5 string fretless showcase: Habanero V

[phmike]

Nice wood but it's not an official build until we see the 'hair shot'
Looks like I'm gonna have to hunt some better wood than I originally planned to use for my build.
Thread and hair pic to be posted soon

 

[adam.beauchene]

Nice wood but it's not an official build until we see the 'hair shot' :

Let's cut some wood, then. Hair check:

Sorry Ladies, this cat's taken. Little Tykes bandsaw going to work on some Ziricote:

Three fingerboard blanks and some headstock veneer.

 

[phmike]

Looks like I'm out wooded, out haired and out tooled in this build. . . .
But I've got a plan

 

[roberthabraken]

Looks like I'm out wooded, out haired and out tooled in this build. . . .
But I've got a plan

+1... that all counts for me too

 

[adam.beauchene]

Looks like I'm out wooded, out haired and out tooled in this build. . . .
But I've got a plan

Come on now, I'm old, tired, got busted *ss equipment...but yeah, that wood won't quit.

 

[BassCycle]

Subbed!

 

[Musiclogic]

There is no hair shot required, this one is for the adults, and the folically challenged...LOL

 

[AndroWal]

For great growl...you might want to move the pickup closer to the bridge.

I play fretless almost exclusively, Wals and Zon, and rarely use the neck pickup at all...just bridge. I get all the beef with the great clarity and growl.

 

[adam.beauchene]

For great growl...you might want to move the pickup closer to the bridge.

I play fretless almost exclusively, Wals and Zon, and rarely use the neck pickup at all...just bridge. I get all the beef with the great clarity and growl.

Precisely why I didn't put it there, I'm not a 'growl' fan, as much as the big fat round fundamental of a neck pickup. I grew up on reggae, that's my bass tone paradigm. I've got the humbucker at the theoretical 36th fret, and there will be graphtechs in the bridge. Appreciate your input though, maybe as the build evolves I might consider putting a second pickup just for the option.

 

[tubby.twins]

The Delano SBC neck pickups sound very good with a fretless. They will have plenty of upper midrange detail and clarity. Excellent choice and placement.

Putting in a second pickup would cut into the electronics cavity on the back, correct?

 

[adam.beauchene]

Putting in a second pickup would cut into the electronics cavity on the back, correct?

In this case, yes, easy fix though if I wanted to add a second pickup. I always make the change to the plan though, before I make it in wood. Each bass I've built so far has started as a CAD file, and each one has about 20 incremental saves before the bass was done...it's cheaper to design with a laptop than with a bandsaw.

Leaning away from a bridge pup though, because this bass is kind of small, and I'll need that big cavity for the graphtech board, battery, and possibly a second pre for the neck pickup. Don't hold me to it though. Being stuck in the house all winter might make do something crazy.

 

[trayner1]

You are an inspiration...I'm planning my first build, a mahogany neck thru fretless. I'm on the fence between a single Bartolini bucker and something else. Do the Delanos really sound killer with fretless? Which are the best?



Subb'd

 

[Musiclogic]

That's subjective to the ear of the player, but Delanos do sound awsome with a fretless, as do EMG's and Barts.

 

[adam.beauchene]

I'm not at all an expert on pickup selection. I'm going with Delano because they sound killer in my last build, and it doesn't hurt that they look good too.

 

[AndroWal]

Precisely why I didn't put it there, I'm not a 'growl' fan, as much as the big fat round fundamental of a neck pickup. I grew up on reggae, that's my bass tone paradigm. I've got the humbucker at the theoretical 36th fret, and there will be graphtechs in the bridge. Appreciate your input though, maybe as the build evolves I might consider putting a second pickup just for the option.

Understood!

Looking good and I think you'll get a great full sound....and still have mwah.

 

[Grant Bass]

didnt know this was a comp post; subbed!!

 

[adam.beauchene]

Not much woodworking going on the last couple days, I've been tweaking the design.

-Worked out equidistant string spacing
-Trussrod access on the headstock
-Trussrod cover will also be the nut (pink ivory or cocobolo)
-Straight string pull on headstock
-Playing with headstock shape. Still don't like it.

 

[adam.beauchene]

Met a really cool guy down the road, has a cabinet shop and a functioning table saw. Hung out and BSed for a couple of hours, and bookmatched my cocobolo, maple, and mahogany.

Hmm, decisions, decisions:

This...

Maybe this...

No wait this...

I think I like this the most.

 

[trayner1]

4. DEFINITELY 4.

 

[jmorbita]

yeah, i think 4's the winner!