Go Back   TalkBass Forums > Bass Guitar Forums > Bass Guitar Forums > Luthier's Corner
Register Rules/FAQ/CUP Members List Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read

Luthier's Corner Discussion on instrument building, repair, and materials.


Supporting Membership
Thank You

Latest Supporting Member
Donate to Upgrade Today

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
  #1  
Old 11-10-2008, 05:48 PM
XylemBassGuitar's Avatar
Registered User

Owner and Operator, Xylem Handmade Basses and Guitars
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Durango, CO
Supporting Member
New Xylem Build: 36" Scale Four-String Fretted

Sign in to disble this ad
I'm almost finished with this bass, so I thought I'd start posting pictures of the early construction.

The body of the bass is made of black walnut and mahogany.

The core of the neck is quartersawn rock maple with mahogany sides, a cocobolo fretboard and cocobolo binding. It will have a single EMG-DC pickup.

Let me know what you think!









More pics to come next week!
__________________
Xylem Custom Basses and Guitars
  #2  
Old 11-10-2008, 10:33 PM
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Racine,Wi
I love your designs, very exotic and you're only about 60 miles from me.
__________________
Nothing is more dangerous than an idea, especially if its the only one you have, you see, "vision" is the art of seeing something not there.
  #3  
Old 11-10-2008, 11:34 PM
Taylor Livingston's Avatar
Registered User

Owner, Iron Ether Electronics
 
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: LA US
Supporting Member
Very cool stuff, Xylem. This'll be a fun one to watch.
  #4  
Old 11-17-2008, 04:56 PM
XylemBassGuitar's Avatar
Registered User

Owner and Operator, Xylem Handmade Basses and Guitars
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Durango, CO
Supporting Member
Here is the bass after cutting out the body shape and some early carving...





The bass should be one piece by next week. I'll post some more pictures then...
__________________
Xylem Custom Basses and Guitars
  #5  
Old 11-26-2008, 02:27 PM
XylemBassGuitar's Avatar
Registered User

Owner and Operator, Xylem Handmade Basses and Guitars
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Durango, CO
Supporting Member
Here is the latest work, the bass is one piece now.



Happy Thanksgiving!
__________________
Xylem Custom Basses and Guitars
  #6  
Old 11-26-2008, 03:39 PM
Registered User
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: North Yorkshire, UK
Wow, can we get a closeup shot of the back of that scarf joint?

__________________
Do earwigs make chutney? - Eddie Izzard
Multiscale Build : Team Trace Elliot #61
  #7  
Old 11-26-2008, 10:09 PM
XylemBassGuitar's Avatar
Registered User

Owner and Operator, Xylem Handmade Basses and Guitars
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Durango, CO
Supporting Member
Sure thing Mikey...I'll post a closeup of the scarf next week with the new pictures.
__________________
Xylem Custom Basses and Guitars
  #8  
Old 11-26-2008, 11:39 PM
Registered User
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
i was debating weather or not i liked the headstock but then when you put it on the body it worked for me. so far good lookin' bass.
  #9  
Old 11-27-2008, 06:09 PM
Lokire's Avatar
Registered User
 
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Seattle, Washington
GOLD Supporting Member
Looks killer! Love the colors in that Black Walnut
__________________
'Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing,
Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before'

http://www.youtube.com/gbagley
  #10  
Old 12-23-2008, 06:23 PM
XylemBassGuitar's Avatar
Registered User

Owner and Operator, Xylem Handmade Basses and Guitars
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Durango, CO
Supporting Member
The bass is almost finished. Here is what it looks like after the first coat of oil.





