Winter 2017 Build Off - Flamed Claro

Scoops

Scoops

Why do we use base 10 when we only have 8 fingers
Supporting Member
Oct 22, 2013
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Sugar Creek, Wisc
#1
I'm feeling a bit ambitious

Specs
Flamed Claro Walnut Neck with Paduk and Northern Ash stringers
Flamed Claro Walnut Body
Ebony fingerboard (May change)
Pups to be hand wound
4 string style A hipshot Bridge
Tuners: TBD

Challenges:
1st neck through design
1st time for me to wind my own pups
Going to try to use planetary tuning keys.

OK So I cut the neck down the center
FC1.jpg


Then I flipped the board to get a V pattern with the flame
FC2.jpg


Just to make sure the stringers will look good
FC3.jpg


Then I planed out the "wings" board and started to look for the right combinations
FC4.jpg


And
FC5.jpg


Currently working on getting my templates finalized, and am gluing the neck where there are some cracks.

Cheers
 
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#3
yoshi said:
whoah, gorgeous wood selection. I love the neck laminates especially! May I ask - what's new/challenging for ya on this build?
Click to expand...

Crap, Forgot to add that to my post.

Challenges:
1st neck through design
1st time for me to wind my own pups
Going to try to use planetary tuning keys.
There are some cracks in the neck on the head stock end. If they present a problem, I'll cut it off and put on a scarfed head stock. Typically, I don't do scarf joints
 
#6
rwkeating said:
planetary tuning keys? Do you mean like on a banjo? Will they be able to take the thicker strings found on a bass?
Click to expand...

Perfection Pegs - Knilling

I looked into these a while back. If my memory serves me correctly, there is a higher tension in cello strings, so these would fit my needs. You raise a good point though. I need to look at the string diameter on a cello to see if a bass string would fit in the hole provided
 
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#9
Took the neck out of the clamps this morning, and put it in the planer to start squaring it off.

I don't know what it is, but this piece of wood has been a pain. It started twisting on me. I'll let it sit for a couple of weeks.
FC10.jpg
 
#11
Scoops said:
Perfection Pegs - Knilling

I looked into these a while back. If my memory serves me correctly, there is a higher tension in cello strings, so these would fit my needs. You raise a good point though. I need to look at the string diameter on a cello to see if a bass string would fit in the hole provided
Click to expand...
Best to do some serious checking on the tension numbers. They almost certainly have incorporated a friction device/feature in there to handle it, and you need to be sure t's OK for this application (the 40-50# pull of an EB string). Without such a feature it wouldn't work -- while the worm-and-pinion of a standard tuner is naturally partially self-locking, a planetary set is meant to be able to be back-driven. In a planetary set, any of the three elements (sun gear, planet gears, ring gear) can take on any of the three functions (driving, driven, fixed) if loads are changed up or reversed. (Reversed, as in, you load up the string tension by turning the key, then the string tension unloads itself by turning back the key when you let go.)
 
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#13
Will_White said:
From my own (admittedly cursory) research for my build, it looked like 35lbs was about average tension for cello strings so a light bass set would probably be fine with cello tuners,
Click to expand...
Hmm. Looking at D'Addario's site, cello strings max out at 41#. Then looking at standard XL nickel round wounds, the regular light 45-100 set tops at 48#, the extra light 40-95 set at 41#, and the extra super light 35-95 set at 35-1/2#. So if Scoops is willing to use extra light strings, he's ok. That is, though, assuming two things:
- that the pegs are available for cello (I only see what looks like violin headstocks in the pics on the site, which is pretty vague overall)
- that they can accommodate steel-core strings, which the peg's holes may not like depending on material, and which do not like to be bent around tiny radii the way that silk-core strings do on orchestral instruments
 
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#14
pilotjones said:
Hmm. Looking at D'Addario's site, cello strings max out at 41#. Then looking at standard XL nickel round wounds, the regular light 45-100 set tops at 48#, the extra light 40-95 set at 41#, and the extra super light 35-95 set at 35-1/2#. So if Scoops is willing to use extra light strings, he's ok. That is, though, assuming two things:
- that the pegs are available for cello (I only see what looks like violin headstocks in the pics on the site, which is pretty vague overall)
- that they can accommodate steel-core strings, which the peg's holes may not like depending on material, and which do not like to be bent around tiny radii the way that silk-core strings do on orchestral instruments
Click to expand...
Will_White said:
From my own (admittedly cursory) research for my build, it looked like 35lbs was about average tension for cello strings so a light bass set would probably be fine with cello tuners,
Click to expand...

