Since I'll be wrapping up my current build soon, I figured I'd get a jump on the next build coming up. I've actually begun the early parts of the process and seeing how I have a lot of extra time on my hands these days, I might as well go all in and get started.
Here's the drawing:
It's a 3 pickup bass with mini-humbuckers. The body will probably be a solid body instead of the semi-hollow bodies I usually do. I'm not sure of the material, but it's going to be a painted front and clear back. If I can find a nice, clear piece of poplar I'll go that route. I've been wanting to build a walnut neck, but I haven't had much luck finding a straight-grained piece with no knots. Instead, I may use this piece of maple I've had laying around and laminate a couple of walnut strips. As a general rule, I always try to use USA-sourced woods as much as I can, but I usually break when it comes to the fretboard. We'll see what happens when I come back from Mayan Hardwoods next week.
One puzzle I need to work out: I want the top with a roundover, then a stripe going through the entire body kinda like binding. That means I'll probably laminate an extra layer of wood making a sort of "hippie sandwich". I wanted the color of padauk, but that blows a hole in my no exotic woods rule. Maybe I could cut a channel and put some red ABS binding - or maybe even break my no exotic woods rule and add padauk binding,
I designed and made a few prototypes of the mini-humbuckers back in March-April. I'm waiting for a few parts from the fabricator and they should come in the mail this weekend. The pickups sounds similar to a Jazz pickup, although their not quite as glassy on top and have a little more bump in the low mids. I have a nice Warmoth Jazz with Fralin pickups, and I've always felt it needed a little more going on downstairs to help get booties on the dance floor. I always end up using a preamp with it, otherwise I always feel myself plucking a lot harder to get the punch I like to get out of the bass. I don't know if these passive electronics will solve that, but they might help a little.
There will be some switching between those 6 coils going on.
Incidentally, I do refer to the li'l Lady as "Pistolera" occasionally - usually in the phrase, "why don't you put that gun away, Pistolera," or "cool your jets, space-girl." That kind of thing.
I'll post the pickup stuff when it comes this weekend and have some wood photos early next week.
Here's the drawing:
It's a 3 pickup bass with mini-humbuckers. The body will probably be a solid body instead of the semi-hollow bodies I usually do. I'm not sure of the material, but it's going to be a painted front and clear back. If I can find a nice, clear piece of poplar I'll go that route. I've been wanting to build a walnut neck, but I haven't had much luck finding a straight-grained piece with no knots. Instead, I may use this piece of maple I've had laying around and laminate a couple of walnut strips. As a general rule, I always try to use USA-sourced woods as much as I can, but I usually break when it comes to the fretboard. We'll see what happens when I come back from Mayan Hardwoods next week.
One puzzle I need to work out: I want the top with a roundover, then a stripe going through the entire body kinda like binding. That means I'll probably laminate an extra layer of wood making a sort of "hippie sandwich". I wanted the color of padauk, but that blows a hole in my no exotic woods rule. Maybe I could cut a channel and put some red ABS binding - or maybe even break my no exotic woods rule and add padauk binding,
I designed and made a few prototypes of the mini-humbuckers back in March-April. I'm waiting for a few parts from the fabricator and they should come in the mail this weekend. The pickups sounds similar to a Jazz pickup, although their not quite as glassy on top and have a little more bump in the low mids. I have a nice Warmoth Jazz with Fralin pickups, and I've always felt it needed a little more going on downstairs to help get booties on the dance floor. I always end up using a preamp with it, otherwise I always feel myself plucking a lot harder to get the punch I like to get out of the bass. I don't know if these passive electronics will solve that, but they might help a little.
There will be some switching between those 6 coils going on.
Incidentally, I do refer to the li'l Lady as "Pistolera" occasionally - usually in the phrase, "why don't you put that gun away, Pistolera," or "cool your jets, space-girl." That kind of thing.
I'll post the pickup stuff when it comes this weekend and have some wood photos early next week.
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