It's been almost a year...

[SRSiegel]

But my homemade bass is almost done!

My own design, based around a carvin neck-through blank (ebony, maple, 5 string fretted) with ash body sides.

I'm hoping to route the holes and get hardware on it over spring break (end of feb) my current plan is to go with an EMG DC40 with no controls, just direct to an output jack recessed into the back (fewer holes, more wood) All black hardware, gotoh style tuners. Any suggestions for a good bridge? The shorter lengthwise the better (space is limited as you can see)

This pic is actually from the past summer (notice the workboot tan) the bass currently has more of a radius on the top and the rough spots around the edges have smoothed out. I'm planning on a blue tinted oil finish over the whole thing.

What do yall think?

Oh and does anyone have any suggestions on how to rout the pickup and control cavities? I'm thinking I'll make a pattern and then use a router bit with a bearing at the top, while clamping the pattern over the body.

 

[Microbass]

hey man! That looks AWESOME!!!

However, I would preferably have the body a little bigger! and minus a string
You might find that you will have neck dive, due to the small body? Just my inexperience opinion!

Mmm! blue tint! ought to look great!

As for a bridge, I can only recommend BA2 or Gotoh... As long as it's fairly big/heavy, there shouldn't be much of a problem !

keep us updated, good work

 

[SRSiegel]

Thanks!

I have three other deisgns now too, with the same "theme" to the body, but very different. One is a singlecut 6, theres a 4 with more aggressige contours, and then theres another 4 which has a real "alien" kinda look to it.

Actually i tested it for neck dive. The ash wood is quite heavy and helps to balance the bass. Also by making the upper horn so long the entire bass hangs right there. (headstock is also very small) I hate neck dive, i have that problem with my ATK5 and one of my goals in this design was to eliminate it.

Oddly enough I originally intended to build a 4 string ( miss my old 4, have two 5s now) but when i ordered the carvin neck they sent me a 5 on accident. (and only charged me for a 4) I decided to keep it cuz i just wanted to get to playing with tools I suppose I could always change the nut and have a widely spaced 4, but this neck is the same dimensions on my LB75, which I absolutly love, so I decided not to mess with it.

 

[MAJOR METAL]

Scott

Havent see you in a whille, hows the carvin i tried one but it was really lacking in what i needed.

 

[SRSiegel]

MM-

yeah I've been really busy with school and being an RA (now thinking id like to move out into an apartment for next year... any leads in Ann Arbor Michigan guys?)

Anyways, I've been trying ot start a band but a good vocalist is hard to come by (need someone who can scream as well as sing) and weve been practicing in my room (in a dorm) so yeah things are tight.

The carvin is good, though I have one problem with it now: theres a dead note, high D on the G string. Carvin says its natural and part of the resonant frequency of the bass, which makes sense (Ive had a lot of physics here at UofM) but I still think its kinda shady. I still love it though. Currently Im gassin for a warmoth P bass and a nice tube preamp/distortion unit.

Anyone else got input for my homemade bass?

 

[robb.]

check out the picture again!

though i would not choose that shape, i still like it -- it looks very ergonomically-minded.

i also like how you have the telescope pointed at your neighbors and not up at the sky -- what little good that would be from inside. go state!

robb.

 

[pilotjones]

MM-

...
The carvin is good, though I have one problem with it now: theres a dead note, high D on the G string. Carvin says its natural and part of the resonant frequency of the bass,
...

That's the most common problem of any bass. It's almost a feature on a Fender. Changing strings and/or changing the amount of mass of the headstock may improve it.

 

[SRSiegel]

Ive tried chaning the strings, though I hafta admit i went from a good quality (but old) DR Hibeam to a GHS i had laying around. maybe a new good quality set would help. I was also debating adding mass to the headstock, maybe with one of those "fat finger things" they're just so damn ugly tho...

I hate dead spots.

the one major downside is that this bass is almost impossible to play seated, the lower horn is too close to the butt for that.

robb- the telescope is my little brothers, but he never uses it so it just kinda sits there and takes up space. Theres so many trees at the house you wouldnt be able to see anything anyways.

heh, my dad actually went to state for a masters, i chose UofM for engineering though. Ahh the wonders of higher education, time to go work on a lab report from now until the end of time... today is my birthday... this bites. I cant wait for spring break.