Greetings

[moody]

Just wondering, what are the accepted reasons and why for finishing or for gluing the neck first.

My first thoughts are to dry run, set up all the parts and get the action correct, attach the neck and then begin sanding etc. That doesn't seem to be the done thing, is there any reason why?

[gavinturner]

Hi Moody,
personally I have found that the sanding and polishing steps are just that bit harder when the neck is already set. Also, if you are planning on staining, you risk glue excess that needs to be cleaned up before the stain will take. Just a couple of things to consider.

cheers,
Gav.

[moody]

Ok.

Not going to start a build thread yet because I haven't started anything yet. Bass has arrived and I have unpacked and trial fitted the neck etc. The fingerboard is a thing of beauty. The body is nice but nothing incredible so I'm thinking it will end up either opaque or very dark burst. (mid to dark blue burst to black at the edges - very high gloss?)

Looking at making this into a D standard tuned base (DCGF), slightly heavier strings but probably not as much overall tension. It seems a perfect compromise between the low end of the 5 string and the playability of the 4. (I have played a 5 for most of the last 15 years). I am considering doing this with my other basses as well.

[Brendan]

Moody - sounds great. As for why stain body and neck separately, agree with Gav - other thing - when you're staining, you want to get into every nook and cranny - easier if you're working in smaller chunks and can move the parts around freely. Once it's all one, especially with a bass it starts to get big and can be heavy if held wrong - having dropped a body when it was 99% finished, it's not a fun feeling sanding off all that stain that had been laid down over weeks.

[stan]

also don't stain the inside of the neck pocket and the tenon of the neck - you want glue bonding wood to wood, not finish to finish

cool build though, get a thread going once you are up and running - we love pics

[wokkaboy]

hey Moody plans sound good, as others have said it will be much easier to work with as 2 pieces and glue the neck toward the end. Think you meant D tuning DGCF

[moody]

hey Moody plans sound good, as others have said it will be much easier to work with as 2 pieces and glue the neck toward the end. Think you meant D tuning DGCF

Yes. just a moment of dsylexia. I wrote out the letters to differentiate it from Drop D. (I am never going to use a drop tuning, can't see the sense of it as a bass player who isn't doing power chords).