It's the curse of Nucifera.O' dear... you guys are going to chase me up a tree with all the squirrelyness... SEE, now you got me doing it.
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$100 Bass Challenge - Nucifera (The Violent Squirrel)
- Thread starter michaelwayneharwood
- Start date
Rôckhewer
Commercial User
- Feb 28, 2015
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- Owner/Builder- RockHewer Custom Guitars LLC
Wow Michael...THAT ...is an awfully short list!
And that Stradi, looks an awful lot like your Aleph design!...
Yep....awful lot!
I bet if you cut that little scrollie shape in your Aleph ....put them side by side...i couldn't tell the difference!
An awful lot...
Awful...
- May 1, 2014
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It was an unknowing plagiarism, but I thought the same thing when I first saw one. It may sound arrogant, but the short list is driven by how much better I like my own basses than almost every other bass I have ever played, but I love the Warwick Thumb even though it has a pretty significant neck dive issue.
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- May 1, 2014
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Oh - and that list is only inclusive of "stock" basses from major manufacturers. There are a few other builders I would love to get a bass from, but it would have to be a custom and unique work of art on commission.
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I love the way the Stradi Symphony looks, but based on the sound clips I have found I am not a huge fan of her tone.
I must say I have just been inspired to build something I must start accumulating tools and knolage and better spelling skills and forge a new bass from some wood and hard work
- May 1, 2014
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- May 1, 2014
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The next task on my list this evening was the drilling of the holes for the piano tuners, but I wanted to make sure the holes were perfect. Terrestrial drill bits, at least the ones available on this plane, offer so little precision. To address this lack I decided to forge my own, and after reading through the Voynich manuscript for inspiration I stumbled upon a passage that discussed various mystical properties of the stylet of the common mosquito. I did some quick calculations using 4th dimensional calculus to derive the appropriate sum I needed, and then headed off to Ketring park and the man made lake there. A quick cantrip called the female gender of the blood sucking denizens into my carefully prepared trap, and I surgically removed the requisite number of probosci needed for the task.
Upon my return home my family was bribed with gummy worms into weaving my acquisition into a serviceable cylinder of the required dimensions. Once complete I secluded myself in the vault underneath the house and applied the formula gleaned from the sacred codex. The end result was a spiral bit sharper and more precise than anything currently available on the planet. Once chucked into the drill press it made short work of the holes I needed, and there was not even a hint of tear-out evident, in fact the holes looked like the wood had actually grown around the space.
The next step was to acquire some graphite, which was easily harvested from my late grandfather's antique lead holder and a lead pointer. I have yet to install the pins as I need to drill a few of them out, but it's too late to be forming another drill bit according to the new process I have discovered. I guess I will just have to use a regular drill bit.
Upon my return home my family was bribed with gummy worms into weaving my acquisition into a serviceable cylinder of the required dimensions. Once complete I secluded myself in the vault underneath the house and applied the formula gleaned from the sacred codex. The end result was a spiral bit sharper and more precise than anything currently available on the planet. Once chucked into the drill press it made short work of the holes I needed, and there was not even a hint of tear-out evident, in fact the holes looked like the wood had actually grown around the space.
The next step was to acquire some graphite, which was easily harvested from my late grandfather's antique lead holder and a lead pointer. I have yet to install the pins as I need to drill a few of them out, but it's too late to be forming another drill bit according to the new process I have discovered. I guess I will just have to use a regular drill bit.
- May 1, 2014
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- Owner Melodious Resonance Constructs
With pins installed I strung her up to see whether my calculations for string spacing and bridge pin alignment were accurate, and I am pleased to say that it's close to exactly what I was hoping for. You may notice that the fifth string is not installed. The Nucifera will be strung EADGC, and I have yet to receive my single C string in the mail.
After a bit of initial noodling I am extremely satisfied with the 30" scale length. When I moved from 34" to 32" I noticed that playing was easier and more comfortable, but it still missed the mark by just a bit. I am now officially a short scale convert. I am going to really miss playing this bass while I finish up the last tasks, and all future personal builds are going to be at a 30" scale.
