THE BIG BASS GETS REFINEMENTS

THIS MORNING I made a new bridge for my new creation.  I was surprised to find that a thinner, lighter bridge seemed to increase the volume of sound this big body creates.  I have no idea why that should be so but I do think it happened.  Here was the process

• first draw a design on paper.  
• fold the paper design exactly in half
• cut the design out with scissors while folded
• Now you have two twin sides of the pattern
• draw the pattern on your woodstock 
• saw it out on the band saw
• drill a hole in the "heart" 
• Insert the blade of a jewelers saw through the hole and reconnect it to the saw-now saw out the heart design
• with a very sharp Exacto blade smooth up all edges and improve the shape as it pleases you
• hold the feet to the sander to be sure they are perfectly flat.
• thin and slope the bridge on the sander.
• chamfer all edges with sharp knife.

Below you can see the new bridge in place.  It really does seem to produce more sound.  Curious!

Next I thinned down the neck a lot using a spokeshave first, then a rasp, finally a bow sander with pretty coarse paper.  Then a good sanding with grits down to 220.  
Then the entire body was sanded with several grits down to 220.  My plan is to complete the sanding to 320 grit tomorrow, stain the Alaska Cedar neck, and fine up the fiddlehead carving and the foot block on the neck. Then the finish can begin.