new design

Greg Johnsen · #1 12-27-2005, 09:16 PM

Well, I drew up a new design to see what you guy's thought of it. I'm going to do a singlecut version as well but I thought I'd do the double cut first.

I finally got it to scale, the body is 14" wide, and it is a 35" scale bass.
[Newest Picture]

[old]

both were inspired by my love for ritters but they cost too much for me to buy so I'll make one for myself in a few years.

oh, BTW, if you would like to use this design for one of your basses, feel free to use it, as long as I get credit for the design

I'm planning to do this differently than the drawing is, because the dark portion is where the carved top is, but my plan is to do an amboyna top with birds eye maple veneer, mahogony body, birds eye veneer, then a carved back. So the dark portions will now be light, and the light portion will be dark...

The headstock is something I came up with in school, I like it, but if you guys have any improvements for it or the design I'd love to know.

Greg

Hambone · #2 12-27-2005, 09:27 PM

To tell you the truth, I really dig the form as drawn...Funky with flow...perhaps as a logo? But I've seen all those curves before - in plenty of places lately so it isn't hitting the "unique" button with me.

Greg Johnsen · #3 12-27-2005, 09:38 PM

what would make it more unique? I tried to make it simple yet elegant like the ritters are, but they're just like so out there and amazing... hmm.

Greg

Wademeister63 · #4 12-27-2005, 09:49 PM

I like it a lot! I'm seeing Ritter and LeCompte, which are both very elegant to me. I think it's unique enough, even though there are some similarities there.

Greg Johnsen · #5 12-27-2005, 10:11 PM

lol, my two favorite builders! I can see where you're getting the LeCompte from, and that wasn't intentional, but I think it's kind of funny that it worked it's way in there.

Maybe my single cut will be more unique.

Greg

Tbirdbassist · #6 12-27-2005, 10:32 PM

If you want to draw it to scale, go out and buy some graph paper. To make it easier, try and find the one that has 4 boxes equal an inch. Regular 9.5x11 isnt long enough to fit the head stock, so unless you can find paper thats 9.5x15'', your gonna have to tape tow peices of graph together.

tribal3140 · #7 12-28-2005, 12:32 AM

go on with your bad self! hehe

seriously I really like it and may ask for one in the future if they come out nice and play well, you never know!

I love the lines I have a ritter and designed the divinity oracle
your right up my alley
Todd

JSPguitars · #8 12-28-2005, 01:03 AM

I dig it! You gotta start somewhere...
After I made my first template, I thought it was great, but after the bass was finished and everything was carved, it just didn't seem right. Now I'm going back to the drawing board and trying to come up with a new design (singlecut). Making that first bass from scratch sure did teach me some things though, and that's what I try to focus on.
There's always room for improvement(s), and that will just come with time.

It looks from your drawings that you have some nice creative and artistic talent. Looking forward to seeing it translate to some wood!

Suburban · #9 12-28-2005, 01:10 AM

Hm, you're a good designer...
The body is good. Not extreme, not unique, but harmonic in a spectacular way - or the other way around. Works fine.

The headstock doesn't. It looks nice, but the cutout is too deep. I imagine that you intend to have some tuners up there, and then you need more rigidity than this design can yield. You should have the tuners 'below' the cutout. Perhaps it would work on a fourstring, but for any more strings, you will need to add to the length, and you loose the proportions.
But you will need the rigidity for playability.

Godhead'sLament · #10 12-28-2005, 07:45 AM

I like your design a lot.. looks really cool.. id like to have a bass like that..

if you want to draw to scale you should start by drawing a centerline.. on this line you draw lines for the nut and the bridge whith perhaps the distance of 10" between them in the mittle between the nut and the bridge you draw another line, this is the 12'th fret. and in the mittle between the bridge and the 12'th fret you draw another line this is the 24'th fret..

If you would do it this size it would be the scale of 1/3,4. you will have to calculate how long the lines for the nut and the bridge would be on paper..

i hope this made any sence..