After a bit of initial noodling I am extremely satisfied with the 30" scale length. When I moved from 34" to 32" I noticed that playing was easier and more comfortable, but it still missed the mark by just a bit. I am now officially a short scale convert. I am going to really miss playing this bass while I finish up the last tasks, and all future personal builds are going to be at a 30" scale.
- May 1, 2014
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After playing her for a long bit of time last night I had a hard time putting her down. The bridge saddle height is perfect, the action is a dream, and the scale length feels like "coming home". The overall feel of the bass is solid, but it's not heavy. I was going for just a slight bit of string buzz on the fingerboard to add some grit, and it worked out better than I imagined. This paves the way for the Nyarlathoep build coming later in the year, and I honestly could not be happier. I have a few woodworking tasks yet to do, and I need to build a pickup, but the major tasks are complete.
- May 1, 2014
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The search for an appropriate set of lodestones to be used in fashioning a transducer worthy of this bass filled my morning. It's raining and cold in Colorado, and thus was the perfect weather to do a bit of scouting via astral projection. Unfortunately Earth was bereft of the bounty I sought, and I had to stray a bit far afield. A quick tug on my soul tether brought me back into my body, and then with a determination brought on by frustration I donned an apparatus gifted to me by the Emperor Tsan Chan which allows me to visit the Library of Leng when the energies are convergent. Today the ley lines were on my side and I was transported to the library without mishap...remind me to tell you of the time that I found myself stuck in Kadath...but I digress.
I spent some time in colloquy with the High Priest, though little time passed here on Earth - it is the nature of such things. I was finally able to convince the High Priest to divulge the location of that which I sought, and I then hopped over to Mars to seek permission from the insect philosophers that dwell there to export five cylinders from their storehouse. In hindsight I should have started there first considering that Mars is the symbol used for iron in alchemy. Live and learn.
Once back to my laboratory I quickly assembled my transducer, and initial tests have proved it's effectiveness in capturing the essence of the vibrating strings. I need to fashion a pickup cover and test it more thoroughly, but I think that I have the pickup aspect of the build covered. So to speak.
I spent some time in colloquy with the High Priest, though little time passed here on Earth - it is the nature of such things. I was finally able to convince the High Priest to divulge the location of that which I sought, and I then hopped over to Mars to seek permission from the insect philosophers that dwell there to export five cylinders from their storehouse. In hindsight I should have started there first considering that Mars is the symbol used for iron in alchemy. Live and learn.
Once back to my laboratory I quickly assembled my transducer, and initial tests have proved it's effectiveness in capturing the essence of the vibrating strings. I need to fashion a pickup cover and test it more thoroughly, but I think that I have the pickup aspect of the build covered. So to speak.
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I may have created a monster. I spent the evening playing the bass, and it's easily the nicest bass I have ever played. My personal bias may be in evidence here since I made her, but....wow! I am hopeful she will sound good plugged in.
- Aug 15, 2011
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- Owner/Luthier:RoseBud Basses & Guitars LLC
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Thanks so much!This is a fun thread Michael, I'm really in to that pickup
The basic pickup design was originally done by Joesph Rogowski, and though I have made a few changes it's essentially his idea. I have to give huge kudos and credit to @SamanthaCay for the inspiration of her bass build. While I have had this pickup design in the back of my mind for months, it was Samatha and the advent of this thread by @Robert Canfield that motivated me to put thought to action and make it a reality. If you want to see some really cool takes on other low impedance pickup designs I highly recommend giving it a read.
While I feel I have strong documentary evidence that the body shape was not intentionally plagiarized, it does share a lot of design elements with the bass build and the [Invalid or Expired Link Removed] We must share the same muse.
- Aug 15, 2011
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- Owner/Luthier:RoseBud Basses & Guitars LLC
Thanks Michael I'll reed up on those. I saw Sams version, I should reread that while I'm at it.
Like most art and artist, those that influence us can always be seen in our work by the trained eye. This, I would say is more a form of flattery and appreciation than plagiarism. After all, we are attracted to that of which we share common interest to. I'm sure you can see the influences in my builds. I have a new design (still in the drafting stages) that shares some visual elements of the AGC Recurve too, HA, too funny.
