10 string Prat Bass

[PaPaVB20]

Hi, I am opnening this thread to show some kind of diary of the construction of my new bass... As some may know I am a luthier apprentice in Costa Rica. Oscar F. Prat has been great, first helping me with advice, then selling me amazing woods for my basses, and the most amazing detail, he invited me to his shop to learn the craft for a couple of months. So I decided that the best thing to do was ordering a Prat Bass! The best decision Ever! So here are the specs:
10 string Bass
Multiscale (reverse shape) 35"-32"
Tuned from F#-Eb
28 frets
Neck: 7 piece Wenge/curly maple
Body core:50 year old american walnut
Top and back: curly koa
Fingerboard:macassar ebony
Pickups villex
Preamp: mike pope flexcore
Piezo: ets with richter electronics control board
Wooden knobs, pickup covers, ramp, cavity covers walnut/koa
Koa block inlays
16mm string distance

So after some chat, I told Oscar I wanted a small instrument (as small as possible as a ERB) so he changed the desig on the reverse a bit, and it turned out amazing! Designed a headstock which I love, and we took on every detail... So i took a flight to US, and as soon as I arrived, we started the woodworking part. Will post some pictures of the process...

 

[PaPaVB20]

Here you can see the neck shape cut close to the shape...

 

[PaPaVB20]

Here is the man himself standing before all we done the first day... Glued the neck laminates, cut the body tops, backs and core... Lots of progress in a couple of hours...

 

[PaPaVB20]

Well here we glued the body core with the koa tops and backs..

 

[HaMMerHeD]

You lucky bastard. I would love to go learn from Oscar.

 

[PaPaVB20]

Jajaja you are totally right! I am blessed, he is one of the best luthiers, and one of the best human beings i know... I am learning a lot, and his basses are fine pieces of art!

 

[PaPaVB20]

All the glueing ready and the truss rod channels routed

 

[PaPaVB20]

Cut the tapper on the neck... Everything cleaned...

 

[PaPaVB20]

So we finished the fretboard... Fret slots and block inlays ready... This thing is nice! The grain figure changes between the macassar ebony and koa blocks like a negative of a photograph... Can't wait to finish this bass!!

 

[PaPaVB20]

 

[reverendrally]

awe.... some....

No idea how you'd play it but that is soooo cool.

 

[Triad]

I see you changed the gap between the long and short scale... I'm definitely with you on that. Nice project, mate!

 

[Beej]

Wow, gorgeous. You lucky b******d...

 

[PaPaVB20]

Thanks guys... The idea on this one is to have the most compact ERB possible, so string distance at nut and bridge is very tight... I will have to play it a couple of months just to feel natural on it... Will keep the pictures coming! Triad thanks for your input, I still will make my 12 string twins next year, this will be like a prototype so the change from playing 7 & 8 string basses, feel more natural, and this way I can be sure, that everything fits on my 12 string design... For example on this one I used the 12 fret as parallel like in my 12's just less scale change...thanks!

 

[PaPaVB20]

Well, lots of progress to show... First, Oscar cleaned up the neck, and start shaping the volute, so we can have an idea of the final neck thickness....

Then we glue the fingerboard

And after lettint it dry overnight, we glued the singlecut

After letting it dry, we attached the other wing...

Still have some more advance to ahow... So I will do later... Thanks for stoping by and watch this...

 

[Triad]

Nice stuff! But I've never been comfortable shaping the neck with the body already glued on. To each his own method, I guess. It's coming out very nice, you must be really excited!

 

[PaPaVB20]

Thanks Triad! Well, yes, there's different ways to do this.... This is Oscar's way, and actually I feel comfortable with it... Mostly because he does it like in stages.... Cutting, glueing, shaping, sanding, routing cavities, fretting, sanding for the finish, applying finish, assembly parts and setup in that order.... So we are now in the final shaping part, so I can start sanding a bit to take off all scratches and glue leftovers that might be, and level everything smooth ... And start routing fir pickups and electronics....
Actually I am pretty excited, I love bass as a whole, and I am learning a lot, but still the bass player within me can't wait anymore to have the bass ready and start playing... Thanks for the kind words Triad, I will continue with more pictures of the process!

 

[PaPaVB20]

So after tqking off clamps, we sanded top and back to get a perfect flush surface on both....

Then glued the headstock cap (yes, more koa hahahaha) and let it dry overnight

Then we start removing material form the neck-body joints and shaping the back of the singlecut
Here aoscar doing some steps with the router...

Then we got the headstock close to it's shape, and I started doing hand sanding to the perfect shape and feel...

Finally we starr the shaping of the body front and back sides.... Giving some more design elegance, and comfort with the bass on...

And finally a picture that worth a thousand words... The love story between the bass and me begins hahaha

 

[pilotjones]

Looks great.

I'm surprised, though, that the headstock veneer was glued with clamps around the edges, but none in the center and no caul block.

 

[PaPaVB20]

Hi, we didn't use clamps in the middle or a block, because it isn't veneer... Is a thick piece of koa, so it will hold a good presure all over it with good clamps all around... Then will sand it to final thickness...