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Fretless 4 in Progress

#41
I was wodering how long it would take someone to ask that. I'll warn you now that I didn't make it using proper or safe woodworking techniques. First I made the bass block 15" x 2-3/4" x 1" and made sure it perfectly flat on the bottom. Next, I set up a fence perpendicular to the blade on my table saw so that the center of the blade hit the center of the block. I then proceded to slide the block sideways across the blade taking off about 1/64" per pass until I had radiused th whole bottom of the block. Obviously this method can only be used to make a radius block that matches the radius of the blade. This would be considered an extremely small radius by most people, but for a four string for someone that also plays upright, it feels fine to me. No-one who has played the bass so far has had any complaints about the small radius either.
 
#42
paintandsk8 said:
I was wodering how long it would take someone to ask that. I'll warn you now that I didn't make it using proper or safe woodworking techniques. First I made the bass block 15" x 2-3/4" x 1" and made sure it perfectly flat on the bottom. Next, I set up a fence perpendicular to the blade on my table saw so that the center of the blade hit the center of the block. I then proceded to slide the block sideways across the blade taking off about 1/64" per pass until I had radiused th whole bottom of the block. Obviously this method can only be used to make a radius block that matches the radius of the blade. This would be considered an extremely small radius by most people, but for a four string for someone that also plays upright, it feels fine to me. No-one who has played the bass so far has had any complaints about the small radius either.
Click to expand...

I had an idea of a way to do it which involves mounting a router on an arm fixed at one end (a pivot). Then you used the router to cut several pieces of hardwood...stack these together carefully, clamping and gluing (you could even drill and pin with a couple of dowels if desired...then use a table saw or band saw to cut it to shape...

this method would give you any radius that was desired, by adjusting the length of the pivot arm...

obviously, the criticality here is the lining up of the pieces
 
#43
Well the bad news first:
All the in progress pics from this thread are gone forever. I talked to paul and it doesn't seem that images from the old gallery are going to be recoverable. The real bad news is that they are also gone from my computer because I had computer problems (fried motherboard) at the same time and had to format my hard drive. :crying:

The good news is that I finally got around to getting a couple quick pictures of the finished bass hosted somewhere else. :) Hopefully I'll get some good pictures at somepoint, but here's a taste.

4c1a5.gif


d0aa0.gif


e1792.gif
 
#45
Here's a quick little soundclip I recorded. Don't know how it will sound on run of the mill computer spekers, but it sounds good on my reference monitors! This was recorded direct to computer through an M-audio Firewire A/D. NO EQ or anything, just the bass.


JSPguitars said:
Is that your first bass?
Click to expand...

It's my first bass guitar. I've built two EUB's previously.
 

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#50
PilbaraBass said:
just heard the clip...

VERY NICE! sounds like a very good fretless jazz...as it is...

congrats...

how's it feel in your hands?
Click to expand...

The first thing you notice when you pick it up is the weight. This thing only weighs 7 lbs. 4 0z. It has thicker neck profile than most people like, but that's a just a preference thing. It balances well on a strap. The top contour doesn't sit in quite the right place when standing, so I'd modify the shape a little if I built another.
 

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