the Bat Bass

[James Mobius]

ah here it is, Luthier's corner, I was wondering if there was a builder's club or something. I haven't made a bass in a long time, making one now though, a 2 string solid body electric slide bass, Mark Sandman style, except the body is an original design. Incidentally I normally play 6 string and Stick, so don't think I'm some kind of string luddite, lol.But as Mark said, each string has every note...

I have a page detailing in brutal honesty the process with lots of photos on my website here:
the Bat Bass MobiusBandwidth.com
if you've never built one you might find some of what I've written helpful, things not to do, for example! d:

on this page: Luthiery at MobiusBandwidth.com you can see some of my other work, such as it is. I am very happy I finally got off my butt and started this project, as soon as it's done I am going to start another. after this I have to finish the bouzouki I made (just needs a new saddle), then building a guitar. then more basses and guitars. and who knows what else.

 

[Blind Dog]

What does that body weigh?

 

[Ric5]

Holy batwings ... that bass has 2 strings ...

 

[James Mobius]

the body weighs 6.5 Lbs, mahogany isn't that heavy though maple is, but it's half and half. I wonder if my bathroom scale is right, it seems heavier than that somehow. tried weighing it directly, and also weighing myself holding it, and not holding it, and then subtracting the difference, which concurred with the first measurement.

I shouldn't have brought it up from the cellar. Now I can't stop looking at it... @_@ can't wait to play this bloody thing!

 

[Philonius]

I don't think I see the mahogany. Is the back half of the body 'hog?

 

[James Mobius]

yep the back half is mahogany, I used 3/4" thick lumber, easy to come by, and I was curious how it would sound. I've had at least 2 basses, an Alembic 4, (long gone) and my Tune 6, which are mahogany with a maple top, probably 3/8" of an inch thick maple, to be honest I was too impatient to hunt down wood in those dimensions, though mahogany being so much easier to shape I can see the appeal of using more of it. There are pics of both sides here: the Bat Bass MobiusBandwidth.com

 

[knucklehead G]

From those saddles, it looks like your strings aren't going to line up with the polepieces very well. They're really close together with how you have them turned opposite directions.

 

[James Mobius]

I left them as they were, the A and D strings, chopped down a P bass bridge, nothing's attached yet, but I think they'll line up as they should, between the poles.

 

[Rickett Customs]

Look out Mothman.........

 

[TomA1234]

Look out Mothman.........

No, this is the mothman's doing, it has possessed the mind of this unfortunate builder, forcing him to do his evil bidding by making offspring so he can one day consume all of our souls.

 

[James Mobius]

lulz. only women have the power to possess the mind of this unfortunate builder. d: I'm a comic book artist but I am not familiar with this Mothman fellow. the next bass I build will have either 5 or 6 strings. I need another 5 string fretted bass and a 6 string fretless. and another 6 string fretted, just in case. hmm, but then I will only have one 6 string fretless, I'll need a back up for that too. and I only have one Chapman Stick, I better make a spare. hmm I dunno, my Stick survived a flood, it's pretty hardy.

 

[James Mobius]

Bolted the beastie together at last, popped the hardware on and was able to actually play it for the first time, as a fretless, a profoundly satisfying experience. I was sad to have to take it apart, but now that I have it working, I have a fair amount of sanding ahead of me, and staining and finishing. It's going to be a dark transparent purple. (The strings incidentally, align perfectly over the pick ups.)

 

[Blind Dog]

Seems like a Bat Bass should be black with orange pin striping...

 

[James Mobius]

heh, I am thinking about doing the headstock like that, black with red trim. we shall see. there is a guitar like the batmobile out there, commercially available.

if you google "bat guitar" you will see a few interesting things out there, some battier than others! d:

 

[knucklehead G]

Can we get a top-down shot showing string alignment? Not doubting you, I'm just usually better at eyeballing distances.

 

[James Mobius]

Can we get a top-down shot showing string alignment? Not doubting you, I'm just usually better at eyeballing distances.

considering I dismantled it, that's going to have to wait, sorry. believe me, I wish it were all in one piece right now. I guess I'll have to just play my crummy ol' handmade Tune VI tonight d:

I did plenty of eye-balling making this thing, I think it shows too -_-

 

[Ric5]

Is that the new Gene Simmons Sig bass?

 

[James Mobius]

Is that the new Gene Simmons Sig bass?

I should license it to him! nice chap, I met him once.

 

[James Mobius]

Well I'm learning a thing or three on here, and googling, found out the difference between stains and dyes for wood, thanks to Rockler's site, and they have the purple trans-tint stain I need, hope to get it tomorrow. also check out this guy's custom engraved neck plates! I don't love neck plates, but this bass has one and I'm reusing it, Link Removed I can see using this guy's service for a custom engraving, I imagine they use computer controlled lasers to etch any image into the metal, way bloody cool! he's got what looks like a Gil Elvgren pin up one for sale at the moment, cute, but I have my own nefarious ideas. I'm also an illustrator, portraitist and tattoo artist, I'll come up with something.

 

[TomA1234]

I should license it to him! nice chap, I met him once.

Blasphemy!