Hey guys thanks for the feedback.
I'd be using TI flats that go from 31 to 37Lbs.
Yes, a little internet research will find that there are 2 companies that make these for cello. The Perfection pegs I alluded to seem to be the bigger sellers and seem to get the most praise from the people that have reviewed them.

Of course, my application is a bit different. If this doesn't work, I could always use cello strings.
Cheers
 
#15
Scoops said:
Hey guys thanks for the feedback.
I'd be using TI flats that go from 31 to 37Lbs.
Yes, a little internet research will find that there are 2 companies that make these for cello. The Perfection pegs I alluded to seem to be the bigger sellers and seem to get the most praise from the people that have reviewed them.

Of course, my application is a bit different. If this doesn't work, I could always use cello strings.
Cheers
Click to expand...
I did a bit of the math, and the cello string set is not so simple as a direct swap. Unless I'm getting something wrong about the cello, which I may be but I think I have it right: A medium cello 1st string that sounds a 220 Hz A3 at 27" scale at 35# tension, in order to play a BG 1st string G2 at 97 Hz at 34" scale would be at only 10.8# tension. Like a rubber band, it would feel horribly loose and would twang horribly sharp when struck then settle back. So, you'd be you'd be looking at making a set out of mixed weights of cello strings, probably just C and G strings. That cello 3rd string G2 is the same note as a bass 1st string G2, but is doing it at a baritone guitar scale length.
 
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#16
pilotjones said:
I did a bit of the math, and the cello string set is not so simple as a direct swap. Unless I'm getting something wrong about the cello, which I may be but I think I have it right: A medium cello 1st string that sounds a 220 Hz A3 at 27" scale at 35# tension, in order to play a BG 1st string G2 at 97 Hz at 34" scale would be at only 10.8# tension. Like a rubber band, it would feel horribly loose and would twang horribly sharp when struck then settle back. So, you'd be you'd be looking at making a set out of mixed weights of cello strings, probably just C and G strings. That cello 3rd string G2 is the same note as a bass 1st string G2, but is doing it at a baritone guitar scale length.
Click to expand...

PJ
So you made the assumption that I would tune cello strings to the traditional electric bass standard of EADG. There's an old expression surrounding the word assume.
If I were to go the CGDA approach, which I'm seriously considering, there would be no issue at all.
 
#17
Scoops said:
PJ
So you made the assumption that I would tune cello strings to the traditional electric bass standard of EADG. There's an old expression surrounding the word assume.
If I were to go the CGDA approach, which I'm seriously considering, there would be no issue at all.
Click to expand...
Interesting! Yes, you'd best keep it at fifths tuning, with cello strings. What's your scale length?
 
#19
Scoops said:
Hey guys thanks for the feedback.
I'd be using TI flats that go from 31 to 37Lbs.
Yes, a little internet research will find that there are 2 companies that make these for cello. The Perfection pegs I alluded to seem to be the bigger sellers and seem to get the most praise from the people that have reviewed them.

Of course, my application is a bit different. If this doesn't work, I could always use cello strings.
Cheers
Click to expand...
The TI Flats should be fine, tension wise it matches some of the cello sets I saw, note I have 0 experience with planetary tuners, but I would think that you could drill out the string holes.
 
#20
Will_White said:
The TI Flats should be fine, tension wise it matches some of the cello sets I saw, note I have 0 experience with planetary tuners, but I would think that you could drill out the string holes.
Click to expand...

Yeah,

Zero experience with the planetary tuners as well. I'm just a little concerned on a number of fronts, but what the hell, Damn the torpedos, and all that stuff.
 
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