Bass project #2

[Wademeister63]

Looks like I'll be ready to start cutting wood next week for this one! I still have a little design work to do since the tuners are a bit too close to the edge of the headstock and it looks like the nut might be a bit wide right now. I can adjust that after I get some tuners in hand so I can get some accurate measurements.

Planned design features:

• Ebony Fretboard with white binding, single pearl dot inlay at 12th fret. Black side dots at the usual postions.

• 33/34" multi-scale with stainless steel frets.

• Curly redwood top, bookmatched to cover neckthrough body.

• 1/16" black space between body and top.

• Walnut body and neck with bloodwood accent stripes in the neck.

• Nordstrand NPJ4SE P/J pickup set with passive electronics.

• Chrome Grover Titan Tuning machines.

• Chrome individual bridge saddles and string ball retainers I will make.

Questions:

Anyone who has used the Grover Titans, are they nice and smooth? Are they as solid as they look? I have the Hipshot Ultralights on my first project bass, but I like the massive posts like on my G&L basses and couldn't find a source for the 1/2" post Hipshots with the Y key. I'm not terribly concerned about weight on this one, as long as it's within reason.

Can I, and would it be useful to install a series/parallel switch on this PJ pickup set? How about a phase switch, so I can reverse positive and negative on the bridge pickup? I have a phase switch on one of my guitars and it's useful in that situation.



paintandsk8, I swear I drew my headstock as a 5er at least nine months ago and changed it it a 4 last week without having seen yours.

Here's a pic of the redwood and a sketch of the bass design:

[Wademeister63]

here's the sketch from last Spring:




I thougt it looked sort of boxy, and I've been enjoying my 4 stingers a lot more lately so I dropped this one.

[tjclem]

If you haven't worked with redwood before be careful it is very soft, dents easily and some has very fine stress cracks. Hopefully others with more experience will respond......t

[Wademeister63]

Originally Posted by tjclem

If you haven't worked with redwood before be careful it is very soft, dents easily and some has very fine stress cracks. Hopefully others with more experience will respond......t

I'd say that comment is right on the mark. I've had that piece in the pic around the shop for the last 9 months and I couldn't describe it any better. I haven't worked the stuff before, but I've got a lot of tools available and will have plenty of scrap for testing. I'll certainly need to be careful to get good results, but I have a lot of patience and I believe I will get it to turn out nice...

Thanks T

[iamlowsound]

i like the design, i would never want to try a faned fret bass

lowsound

[tribal3140]

is a toss up its easy to cut and sand but as was stated can crack along the curls.
"I have put curly redwood like that through the ringer and it was fine. It was glued and carved. about a week later I saw a tiny stress crack along one of the curls"

I got this from a luthier who I comissioned a curly redwood bass from and have noticed that same thing myself.
It all really depends on the piece I have seen pieces that are as brittle as a cookie and others that (were quartersawn ) at 1/16" flexed almost in half without cracking and breaking!!!

it really depends on the grain orientetion and that particular piece of wood.
good Luck and I look foward to progress pics.
Todd

[andvari7]

I have Grover Titans from the 80s, and they're really nice. The bass they're attached to isn't quite so, but...

As for a source for 1/2" post Hipshots with the Y-key, I don't know if it's right to plug any one site, but Guitar Parts Depot has them.

[Wademeister63]

Originally Posted by andvari7

I have Grover Titans from the 80s, and they're really nice. The bass they're attached to isn't quite so, but...

As for a source for 1/2" post Hipshots with the Y-key, I don't know if it's right to plug any one site, but Guitar Parts Depot has them.

Thanks and thanks.

I think those grovers look even better than the Hipshots, so I'm glad they are nice ones. I'm going to go with those. I don't think I've run across that guitar parts site before, so there's another nice resource for me.

Good stuff!

[paintandsk8]

I see what you mean about hte headstocks. I dunno if having the same birthdays means were destined to have the same designs, but I definetly like yours!