$100 Bass Challenge - Nucifera (The Violent Squirrel)

[Jon Clegg]

If it's Mithril strings you want, I'd ask Rockhewer, I hear he has an inside track with the dwarvish metallurgists.

 

[michaelwayneharwood]

There's not a ton to report this evening. The wood is still soaking the oil up thirstily, though the back is starting to gloss up a bit.

 

[michaelwayneharwood]

I apologize in advance for this post, but I need to vent.

The strings arrived today. I was ecstatic, and could not resist the urge to put them on my test bass for a sneak preview of their tone.

They're mute.

They won't make a sound when plucked, picked, or slapped. At first I thought that I was having issues with my amp, or the pickup, but they make zero noise even acoustically. Even stranger is that when plucked the strings vibrate as usual, but no vibration seems to be passing through the bridge or transferring to the neck. I was so frustrated and angry I pulled out a set of snips with the intention of spitefully cutting them in half, but instead the strings resisted the cutters and I ended up ruining my best snips. There wasn't even a mark on the stupid things.

I should have calmed down before I contacted the master Luthier of Lathath. My anger caused him no ends of mirth. I have not until today seen him so much as hint that his dour exterior might hide some semblance of joviality, but my predicament had him howling in laughter. He cut my tirade off with "You wanted Corvus' strings, and now you have them! You can both rot in the Underworld - you are two of a kind!" and cut off the communication.

Truth be told that shut me up. I *did* specifically request Corvus' strings, and my dour mood evaporated with his unexpected compliment. To be sure the Harpists of Lathath all hold Corvus in contempt, and the master luthier was doing his best to rub as much salt in my wounds as he could, but Corvus was easily the most talented harpist ever to have graced their halls. He was an decidedly odd bird, but then so am I.

Now that I have calmed down I have some research to do....I am hoping I might at least figure out why these strings won't speak, even if I don't manage to raise their voice from the Underworld.

 

[mapleglo]

Perhaps the string are only mute on this plane. They're likely making sound through a dimensional portal somewhere. If the blades on the snips are cut in the same shape as the blade, this is your issue - the snips were cutting themselves and not the strings. You may need to employ a inter-dimensional, cross flux, phase inverter. That old crow is a trickster.

Or not.

 

[Jon Clegg]

The squirrel strings are sounding through mapleglo's Nady.

 

[mapleglo]

The squirrel strings are sounding through mapleglo's Nady.

You know, I actually thought of that. Some kind of stringy, squirrelly, sympathetic symbiosis.

 

[Rôckhewer]

If it's Mithril strings you want, I'd ask Rockhewer, I hear he has an inside track with the dwarvish metallurgists.

Alas... I fear that shall be the case, no more!
And it fills me with some regret, because the axes I possess that are of Dwarfish make... far out class any others in my collection.
The issue could be seen as a big misunderstanding...(although to explain it to those stubborn folk convincingly enough to change their minds at this point? Not likely)
I'll not divulge too many details of the incident here...(for fear of self incrimination), suffice to say... It turns out that the plank of wood I am using on my current build ...(with grain patterns that bear a striking resemblance to the visage of the long dead and revered King Hreiðmar)... Just happens to be somewhat of an important historical artifact to all the clans of Dwarven kind. So much so that they would make pilgrimages to the great hall where it hung, just to gaze upon the face of their ancestral king and stroke his wooden beard. (evidently for luck and good fortune?).
It had been taken down, and was in one of their workshops for cleaning & refinishing when I saw it, and was entranced by its beauty and depth of figure.
And in my defense, the dwarfish phrase that translates to:
"go, take a look at this"
Is very similar to one that might mean:
"look, take this and go"
See?... A simple misunderstanding

 

[Rôckhewer]

So Wizard...your strings are mute?
That is unfortunate ....for you.
Although I am somewhat glad myself because if what I heard can be believed... There will be hoards of undead squirrel skeletons roaming the land the minute you start playing that accursed thing.

Against my better judgment, I have some information may be of use....or it could be nothing.
I had a dream... There was a room of white, red and black marble. In the center was a harp. By no means was this harp typical or conventional.
From the descriptions I have heard this could only be the harp of Corvus with its many extraneous features and sets of strings, oddly arranged.
But the one truly remarkable detail that may or may not mean anything was that two of the strings were not aligned parallel...rather they were in a slight "V" configuration...and between these two strings the air was alive with electrical pulses...arcing across, and traveling upwards!
I created this illustration to further explain what I witnessed:

 

[michaelwayneharwood]

A bit of progress today was made. I have wired her up, and installed the piano pins in preparation for stringing and the ritual of interment. The shade of the squirrel has been very present today, and the trees are filled with his living brethren. I have never seen so many squirrels in one place. You would think that the grounds surrounding my abode would be a torrent of noise coming from the arboreal visitors, but oddly enough they are all silent and still. They gather, one by one, and wait.

I have some extra precautions I need to take to make sure that no untoward side effects are felt outside my sanctuary...I would hate to kill the power grid like I did that time I employed sorceries of this scope and magnitude. But that's another story. More later if I survive the afternoon.

 

[wraub]

Never underestimate squirrels.

Everything else is just nuts.

 

[potomac]

looks nutty!

 

[michaelwayneharwood]

I am pleased to report that I am alive.

I spent quite some time preparing a circle of protection for the rite. I went over the top in order to protect the population at large for...well honestly I wasn't sure what was going to happen, but I didn't want to endanger others. The mercury lines were perfect, and the scribed runes glowed faintly with an inner fire that provided ample evidence that they were activated and in full readiness.