Greg Johnsen · #11 12-28-2005, 09:05 AM

wow, I'm getting alot of great comments! My drawings have really improved since I first started drawing basses, and I've become quite serious with it. When I'm older, and after I've had some experience, I will probably be a luthier for a hobby and make basses for others, and who knows, maybe that'll be my profession!

Thanks for the comments, I'll update the top thread with the singlecut design (it's very similar).

Greg

budman · #12 12-28-2005, 09:13 AM

Since you did list me as one of your favorite builders and you did ask for input I hope you don't mind me taking the liberty of showing you what your design would look like if were made into a 35" scale, 24 fret, six string bass. Let me say I think you have some very interesting lines there, but in my opinion it needs lots of massaging. It's a little slow here at work so had the time to trace the outside of the bold line of your sketch exactly. The bass would be just under 19" wide at widest if it were built as drawn. In my opinion that is way too wide. Might be alright for a low slinger, but us guys that wear them up high, couldn't play it. Personally I don't build anything wider than 14". Even that is wide. The headstock needs a little massaging too. The idea is there. Keep it up though. I think you're on to something.

Greg Johnsen · #13 12-28-2005, 09:21 AM

woah, that's sweet! But I think I failed to mention something earlier. The reason that the sides are so big, is because it is a petite body, so the neck on your outline would have to be much wider to fit the body. Even when petite it'll probably be around 13-14" but I still think it'd be cool. Also, if it's too big like that, I could always shorten the horns, and make the rear smaller, which could also help.

Greg

budman · #14 12-28-2005, 09:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Teh Fleaz0rz

woah, that's sweet! But I think I failed to mention something earlier. The reason that the sides are so big, is because it is a petite body, so the neck on your outline would have to be much wider to fit the body. Even when petite it'll probably be around 13-14" but I still think it'd be cool. Also, if it's too big like that, I could always shorten the horns, and make the rear smaller, which could also help.

Greg

Even if it was petite and you scaled the whole body down where it was only 13 or 14" wide (which ain't petite) the neck would be almost as wide as the thinnest part of the body. You'd have something like a 45 fret neck and the horns would be waaaaay to short. The thing would neck dive like crazy. Your idea is there but it needs lots of tweaking.

Greg Johnsen · #15 12-28-2005, 09:43 AM

45 fret neck? I'd use a simple 24 fret neck, and the way I drew it out on the picture, it's still thinner than the smallest sides of the body.

And yah, I guess 13" isn't petite, so I guess it's normal, but smaller than 19".

(I also play up high, I can't stand slinging my bass low)

Greg

budman · #16 12-28-2005, 09:53 AM

OK, here's your design at 13" wide. Can you see the problems you would encounter?

Greg Johnsen · #17 12-28-2005, 10:14 AM

lol, that's smaller than I thought it would be. But why is the neck so long, I counted like 26 frets, and then it keeps going...

We could move the neck back, and make itmaybe 15" wide? That would probably help, or we could make the body longer. I'd have to re-draw some stuff, but it could be done.

Greg

budman · #18 12-28-2005, 10:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Teh Fleaz0rz

lol, that's smaller than I thought it would be. But why is the neck so long, I counted like 26 frets, and then it keeps going...

We could move the neck back, and make itmaybe 15" wide? That would probably help, or we could make the body longer. I'd have to re-draw some stuff, but it could be done.

Greg

The neck has to attach to the body right? It just can't stop at 24 frets and float out in space. It has to keep going so you have some kind of neck joint so it can attach to the body.

I think you see my point. It needs some serious tweaking. Here's some general rules I try to stick to:
No body shape wider than 14" at it's widest point.
Upper horn needs to extend to the 12th or 13th fret region of the neck.
Work in scale. Sketches are fine for conceptualizing but if you're ever going to build it you need some kind of scale drawing. Every bass is its own engineering project.

teej · #19 12-28-2005, 11:02 AM

Looks great, but sharp corners and points just aren't my thing. Nice curves, though. Erm... I mean the bass.

Worshiper · #20 12-28-2005, 11:04 AM

I LOVE the first one. keep us posted.