First scratch build

[Simon Barden]

Remember that the strings spread out as they run from the nut to the bridge, so the bridge saddle spacing will always be a bit wider than the pickup polepiece spacing.

You’d probably be best working back from the bridge and nut design widths for your neck as you’d normally have the outer strings running parallel to the edges of the neck, say 2mm from each edge. You could draw this out, either physically or on a drawing program, and then measure the string spacing at the pickup position to double check. But also remember that a certain Leo Fender had a small hand in designing the Stingray, and whilst not having a hands-on role, I’m sure he wouldn’t have let them vary too much from the Fender dimensions.

Also, the MM pickup has very wide pole pieces, so the string spacing can vary quite a bit and the strings still run over the polepieces.

[Stuart D]

Thanks Simon. The original drawing I did is to scale so I measured it all and it seems like it will be fine. (Should have done that at the start - doh!)

Also, as you say, the pole pieces are quite wide so there is a lot of tolerance there. It seems from looking on the Internet that it's not actually that important - it's more of an aesthetic thing.

[Stuart D]

Nice work on the body so far, but not being a bass player myself, I was far more enamoured with that nice old workbench and vice!

Ha, yes it's a nice bench. It was my grandfather's and I don't think he had it from new. I think it's around 100-120 years old?

The wooden vice is lovely. I've got a normal metal vice the other end as well.



It's nice and solid - once it's attached to the wall. Slight touch of woodworm that I treated when I got it, but nothing too significant.

[Stuart D]

So, onto the neck.

I originally wanted to use the same wood - a long piece of Iroko, but I was a little concerned with how stable it was going to be, so I bought a piece of maple, which isn't super expensive. I think I'll use the Iroko in future but slice it up and laminate it. Having never built a neck before I wanted to make it as easy as possible.

I basically followed a Crimson guitars video and it seems that starting with a decent template is the key. This took a couple of goes and eventually came up with this.



Transferred this onto the maple blank over the centre line and then marked out where the truss rod should be. I'm pretty new to using a router so I had a practice at routing a slot on another strip of wood. Seemed to go ok if I don't try and do too much in one go. The depth stop on the router isn't accurate enough to set and forget, so it seems that plenty of gentle passes is the name of the game.

Set it all up with a conveniently placed clamp to act as an end stop.



I think it took about six passes all told. In hindsight I could have done it with less when I'm more used to it. A little bit of gentle chiselling as the head is slightly wider and voila.



Appears to fit nicely.

[Simon Barden]

I believe the those holes in the right leg of the bench are for pegs, so you can support the end of a plank or sheet of wood whilst the other end is held in the vise. And those holes along the front of the top of the bench are for fitting square pegs in (of different heights) that you can use to hold the front of a smaller piece of wood you are planing (chose a peg height that's lower then the piece you are planing), without having to use the vise.

It's really nice to see an old bench like this still in use. Jealous!

[Simon Barden]

...and the neck's looking good.

[Stuart D]

... The next bit is cutting out the shape. Having cut it out I stuck the template over the top and then routed around the template with a flush bit thingy and ended up with this.



On the video the guy says cut as close to the line as possible. I now know why, since when you use the template flush bit, if there is too much material then the router bit takes chunks out! Fortunately nothing disastrously bad, but that's a definite learning point for next time. I didn't dare do the endgrain by the heel, so I shaped that by hand.

The headstock needs to be thinner so after measuring for the tuners, it was marked out..



... and cut.



Finally, I couldn't think of anything else so I placed the trussrod in, marked where it comes out of the headstock, put masking tape over it and glued it up and attached the (rosewood) fretboard.



I don't really have quite enough clamps, hence the use of the vice. Also I've now realised that I don't actually like these G clamps, quite hard to use single handed, so may be time for an investment in some new ones.

[Stuart D]

Yes that's right in terms of the peg holes. Obviously the ones on the right leg can't be used as the metal vise is in the way. There are some pegs and other assorted bits, that I don't use - mainly because there isn't room in the garage, but I've kept them under the bench. In my next house, I want a double garage so I can set it up fully.

[McCreed]

Ha, yes it's a nice bench. It was my grandfather's and I don't think he had it from new. I think it's around 100-120 years old?

The wooden vice is lovely. I've got a normal metal vice the other end as well.



It's nice and solid - once it's attached to the wall. Slight touch of woodworm that I treated when I got it, but nothing too significant.

Thanks for the extra photo. I think that's really cool bit of history!

[Simon Barden]

The G-clamps can provide a lot more pressure than the quick-grip clamps (though you can overdo the pressure and squeeze out too much glue), but a few quick-grip style clamps can get things held together fast, giving you more time to fit the G-clamps using both hands.

Should have realised that the metal vise would mess things up with the pegs! This is where you ideally need a metalwork bench and a woodwork bench, and the space to have both!