 4:50 pm
Forum: Wood and Materials Q&A
Topic: Pen blanks for rosette or other inlay?
Replies: 6
Views: 6605

Re: Pen blanks for rosette or other inlay?

Thanks, I believe the material is acrylic which is the same stuff used for position markers etc.
by Bill Bell
Thu Jan 17, 2013 5:44 pm
Forum: Solid-Body and Chambered or Semi-Solid Electric Guitars and Bass Guitars
Topic: Bonding metal to wood
Replies: 15
Views: 10467

Re: Bonding metal to wood

I would consider an adhesive transfer tape, it's basicall a double-sided tape but is just the adhesive (has no carrier). You apply it like tape and remove the liner and press the two parts together. The advantage is the adhesive alone is only .002" - .005" thick and will allow the differen...
by Bill Bell
Wed Jan 16, 2013 5:07 pm
Forum: Wood and Materials Q&A
Topic: Pen blanks for rosette or other inlay?
Replies: 6
Views: 6605

Pen blanks for rosette or other inlay?

I was at a small local woodshop today and they sell plastic pen blanks of all imagineable colors and patterns. I was wondering if anyone had ever experimented with creating a tiled rosette or other inlay using this or similar materials?
by Bill Bell
Thu Dec 13, 2012 4:28 pm
Forum: Electronics
Topic: Alembic P-Bass pickup w/ no preamp
Replies: 9
Views: 12224

Alembic P-Bass pickup w/ no preamp

I bought an Alembic P-Bass split coil pickup and active electronics about 30 years ago for a bass I had. I recently came across the pickup but I evidently do not still have the important part...the active electronics. I'm sure 30 years ago I only paid about $150 for the kit, today Alembic wants $100...
by Bill Bell
Wed Nov 14, 2012 4:23 pm
Forum: Tools and Jigs
Topic: looking for an odd size machine screw
Replies: 18
Views: 14489

Re: looking for an odd size machine screw

A #12-20 is basically a 7/32 - 20, just retap the hole to 1/4-20 and you have endless choices for hardware.
by Bill Bell
Wed Nov 14, 2012 4:11 pm
Forum: Other Stringed Instruments
Topic: Bridge for an electric 8 string mandola?
Replies: 4
Views: 4836

Re: Bridge for an electric 8 string mandola?

Solid body, a tailpiece is ok but prefer to either anchor strings in the bridge or through the body.
by Bill Bell
Tue Nov 13, 2012 5:05 pm
Forum: Other Stringed Instruments
Topic: Bridge for an electric 8 string mandola?
Replies: 4
Views: 4836

Bridge for an electric 8 string mandola?

My sister would like me to make an 8 string electric Mandola. I'm not sure what to do about a bridge for it? A lot look like they are custom made or some modification of a Tele or P-Bass style bridge? Can a typical acoustic Mando style bridge work, the only potential issue I see is how tall these br...
by Bill Bell
Wed Oct 24, 2012 1:54 pm
Forum: Solid-Body and Chambered or Semi-Solid Electric Guitars and Bass Guitars
Topic: String break angle over the nut not sufficient?
Replies: 20
Views: 14162

Re: String break angle over the nut not sufficient?

Gordon, interesting comment about the bridge saddles. The bridge on this guitar has "V" shaped notches in the saddles, are these supposed to be used as is or filed or something? I wondered about this because I guess some bridges do not have a notch or anything and you're supposed to use nu...
by Bill Bell
Mon Oct 22, 2012 1:44 pm
Forum: Flat-Top Acoustic Guitars and Bass Guitars
Topic: Classical style guitar with steel strings?
Replies: 12
Views: 8578

Re: Classical style guitar with steel strings?

Ken, very nice that looks like what I'm talking about. I didn't think of a 13 fret neck but I guess why not, like you said it seemed to feel right where the bridge wound up. On the classical I built I thinned the fretboard toward the bridge to get relief and it worked well, has anybody tried this on...
by Bill Bell
Mon Oct 22, 2012 1:38 pm
Forum: Solid-Body and Chambered or Semi-Solid Electric Guitars and Bass Guitars
Topic: String break angle over the nut not sufficient?
Replies: 20
Views: 14162

Re: String break angle over the nut not sufficient?

