Baby Rainbow Bass 24" scale

[Matteo Marziali]

Hi my friends!

This is my new project, a bass for my 5yo son. I hope to finish it for Christmas!

Last year he ask me for a guitar with rainbow colors, so i used this CT rainbow as ispiration.

I started gluing togeter some veneers with Padouk, Silver Oak, Mahogany and Walnut boards.

After gluing/cutting/gluing/cutting/gluing/cutting/gluing..... here is my rainbow top:

I glued the top on a Mahogany board

Now i need to decide what to put in the middle.
I can use Padouk, or Spalted Alder.
Probably Padouk is more colorful, but this piece of Alder come from a tree cutted by my father.
This could be a beautiful choice: GrandFather->Father->Son....

This is a 24" scale bass, BUT in future i can easly turn it in to a guitar, i just need a guitar bridge, two machine head, and a new nut.

 

[adam.beauchene]

That's fantastic!The colors are great, and I think you should go with the alder core for sentiment.

 

[vdub75]

cool Idea! Will you use picolo strings?

 

[Thomas Kievit]

SICK!! Can't wait for the day it's finished

 

[SolarMan]

I like the sentimental reason for the alder, but the padouk really brings the other colors out. Gorgeous either way and I agree - "What a cool idea!"

 

[eukatheude]

Love the idea, i don't dig the headstock but props to everything else.
And you'd damn better use the alder! Or at least save it for another bass for the kid.

 

[lbridenstine]

This is going to be great. Personally, I think the spalted alder works better.

 

[ICM]

Cool project, love the multicolour veneer rainbow thing you{ve got going on!
Yeah, I{d go for the alder, that is just to cool of a possibility to pass up.

 

[groooooove]

the padauk would look really really nice if you put a matching logo (or any bit matching) on the headstock.

but the grandfather connection is pretty cool, so that might be the way to go.

 

[Matteo Marziali]

Will you use picolo strings?

No, i will use a .095-.040 set and tune A-D-G-C, if the .095 string will not break around the machine head!
Otherwise i can use some guitar string (.070-.030) and tune it like a piccolo. Or i could find a custom lenght scale set .140-.060 and tune in standard E-A-D-G

...i don't dig the headstock but props to everything else.

I have a 4-in-line machine head set lying around at home and i will use it. This is the reason for this headstock.

 

[Blazer]

You're a cool dad.

When I was young, my dad made me a toy bass and this year because he'll be 70 I decided to build a bass for him, returning the favor.
Read about it here.
Who knows, perhaps in several decades, your son will build you a bass too.

 

[Matteo Marziali]

You're a cool dad.

When I was young, my dad made me a toy bass and this year because he'll be 70 I decided to build a bass for him, returning the favor.
Read about it here.
Who knows, perhaps in several decades, your son will build you a bass too.

Thank you Blazer! I followed your building, it's was very inspiring! And a good job of course!

Who knows the future! I hope my son will be happy to recieve this gift!

 

[Skarsoul]

Matteo, Love this project! I agree with the grandfather->father->son connection on the wood choice.

I'm just finishing a similar project for my 5 year old. A 5 string built from a standard Stratocaster (5 strings for 5 years). I picked up a set of piccolo strings from jason at bassstringsonline.com (.020/.030/.040/.050/.065). Register an account, and tell him you found out about the site from TB and you'll get a discount over the already low prices. I had a ton of questions for him on this little bass and he was exchanging e-mails with me late into the evening helping me get the perfect set.

 

[HaMMerHeD]

I'd go with the padauk.

 

[Deep Cat]

This project is awesome.

Why choose? Recut the spalted alder and the padauk and laminate.

 

[marko138]

Man, that's really cool. I'd use the alder as well.

 

[jmorbita]

subscribing!

 

[Matteo Marziali]

This project is awesome.

Why choose? Recut the spalted alder and the padauk and laminate.

This is what i've done!

 

[Matteo Marziali]

Here is some new pics!

I'm gone with Padouk and Alder: i was able to cut a very thiny slice of Alder and put it also in the back

Now it's time to route the edges an take care of the neck....

 

[ICM]

Looking great so far!