Ok, It's time again to say thank you to all of the readers of this build thread. I know it's taken longer than I expected initially, but despite all of the delays, I am still plugging away at it, and posting things here (and the feedback I am getting) is helping me stay on task and I am optimistic that I can see the light (or the tunes) at the end of the tunnel.
I strung it up last night to see how the bass sounds with the body mostly built, and the 'reverberation chamber'(TM) works as I hoped it would. I am very much looking forward to placing a microphone inside it. I have also learned that roundwounds will be largely incompatible with this bass between the finger squeaks and the other string noises which get unduly amplified by the acoustic portion of the bass. I am looking forward to getting the finish work done, so I can string it up with some flatwounds. Acoustically it seems to have a pretty warm tone rather than a deep bloomy one, as one would expect from an instrument mostly made from maple. I am very much looking forward to getting the electronics done to see how that affects the tone.
On the to do list:
Finish the last piece of woodworking
Finish wiring up and testing the electronics
Finish sanding the bass
Apply finish to the bass
There's a couple of collaborative steps in there, I am working with a local luthier to help make the nut, and I have another buddy who is going to help me dye the maple to help the figure pop.
My concern with the finish for the bass, is that it's already getting into the part of the year where highs are in the 60s and that drops off pretty quickly over the next few weeks. (Occasionally we get snow this time of year) I currently work in my garage which is not climate controlled, and I don't have a workspace that is climate controlled to do the work in.