I did the capo on the first fret thing and it seems to have eliminated "most" of the problem. I did notice that the neck relief is a little on the small side (.008") and maybe I should increase? The clearance over the first fret when fretted between the second and third is .005" ...
by Bill Bell
Wed Oct 17, 2012 4:48 pm
Forum: Solid-Body and Chambered or Semi-Solid Electric Guitars and Bass Guitars
Topic: String break angle over the nut not sufficient?
Replies: 20
Views: 14162

Re: String break angle over the nut not sufficient?

I'm still perplexed...I worked on the nut last night, being careful not to touch the very front section where the strings make contact, it made no difference. I tried shimming the nut to make sure there is plenty of clearance over the first fret, also made no difference. I also tried raising the bri...
by Bill Bell
Tue Oct 16, 2012 4:15 pm
Forum: Flat-Top Acoustic Guitars and Bass Guitars
Topic: Classical style guitar with steel strings?
Replies: 12
Views: 8578

Classical style guitar with steel strings?

I made a couple of classical guitars a while back and was thinking about making the same guitar but a steel string. Of course I would change the plate thickness and use X bracing but is there anything else I should be doing differently? I like the smaller body size and already have the "Fox sty...
by Bill Bell
Fri Oct 12, 2012 8:44 pm
Forum: Solid-Body and Chambered or Semi-Solid Electric Guitars and Bass Guitars
Topic: String break angle over the nut not sufficient?
Replies: 20
Views: 14162

Re: String break angle over the nut not sufficient?

The tuners are Grover full-size self locking. As I mentioned since the tuners are self-locking you just stick the strings thru the hole and tune, there is no wrapping of the strings around the posts. I will check the nut..but what am I looking for? What do you think the problem would be? This is my ...
by Bill Bell
Thu Oct 11, 2012 3:41 pm
Forum: Solid-Body and Chambered or Semi-Solid Electric Guitars and Bass Guitars
Topic: String break angle over the nut not sufficient?
Replies: 20
Views: 14162

Re: String break angle over the nut not sufficient?

Yeah sorry, the D,G,and B strings are all buzzing. Like I said I thought that I had a problem with the first fret but that wasn't it, if I put a little downward force just beyond the nut the buzzing goes away. Would different gauge strings help, I think I have 10's on?
by Bill Bell
Thu Oct 11, 2012 1:07 pm
Forum: Solid-Body and Chambered or Semi-Solid Electric Guitars and Bass Guitars
Topic: String break angle over the nut not sufficient?
Replies: 20
Views: 14162

Re: String break angle over the nut not sufficient?

I guess I should post a picture but do not have one right now. I looked on the Stew-Mac site and a couple of people made comments about the post height on these particular tuners, the string hole is 25mm from the backside mounting, other tuners I looked at were more like 20mm. The fact that the tune...
by Bill Bell
Wed Oct 10, 2012 2:44 pm
Forum: Solid-Body and Chambered or Semi-Solid Electric Guitars and Bass Guitars
Topic: String break angle over the nut not sufficient?
Replies: 20
Views: 14162

String break angle over the nut not sufficient?

I'm just finishing an LP jr double cut, and the string angle over the nut does not seem like it's enough? I think the problem is that the string holes in the posts of the locking tuners I bought are really high above the headstock. The strings are at least .25" above the surface of the headstoc...
by Bill Bell
Fri Sep 28, 2012 1:46 pm
Forum: Solid-Body and Chambered or Semi-Solid Electric Guitars and Bass Guitars
Topic: Neck-through / tilt question
Replies: 3
Views: 3945

Re: Neck-through / tilt question

The thru-neck bass I built does not have a neck angle, I built it more like a Fender neck and just had the neck surface high enough above the body. Just make a drawing with the bridge etc. as everyone suggests to work out the dimensions.

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