30" Chambered 4 String Fretless - First Build!

[BeFontenot]

Flame Yellow Birch Body
Mahogany Neck
Wenge Finger board
Curly Maple Headstock
K&K BigTwin Upright pickup


I'm still planning to add Ebony headstock veneer, truss rod cover, and ramp.

I didn't take nearly as many pictures as I was expecting but here is what I got on my phone.

Here is the router jig for the truss rod. I'll be trying a new design for my next build! This one was very difficult to clamp down tightly to the neck and table. It made a good test run but on the important cut it slipped. Luckily I had some nice mahogany I used and it worked fine with some clamp adjustments.



Skipping many steps here I am gluing the veneer in the fret slots.




and here I am today.

[rick0link]

very nice!

[BeFontenot]

Thanks! I just can't wait to hear how it sounds

[Beej]

Cool. It looks like a one or two piece body though, how did you chamber it? Is it a sandwich from the original slabs?

[BeFontenot]

Originally Posted by Beej

Cool. It looks like a one or two piece body though, how did you chamber it? Is it a sandwich from the original slabs?

It's a two piece body. I made the chamber by routing half an inch in to the inside of the body slabs then glued.

[BeFontenot]

First coat of tung oil.

[J Lund]

Wow that wood really popped! Looking great.

[BeFontenot]

Originally Posted by J Lund

Wow that wood really popped! Looking great.

Thanks! About to apply the second coat.

[BeFontenot]

Pretty much complete. Just missing the pick up cover and ramp. I ordered more Wenge to build them.

The bass sounds very warm and huge with a hint of growl. Ill be posting sound samples, full review, and high resolution photos soon!

[ctmullins]

Cool little beastie! How upright-ish does it sound?

[pilotjones]

Nice. I like the birch.

How wide is the nut? The strings look almost parallel.

[ulicc12]

where did you got the truss rod?

[BeFontenot]

Originally Posted by ctmullins

Cool little beastie! How upright-ish does it sound?

It sounds very similar to an upright. I'm hoping that once I wear down the new string zing sound it'll sound even more like one. I put some D'addario short scale chromes on the bass. They sound good but I'm sure they will sound better the longer I'm playing on 'em.

[BeFontenot]

Originally Posted by pilotjones

Nice. I like the birch.

How wide is the nut? The strings look almost parallel.

43mm.

I noticed that too in the pictures. I think they look like that for two reasons. I didn't get short scale specific hardware and I probably could have made the fingerboard smaller closer to the nut.

[BeFontenot]

Originally Posted by ulicc12

where did you got the truss rod?

StewMac. It's the Martin style bass truss rod.

[pilotjones]

Originally Posted by BeFontenot

43mm.

I noticed that too in the pictures. I think they look like that for two reasons. I didn't get short scale specific hardware and I probably could have made the fingerboard smaller closer to the nut.

It's easier to narrow it down than it is to widen it!

[BeFontenot]

here it is!

[Smallmouth_Bass]

Very nice. The bass shape reminds me of the Zon Hyperbass.