Alembic Guitars Club

Alembic products => Alembic Basses & Guitars => Topic started by: Gerald E. Greene (flash) on February 12, 2003, 07:04:03 PM

Title: Same piece of wood backplates
Post by: Gerald E. Greene (flash) on February 12, 2003, 07:04:03 PM

Mica:
could you enlighten me on how the back plates on some of the custom basses are cut. I am intrigued at how this is done. I'm assuming that this is cut by a computer guided router is it not? I would love it if you could present this proceedure either in the Building a Bass segment or in your responce.  
 
Thanks
 
See ya down range!
 
Flash

Title: Same piece of wood backplates
Post by: mica on February 17, 2003, 09:18:12 AM

It's cut on a scroll saw by my Uncle Bob.  We have to drill a small hole first, then carefully cut around the shape.  
 
Check out  this picture from the February Featured Custom (http://www3.alembic.com/img/prv_cwbdetail.jpg). You can see the little starter hole on the lower left in the dark area of graining to the right of the screw head. I'm quite proud of the excellent job Bob does.  
 
(Message edited by mica on February 17, 2003)

Title: Same piece of wood backplates
Post by: Patrick Rondou (patrick) on February 17, 2003, 05:27:22 PM

Uncle Bob did an awesome job on my bass!!!!

Title: Same piece of wood backplates
Post by: Gerald E. Greene (flash) on February 17, 2003, 08:39:19 PM

That's alot simpler than I thought. that is an excellent job.. my compliments to uncle Bob.  
 
Is that cocobolo that's in the picture? I've heard that the dust and oil of cocobolo is very irritating if you're allergic to poisen ivy and cocobolo is basiclly a poisen ivy tree in't it? or closely related? that's some great lookin' stuff though and it distroys your tools as hard as it is!
 
great job and thanks for the pic.
 
See ya down range!!
 
Flash

Title: Same piece of wood backplates
Post by: mica on February 18, 2003, 02:21:47 PM

Yes, that's Coco Bolo in the picture. Coco Bolo can be very irritating, in fact, I have to wash my hands after handling a lot of Coco Bolo or I'll get a mild rash. Poison ivy  Toxicodendron spp.,  is in the anacardiaceae family (includes cashews and mangoes), and Coco Bolo is in the Fabaceae family, so I don't think they are too closely related.

Title: Same piece of wood backplates
Post by: Googe Endeveronte (goooge) on February 18, 2003, 04:05:21 PM

anybody here ever try to cut a straight line with a scroll saw thru hardwood
 
not an easy thing to do unless you like your lines like this ~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
Mica- does he use a jig of some sort?

Title: Same piece of wood backplates
Post by: Gerald E. Greene (flash) on March 16, 2003, 01:44:28 AM

Hey Mica: You know I got to thinking that I'm allergic to cashews and macadamia nuts and that's probubly why Cocobolo bothers me so much...figures!
 
Do you guys still make california specials? I don't see much about those any more these days. I have a friend that had the california special electronics put in to his guitar and man that thing sounds amazing!!!
 
also how difficult is it to put series I guts in a custom bass? and does the europa electronics have a ground wire that goes to the bridge? because when I put the europa guts in my five string it doesn't work with a wireless even with the ferrite bead you sent me, any ideas?
 
peace
 
Flash

Title: Same piece of wood backplates
Post by: mica on March 25, 2003, 05:16:32 PM

Bob's back from the flu, but Mary's out this week  
 
He doesn't use a jig except to draw the shape. He's just really really good.  
 
California Specials are still made, and we still make them.  
 
The bass has to be sent to us to put in Series I/II electronics and the bill can get quite expensive (over $3K). None of our electronics use a ground wire. The system is grounded when the rivets that hold the pots together touch the shielding. Your bass is shielded, right?