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Bobe's 9 String Fretless
- Thread starter Phil Mailloux
- Start date
- Mar 25, 2005
- 1,172
- 10
- Disclosures
- Builder: Mailloux Basses
Luke Sheridan
Commercial User
- Dec 30, 2004
- 637
- 51
- 57
- Disclosures
- I build guitars and sell them. Strings, too
Well, it's bookmatched because it was sliced from the same 25" X 7" X 1" block. It wasn't intentionally bookmatched. I'm not THAT anal.
Yeah, but if it wasn't bookmatched through and through, your tone would suffer.
Looking very nice Phil! I really admire those guys who can play anything fretless with more than 4 strings. Looks like this bass will be up to the task.
Care to share the specs on the pickups?
Care to share the specs on the pickups?
- Mar 25, 2005
- 1,172
- 10
- Disclosures
- Builder: Mailloux Basses
Two dual-coil humbuckers under wooden soapbar covers.
Alnico 5 rods. We're going for hot pickups so most likely will use 43awg. I'll probably have to build a few pickups to test the output of the F# and C# since I've never worked with those two strings before. I'm giving myself a month of experimentation on those pups.
Alnico 5 rods. We're going for hot pickups so most likely will use 43awg. I'll probably have to build a few pickups to test the output of the F# and C# since I've never worked with those two strings before. I'm giving myself a month of experimentation on those pups.
Nice work Phil. As was mentioned above, that wenge looks great and it's a pity the face won't be visible, but the bookmatched Myrtle top looks nice too. Did Larry select the wood? Nice to know we can order from Australia.
A few questions about the neck. How many truss rods and carbon fibre rods are you going with on this one? What radius will the fingerboard be and how will you radius it? Also, will the neck thickness below the fingerboard be the same as a 5 or 6 string (any special considerations for the much wider neck)? Will this be a set neck?
Regarding the pickups. Will you use a single bobbin or split bobbin for each single coil in the humbucker if you know what I mean? Also, will you be using one or two magnets per string?
Looks like you'll need to add this one to your signature...
A few questions about the neck. How many truss rods and carbon fibre rods are you going with on this one? What radius will the fingerboard be and how will you radius it? Also, will the neck thickness below the fingerboard be the same as a 5 or 6 string (any special considerations for the much wider neck)? Will this be a set neck?
Regarding the pickups. Will you use a single bobbin or split bobbin for each single coil in the humbucker if you know what I mean? Also, will you be using one or two magnets per string?
Looks like you'll need to add this one to your signature...
Great work, Phil...man you're skill level has really taken off...
9 string fretless...that thought just boggles my brain...
the pickups WILL be interesting...they'll be some mighty LONG dual coil 'buckers.
have you done any basic calcs to determine what kind of inductance vs. resistance you're going to need for the C#?
9 string fretless...that thought just boggles my brain...
the pickups WILL be interesting...they'll be some mighty LONG dual coil 'buckers.
have you done any basic calcs to determine what kind of inductance vs. resistance you're going to need for the C#?
- Mar 25, 2005
- 1,172
- 10
- Disclosures
- Builder: Mailloux Basses
That's a lot of Q's Micheal 
Yes, Larry did select the wood, I also have a matching myrtle burl headstock veneer to go with the top. We can order from Oz no problem, you just have to be prepared for the shipping costs,
The neck is a bolt-on, there's two truss rods and 1 carbon fiber rod. The radius is almost flat, you can't have much of a radius on such a large neck. The very slight radiusing will be done with files and sandpaper.
Two looooonnnggg single coils under each cover, 2 magnets per string. Although that might still change depending on if I like what I hear when I start building them.
Actually, Bob and me are working on a pro website. It's time for me to ditch the amateur one and move to the next level.
thanks Pilbara, so are you going to drive down to Brissie for the GTG next month?
I haven't done any calcs yet, I'll let my ears be the judge of that.
Yes, Larry did select the wood, I also have a matching myrtle burl headstock veneer to go with the top. We can order from Oz no problem, you just have to be prepared for the shipping costs,
The neck is a bolt-on, there's two truss rods and 1 carbon fiber rod. The radius is almost flat, you can't have much of a radius on such a large neck. The very slight radiusing will be done with files and sandpaper.
Two looooonnnggg single coils under each cover, 2 magnets per string. Although that might still change depending on if I like what I hear when I start building them.
Actually, Bob and me are working on a pro website. It's time for me to ditch the amateur one and move to the next level.
thanks Pilbara, so are you going to drive down to Brissie for the GTG next month?
I haven't done any calcs yet, I'll let my ears be the judge of that.
thanks Pilbara, so are you going to drive down to Brissie for the GTG next month?
I haven't done any calcs yet, I'll let my ears be the judge of that.
I'll have to pass on the GTG this go-around...but being only 6 hours by car (1hr via plane) from Brissie doesn't make it all that difficult logistically.
I want to hear all about your exploits, experimenting and tweaking for those super-long singles...
- Mar 25, 2005
- 1,172
- 10
- Disclosures
- Builder: Mailloux Basses
After a bit of slack on this build I'm back on board to get this thing done. I did most of the body carving yesterday so here's some pics.
There's still some fine adjustments left to do on it and to sand it down to 280 grit. On the last pic you can see a big difference in the colour of the top, the sides are pretty white while the top looks dirty. That's just because I didn't sand the top yet but the sides are done to 100. I'll be spending most of today carving the neck.
There's still some fine adjustments left to do on it and to sand it down to 280 grit. On the last pic you can see a big difference in the colour of the top, the sides are pretty white while the top looks dirty. That's just because I didn't sand the top yet but the sides are done to 100. I'll be spending most of today carving the neck.
Phil, this looks pretty sweet! I'm working on a 9-string too, fretted though. I'm curious what you're using for neck dimensions at the nut and 24th fret, also string spacing at the bridge? Also do you have strings for it yet, what are you planning on using?
- Karl
- Karl
- Mar 25, 2005
- 1,172
- 10
- Disclosures
- Builder: Mailloux Basses
I've got the Conklin SIT string set at $135 a pop 
It was the only available since it's the only company that sells the C# (0.195) string, as far as I know.
The neck is huge, it's about 17 to 18mm spacing at the bridge. At the neck I've got 76mm from lowest to highest string. Bob, my customer wanted a very wide spacing to be able to slap that baby hard
Let me show you how huge that neck is, don't mind my small fingers though
It was the only available since it's the only company that sells the C# (0.195) string, as far as I know.The neck is huge, it's about 17 to 18mm spacing at the bridge. At the neck I've got 76mm from lowest to highest string. Bob, my customer wanted a very wide spacing to be able to slap that baby hard
Let me show you how huge that neck is, don't mind my small fingers though
Ok, 76mm is 3 inches. I made mine way less than that, more like 2.6 inches. I hope that isn't too tight, there's no going back now.
Yeah, the Conklins were the only ones I could find too. Someone else must make them though.
Yeah, the Conklins were the only ones I could find too. Someone else must make them though.
I heard Jaquo say onetime that conklin is the only one that makes the low C#, but there are plenty of people that make a low F#.
lowsound
JAUQO III-X
Inactive
(I'm not being sarcastic at all)I've never said that,but I did say that the Low C # that Conklin sells is the exact string that me and SIT did together and you can quote me on that.
- Mar 25, 2005
- 1,172
- 10
- Disclosures
- Builder: Mailloux Basses
