Short Scale Beetlebone - new design

[Hambone]

Here's the first of a couple of renderings of my Beetlebone design. This one is a 30" scale 6'er. The next is a standard 4 banger. This isn't the final rendering - when I get that I'll put it up. What's missing here is a little reflection in the body to show that the top is full radius carved. Also, the scroll has it's contour cut all the way through the headstock. These were done by Scott at Beav's Graphics. I don't have the patience any more to do this work for myself so I get them from someone that I can trust. Scott has done a great job for me in the past.

[christobass 416]

Wow. You plan on showing the building process of one of these?

[bassmonkeee]

That looks amazing, Alan!


Am I looking at that correctly? Short scale, but because of the string length behind the bridge, it can use regular long scale strings?

[Hambone]

Originally Posted by bassmonkeee

That looks amazing, Allan!
Am I looking at that correctly? Short scale, but because of the string length behind the bridge, it can use regular long scale strings?

That's the idea! The details on the individual string post bridge are up in the air at the moment and a lot rests on being able to accomplish that neatly. That's my ideal but, depending on what I finally wind up with, I think it should be attainable.

BTW, Tests I've done with a plywood mockup of the design balanced as well as any other style of body.

[PilbaraBass]

Wow!

I LOVE it...generally, I'm not a fan really of "beatle" basses...but this is outstanding...

I want TWO: a 6 string fretted (as shown) and a 4 string fretless...

you're bridge design looks so sweet...I'm assuming your going to use a custom piezo in there, somehow...I'm really intriqued by this

other things I love...the "S" curve made by the through body holes and the headstock design

[SBassman]

That's really beautiful.

[SBassman]

Tell us about those pickups.

[Hambone]

Originally Posted by SBassman

Tell us about those pickups.

Geez, I thought you guys might have some suggestions! Let's just say that I'm workin' on some stuff.

Pilbara - as well as the end of the FB. Theme and variation

[Suburban]

Considering who came up with this thread...the pup's would be individual per string, munted from the back for looks, and piezos in the bridge posts.

Or standard J-pups.

[DJ-Jazzy-Jay]

Cant stand the look of the body, but I love the neck and headstock.

[PilbaraBass]

Originally Posted by DJ-Jazzy-Jay

Cant stand the look of the body, but I love the neck and headstock.

wait a minute...the body is the entire point of the whole design...

For pickups...may I suggest "hiding a pickup under the top...

wouldn't be that difficult to do, actually...(rout a through cavity, put a cap for the top, use a cover on the back with foam to hold the pickup.

[DJ-Jazzy-Jay]

Originally Posted by PilbaraBass

wait a minute...the body is the entire point of the whole design...

That doesn't mean I have to like it.

[pilotjones]

Looks kinda cool, Ham.

Q: with those bridges where they are on the body, how comfortable is the playing position? I'd be afraid the the most cofortable position would put your right hand fingers on the wrond side of the bridge. But it all depends on how it hang on the user's body, from the strap pin positions and all.

[Hambone]

With this short scale, you probably won't be slinging it low like a normal bass so the more natural hand position would be closer to how a guitar would be held. It really does work out.

[Rodent]

Interesting concepts you have flowing there, Alan.

On a technical note, I'd say that the tuners are probably a little close together to be easily usable for someone with large hands like I have. I even find difficulty with the Fender spacing on a 5 in a row headstock, as there is just barely enough room to turn the key without accidentally bumping/adjusting a key next to it - and the image here makes it appear that your keys are even closer together. It'd be a bear for me to adjust the E and G strings if real life mimicks the image

looking forward to seeing this one birthed into reality

all the best,

R

[PilbaraBass]

Originally Posted by Rodent

Interesting concepts you have flowing there, Alan.

On a technical note, I'd say that the tuners are probably a little close together to be easily usable for someone with large hands like I have. I even find difficulty with the Fender spacing on a 5 in a row headstock, as there is just barely enough room to turn the key without accidentally bumping/adjusting a key next to it - and the image here makes it appear that your keys are even closer together. It'd be a bear for me to adjust the E and G strings if real life mimicks the image

looking forward to seeing this one birthed into reality

all the best,

R

Interesting point...I kinda noticed that, too...

angling the tuners slightly can help tuner access quite a bit while still maintaining the same spacing.

[Rodent]

agreed - rotation can help out. I see this is possible for the D-G-C strings, but it doesn't appear that it's possible to rotate the B-E-A strings any due to how close the tuners are to each other (again, assuming the image is exactly to scale)

a little more looking ... and I am also noticing that there is quite a bit of extra fretboard realestate between the outer strings and the edge of the neck when yu get down towards the body ... at least for my preferences. this is also most likely an image scale issue and not the actual spacing, but worth a note just in case


these are all such small things that it seems weird to be noting them. still, I'd appreciate the same in return when I start posting new designs again sometime next year

all the best,

R

[Dave Siff]

Holy moly, Allan!! That 6-string looks amazing! Put me down for one of those.

[Hambone]

Originally Posted by Rodent

agreed - rotation can help out. I see this is possible for the D-G-C strings, but it doesn't appear that it's possible to rotate the B-E-A strings any due to how close the tuners are to each other (again, assuming the image is exactly to scale)

a little more looking ... and I am also noticing that there is quite a bit of extra fretboard realestate between the outer strings and the edge of the neck when yu get down towards the body ... at least for my preferences. this is also most likely an image scale issue and not the actual spacing, but worth a note just in case


these are all such small things that it seems weird to be noting them. still, I'd appreciate the same in return when I start posting new designs again sometime next year

all the best,

R

As an artistic rendering, there are flaws that couldn't be justified in a prototype piece. As a matter of fact, there are several features that were rendered entirely by Scott and I even challenged him to design the cavity cover for this arrangement. I told him that if I liked it, I'd use it. He did and I like it. My signature volute was done by him because I didn't include it on the original source drawings.

This particular "model" was only conjured to get something tangible to judge it's looks. What you don't see are the half dozen variations that have already been designed. For instance, I've got some very cool "F" holes that I could put in either the solid body, a semi, or a hollow body version. Lots of possibilities here. The longscale 4, 5, and 6 have a totally different vibe from this one. And when you go with light colors, or sunbursts, and bindings, things get weird fast. It was maddening really. I could not come up with a combination that didn't look just dead nuts cool so I stopped and went simple.

Don't know when I'll get to it. Things are really in flux right now around the house - probably leading to a new home...somewhere.

[DigthemLows]

I like it, very unique for such a hard to make unique shape....