CT Tribute build for John - "after finish" topic

Triad · #1 08-13-2008, 05:48 AM

Hei... since I had some messages about my wood choice in the past I thought I had to show this build. The customer is a gentleman who lives in Scotland. He was extremely kind and helpful and we worked together to create a real slap machine that will replace his actual Alembic.
These are the specs:

32" scale
quarter-sawn Padauk neck
quarter-sawn Cocobolo fingerboard
1 piece Ovangkol body
chrome hardware
dual action rod
Bartolini MMC4 pickup - passive

I started the build around the 19th of July. I usually start marking the fret slots and rough cutting the fingerboard.

Triad · #2 08-13-2008, 05:51 AM

When the fingerboard is cut to final shape I make the truss-rod routing into the neck blank. I usually put the rod's head at the body end of the neck but the medium scale didn't allow me to do so.
I glued the fingerboard on and all went fine. Cocobolo didn't hassle me more than other woods.

Triad · #3 08-13-2008, 05:56 AM

I wasn't 100% sure about the body wood choice... I was considering a 3 pieces with a Padauk center and Wengé wings but John loved Ovangkol and my dealer had very nice blanks available. This particular piece was really hard on my tools... extremely dense and pretty heavy. But nice looking and resonant!

Routing the edge took much more than usual but it was worth it.

envika · #4 08-13-2008, 02:00 PM

triad i think someone's said it before but i love your designs, they're very soft, warm, and friendly-looking.

wilser · #5 08-13-2008, 03:01 PM

come on! a CT without bocote ain't no CT!

looks great, so far.

scottyd · #6 08-13-2008, 05:15 PM

A CT with out CT on the headstock aint no CT.....

Triad · #7 08-13-2008, 08:07 PM

Thank you guys! Sorry Wilser and Scotty... no Bocote and no CT headstock. I love your builds... thank to both of you for keeping an eye on my humble topic

If seen in person this bass is much different from Carl's work... expecially in the neck pocket area. Besides Carl only used this design in 70s... his actual basses are different from this (expecially the price tag!). I'm really happy with the result... clear and punchy.
Today a dream came true: legendary PFM's bassist Patrick Djivas was at 15km from my house for a gig and I was there. He tried a couple of my basses and he liked them a lot!

Expecially this one.
He's a bass hero. Probably one of the biggest influences for prog bass players. Friend of Jaco and Roscoe Beck... I guess I don't have to add other details... Pics and video on myspace tomorrow

Triad · #8 08-14-2008, 09:41 AM

Ok, let's go on with the "in progress" pics!

The neck was rough shaped, the headstock cut and the frets put in...

Triad · #9 08-16-2008, 02:35 PM

Pics of the neck glued-in!

BenitoBassolini · #10 08-16-2008, 03:34 PM

How long have you spent on this one from start to where you are now?

Triad · #11 08-16-2008, 07:01 PM

About 20 days but I didn't work on this bass every day. I usually work about 3-4hours a day but never made an extimation of n. of hours needed to build a bass. I'm pretty fast, anyway. The bass is complete and will be shipped on Monday. I had one of my bass heroes testing it and he liked it a lot! What a satisfaction.
I usually ask customers to wait for 30 days for custom basses but this was my second custom order... both times I was widely within the deadline

BenitoBassolini · #12 08-16-2008, 07:26 PM

Ah. I wish I could get mine done that fast. I guess having the shop and hardware all ready is a big help.

Triad · #13 08-16-2008, 07:33 PM

Well... I store some tuners and bridge but that's all. My "shop" is a bandsaw, a router, some planes, a couple or rasps, some files, a bunch of clamps, a couple of drills and a (newly acquired) jointer/planer (I only use it to make my own neck blanks).

I usually build a bass in 15 days if I work every day without troubles. It's my way of doing it. My builds are pretty simple and my hands are always guided by a sort of "positive rush"

Triad · #14 08-18-2008, 06:08 AM

In progress!

Triad · #15 08-18-2008, 06:09 AM

I apologize for the number of replies but I can only attach two pics at a time

Pics of the bass finished... without the logo.

Triad · #16 08-18-2008, 06:14 AM

And a couple of shots of the body!

If you're asking "How does it sound"? Well... I think it sounds extremely good. I had PFM bassist playing it and he liked it a lot!
It has LaBella HRS 030 on. Shipped it 20 minutes ago

http://it.youtube.com/watch?v=v786ESKZZ_w

eude · #17 08-18-2008, 08:05 AM

Simply awesome dude!

Where about in Scotland is it going?
Might have to look the proud owner up and see if he'll let me have a go...

Cheers,
Eude

Rickett Customs · #18 08-18-2008, 08:20 AM

That thing sounds awesome!

Triad · #19 08-18-2008, 09:11 AM

Hei guys... thanx a lot for your kindest words. I only started to consider myself a "luthier" after Patrick Djivas played my basses and told me he found them "beautiful".

The bass is going to "COLGRAIN
HELENSBURGH, Argyll and Bute". Can't say more than this without the buyer's permission but John is an extremely nice guy, I'm sure that he would be glad to let you play his bass.

I've just completed a new body: "Swan" body shape on Padauk, Afzelia body and Macassar Ebony board... 36" scale 4 strings. I think it will be ready in 10 days or so. Maybe less... and I'm also going to build a guitar (!)