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Bass number two: 4-string headless single cut

adam.beauchene

adam.beauchene

Commercial User
Dec 31, 2007
1,041
69
Maine
Disclosures
Product Engineer at NS Design
#1
Hey all, getting ready to start my second bass build. Had a lot of fun and got a lot of encouragement and good advice from the LC community last time, so I'll share this build as I go, as well. BTW, this was my first one.

So the new bass:
-4 string, 32" scale, 24 frets (and a zero fret)
-walnut/maple/cocobolo singlecut
-Delano JMVC pickups, aguilar OBP1 preamp Audere 3ZB w/ 4 band EQ
-Bunker tuner/bridges, ETS headpiece

Still finalizing the design as parts arrive:
Picture1.png
 
#5
Thanks, guys. Like my last bass, I messed around with the design in my free time for about a year.

I've got most of my wood--just waiting on a pre-slotted cocobolo fingerboard from LMII, and I need to get up to Tropical Hardwoods this week for some cocobolo to resaw into accent stripes. Also waiting for the polyurethane bandsaw tires I just ordered...the original rubber ones dried out and blew up (I think oily woods cause premature bandsaw tire death.)

See my claro body wings, curly and birdseye maple, and regular walnut tapered neck core below:
IMG_3279.jpg
 
#10
Thanks again, guys.

Billy- I am trying to order a set of bridges from Dave Bunker, pretty unique design, but my phone calls and emails have not yet resulted in an invoice.
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Just found these, though. O. M. G. Stop the bus! Want want want! Apparently discontinued though...
WILL.NOBU.TUNER.jpg

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#12
Headless hardware, always fun…

Bunkers stuff looks really nice, from what I understand from talking with him is he only accepts checks or money orders, you may not get an invoice but rather need to clear the price with him and send him a payment. I was told at that time the wait was two weeks. I don't know if they come in chrome or black.

ETS's wait for me last time was close to 4 months but the quality was really nice, I'd use them again.

ON another note, ABMs stuff is suppose to be readily available now, although expensive they may be your best bet.
 
#13
scottyd said:
Headless hardware, always fun…

Bunkers stuff looks really nice, from what I understand from talking with him is he only accepts checks or money orders, you may not get an invoice but rather need to clear the price with him and send him a payment. I was told at that time the wait was two weeks. I don't know if they come in chrome or black.

ETS's wait for me last time was close to 4 months but the quality was really nice, I'd use them again.

ON another note, ABMs stuff is suppose to be readily available now, although expensive they may be your best bet.
Click to expand...

Yeah, he told me to send a check, i'm cool with that, just haven't received a total yet. Nice looking stuff, probably worth the trouble.

Not a fan of the ABM tuners, I don't like how the threaded rod protrudes from the knurled knob. Looks like it could be easily damaged, and I'm just not into them aesthetically.

Now those wilkinson/hayashi's...ooooh...think I'm on a mission.
 
#14
I really wonder about the Atlansia bridges. There are some real cool designs, but the pricing, as far as I can tell from machine translation, is either too high per piece or too low for a set of four, so I figured they're just astronomically priced. He's got detuner-included units, too.
 
#16
barnaclebeau said:
Not a fan of the ABM tuners, I don't like how the threaded rod protrudes from the knurled knob. Looks like it could be easily damaged, and I'm just not into them aesthetically.

Now those wilkinson/hayashi's...ooooh...think I'm on a mission.
Click to expand...

If you put the strings in fairly snug before you tune it up the threaded rod shouldn't protrude once the string is brought to pitch. I understand about the looks, they're not the best looking. FWIW, the ETS are made the same way (threaded rod through knob)


Yeah the wilkinson/hayashi's are sharp, I'm not sure how you would go about actually buying them. Let us know if you figure something out.:)

Have you considered making your own?
 
#18
scottyd said:
If you put the strings in fairly snug before you tune it up the threaded rod shouldn't protrude once the string is brought to pitch. I understand about the looks, they're not the best looking. FWIW, the ETS are made the same way (threaded rod through knob)


Yeah the wilkinson/hayashi's are sharp, I'm not sure how you would go about actually buying them. Let us know if you figure something out.:)

Have you considered making your own?
Click to expand...

I did think about making my own. Trying to finish this up in a month, though...headed to the east coast and want to take this with me. I may make tuners for my next bass, as well as wind my own pickups.

Dave Bunker wrote me back, my black Bunker bass bridges are ordered!
 
#19
Found me some cocobolo, at Invalid Link Removed in Carlsbad...

IMG_3292.jpg


Kinda pink right now, will darken to reddish-brown over the next couple days. I could eat these. Except it would probably burn my mouth...I definitely have a reaction to cocobolo but it's so pretty it's worth it. So I'll be working this woodpile with a respirator:

IMG_3299.jpg


IMG_3295.jpg
 

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