First Bass Build : Fretless 5 String

[SkinnyPirate]

Okay, so I'm starting my very first building project and I'm pretty excited about it so let's get started with the specs :

- 5 String EADGC
- 35'' Scale
- Fretless
- Alder body and walnut top
- Laminated wenge, flamed maple and purpleheart neck
- Ebony fretboard
- Bartolini MK pickups
- Vol-Vol-Tone config.
- Matching pickup covers
- Matching headstock

For my first build I wanted to make a 6 string neck through bass but since I got a wonderful (used) neck a luthier in my town made, I couldn't wait to make something out of it! ^^ And it will also be a lot easier not having to build a neck for my first project.

Here is the alder and the walnut :

And here is a mockup of how(I hope!) my project should turn out, it's made with the actual piece of walnut I will use :

(It is not to scale, it's a very basic mockup)

I will soon post pictures of the neck, you won't be disappointed

 

[joseplluissans]

Interesting fretboard you have there...

 

[Gilmourisgod]

I like the body shape, should balance well with the long horn, and you'll need it to with all those tuners. Not sure about the continuous yellow lines at top and bottom strings, but I like the alternating colored fret lines, haven't seen that done before, but it's kind of cool. Would that be something like bloodwood or vermillion for the red and maple for the yellow?

 

[Anthonyfranklin9000]

I dig the walnut over alder idea with a body contour or roundover to show off both layers (which your mock up seems to do). I always like that end result when using contrasting body woods.

Do you have in mind a more natural oil finish or a high gloss finish?

 

[SkinnyPirate]

Not sure about the continuous yellow lines at top and bottom strings, but I like the alternating colored fret lines, haven't seen that done before, but it's kind of cool. Would that be something like bloodwood or vermillion for the red and maple for the yellow?

The paler stripes are maple but for the other wood I really don't know, it's hard to identify a wood with such a small sample. I will ask the previous owner.

Do you have in mind a more natural oil finish or a high gloss finish?

I'm not sure yet for the finish but it will probably be a natural oil finish, but since the neck has a gloss finish I'm not sure yet, it might be weird...

 

[SkinnyPirate]

Little update :

I got my top bookmatched and my alder planed.

Unfortunately, he took away way too much material when planing and ended up with a bit less than 1 1/2 inches with the top. I will add a black veneer to accentuate the contrast between the alder and the walnut and hopefully reach 1 1/2 inches. I heard Alembic and some other brands have basses that thin, I just hope it won't have a neck dive problem.

Oh, and here's a plan to scale of the bass, to give you a better idea :

For now I'm still working on my templates, can't wait to cut the body!

 

[SkinnyPirate]

Didn't do much work yet, still realizing everyday I miss some tools but I still glued the top plates together.

Also, here's my neck! I might edit this post with better quality photos too.

 

[michaelwayneharwood]

The fret lines are funkalicious.

 

[SkinnyPirate]

The luthier who made this neck is Marc Chicoine, his website : http://www.marcchicoine.com/

 

[SkinnyPirate]

It's been a long time since I've updated this thead since I've started working way more than before. I received the veneer for the contrast line between the body and the top and here's another mockup with the contour added :

I thought I could finally start but I realized just today that the alder had warped pretty bad, so I put some steam on it and clamped it tight between two flat surfaces...I didn't know such a thick piece of wood could warp that much, I made some research and people say it's really hard to straighten a plank that thick, I've heard my chances of straightening are about 50/50...If you guys have any tips it would be greatly appreciated!

 

[SkinnyPirate]

Finally a little bit of progress, glued the body and rough cutted the bass :

 

[josiah goldfish]

Nice, and that's one heck of a neck!

 

[SkinnyPirate]

Final shape of the outer edges done, I didn't cut the whole shape to make it easier to rout the neck pocket.

 

[Jonny5bass]

That neck is ridiculously awesome! Really dig the body design and wood combo as well.

 

[SkinnyPirate]

Thanks! I know the shape isn't very conventional with the upper horn and that it won't please everybody, nice to know I'm not the only one who likes it haha!

 

[Doner Designs]

Look forward to seeing it. Looks amazing. First build? You evidently are already a skilled wood worker!

 

[SkinnyPirate]

Ok, so now I'm ready to route the neck pocket and the all the cavities and I must I'm really stressed about this part, so I just want to make sure everything is right. The thickness of the neck plus the thickness of the fretboard is 2,5 cm(yeah I'm not very familiar with inches haha) and the minimum saddle height plus the base thickness of the bridge makes 1,54 cm, so the neck pocket depth would be 1,06 cm or 0.417323 inches, right? Did I forget anything?

 

[Jonny5bass]

2.5 cm seems very thin for a neck. Is that right?

 

[SkinnyPirate]

I re-checked and it really is 2,5 cm(or 1'') at the E and C strings. I measured the thickness of my Jazz Bass neck and it is also 1'' so it seems like a standard.

 

[Jonny5bass]

I re-checked and it really is 2,5 cm(or 1'') at the E and C strings. I measured the thickness of my Jazz Bass neck and it is also 1'' so it seems like a standard.

My mistake, I was thinking mm...