Nomad98, lefty build for Dan

Nomad98 · #1 08-29-2010, 09:25 AM

Hi all.

This summer I have been working on a lefty bass for TBer Dan Swain. It's my first commission and to say the least it's been very exciting to work on.

I have been taking picts along the way so it is going to seem like a speed build.

A few specs and we will be off with some picts.

• 6 string lefty
• Body is Spanish Cedar with Sitka Spruce top
• Neck, Wenge with Purpleheart center laminate and maple accents veneers
• Full ramp/pickup cover loaded with a JWorrell pup.

Dan and I did a little bit of modifying to the design. Dan called the bass the "Avatar" bass, since it is the bass I use in my avatar at TB. The name has really stuck so this is now the "Avatar Bass" (thanks Dan).

I found a great piece of spanish cedar. you can see there is a bit of flame in the wood. this will be the back.

This is the neck blank all glued up. wenge/maple/purpleheart/maple/wenge.

After a few mods to the design I do a full printout on paper to make the templates.

This is the paper template all cut out and the MDF layed out, and ready to cut...

The templates are all cut out. There are guide tabs on the templates so I can swap between the cavity route template to the body route template. The great thing about these is that they flip to be used as either righty or lefty templates. I took a lot of care in making these templates. I plan on making a righty for myself this winter.

The body gets built in upper and lower halves. I route out the cavities first, then glue the top onto each half. Then I glue the two halves together.

This build I am using a large ramp that will double as a pickup cover. I have the top pieces layed out and I used a jewelers saw, and a sharp box cutter to cut the ramp out before the tops are glued onto the body core.

The tops are glued onto the halves

Vwalla... The body is glued together and it takes a spin around the router. Notice there are still tabs for the templates

The ramp is just sitting on the body in the above picture. I really like that the grain will match from the body to the ramp. I know a lot of builders do this but I have faked it in the past, matching grain instead of actually cutting out the pieces from the top.

Well, thanks for looking. I have more to post to bring the build up to date so check back if you wish. I am off to the grocery store.

Nomad98

abarson · #2 08-29-2010, 10:12 AM

Subbed! This is looking cool!

jworrellbass · #3 08-29-2010, 10:18 AM

Very cool Phil, I will have to go up to Denver when it's all done and check it out in person.

DanSwain · #4 08-29-2010, 10:46 AM

I don't think it was specifically me who coined it the 'Avatar' - we both kept referring to the Bass in that way

Plus, it hadn't been long since James Cameron's movie had been released...at least, it was still a talking point amongst popular culture. Along with it being something that reminded me of ancient culture (Mayans, Incans, Egyptians), the name seemed very fitting, so it stuck!

John, this is the Bass which we'll be testing your pickup in! Needless to say I'm really looking forward to working with this instrument once finished. Things are picking up for me music-wise in Denver, so it'll be great to have a really professional instrument that I can hide behind

Nomad98 · #5 08-29-2010, 11:14 AM

On with the posting to get the build up to date...

This is the control cavity routed... notice the router template tabs are now cut off.

The neck is roughed out and the truss rod cavity is in.

The beginings of the "tummy cut" are in. I should say that if you look back at the pictures you will notice that the upper body chamber is routed to allow a deep tummy cut.

Ahhhh... Now it is looking like a bass. The fingerboard is on and the maple veneer is on the headstock. Also the control cover is made.

A detail of the headstock veneer. I am thinking the truss rod access hole will end up shaped like a teardrop in keeping with the f (teardrop) holes in the body.

That's where the bass is as of this post.

Thanks for looking.
Nomad98

probasser · #6 08-29-2010, 12:22 PM

i love it! that body shape is really original, reminds me of aliens!

BassCycle · #7 08-29-2010, 01:37 PM

Really nice!

Dark Horse · #8 08-29-2010, 01:46 PM

That's gonna be a beauty !

DanSwain · #9 08-29-2010, 05:25 PM

Oh yes

There were a couple of design changes that I requested that some people might think a bit 'odd', but Phil's incorporated them in a very artistic way. There are going to be pictures and videos of this beauty once I get hold of it!