The next round of pictures will be of the finished product.
__________________
Xylem Custom Basses and Guitars
  #11  
Old 12-23-2008, 06:34 PM
Registered User
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Toronto, Canada
That's one pretty bass. I particularly love the grain on the fingerboard.
  #12  
Old 12-25-2008, 01:50 PM
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Central New Jersey
You have some great designs. I just finished a semester of Biology, so I have to ask, did you name your company after the water transport system in plants? I got a nerdy kick out of it. Keep up the great work!
  #13  
Old 12-25-2008, 01:54 PM
TrevorOfDoom's Avatar
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Austin, TX
Supporting Member
please sir... a pic of the bottom side of the bass. i'm curious. does the mahogany core widen from back to front? or is it two pieces?
__________________
Lakland-Demeter-Orange-Bag End
LOG #244
Twitter Facebook
  #14  
Old 12-25-2008, 02:27 PM
Registered User
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Mukilteo, WA
I really like the shape, but the only thing that I dont really like how far the upper horn sticks out. Other than that, it looks great to me
__________________
Seattle Bassist Club #28, Epiphone Thunderbird Club #42, ERB Club #107
Brice Defiant 6 (Lizard Burst), Ibanez BTB 5 (Purple QM), Epi T-Bird IV (Sunburst)
  #15  
Old 12-25-2008, 02:50 PM
Registered User
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Winnipeg, Canada
Send a message via MSN to CanadaMan
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sterling_Bass View Post
You have some great designs. I just finished a semester of Biology, so I have to ask, did you name your company after the water transport system in plants? I got a nerdy kick out of it. Keep up the great work!
http://www.xylembassguitar.com/about.html

"What is Xylem?

Xylem is a kind of transport tissue found in vascular plants, such as hardwood trees. The main function of xylem is the transport of water and soluble mineral nutrients from the roots to the rest of the plant. Basically, xylem is like a part of the circulatory system of plants and trees."

I'd say yes.
__________________
Quote:
Originally Posted by SuperDuck View Post
Give a man a mirror, and it will warm him once. Teach a man to chop down his own mirrors, and they'll warm him twice.
  #16  
Old 12-25-2008, 03:01 PM
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Central New Jersey
I should have known to look on his site. Regardless, that's a clever company name.
  #17  
Old 01-04-2009, 10:39 AM
XylemBassGuitar's Avatar
Registered User

Owner and Operator, Xylem Handmade Basses and Guitars
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Durango, CO
Supporting Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by TrevorOfDoom View Post
please sir... a pic of the bottom side of the bass. i'm curious. does the mahogany core widen from back to front? or is it two pieces?
The mahogany core is actually two pieces; straight on the front and tapered on the back.

I should be able to post pictures of the finished bass this week. I'll include some of the requests too (i.e. the bottom side of the bass and a closeup of the scarf joint).

Then I'll work on posting some sound clips too.

Sterling_Bass, where are you taking biology? I've actually got a bachelor's degree in zoology from Colorado State.
__________________
Xylem Custom Basses and Guitars
  #18  
Old 01-04-2009, 01:35 PM
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Nebraska
Send a message via MSN to jordan_frerichs
i was also interested in the center section. what are you finishing this with again? whaat is the binding on the fingerboard, and how wide is it?
__________________
some day, i will be more intelligenter!
  #19  
Old 01-05-2009, 04:45 PM
XylemBassGuitar's Avatar
Registered User

Owner and Operator, Xylem Handmade Basses and Guitars
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Durango, CO
Supporting Member
The bass is finished with Danish oil. The binding is cocobolo and is about 1/16" wide. The other stripes you see down the neck are strips of mahogany that are about 3/16" wide.
__________________
Xylem Custom Basses and Guitars
  #20  
Old 01-14-2009, 05:55 PM
XylemBassGuitar's Avatar
Registered User

Owner and Operator, Xylem Handmade Basses and Guitars
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Durango, CO
Supporting Member
Finished!

With the exception of the router (for the cavities/pockets), hand drill and dremel tool (for the inlay) I built this bass from start to finish with nothing but unpowered hand tools.

All in all, it came out well. Really low action with no buzz anywhere. Great feel and ease of playability (even despite the 36" scale...I'm used to playing a 32").

The bass sustains for a long time too, probably owing to the steep break angles at the headstock and bridge and the stiff neck.

The tone on this thing is awesome, it is an absolute pleasure to play. I'll try and get some sound clips up soon. The 36" scale combined with the EMG-DC really sounds sweet. I can almost produce the brown noise with this baby...I guess I'll have to make a 38" scale with more pickups and two 9 volts next time...

I think I was most amazed at how light the bass came out. I don't have a scale, but it feels like it comes in under 9 pounds, maybe even a little less.









Let me know what'cha think fellas...
__________________
Xylem Custom Basses and Guitars
Reply


Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off

Follow TalkBass on Twitter   Visit TalkBass on Facebook  

All times are GMT -6. The time now is 09:14 PM.




Copyright ©2011 Talk Music Group Inc. All right reserved.
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.6.12
Copyright ©2000 - 2012, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.