Alright...I need some opinions!

[Gadow Guitars]

I'm designing a new semi hollow bass and this is what I have come up with.....what would everyone change about this design? (take it easy on me, i'm a very sensitive guy!) lol.

The upper bout hits the 12th fret.....In designing I had to take in account the balance issues of having a hollow body.

 

[ubone]

I'm designing a new semi hollow bass and this is what I have come up with.....what would everyone change about this design? (take it easy on me, i'm a very sensitive guy!) lol.

The upper bout hits the 12th fret.....In designing I had to take in account the balance issues of having a hollow body.

Overall it looks good. What program are you using to design with??

 

[Gadow Guitars]

We use Rhino.

 

[Darkstrike]

Its cool as is, real nice, if I was to change anything, I'd add more slant to the butt, but would that look too much like a Benevente?

 

[LilRay]

The bass looks awesome to me

BTW Ryan, (OT) How do you pronounce your last name?

God Bless, Ray

 

[Gadow Guitars]

I wanted to keep some of the feel from our Custom Hollow guitar...it has a round butt...and we all like some round booty (I had to go there)

 

[Gadow Guitars]

Gadow...is pronounced like shadow.

 

[LilRay]

Gadow...is pronounced like shadow.

Thanks!

Incoming PM

God Bless, Ray

 

[Darkstrike]

I wanted to keep some of the feel from our Custom Hollow guitar...it has a round butt...and we all like some round booty (I had to go there)

Aha! I see what you mean, and yeah, who can say no, eh?

In that direction, I would probably not use the J pickups you have in the original drawing, in favour of soapbars, to keep closer to the guitars P90 look, of course, there's tone to take inot account, and for that the J's probably are perfect.....

 

[Gadow Guitars]

We will also use soapbars..but I really like the tone of those jBass pickups!

 

[Darkstrike]

We will also use soapbars..but I really like the tone of those jBass pickups!

And who can blame you, the basses you sent to Greg with J's sound fantastic, honestly, I was mostly thinking of appearances.

 

[Gard]

I'm designing a new semi hollow bass and this is what I have come up with.....what would everyone change about this design? (take it easy on me, i'm a very sensitive guy!) lol.

The upper bout hits the 12th fret.....In designing I had to take in account the balance issues of having a hollow body.

Ryan, if you don't mind a bit of friendly input from your western neighbor...and this isn't any thing "official", just my personal opinion:

Where the upper bout comes to the neck, it appears to be perpendicular, and looks a bit "clunky" to my eye because of it. I would either curve it back toward the bridge slightly or flatten the bout a bit and curve it toward the headstock, so that the lines are a bit more "organic" looking.

Otherwise, cool stuff.

 

[Gadow Guitars]

Hey Gard...I keep meaning to get over to Greensboro to harrass you!

I see what you mean, and will do a revision to the design and make it curve back towards the bridge...thats how our guitar flows.

 

[Gard]

Hey Gard...I keep meaning to get over to Greensboro to harrass you!

I see what you mean, and will do a revision to the design and make it curve back towards the bridge...thats how our guitar flows.

...c'mon over, lunch is my treat.

Yup, that's exactly where my head was, make it similar to the guitar.

 

[ubone]

Something like this perhaps??

 

[Ziltoid]

I like it, the only thing is that I'd curve to bottom horn a bit so it looks more like a reflection the soundhole in the upper part, rather then a "normal" horn .

 

[VroomVroom]

FWIW I think Gard nailed it. I love to see a certain symmetry (for lack of a better word) between the points where the upper & lower body portions meet the neck. Or, in other words, if the neck wasn't there, would the body lines (curves) flow naturally? I won't mention any names to protect the guilty, but the market seems flooded with 'boutique' brands that really "violate" this. The extended upper horn really exaggerates this, again, IMO.

Good luck with this. If you don't mind me being nosey, are you set on a hollow design, as opposed to a chambered one?

 

[Bipslapper]

...c'mon over, lunch is my treat.

Gard, does that extend to all music folk- free lunch. Mmmmmm, free lunch (said in the voice of Homer J. Simpson)


That just could be the final ingredient to talk my wife into that "Craft Fair Road Trip To Florida, Via Blacksburg and Greensboro This Winter" thinggy.

Or, is that just for people who have real talent to make beautiful instruments?

 

[ubone]

Good luck with this. If you don't mind me being nosey, are you set on a hollow design, as opposed to a chambered one?

I'd ask the same question based on the chambered bass I used to have.
Chambered Alder body, tone deluxe, and an incredible clarity and blossom to the sustained note.

 

[Gard]

Something like this perhaps??

Damn Steve...that's good.

See how a SUBTLE change makes a huge difference there?

However, I think I like Ryan's idea of matching his guitar body, that maintains product line integrity - which from a marketing standpoint is a good idea whenever possible.