My Bass Design

ZanVooden · #1 12-31-2005, 03:11 AM

Im currently in the process of building my bass, im looking for some crititism of the design. Any at all is a help.

It is a neck through body, 34" scale, active/passive Jazz bass.
the neck is made of Maple with Mahogany strips (the shaded lines).
The body wings are walnut,
and a ebony 24 fret fretboard

Let me Know what you all think.
Thanks

ZanVooden · #2 12-31-2005, 03:15 AM

One final picture attachment.
(Sorry its a little tough to see the lines. im not great with photo editing.)

tjclem · #3 12-31-2005, 08:17 AM

At a glance the tuner bushings are going to be right at the outside edge of the headstock you might want to make a little more room for them...t

callmeMrThumbs · #4 12-31-2005, 11:50 AM

+1 on tuners. The last thing you want is a broken headstock. I kinda like the design though. Let us know how it turns out!

-Josh

Hambone · #5 12-31-2005, 05:34 PM

By simply bringing the A and D tuners in closer to the center line, you can solve the clearance issue and help straighten your string pull a little. I like straight pulls if I can create them.

tjclem · #6 12-31-2005, 05:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hambone

By simply bringing the A and D tuners in closer to the center line, you can solve the clearance issue and help straighten your string pull a little. I like straight pulls if I can create them.

Yup!

Fasoldt Basses · #7 12-31-2005, 06:10 PM

I can't see for sure, but it looks like the body joins the neck at about the 16th (?) fret. You will have some significant neck-dive problems unless you move the whole thing back (move the bridge closer to the back end of the body, therefore making the neck shorter in regards to the body.) A good general rule is to have the strap button near the area of the 12th fret, to prevent neck dive.

pilotjones · #8 01-01-2006, 07:55 AM

You seemed to have designed the body like a Les Paul guitar. This has two features which I would expect to create three problems.

As already pointed out, the upper strap lug at the 17th fret will likely cause poor balance and neck dive. Plus, the bridge mounted so far into (high on) the body means two things: first, the whole bass is pushed farther out away from the player, making ergonomics poor for the left hand playing in first position; second, very strange ergonomics for the right hand, with things not falling into the "right" place, unless perhaps you intend to play it with pick only, or perhaps held-high slap style. It looks like a nightmare to play with fingers.

ZanVooden · #9 01-01-2006, 12:22 PM

Yeah,it is designed after a Les Paul guitar.
As mentioned earlier i dont think the balance issue is going to be too great, because even though the top strap lug will be at about the 17 fret, the bridge doesnt go to the bass of the guitar therefor giving a slightly different balance issue. the way i understand it (correct me if im wrong) the top strap lug should be about in the middle of the entire guitar.
As for the poor left hand ergonomics, i orignally had that concern of it being hard to play with fingers so i cut out the shape in so cheap plywood and glued some wood around the outside to give it some actual depth then just tried holding it to see how it would be too play. i found that once it did get a little high it did become a little awkward to play. but with the strings just about about the belt it seems fairly comfortable.
and i guess i dont see the problems for the right hand, other than it may just have to reach out a little further.

Thanks for the comments, and feel free to argue with me, i have been known to miss very obvious things.

--Oh and i do intend to move the A and D tunner bushings slightly in to prevent a break.

Hambone · #10 01-01-2006, 03:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pilotjones

You seemed to have designed the body like a Les Paul guitar. This has two features which I would expect to create three problems.

As already pointed out, the upper strap lug at the 17th fret will likely cause poor balance and neck dive. Plus, the bridge mounted so far into (high on) the body means two things: first, the whole bass is pushed farther out away from the player, making ergonomics poor for the left hand playing in first position; second, very strange ergonomics for the right hand, with things not falling into the "right" place, unless perhaps you intend to play it with pick only, or perhaps held-high slap style. It looks like a nightmare to play with fingers.

I have designed an extendable, adjustable strap button mechanism for situations just like this. It could add another 2"+ to the balance point.

ZanVooden · #11 01-01-2006, 05:04 PM

Could you tell me more about this strap button mechanism?

Hambone · #12 01-01-2006, 08:35 PM

It's simple - You have what appears like a regular strap button but you can pull it out and the button is on a stainless steel rod that can be set at different lengths depending on the need. Find the length you want and set it. It doesn't move unless you put it back. The unit is about 3" long and about 1/2" in diameter.

pilotjones · #13 01-02-2006, 09:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZanVooden

Yeah,it is designed after a Les Paul guitar.
As mentioned earlier i dont think the balance issue is going to be too great, because even though the top strap lug will be at about the 17 fret, the bridge doesnt go to the bass of the guitar therefor giving a slightly different balance issue. the way i understand it (correct me if im wrong) the top strap lug should be about in the middle of the entire guitar.
As for the poor left hand ergonomics, i orignally had that concern of it being hard to play with fingers so i cut out the shape in so cheap plywood and glued some wood around the outside to give it some actual depth then just tried holding it to see how it would be too play. i found that once it did get a little high it did become a little awkward to play. but with the strings just about about the belt it seems fairly comfortable.
and i guess i dont see the problems for the right hand, other than it may just have to reach out a little further.

Thanks for the comments, and feel free to argue with me, i have been known to miss very obvious things.

--Oh and i do intend to move the A and D tunner bushings slightly in to prevent a break.

Well, if you've made a mockup of it and can live with it, best of luck. I can't imagine how it would be comfortable, but we're all different. I'd spend some time with that mockup, though.

For reference though, even Gibson moves the bridge at least partway back from guitar position when making the bass version.

ZanVooden · #14 01-02-2006, 10:14 PM

Looking at that bass, the strap lug is at about the 16th fret. why doesnt that one have a balance issue and take a neck dive? or does it?

Phil Mastro · #15 01-02-2006, 10:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZanVooden

Looking at that bass, the strap lug is at about the 16th fret. why doesnt that one have a balance issue and take a neck dive? or does it?

It does.

Suburban · #16 01-03-2006, 01:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZanVooden

Looking at that bass, the strap lug is at about the 16th fret. why doesnt that one have a balance issue and take a neck dive? or does it?

It does indeed...

ZanVooden · #17 01-03-2006, 05:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hambone

It's simple - You have what appears like a regular strap button but you can pull it out and the button is on a stainless steel rod that can be set at different lengths depending on the need. Find the length you want and set it. It doesn't move unless you put it back. The unit is about 3" long and about 1/2" in diameter.

So Hambone, Could you either show me where and how i could get this mechinaism?, or show me the design specs and i could create it. Since it sounds like my design seems to be lacking balance.

PilbaraBass · #18 01-03-2006, 07:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZanVooden

So Hambone, Could you either show me where and how i could get this mechinaism?, or show me the design specs and i could create it. Since it sounds like my design seems to be lacking balance.

besides extending the strap button, there are a couple of other things you can do.

1) Extend the top bout...most bass SC's are done this way.

2) Abandon the SC design and put a top horn on it.

You really don't want to go through all of this time and effort and then find out you don't like how it balances in your hands.