Like most art and artist, those that influence us can always be seen in our work by the trained eye. This, I would say is more a form of flattery and appreciation than plagiarism. After all, we are attracted to that of which we share common interest to. I'm sure you can see the influences in my builds. I have a new design (still in the drafting stages) that shares some visual elements of the AGC Recurve too, HA, too funny.
Rôckhewer
Commercial User
- Feb 28, 2015
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- Owner/Builder- RockHewer Custom Guitars LLC
Congratulations!
Don't you just love it when a ...dream, plan, design, creation... comes together?
There is a huge amount of anticipation involved in building an instrument... how's it going to sound, how's it going to play, balance, weight, ...etc...etc....
Glad it came out good for you!
- May 1, 2014
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Word! I must admit if I have known about the two basses that share design elements with the Aleph I would have avoided it like the plague. Finding out after the fact is fun though.
Thanks! I can't agree with you more on the love! The Aleph design has been slowly morphing into a go to design for me, and I expect that the next build will be even closer to Nirvana.
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On the shores near the ruins of Carcosa grows a tree that flowers but once every thousand years during the eclipse of the three suns. The singular fruit of this tree is a nut that is enclosed in a cuboid shell that is harder than Lignum Vitae. When left to mature for the requisite time the outer carapace splits open into two perfect halves, and the spore of the tree drops free only to dash itself on the ebon rocks that covers the beach. The wind will then blow the husks into the sea, where the denizens of that dark place will fight for this prize in bloody battles unseen by surface dwellers.
In my possession is but one half of these rare hulls, and though the tale of it's gathering might be of interest, the translation from the original Aklo would render it almost useless for your understanding due to the lack of contextual references. Suffice it to say that the scars from that ordeal still burn at certain cycles of the twin moons seen rising from that distant shore. It so happens that it is almost the perfect size to house the mystical lodestones I recently assembled into a shape that will accommodate transference of the soul song of the Nucifera into subsolar auditory range. Fine shaping was accomplished through the use of a scale harvested from the den of a rather loquacious wyvern, and the screw holes were made through use of an cast off barb from the same locale. Sadly the scale was destroyed in the shaping, but the task was done before it turned to dust in my hands.
The material is purported to be impervious to dye and stain with one notable exception, and not having any ink from the mythical Kraken on hand I decided to see if a coarse substitute might suffice. I quarreled with a a giant squid while searching for R'lyeh last summer, and I had the foresight to collect some of the ink after the encounter. I had enough of it to spare as I was covered from crown to sole in the obsidian substance. Remind me to tell you of the ordeal I had removing it some time...
In my possession is but one half of these rare hulls, and though the tale of it's gathering might be of interest, the translation from the original Aklo would render it almost useless for your understanding due to the lack of contextual references. Suffice it to say that the scars from that ordeal still burn at certain cycles of the twin moons seen rising from that distant shore. It so happens that it is almost the perfect size to house the mystical lodestones I recently assembled into a shape that will accommodate transference of the soul song of the Nucifera into subsolar auditory range. Fine shaping was accomplished through the use of a scale harvested from the den of a rather loquacious wyvern, and the screw holes were made through use of an cast off barb from the same locale. Sadly the scale was destroyed in the shaping, but the task was done before it turned to dust in my hands.
The material is purported to be impervious to dye and stain with one notable exception, and not having any ink from the mythical Kraken on hand I decided to see if a coarse substitute might suffice. I quarreled with a a giant squid while searching for R'lyeh last summer, and I had the foresight to collect some of the ink after the encounter. I had enough of it to spare as I was covered from crown to sole in the obsidian substance. Remind me to tell you of the ordeal I had removing it some time...
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This is no longer a question of what exactly is in that tea of yours, but rather how much of it... and where I can get some. 
Looking great on all fronts - following as much for the tales of adventure and mystique as the beautiful build. Might need to track down that wyvern myself, as a scale or would come in handy...
Looking great on all fronts - following as much for the tales of adventure and mystique as the beautiful build. Might need to track down that wyvern myself, as a scale or would come in handy...
