That's a strange looking bass guitar you've got there...

Hello again. I've come to a stopping point for the moment on my walnut 6 string while I save some cash for hardware. In the meantime I've been getting some work done on a project thats slowly coming together. This is a 6 string electric upright bass prototype that I starting designing all the way back in 2010. I considered posting in the EUB section on the double bass side but you guys are my friends (and I'll get 100x the traffic here).

After doing some research and measuring on my own double bass I finally settled on a design.

Some considerations in designing this bass:

- I already have a beautiful double bass so trying to replicate the sound of an acoustic bass is not an issue. I hope to create an instrument with it's own sound somewhere between a DB and a bass guitar.

- I dont like the look of the stick style EUBs I've seen so I will have a solid body of some shape and size.

- I plan to spend a decent amount of time playing this bass with a bow so several things must be addressed. Too avoid hitting unwanted strings I will maintain 1" string spacing at the bridge. This is a bit narrower than most 4 string DB's but matches the spacing on my 5 string. Also, the fingerboard and bridge must allow for enough arch, as too flat of an arch will lead to hitting other strings unintentionally.

- To make sure the bow has clearance on each side of the bridge the body will be radiused.

Unfortunately, since the bass has been a work in progress I dont have a good linear progression of photos to show you the build process so I will catch you up on where I am currently and then retrace whatever steps I can to show how we got here. These photos are from multiple locations, lighting, and qualities of cameras so please bear with me here.

Specs:

- Neck through body construction, 7 piece maple/wenge neck

- Radiused alder body wings

- Top and back are capped with madrone burl veneer

- Ziricote fingerboard. 3 full octaves with 41.5" string length

- Quartersawn maple bridge

- Transducer will be made from piezo cable and mounted under the bridge.

And here's where we are currently.



In this shot you get a better look at the radius of the body and the cut of the bridge. The radius of the bridge/fingerboard are still a bit shallow, but that will be adjusted one the strings are placed.


A good look at the body radius.


Here you can see the neck through body construction


The neck volute is carved to almost exactly matched my 5 string DB.



The pegbox also turned out really well.


So thats what I have so far. Next time I'll start retracing the steps of how we got here.

 

Here you go. Because of the overhang the fingerboard won't be glued on till after the body is finished. It would be difficult to apply a good finish in that small area.

 

Hilarious!

How's this? It didn't make it into the first batch of pictures.



More of a goatee really...