Mad Scientist Showcase: 3 wood challenge, the Good

[Big B.]

Greetings Luthier's Corner friends and welcome back to the lab for the newest experiments in the Mad Scientist Showcase. After the success of last years Mad Scientist build I decided that all my specialty basses will be part of the Mad Scientist line of Big B. Guitars. I am challenging myself for this buildoff and I'm attempting to build 3 completely different basses for this showcase though only one bass will be entered in the competition, probably this one. The three basses will be named the Good, the Bad and the Ugly and each will be quite different from the others and each bass will get it's own thread.

The Good:

Originally I was planning to go all out for the build off and build a personal 6 string but the 3 wood limit kind of put the kabash on entering that bass in the competition so I came up with this instrument to fit the bill. Sometime in the next few months, likely before the competition is over, I am planning on a move to Austin, TX and from the people I've spoken to there if I plan on gigging a lot I'll need a Fender type bass, and preferably a 4 string to keep the blues/country guys from freaking out. Well, lets be honest here; I dont like Fenders and I dont play 4 strings so something has to give. Thats where this bass comes in. A bass that looks like a Jazz at a glance but has all the sounds and features of a boutique, with a Mad Scientist twist of course.

Specs:

Fender Jazz (ish) shaped 5 string (originally a 4 but the pickups I found are for a 5)

Neck through construction with a 2 piece maple (possibly curly) and wenge neck and one of 2 Mad Scientist neck designs. Either the wave shape from last year's build or a new one that will be featured on the Bad, the 6 string I'll be working on.

Wenge and maple body with maple top. Will feature a recessed solid wood pickguard that will be interchangable. Pickguard will either be wenge or match the fingerboard.

Not sure about the fingerboard yet but possibilities are wenge, ziricote and other dark/black woods, though maple is still a possibility. No big dots on the face of the fingerboard.

Hipshot A type bridge and ultralight hardware, probably black.

Delano soapbars with quadcoil neck pickup, dual coil bridge pickup and Delano sonar pre with mid switch.

Probably 35" scale but we'll see as we go.

Obviously not everything is completely planned out but thats nothing new for me. We'll just make it up as we go. Havent gotten my wood pics together yet but I have do have some crime scene pics. While I'll still be doing a lot of the build from my small shop I have the advantage of having an entire woodshop to work with as well. My dayjob is in a custom cabinet shop and I have free access to all equipment. Though I have everything but a wide belt sander at home its nice to have everything setup with full dust collection. Heres a few pics to spark jealousy.

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And my personal workspace, currently surrounded by kitchen cabinets:

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So there we have it. The lab is open, the bunsen burners are lit and the potion is bubbling away. Look for my other 2 showcase threads as they popup and good luck to all competitors.

It has begun.

[Hopkins]

Glad your in on this one man, and congrats on moving to Austin.

[jmorbita]

Jealous I am! great to see another of your builds!

[Beauchene Implements]

Sweet! Looking forward to it...err, them! Good luck! I'm building four at once right now, feels waaay too much like work :P

[Musiclogic]

Roll Tide...LOL

[Big B.]

Originally Posted by Musiclogic

Roll Tide...LOL

Damn right. Not only did I grow up here I went to school at Alabama as well. Good time to be a Bama sports fan.

Adam, I feel your pain. Aside from these 3 builds I have 2 more that I have build threads for and a 30" build that I havent started a thread for. Add the full time gig and thats a lot of sawdust.

[Big B.]

Originally Posted by Hopkins

Glad your in on this one man, and congrats on moving to Austin.

Looking forward to it. Need a change of scenery and I've got good people who live in Austin. Seems to be a lot of high end woodshops and lots of professional musicians so I hope to fit right in.

[joeyl]

nice, can't wait to see the whole thing unfold

[roberthabraken]

Absolutely subscribed, after your last competition entry, this is a must follow build

[octaedro7]

Originally Posted by roberthabraken

Absolutely subscribed, after your last competition entry, this is a must follow build

+1

[Musiclogic]

Just be glad My Michigan State Spartans(where I got both my bachelors and my PhD) let Saban get away....LMAO. Go get em Brandon

[Hopkins]

Well, I guess its better late than never to finally move to a real college football town

Hook'em Horns

[Big B.]

Originally Posted by Hopkins

Well, I guess its better late than never to finally move to a real college football town

Hook'em Horns

Oh dear... I like Texas well enough. I really like that play where you run your star quarterback up the middle against our best defensive lineman.

I've got good friends out in Austin and while they say the Horn's fans make a good show of it it doesnt compare to the madness that is gameday in Tuscaloosa. With no professional teams in the state and a lack of exciting things to do folks here LOVE their football in a way that makes ME uncomfortable sometimes, and I'm a fan.

And JC, we like Michigan St. just for that reason. That and because they arent Ohio St. or Michigan. (For what it's worth I'd take Michigan in a heartbeat over the Buckeyes)

[HaMMerHeD]

Originally Posted by Big B.

Oh dear... I like Texas well enough. I really like that play where you run your star quarterback up the middle against our best defensive lineman.

I've got good friends out in Austin and while they say the Horn's fans make a good show of it it doesnt compare to the madness that is gameday in Tuscaloosa. With no professional teams in the state and a lack of exciting things to do folks here LOVE their football in a way that makes ME uncomfortable sometimes, and I'm a fan.

And JC, we like Michigan St. just for that reason. That and because they arent Ohio St. or Michigan. (For what it's worth I'd take Michigan in a heartbeat over the Buckeyes)

Norman goes...berzerk on OU's home game days. I usually hole up in my house and make sure my guns are all clean and ready.

[Big B.]

Originally Posted by HaMMerHeD

Norman goes...berzerk on OU's home game days. I usually hole up in my house and make sure my guns are all clean and ready.

Thats what I do most weekends as well. I believe our softball team has a little game out there this evening with a certain team that also wears red.

[Hopkins]

Originally Posted by HaMMerHeD

Norman goes...berzerk on OU's home game days. I usually hole up in my house and make sure my guns are all clean and ready.

So you live around a bunch of out of control sooner fans? I'm so very sorry

I'm a pretty huge Longhorns fan, I didn't go to school there but I have strong family ties to that school.

[Hopkins]

Originally Posted by Big B.

Oh dear... I like Texas well enough. I really like that play where you run your star quarterback up the middle against our best defensive lineman.

I've got good friends out in Austin and while they say the Horn's fans make a good show of it it doesnt compare to the madness that is gameday in Tuscaloosa. With no professional teams in the state and a lack of exciting things to do folks here LOVE their football in a way that makes ME uncomfortable sometimes, and I'm a fan.

And JC, we like Michigan St. just for that reason. That and because they arent Ohio St. or Michigan. (For what it's worth I'd take Michigan in a heartbeat over the Buckeyes)

I like Bama well enough, I don't care much for the rest of the SEC though.

[Musiclogic]

Some great College Sports reps in this Challenge, going to make for an even more interesting round of banter...LOL. Brandon, I love Austin, and the Dirty Dog should be a stop for you, they get some great music in there. Lots of entertainment in Austin outside of music too.

[octaedro7]

Funny to see that you call football a sport that is barely played with the foot LOL
Anyway, back on topic, I'm actually more anxious to see "The Bad"...

[Big B.]

Hey guys. Anybody know the overall length of a jazz bass from end to end?