The tone's really smooth, based on the recordings Phil did for the original, even with the pickup placed quite close to the bridge it's not too nasally, but then that can always be fixed with EQ with any instrument. I'm looking forward to hearing how the combination of Phil's work and John's pickup come together.

I'll just have to keep working on my cheap-o fretless until it arrives!

jworrellbass · #10 08-29-2010, 05:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DanSwain

Oh yes

There were a couple of design changes that I requested that some people might think a bit 'odd', but Phil's incorporated them in a very artistic way. There are going to be pictures and videos of this beauty once I get hold of it!

The tone's really smooth, based on the recordings Phil did for the original, even with the pickup placed quite close to the bridge it's not too nasally, but then that can always be fixed with EQ with any instrument. I'm looking forward to hearing how the combination of Phil's work and John's pickup come together.

I'll just have to keep working on my cheap-o fretless until it arrives!

Dan, what pickup did Phil use for the original recordings?

Nomad98 · #11 08-29-2010, 05:51 PM

I used an EMG 45DC.

jworrellbass · #12 08-29-2010, 06:06 PM

Thanks Phil.

LGT · #13 08-29-2010, 07:31 PM

Dan, how many upside down basses do you need?

DanSwain · #14 08-29-2010, 07:43 PM

My wife keeps asking me the same thing LGT!

Nomad98 · #15 09-03-2010, 06:56 AM

This week I got the fingerboard fret slots in. Here is a picture of my archaic jig (using the term lightly) for cutting fret slots...

I use a StewMac metal scale taped onto the back of the neck. The scale is notched and my jig has a little nail the notch fits into. Works great. I use a little candle wax on the blade for every slot I cut. The blade never binds up and the job goes really fast.

I put a 30 inch radius on the fingerboard. It is just enough to take out the flat sunken feel that flat boards seem to have IMHO.

SDB Guitars · #16 09-03-2010, 08:14 AM

Phil -

Excellent work! I remember when I first saw the build for the bass in your avatar, and I was impressed then. I am even more so, now!

Have you considered using an 1/16" router bit to cut out your matching pickup covers/ramps/cavity covers, and then binding the edge to give a snug fit? You could bind with a wood of an opposing color, and it would look very striking. I do this occasionally on my cavity covers, to get perfect grain match:

Routing out of the back wood:

And the finished product, bound in bloodwood:

Nomad98 · #17 09-03-2010, 08:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SDB Guitars

Have you considered using an 1/16" router bit to cut out your matching pickup covers/ramps/cavity covers, and then binding the edge to give a snug fit? You could bind with a wood of an opposing color, and it would look very striking. I do this occasionally on my cavity covers, to get perfect grain match:

I have seen you do this and it looks great. I will most likely try this down the road.

In all the pictures so far of my ramp/pickup cover, it's just resting on the top of the bass. The ramp is not built with the sides (don't know if that's clear in the picts). The jewelers saw that I used to cut out the ramp has a super thin blade. I used that for my perpendicular cuts into each side. Then I used a sharp box-cutter for the horizontal cut across. There is almost no wood loss so the cover will look like it popped out of the bass (roughly speaking). I don't think the box-cutter will work on all tops though, the sitka spruce top is soft enough that it is an easy cut. Other hard wood tops might not be so easy to cut that way?

headlikeahole · #18 09-03-2010, 10:18 AM

I love your work man. Looks great!

Nomad98 · #19 09-13-2010, 02:28 PM

The last weeks have been spent shaping the neck, routing out the neck pocket and pickup/ramp cover area.

Since the ramp comes right up to the end of the fingerboard, Dan wanted the fingerboard to be coved at the end to allow for a little access to get under the strings.

The back of the bass (obviously).

The neck is almost shaped. Wenge is tough stuff. Don't know if I will be excited to use it again but it looks very Neapolitan with the brown/maple/and purpleheart.

And finally the cover is made. It has the same radius as the fingerboard.

That is about it. As usual, thanks for looking.

Nomad98

DanSwain · #20 09-13-2010, 05:50 PM

Wow - it's looking amazing! The thickness proportions of the neck laminates are perfect!

Excitement and anticipation increases by the day