Hello

[Matthew Tucker]

Craig you may have to wait a good 24 hours for any result from me. The top is on but I need to cut a new soundpost and get it all singing again.

[Craig Regan]

The top now graduates from 10 mm in the center to 5 mm at the edges. It is very flexible in some areas and yet, extremely ridged in other areas. Bass bar is next.

100% hand carved plates, blisters and splinters as testimonial.

[Craig Regan]

The top is spruce (white wood) while the ribs are cherry (reddish brown color). This could be a problem down the road. I would like to keep the cherry natural (center photo) and match the spruce to the reddish brown of the ribs. I have been doing samples with the cut offs from the top.

I have a fear the finishing will come out looking like a 7th grade shop project. More experiments to come.

[Arnold Schnitzer]

I advise you resist the urge to color the raw Spruce. You would be better off sealing it and then adding color coats to match it to the Cherry. You can put a very light water stain on the spruce first if you like, but any concentrated stain will have a tendency to get extremely blotchy, because of the mixture of face and end grain in the carved table. Are you planning to use oil or spirit varnish?

[Craig Regan]

The cherry looks great with nothing on it, wile the spruce needs some toning, to help it blend with the rest of the instrument. I am definitely leaving the cherry natural, so its only the spruce that will need "doctoring up".

Spruce is a softwood, cherry is a hardwood. They take a finnish completely differently. Some lighter maple dyes work well with the spruce; gives a good base to build up upon; sealing is a good idea. Most of these samples were "just playing around" wile I carved the top. When things get closer, I'll start some more serious samples.

Leaning towards an oil finnish, but still experimenting.

[Arnold Schnitzer]

Originally Posted by Craig Regan

Leaning towards an oil finnish, but still experimenting.

Do you mean an oil finish as in Watco or Linseed? Or do you mean an oil-based varnish?

[Craig Regan]

Originally, I was looking at the Hammerl oil varnish, with the idea of mixing various colors to come close to the cherry. The only problem is, buying 3-4 little cans of oil varnish imported from Germany could be expensive.

I may use a product called Bush Oil (sounds political) for the top coats ; It works like a Watco type oil but only much better. Linseed is defiantly out because it dries too slow.

[Matthew Tucker]

Originally Posted by Craig Regan

The top now graduates from 10 mm in the center to 5 mm at the edges. It is very flexible in some areas and yet, extremely ridged in other areas. B

did you weigh it?

[Matthew Tucker]

Originally Posted by Matthew Tucker

Craig you may have to wait a good 24 hours for any result from me. The top is on but I need to cut a new soundpost and get it all singing again.

OK is singing again.

yes is louder, yes is more responsive to bow (even strung with Spiros) . E string shaketh the floor. But, still very bright, and i think this is partly cos my bridge is too thin at the top.

I am happy I spent the time on regraduating the top. Worked for me.

I have ordered some Evahs for a special treat. We'll see how she go.

[Craig Regan]

Originally Posted by Matthew Tucker

OK is singing again.

yes is louder, yes is more responsive to bow (even strung with Spiros) . E string shaketh the floor. But, still very bright, and i think this is partly cos my bridge is too thin at the top.

I am happy I spent the time on regraduating the top. Worked for me.

Glad to hear your bass back together and working well after re-graduating.

There is a electronics repair shop in our town that is willing to lend me an old audio oscillator, I may take them up on the offer.

[Craig Regan]

Today is sunny and warm, and for the first time, it feels like Spring.

Here is a photo of the bass, and for the fist time, its starting to look like a bass.

[Arnold Schnitzer]

Nice looking bass, Craig! Now let's get some finish on 'er. This is the ultimate varnishing weather. (Today is mid 60's F., a gentle breeze, low humidity and dappled sunshine.)

[Ken McKay]

Looking great Creag!

Do you need some tuners? PM me.

[Craig Regan]

Here is the latest.

I have decided to set up the bass, before the finish process, to avoid scratches and dents.

Made the saddle, nut and fitted a sound post; then fit a bridge and proceeded to string it up.

Most of the nuts I have seen have wider spacing between the E and A strings and then the spacing gets smaller between the D and G string. This set up would work better on my beveled fingerboard (layout issues), but, I will try using 10 mm between every string as stated in the "Luthiers Corner".