check out my first build progress

[FanOfAlice]

hello everyone Ijust wanted to post a couple of pictures of the bass I am currently building to get some opinions, and maybe some more motivation to keep going ( i always end up on talkbass until the wee hours of the night instead of working on it). I based it loosly on claypools main 4 stinger, it has a walnut and maple body, maple neck with walnut overlay, it will be fretless and the fingerboard is ipe also known as ironwood that I got from my work.i am new to fretless so i put aluminum side dots where every fret would be(can be seen in last pic what do u think?) just got the pickup today which is an emg-dc 35 it will be a glued in neck. I have an allparts bridge and gotah tuning keys and thats about it for specs I think so here it is






I have a couple of questains
1.) Pickup placement I read that the emg should be placed in the music man sweet spot. Where is that?

2.) Is a finsh on the finger board needed? It is only sanded to 400 grit in the pic.

3.) What do you think of the headstock? (somethings not quite right but what)

4.) The neck pocket is tight in the back but there is a little slop in the front of it, about .020". will this be ok if not what should I do to fix it. I am thinking it is ok because then there will be room for glue it wont all squeeze out.

5.) I am planning on running the pickup with out an additional preamp (i have a sansamp and never use the preamp in my spector) is this ok/recommeded?

Thank you to all who reply and a big thank you to wilser for all the knowledge i gathered from you i hope i can make you proud.

[peaveyuser]

WOW great first build looks amazing!



headstock is too wide IMO thats whats not right.

[caleb5991]

a fretless bass!! Aghhh i didnt know there were fretless basses... but i saw a fretless double bass on youtube. double bass scares me tbh tho...seriously. i think im developing a phobia of them...there so big, and scary...like the ocean

[Hyper-Flexion]

Originally Posted by caleb5991

a fretless bass!! Aghhh i didnt know there were fretless basses... but i saw a fretless double bass on youtube. double bass scares me tbh tho...seriously. i think im developing a phobia of them...there so big, and scary...like the ocean

[MarkMyWordsXx]

Originally Posted by Hyper-Flexion

give him a break hes 16.

then again hel never learn unless we riddicule every flaw in his posts


beautifulllll bass though

[eleonn]

Originally Posted by deek

Yep that headstock is way too wide.

Your strings should go over the nut as straight as possible, the bottom ones are going to be at a 45 degree angle!

Otherwise, it looks really nice.

D.

This.

[FanOfAlice]

i could probly move the keys in a little. too late now theres always next time. this is kind of my learing curve bass any how.

[uprightben]

As far as finishing the fingerboard goes, the ebony on uprights are finished with nothing more than a coat of linseed oil (I have no idea what that might do on ipe). Another option is to do it like Jaco and put a thick layer of marine epoxy on it. For your slop spot on the neck joint, I would use a shim or try to correct it in some other way, as this is the most important joint on the instrument and a perfect glue joint should fit perfectly. You've done some really nice work so far IMHO. Now you just have to log out and finish!

[basicvoo]

Nice work! I really like the LOOK of that big old headstock, too bad you are commited to the tuner placement.Thanks for the post.I'm planning my first build in the spring and every little bit of input helps. So..... get back to work.

[beejomatic]

+1 to deeks reply. Too much angle going over the nut. But being as you have the space on the headstock, what's the possibility of removing the tuners, dowelling the old holes and veneering the front and back of the headstock. Then you can reshape the headstock(keeping, of course, the cool shape)and reposition the tuners. This is a very good looking instrument! It's clean, elegant and has great proportions. I'm always amazed to see some of the first builds in this forum. Congrats and show us more!

[FanOfAlice]

i was thinking of doing that, it just doest look right.

[Bass Dandy]

Dude, it's definatly not to late to move those tuners, just put whats called a "dutchman" (which is the dowel ideal that beejomatic mentioned), in those holes, of the same material, (maple) and if you do it right you won't be able to notice at all on the back, then simply make a new veneer for the front. I've done this before on guitars and it's pretty simple. Just make sure the grain is going the same way, and like I said you won't notice at all. Good Luck, and sweet bass!

[crkempton]

can't wait till 2010 when i will finally have the chance to make my first build. (leaving on a mission for my church for a couple years) When i get back i'm planning on going to Galloup school of lutherie....

Awesome looking first build. I'm digging it.
-Cody