Moving on. A new build.

[HaMMerHeD]

I struggled with this stupid thing for too long. By "this stupid thing", I mean this....stupid thing:


(The gigantic looking headstock is an illusion due to the angle)

So I stripped the hardware and permanently rid myself of sleepless nights thinking how to salvage this @$*&ing thing.



So...that's over.

Moving on.

I'm starting a new build. It's a bit of a departure for me. Without too much pontificating, here's the design:



As you can see, I've stolen a few ideas from the "League of Extraordinary Luthiers" build...and a few ideas from the esteemed Carl Thompson.

It will be built in 4 major parts, per this diagram:



Neck, Bass wing, Treble wing, and fingerboard.

The neck will be padauk. The headstock wings will be slightly different, but we'll get to that.

The bass side wing will be 4 pieces. It will primarily be flamed maple, but with a 1/2" wide curly walnut stripe in the outer wing, and a 1/4" gabon ebony stripe between the wing and the neck.

The treble side wing will also be 4 pieces. It will be mostly curly walnut. There will be a 1/2" flamed maple strip in the outer wing, and a 1/4" gabon ebony stripe between the wing and the neck.

The fingerboard will be either Katalox or Gabon ebony. I have ordered a very cool piece of figured Katalox with heartwood and sapwood. If it doesn't make the whole thing look too chaotic, I'll use it. If it does, I'll go with Gabon ebony.

Here's the Katalox piece:


I love it, but whether or not I use it depends on the overall appearance. If the design would be better served with a neutral ebony field, I'll go with that instead.

Here's the walnut:


And here's the maple:


Here are the specs:

4-string fretless
32" scale
Maple and walnut body
1 piece Padauk neck
Hipshot tuners
Dunlop flush-mount straplocks
Ebony nut and bridge saddle
Undersaddle transducer and piezo buffer preamp (make and model undecided)
Passive controls: volume and tone.
Active controls (maybe): EMG BQC control

[gbarcus]

I love it, there have been those time when that thought has crossed my mind and I didn't have the guts.

[HaMMerHeD]

Well..in this case, I think sawing the thing to pieces was necessary for me to be able to not worry about it anymore. I reached a point that I was obsessed with fixing it, but unable to see a way to do so without rebuilding it. I didn't want to finish it as is, because it was just not what I wanted it to be.

So...it had to go.

[Musiclogic]

Horrific waste of wood.....LMAO

I had a 25 year old build with a carvin neck that the body had bowed(my impetus for owning a moisture meter ever since). I finally cut out the neck and built a prototype of a new model with it this summer....LOL.

Also a horrific waste of curly maple body

[HaMMerHeD]

The destroyed body was Ash, JC. Not only that, it started out as leftover scrap from another build.

[Musiclogic]

LMAO Mark, just giving you grief...LOL.

[HaMMerHeD]

I know...

Here's a mockup with Ebony:



And here's a mockup with the Katalox board I ordered:

[Musiclogic]

Both look good

[Smilodon]

I like the ebony one. The katalox look a bit busy.

Why do I think of a jester when I see this one? (Edit: I don't mean this as an insult. I like the design very much. )

[Hopkins]

I would save the katalox for a more a build simpler body. With the multiple wood body it just looks like to much.

[reverendrally]

+1 on the ebony.

Man, you're way too hard on yourself. I'd have locked the bass away for a years and come back to it when I was fresh.... or sell it on ebay. It's amazing what people will buy!

[dremy2006]

Awesome stuff... ebony

[Rip Topaz]

Originally Posted by HaMMerHeD

Well..in this case, I think sawing the thing to pieces was necessary for me to be able to not worry about it anymore. I reached a point that I was obsessed with fixing it, but unable to see a way to do so without rebuilding it. I didn't want to finish it as is, because it was just not what I wanted it to be.

So...it had to go.

I've done the same thing. I had a build that plagued me for over a year. Everything I tried on that build was a failure. I finally ended up doing the same thing you did. I feel MUCH better now.

[roberthabraken]

Looks very good, your new design! Subbed!

[HaMMerHeD]

I've decided on the ebony. It just looks...classy...to me.

I'll find something fun to do with the katalox. Would look cool on a solid white bass, I think.

[HaMMerHeD]

Found a suitably sized ebony fingerboard blank. I am excite.

[MrArose13]

VERY nice Mark! love the harlequin look, and the ebony would have been my choice as well.

[HaMMerHeD]

Harlequin...that's a good name for it. I had just been calling it Carl.

[rubis]

What about Carlequin?

[HaMMerHeD]

Not bad...but perhaps...Carlequompson.