prototyping new singlecut design

I've always subscribed to the "small lower horn" idea... that's just what I like. But, I understand that it's not for everybody, and that kind of input is exactly why I made this thread to begin with! Thanks

I think that what you are perceiving as "width" actually translates to "waist may be too narrow"... the body is significantly narrower than, say, a Fender bass... it's just under 12.5" at the widest point, whereas Fender Jazz basses run around 13" or so. it could also be the angle of the picture.

This prototype body has pretty much exactly the same dimensions/proportions as the basses pictured below, just connected the "upper horn" to the neck and filled in, and reversed the curve on the lower horn:

Thanks, again! I'm pretty darned happy with the wood selection. I'm kinda "bloodwood-happy" right now, as I got a good buy on some, and I just love the way it looks, works, feels, and even smells. I got some well quartered stuff for neck laminations, and flatsawn stuff for body laminations. I think it sets off pretty much any lighter wood so nicely...

 

That's bloodwood, the same as the fingerboard and the neck laminations. It's an intermediate lamination, if you will, between the top and the primary body wood... I really live that stuff, and I guess I'd better, as I have a *ton* of it hanging around.

The top was said to be "mubanga" or some such... Larry Davis couldn't positively identify it from the picture, but I believe he said that sometimes "mubanga" is a trade name for afrormosia... so, I googled mubanga, and came up with "PERICOPSIS ANGOLENSIS (AFRORMOSIA)"... so I'm guessing that the top wood is a spalted version of that.

The main body is Spanish cedar (cedrela - an evergreen which is somehow in the mahogany family, which originates in Central and South America), and although it's very soft (marks easily with your fingernail), I just love working with it, the smell is great, it works easily, doesn't have nasty splinters, and it weighs almost nothing at all.

 

Um... it fell several pages down because I didn't update it in over a month. lol

First off, thanks for the compliment for (pretty much) liking it all (exceptions noted). I was just tired of making the one model all the time, and wanted to try something different, but didn't want the apple to fall *too* far from the tree, as it were. I wanted it to be recognizable as being related. I'm not entirely sure I was successful, but at least I'll have a nifty little short-scale (32") for myself, and someday, maybe I'll sell it to finance another prototype.

In actuality, it *is* slightly narrower than the lower bout, but maybe not enough. Additionally, moving the "horn" down closer to the butt (shortening the body) and thickening up the waist would probably go a long way toward resolving these issues. It is, of course, too late to do it to *this* one, but then, since I'll likely be the only one to play this one, it's okay.

 

LOL

 

Wow... haven't gotten around to *this* one in a while... too many irons in the fire?

String this one up last night (MMmmmm DR Hi-Beams...), and gave it a good going-through. Sounds great, other than a ground loop I can't seem to locate. I star grounded it and everything. HMMMmm.

Anyhoo, on to the delicious goodness... I still want your guys thoughts and opinions on the shape, now that you can see it all.

Here's a "full frontal" shot (lousy camera, I know, and bad lighting, to boot, but I'm on my way to work...). The bridge needs to be thinned just a hair, as the action is a touch high. Intonates well, though. The nut is just there to keep the strings in line, they're basically sitting on the trailing edge of the fingerboard, for consistancy of sound.



And here's a close-up shot of the body. The controls are stacked vol/passive tone, stacked bass/trable, and 4-way rotary switch for either pickup or both together in either series or parallel. The knobs are from Roger at THG Knobs. The pickups are Nordstrand NJ4SV's (LOVE those pickups...).



So, yeah. Just have some minor touch-up sanding, the final coats of oil and wax, and the cover plate closure (I'm thinking neo magnets).

When it's all said and done, I'll post some sound clips so you can hear what it sounds like...

 

Thanks, all, for the input. This was a prototype, and it's purpose was exactly this - to see what will work, and what won't. You guys are all awesome, especially those who came out and said they didn't care for the design, for one reason or another. It's constructive criticism, and I don't disparage it one bit.

For those who are curious, here's my second prototype of this style compared to the original... the waist is about 1/2" thicker on the left side (the bass side? ), the upper bout is about 1/2" shorter and 3/4" narrower, and it joins the neck differently.