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First bass, Zombie build, completed after 19 years
- Thread starter dwizum
- Start date
Any thoughts on strap button placement? I haven't drilled any holes yet. Normal procedure seems to be one right at the tail and one at the tip of the upper horn. I'm still a little conscious of the heavy neck so I'd like to position them to help counter any dive. I'm seen some basses with the tail button "up" a few inches from dead center, does that make a difference?
Also thought about putting them in the back of the instrument so as to not take away from the shape, but with it so thin, I'm not sure how well that would work. Especially on the upper hon, I'd be concerned about splitting the wood.
Also thought about putting them in the back of the instrument so as to not take away from the shape, but with it so thin, I'm not sure how well that would work. Especially on the upper hon, I'd be concerned about splitting the wood.
- Apr 18, 2008
- 16,019
- 1
- 31,739
- Disclosures
- I'm highly opinionated and extremely self-assured
Absolutely! My Tobias came from the factory that way, and it hangs beautifully. I've started doing that on nearly every build of mine. Actually, I've started putting two strap buttons on the rear and one on the horn - the two on the rear let me lean it up against a wall without needing a stand.
Dang! Talk about delayed gratification! 19 years is a long time to forget about something that nice. Glad you brought it to life, the nut work and minor touch up is a small hurdle now that you overcame Inertia.
I've started putting two strap buttons on the rear and one on the horn - the two on the rear let me lean it up against a wall without needing a stand.
I'll have to mock that up - the bottom of this thing is so rounded I'm not sure it would work as well, but it's a great idea. Where on the horn do you put the upper button?
- Apr 18, 2008
- 16,019
- 1
- 31,739
- Disclosures
- I'm highly opinionated and extremely self-assured
Wow, that's a pretty piece of maple you've got there!
Congrats on finishing it up, it came out beautifully!!
And if it sounds anywhere close to as good as it looks, then it was 19 years well spent!!
Also, I’m usually quite boring & traditional when it comes to headstock design preferences, but I love the shape you came up with, and the angle cut at the top, revealing the neck woods behind the maple cap. Unique, subtle lines, and classy... really great design!
Now play the he// out of it!!
And if it sounds anywhere close to as good as it looks, then it was 19 years well spent!!
Also, I’m usually quite boring & traditional when it comes to headstock design preferences, but I love the shape you came up with, and the angle cut at the top, revealing the neck woods behind the maple cap. Unique, subtle lines, and classy... really great design!
Now play the he// out of it!!
Nice bass. I actually finished my 6 string 19 years ago. As for your 5 string, pull the frets, fill the slots with veneer, coat the finger board and make it a fretless.
I would bet that many TB members & musicians in general, including myself, have a similar story. Life happens, you get married, have kids, build a career, and music takes a back burner. Then you re-discover it.
Congrats on the finished build - very nice!!
Nice bass and nice Ducati calendars.
I was wondering if someone was going to comment! Those are there for inspiration during these dark cold winter months, until I can get my bike (a 2002 748) back on the road in the spring!
Good one!
Thanks, I'm especially proud of the headstock shape. I think it's hard to be original with headstocks, lots of the good looking shapes and ideas have already been taken, so to speak. Between the headstock and the body, I wanted to show off the neck laminate. I like the look of the long parallel lines, almost like striping down the middle of a surfboard or something. So I left the maple top caps just on the wings (versus covering the neck core) and made that little cutout in the headstock.
Which reminds me of the other "last minute" thing I need to do, make a truss rod cover. I don't want anything big. Or even medium. I want it to be as small as possible, so it doesn't cover the maple cap at all. I might try to make a small sliver of purpleheart and put a magnet on the back so it sticks right on to the end of the truss rod, versus having something big enough for screws.
Nice bass. I actually finished my 6 string 19 years ago. As for your 5 string, pull the frets, fill the slots with veneer, coat the finger board and make it a fretless.
Half considering that. I have absolutely zero intention of building basses to sell at this point in my life (unlike, apparently, my 19 year old self) but I also have absolutely zero need for any sort of right handed bass, so if I do end up completing the 5 string, it'll be with the intent of selling it - so I'm trying to keep in mind what would be the easiest thing to sell.
I played the 6 for a few more hours last night. I really need to get a strap on it, playing for that long sitting down is a bit of a pain, especially with the very small, very curvy body, it's hard to find a position where it's not resting on my lap in a way that gets uncomfortable.
Also, as much as I love this bass, I think I'm going to need to be purposeful about figuring out how to play a 6, after only playing a 4 string to date. I can appreciate the extra higher string but I rarely touch that extra lower string. Leaves me feeling like, in hindsight, I should have made a 5 and strung it e - c instead of a 6. Although, maybe after playing it long enough, and getting used to it, I'll appreciate it more.
That's why I don't understand the concept of the midlife "crisis" in the sense of it being a "bad" thing to reach this age. This is the best time of my life. I have a rewarding career, a great wife, great kids, and I finally have the bandwidth and resources to invest meaningfully in hobbies I enjoy - hobbies I always knew I was interested in, but which took back burners for the last two-ish decades. Playing bass, woodworking, the above-mentioned Ducati, big fancy fish tanks... life is good.
The main reason I built my 6 and also the 5 was for the low B. I feel the low B is the ultimate low end. Playing stuff in the keys of C or D on the low B has so much more punch especially in a band situation. IMHO