My plans were changed after a very long discussion of the matter with the shade of the squirrel. She convinced me more by the fact that she refused to participate unless I were willing to abscond with any protective auras in place. I did so hesitantly, but I am now glad that I did...more on that in a bit.

I won't go into the specific details of the rite as I would like to keep it a "company secret", but I will share a few of the more pertinent parts that you could find in any over the counter book of spells. The Nucifera was first strung with Corvus' strings, which were still mute, and then laid on a black silk bed. Candles were lit, one for each string, and placed around the Nucifera at the appropriate 4th dimensional nodes to allow the fire to focus the energies. The appropriate incense was burned - in this case it was frankincense as it was used in Ancient times during birthing.

Working without the net of the circle of protection was unnerving, but in all honesty it was exhilarating. My adrenaline was high and I felt hyper focused. The rite went well and at the appropriate time the shade of the squirrel entered into the Nucifera and was bound. The strings started vibrating with such permutation that the bass and carved alabaster table it was on shook, but no sound came from the bass.

Then the keening began. I ran up the stairs and looked out my front window to see thousands of squirrels. They were everywhere. In the trees, on the roof, covering the yard. They were all standing on their hind feet, their paws straight up in the air, their heads back as they sang as one a chord that undulated and brought tears to my eyes at it's awful beauty. It was deafening. At the point where I thought I was going to be blown out like a candle in a hurricane by the other-worldy might of the song a crash of thunder shook the ground...and it originated from the basement.

I rushed back down the stairs to find that the strings were not silent any more. The thunderous bass tones that were coming from the violently vibrating strings was awe inspiring. I had to fight against the sound to make it down the last few steps and then everything went silent....but not completely. An other worldly drone was coming from the strings that filled the room.

Ever the curious spell caster I pulled up a mic to see if I could capture the drone for future analysis, and I am glad I did because that's right when the harp music started. It was Corvus. I would recognize his playing anywhere, though I had not heard this piece before. After a bit of time the voice of an angel pierced the air....it was Aeliana. By all the God's of the Underworld! I was being given a private concert, and the Nucifera was being used as the sonic conduit. When the song came to an end the drone continued for a bit and then silence fell.

The good news is that the Nucifera now has a voice....the bad news is that I am still so rattled that I can't play her well enough to provide a sound sample. Soon though, soon. I have attached Corvus' song though...

 

[Rôckhewer]

Nice work!

Good luck cleaning up the squirrel poo that undoubtedly festoons your yard.

 

[michaelwayneharwood]

Nice work!

Good luck cleaning up the squirrel poo that undoubtedly festoons your yard.

Thanks so much! Once the squirrels left there was no evidence at all that they had been there other than the comments from the neighbors this morning

 

[michaelwayneharwood]

Here's the final cost reckoning. I rounded all costs up to the nearest dollar in each category to make things look a bit cleaner as well as to play it safe in case I missed something small. I did not break things down in this list per part, but if necessary I can provide a full line item summary. All costs include shipping and/or taxes where applicable.

Wood $25
Hardware $17
Squirrel Skull $15
DIY Pickup $25
Misc (Oil Finish, Sandpaper, Epoxy, Wood Glue, etc.) $15

Total: $97

 

[charlie monroe]

Nice clean, minimalist instrument, Michael.

From the home brew pick up (straight to jack, no less) to the piano tuners, you really broke out of the traditional methodology of the consumer brands.

I have to admit that since I am not fluent in Ancient Druid, the narrative lost me about halfway through this project. I wish you would have had subtitles for the ignorant.

What is the final weight on this puppy (squirrel )?

I have two preferences/opinions on aesthetics. Can you pickle that bridge and ebonize it? I think it would be a nice echo to the pick up. If you do that, while it's off you may want to devise a concealed method of pinning it, so it can't wander. Also, since you have $3.00 left, buy some black p/u screws.

Nice work

 

[Rôckhewer]

Also, since you have $3.00 left, buy some black p/u screws.

..."dead to rights"....

 

[michaelwayneharwood]

Nice clean, minimalist instrument, Michael.

From the home brew pick up (straight to jack, no less) to the piano tuners, you really broke out of the traditional methodology of the consumer brands.

I have to admit that since I am not fluent in Ancient Druid, the narrative lost me about halfway through this project. I wish you would have had subtitles for the ignorant.

What is the final weight on this puppy (squirrel )?

I have two preferences/opinions on aesthetics. Can you pickle that bridge and ebonize it? I think it would be a nice echo to the pick up. If you do that, while it's off you may want to devise a concealed method of pinning it, so it can't wander. Also, since you have $3.00 left, buy some black p/u screws.

Nice work

Thank you very much! Throughout the admittedly short time I have been building solid body instruments I have had the chance to experiment quite a bit, and I have found that many things I prefer are generally not available as options in the major manufacturers. I prefer a headless design, a flat radius, an oil finish without grain fill, an extremely tight string spacing, a floating bridge, a short scale length, and an extended fingerboard that doubles as a finger ramp. I am agnostic in the tonewood debate, so I feel free to choose whatever woods that appeal to my personal aesthetics as long as they offer reasonable structural stability.

There are a few things to clean up for sure. The string spacing is irregular at the zero fret and is going to need to be addressed by a string guide, and the bridge will need some slots cut in to keep strings from wandering. I really like the floating bridge - it allows me to change out string gauges and intonate as needed without having to reshape a new bridge. The pickup screw heads will be enameled black, and the pickup height will be raised a bit as well.

She came in at 5 1/2 pounds, which is generally what my headless Aleph builds come in at.

 

[michaelwayneharwood]

Here are the obligatory sound samples - both raw and processed a bit.

 

[mapleglo]

I really like the sound of that pickup. Has a nice growl to it.