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Ashbory bass build

G

Gone

Mar 21, 2006
317
0
Cape Town
people.cs.uct.ac.za
Disclosures
Jayda custom basses, builder
#1
I was looking for a realitively inexpensive and uncomplicated introduction into the world of guitar building. I had already designed a 5-string fretless but thought it wouldn't hurt to design and build an ashbory bass first before having a go with the proper bass.

Here are the results:
- Standard ashbory tuners and strings but homebuilt bridge, piezo transducers, electrics, etc
- 19 inch scale
- slotted headstock
- maple neck and body
- ebony fingerboard, bridge, nut and (fake) f-holes

Quite by chance I discovered that my design works well upright as well as horizontal.

More details:
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I snapped my last spare g-string just before these pics but have since ordered more :-)

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#5
That's really super stylin...

I'm about to start a new musical project which we'd really like an upright bass for, but my upright is in storage since I live in a small apartment these days. Been thinking about an Ashbury or something, since a Rob Allen or Rick Turner would be way out of my price range. :D
But the stock ones are so fugly looking. A custom Ashbury! Brilliant!

What Piezos and pre-amp did you use? (I see you haven't got the pre wired yet, but still.)
 
#6
I used the piezo elements out of cheap piezo buzzers. 2x ~20mm piezo's under the bridge, which seems to work well enough.

The preamp I'm working on is a "Marchesini" preamp:
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I'm busy working on some sound recordings :)
 
#15
A while back, I started on a similar project after hearing some Ashbury soundclips. My goal was to have a bass that I could fit in my luggage when I travel (which I frequently do). It was going to be a fretted ultrashort-scale (20"). I bought some maple and mahogany (I couldn't decide which I wanted to use) for the body and neck, and sketched a few concepts, but never really started construction. Right now, it's sitting with the rest of my lumber.

I think you've inspired me to resurect the project! :D
 
#17
Gone,

Would you be so kind as to go over a that bass with a ruler for me and check a couple dimensions? I'm wondering about the fingerboard width both at the nut and at the neck/body "joint"; the length of the peghead; the width of the body at the bridge; and the thickness of the neck and neck+fingerboard.

I don't want to rip off your design, of course, but like you, I'm drooling over those Steinbergers; mine's going to look something like those. I'm going to order some lumber for it (hopefully soon!), and don't want to screw up on the wood size.

Thanks! I predict that you're going to be responsible for a whole lot of these projects getting underway! :bassist: :bassist: :bassist: :bassist: :bassist:
 
#18
Width of fretboard at nut: ~42mm
Width of fretboard at joint: ~54mm
Length of peghead: ~150mm
Width of the body at the bridge: 110mm
Fretboard thickness: 5mm
Neck thickness: ~23mm

But if I were to redesign mine I would probably go with a wider fingerboard/neck. I guess it's a trade-off between getting the looks in preportion and making it easily playable.

If you're going for a slotted headstock then make sure you have everything planned carefully, as there is not a lot of space for the bulky tuning pegs. Note also that the strings go round the pegs anti-clockwise and winding them the other way round results in the peg screwing off the tuners. Although you can stick a pin or something through the peg to keep it on if you wish to wind the strings on the other way.

You may also be suprised how many winds around the pegs are neccessary to tune to pitch. The strings seem very short but stretch quite a lot. So design plenty of space around the pegs incase.

Looking forward to seeing some more custom ashbory's in the future :)

klocwerk,
I went with a longer scale length as I was advised to do so. The longer scale length is easier to play (I'm sure you can imagine an 18 inch fretless can be difficult at times). I think 20 inch is quite a common scale length for custom ash's (think I've even heard of a 22 inch) but didn't want to go any longer as the slotted headstock requires more string than a conventional headstock.

I don't think the tension is really a big cause of string breaks. The tension is generally quite low, and I've successfully used d-strings as g's and a-strings as d's without any problems. I'm finding the main causes for string breaks is actually high temperatures (I live in sunny Cape Town).
 

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