$100 Bass Challenge - 2groggy's Half Moon

[2groggy]

OK, I'm in!

Here's the plan...

• Design based on the Mezzaluna Bantam Weight as published and shared by Liutaio Mottola
• purchased neck from G&L, new US$35
• Tuners that I had kicking around, new approx US$45
• A pick-up that I had kicking around, new approx US$8
• Ferrules that I had kicking around, new approx US$8
• Strap buttons that I had kicking around, new approx $4
• new strings, but outside of the $100 limit

That puts me at my $100 limit. So everything else must come from the salvaged electronics pile, from the fastener drawer, from whatever tru-oil in the can or fabricated from materials on hand.

I already made the body out of a salvaged butcher-block type countertop. It was only 1" thick so I cut out two pieces, chambered them and glued them together.

I started on Sunday and put the pictures up on Imgur. You can look at them here. They are in a scrambled order so you may have to flip through them a few times.

Today, I cleaned up the sides to match each other and applied the round-overs. I still need to take and post pictures. I'll do that tomorrow.

 

[2groggy]

Here is the web site where I got the plans: (with thanks)

Mezzaluna Electric Basses

 

[2groggy]

My computer is in the shop for a malware cleanse & detox. So I won't post any more pictures until the middle of next week

 

[mellowinman]

My computer is in the shop for a malware cleanse & detox. So I won't post any more pictures until the middle of next week

I hate when computers' drinking problems get away from them. Mine has been sober for awhile, but I have to keep the gin locked up, just in case.

 

[2groggy]

The laptop is back. It got cleaned up real purdy.

Let me try to post some images from this weekend locally instead of in the cloud.

I hand cut the neck pocket. Luckily the neck itself covers a multitude of sins

G&L neck in hand cut pocket

• 2groggy
• Apr 6, 2015

I've stained walnut, because that is what I had around. The front and back look OK, but the sides should have been sanded better. I plan to sand it and re-stain it. I've mocked up a pick guard made out of a 45 RPM single and a simple bar bridge.

mock up of hardware

• 2groggy
• Apr 6, 2015

I also started to play with some scrap Corian for the nut and bar bridge. If you look closely at these pieces, I've cut a 12" radius lip into them using a 17 degree dovetail bit. This should be more than enough relief to stop any sitar sound. I'll cut the slots even deeper, but without marring the lip. It should act like a zero fret.

corian with 12" radius lip

• 2groggy
• Apr 6, 2015

Should I put in a sound hole? What shape and where? How about a round hole behind the 45?

There's one more idea that I'd like opinions on... I have some scrap upholstery fabric in a number of designs. What to people think of paisley or fabric finishes? I might have enough epoxy handy to fill in the weave and leave a smooth glossy finish.

 

[mellowinman]

I would say no sound hole, and make sure the 45 has a cool label.

 

[2groggy]

The choices for 45 are:
Bo Diddley - I'm A Man
The Kingsmen - Louie Louie
Jerry Lee Lewis - Great Balls of Fire
Little Richard - Good Golly, Miss Molly
Fats Domino - Ain't That A Shame
The Stranglers - Strange Little Girl/Cruel Garden (This one has a small sized hole in the middle)
The Clash - Groovy Times/Gates of the West (This one is marked "not for sale". It must have come inside London Calling)

 

[mellowinman]

The choices for 45 are:
Bo Diddley - I'm A Man
The Kingsmen - Louie Louie
Jerry Lee Lewis - Great Balls of Fire
Little Richard - Good Golly, Miss Molly
Fats Domino - Ain't That A Shame
The Stranglers - Strange Little Girl/Cruel Garden (This one has a small sized hole in the middle)
The Clash - Groovy Times/Gates of the West (This one is marked "not for sale". It must have come inside London Calling)

I was having trouble picking until I got down to the Clash. Now it's an easy choice. I'm pretty sure it came with the re-release of the first American Clash album, at the same time London Calling was out. That's where I got mine.

 

[randyripoff]

I was having trouble picking until I got down to the Clash. Now it's an easy choice. I'm pretty sure it came with the re-release of the first American Clash album, at the same time London Calling was out. That's where I got mine.

Same here. Can't go wrong with the Clash.

 

[2groggy]

I've rubbed on a couple of coats of Tru-oil, just to seal it up. I'll start on getting the tuner holes plugged and re-drilled, and making sure that the frets are all flat on the weekend.

For the pickguard, the Stranglers label looks better than the Clash label, but the real question is "What do I want to save for a later, more serious build.?"

 

[mapleglo]

I like the body shape, and the 45 pickguard. Very cool.

 

[2groggy]

I like the body shape, and the 45 pickguard. Very cool.

Thanks. Credit for the body shape goes to Liutaio Mottola. I've posted the link to his website back in post #2. When I had the neck in the neck pocket, I found it to be a great body shape for playing sitting down. Of course, that is what the intended purpose of the design.

 

[mellowinman]

How about one of these for the center hole in the 45?

10 New Red 45 RPM Record Insert Adapters | eBay

 

[2groggy]

LOL I like the look but that would blow me past the $100 mark.

 

[2groggy]

Here's my first try at cutting nut slots. Remember that I already routed in a 12" radius ledge to act as the witness points, so I only need to get the positions, widths and back angle (if that is what it's called). I can't say that I did too good of a job, but I have lots of scrap corian to try a few more times.

Face view

First Nut Face

• 2groggy
• Apr 11, 2015

Side view

First Nut Side

• 2groggy
• Apr 11, 2015

I'm going to take a similar approach to the bar bridge except embed threaded nuts for height in intonation adjustment. That might take a few tries too.

 

[2groggy]

A bit of progress...

There are a few coats of tung oil on the body.

I found a step drill that can widen the headstock holes to accept the tuners that I have. I tested it on some scrap and it will do the trick.

I sacrifices an old scratched up LP that I found at the curbside and tried to make a pick guard. I cut a circle just larger than the label and mounted the pick-up. The hole is a little tight and the label got torn when I removed the painters' tape intended to protect it. I made up a shape for the control cover that follows the outside of the body. There's lots left to try other shapes. Here's a mock-up:

Pickguard test 12 inch LP 2 pc

• 2groggy
• Apr 14, 2015

The centre circle holds the pup.
The 2nd piece is for pots, switch.
Jack TBD

And here's the underside, with the pick-up mounted:

Pickguard test underside

• 2groggy
• Apr 14, 2015

 

[NKBassman]

Loving the LP pickguard idea.

 

[2groggy]

Thanks NK.

I'm still playing with pickguard shapes. Here's another variation.

Pickguard Mockup 2

• 2groggy
• Apr 17, 2015

And I've mocked up an adjustable bar bridge using some angle steel, corian, nuts and epoxy. It still needs slots.

Adjustable Bar Bridge

• 2groggy
• Apr 17, 2015

 

[2groggy]

I'm going back to the drawing board on the nut and bridge. Expect more delays, trial and error, and amateurish mistakes for your viewing pleasure.

 

[2groggy]

I got a bit done over the last few days. After a few attempts, I actually have a corian nut that didn't break moments before I finished it

neck with corian nut

• 2groggy
• Apr 24, 2015

And I found a credit card sized piece of stainless to make a neck plate and attached the neck. Here's a picture of how well the bass balances.

body and neck balanced

• 2groggy
• Apr 24, 2015

Next steps are to measure out and mark exactly where the bridge would be positioned and then make a better adjustable bar bridge than the previous mock-up.