The Last Bass Outpost

Thanks!

The hex-plate design is not just about cosmetics.

It was developed in conjunction with my universal rout that allows me to incorporate any pickup winding style made by Fender, Gibson or Gretsch on any guitar or bass without modification.

From there, I decided to incorporate the hex-plate shape in the design aesthetic of the other hardware elements.

The rout itself is a cross between a Thunderbird and a dog-ear P90:



It allows me to do this...Lollar Thunderbird:



Fralin Big Single, Jazz bass, or split P/J pickup:



ANY humbucker or Fralin Split Single/Twangmaster:



TV Jones Thunder'Blades or Filter'Trons:

And of course the horns are reminiscent of the Gretsch Billy-Bo Jupiter Thunderbird's rear end.

Truly, you are the first person ever to point that out...THANK YOU!

The Chromasonic body design and bottle-opener headstock shape seem to inspire love/hate reactions from any one who looks at them.

I think that's a positive, really.

It and the Ridler body shapes are my signature designs, but I'm now beginning to introduce more traditional shapes with my own design twists.

I believe my original work will help make my traditional shapes more viable and credible in the market. 

The key to making inserts work is drilling a hole large enough the insert won't crack the surrounding wood when you screw it in and tight enough to not work free over time.  I know, I've done both things wrong!  Nice job!  Correct installation is the key.

Agreed.

I was surprised at how beautifully the tap cut the threads in the maple neck and how firmly the steel inserts grab.

I LOVE the Rascal bass...I hope it's a home-run for them.

I've been tinkering at this guitar building game for about five years now.

My progress has been slow, but very deliberate.

I've learned a lot about building guitars and the industry in general along the way, and I'd like to share some of that experience here.

I'll start with what's in the pipeline today, and then I'll cover some of the back story over time.

My necks with tiltback headstocks have a groove for access to the truss rod.

I have always felt that while tidy, it seemed a little unfinished leaving the hex-head visible.

With that in mind, I'm having Hipshot products fabricate a cover in shiny stainless steel to match the other hardware pieces they do for me.

Here is the CAD drawing, and I should have parts in hand late next week:

Threading the drilled hole with a tap is a little feature I hadn't thought of.  That would be a nice way to prevent chipping and enlarging the hole when the insert is turned in.

Using metal vs. wood inserts, threading the hole with a tap, and driving the insert in with an allen bolt instead of a screwdriver are all things I would not have thought of on my own.

Learning those ideas and having written instructions with photos made getting the kits directly from Chet instead of driving all over town to source the parts a no-brainer.

There are a lot of ways to attach a “bolt-on” neck to a guitar or bass body, and the traditional method involves using #8 wood screws.

While not necessarily bad, I have found wood screws to be somewhat lacking over the years as the neck mounting holes can become stripped and loose with repeated dis-assembly.

When I went looking for a better solution I found a number of different approaches to solving the problem, most of which involved various types of EZ-LOK inserts for wood or metal.



After reviewing the merits each, I decided to go with Chet Johnson’s system because it blends a variety of simple tools, supplies and materials into an elegantly simple solution that most players and builders can perfect easily on the first try with just a little skill and patience.

I also added one little “twist” to Chet’s approach because my bodies have sculpted heels and each bolt will vary from the next as far as how deeply it penetrates into the neck.

Here are the supplies I use, including the instructions as provided by Chet in his kits:



- 5/16-18 Tap (kit)
- 8-32 socket head bolt (kit)
- 9/64" Allen wrench (kit)
- 8-32 oval-head stainless steel bolts, 1.25” and 1.5” (kit)
- EZ Lock inserts, 4 (kit)
- 1/8” twist drill (mine)
- 1/4" Forstner bit (mine)
- Harbor Freight Tap Handle (mine)
- Wood handled awl for marking the neck bolt holes (mine)

The kit Chet offers comes as shown (bit and tap optional if needed):





I mark each bolt hole on the back of the neck with the awl while the neck is clamped in place. 

Next, I mark the 1/8” bit with blue tape to the maximum depth the neck will safely allow and drill a pilot hole.

This will allow the bolts to extend past the insert and “self-tap” into the neck wood, eliminating any potential "back pressure" a bolt could apply on the insert if it bottoms out within the neck.

This is likely not a concern for a standard neck with a plate and uniform heel, but I use bushing inserts and have sculpted heels on my builds, so the bolt depths are not uniform.

This is my “little twist” on Chet’s system.

Next, I use the 1/4" Forstner bit marked with blue tape to allow the insert to sit just below the surface of the neck.

A standard twist drill bit is shown here:



I use a drill press, but a steady-handed person could get away using a hand drill with a twist bit:



Once the 1/4" holes are drilled and the sawdust is blown out, the holes are TAPPED with the 5/16-18 tap.



Tapping  the hard maple neck and using hardened steel inserts designed for metal vs. brass inserts for wood is unique to Chet’s approach.

Everything I’ve read and experienced firsthand leads me to believe this results in a more consistent and predictable result compared to the “knife-thread” brass inserts designed for softer woods.

Another of Chet’s innovations is to use a hex bolt to drive the insert into the tapped hole.

This results in a clean and consistent installation vs. using a flat-head screwdrived as many would be inclined to do.

The installed inserts look like this:




The finished result looks completely "stock", but is significantly more durable and serviceable over the life of the instrument.

Most of the photos are of others' previous builds with Chet's system.

Here's my first bass using the inserts: