5 String Spalted Maple

5 String

Birdseye Maple Fretboard

Alder Body

Spalted Maple Top

Maple Neck

Hipshot A Style Bridge

Gotoh Tuners

EMG Pickups

EMG Preamp

All Black Hardware

July 8, 2009

I made the design on MDF.

September 7, 2009

I was able to thin down the top and bookmatch it. I was then able to glue the top to the body core and it is drying right now. The picture has a scrap fretboard just for color reference.

September 19, 2009

After gluing the body together, I rounded over the edges. I was also able to route the pickup cavities and rough the neck pocket.

November 7, 2009

Today, I turned a block of maple into something the resembles a neck. All of the neck has been cut to final size and the profile is being roughed out as we speak. That allowed me to finish the neck pocket as well.

December 13, 2009

I got a killer piece of birdseye maple and was able to cut the fret slots, trim it to size and glue it on the neck today.

January 10, 2010

The frets are in, still need to file them down though. This neck made me really appreciate maple being so soft compared to the last 4-5 basses I’ve had to fret.

January 23, 2010

The fretboard is done and most of the neck carving is as well. I just need to get it with the body so I can make the heel transition.

January 30, 2010

What I got done today:

Side Dot MarkersHeadstock LaminateTuner HolesNeck ShapingBattery Box CavityControl CavityNeck ScrewsStraplocksOutput Jack

March 15, 2010

I haven’t been doing many updates because I’ve just been sanding and such. I did the knob layout, made the contours deeper (still need to do more) and drilled a bunch of various holes.

March 27, 2010

I am in the finish sanding stage, still at 120 grit though. The neck has been sanded up to 400 grit and just needs the end of the fretboard trimmed to final size. I was also able to burn/stamp the serial number “JC0919” into the headstock. The thing with burning it in, you only get one chance to line it up. So that is why it isn’t perfectly straight.