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My Cliff Bordwell 6 string fretless build thread

lordradish

lordradish

Supporting Member
Jul 20, 2006
4,522
8,769
Vermont
#1
Got my second bass coming from Cliff that's just been started, going with a 6 string fretless. Going to try to get a Wal-ish tone out of it, so I'm going with the Nordy Big Blademans with their JC preamp (the one they designed for Justin Chancellor). Not a JC fan, but I am a huge Wal fan (my main 5 is a Wal), so I figured this would get me a lot closer to that tone.

I like unlined fretless, but this is my first fretless 6 so I'm having him do fingerboard dots like the F-Basses have, in Luminlay.

Don't have much in the way of pics, other than the fingerboard and top:
image_77b.jpg


The body will be a hybrid of the Ball and Big McNeely, like my fretted 6:
f1028109248.jpg


Here's the spec list:


Dimensions
Scale length: 34
Neck shape: Oval

Thickness at 1st: .850(standard)
String spacing at Bridge: .656

Body thickness: 1.525(required for battery), or 1.625(required for Push/Pull knobs)

Construction
Neck: 3 piece Maple(Classic)
Fingerboard: Mac Ebony
Fingerboard Radius: 26
Nut: Dymondwood

Full faced top: Yes
Body woods

Top: Camphor burl in saved stack

Accent: Black

Body: Amapola

Headstock shape: “CB”

Headstock plate: Same wood as top

Cavity cover: Black

Hardware

Color: Brushed nickel
Bridge: Hipshot style “A”
Tuners: Ultralites

Truss rod: two-way adjustable

Fretless: Blue Luminlay side and face dots 1.3.5.7.9 between G & C / then every pos from 12-24 between G&C and Face: 12 & 24 face (larger dot on face at 12 & 24)
Strap Locks: Schaller S Locks
Output: 1/4" Face mount(N/C)

Electronics
Pickups: 2 BigBlademans

Preamp: Nordstrand JC-3b preamp
 
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#9
lordradish said:
Got my second bass coming from Cliff that's just been started, going with a 6 string fretless. Going to try to get a Wal-ish tone out of it, so I'm going with the Nordy Big Blademans with their JC preamp (the one they designed for Justin Chancellor). Not a JC fan, but I am a huge Wal fan (my main 5 is a Wal), so I figured this would get me a lot closer to that tone.

I like unlined fretless, but this is my first fretless 6 so I'm having him do fingerboard dots like the F-Basses have, in Luminlay.

Don't have much in the way of pics, other than the fingerboard and top:
View attachment 4901191

The body will be a hybrid of the Ball and Big McNeely, like my fretted 6:
View attachment 4901193

Here's the spec list:


Dimensions
Scale length: 34
Neck shape: Oval

Thickness at 1st: .850(standard)
String spacing at Bridge: .656

Body thickness: 1.525(required for battery), or 1.625(required for Push/Pull knobs)

Construction
Neck: 3 piece Maple(Classic)
Fingerboard: Mac Ebony
Fingerboard Radius: 26
Nut: Dymondwood

Full faced top: Yes
Body woods

Top: Camphor burl in saved stack

Accent: Black

Body: Amapola

Headstock shape: “CB”

Headstock plate: Same wood as top

Cavity cover: Black

Hardware

Color: Brushed nickel
Bridge: Hipshot style “A”
Tuners: Ultralites

Truss rod: two-way adjustable

Fretless: Blue Luminlay side and face dots 1.3.5.7.9 between G & C / then every pos from 12-24 between G&C and Face: 12 & 24 face (larger dot on face at 12 & 24)
Strap Locks: Schaller S Locks
Output: 1/4" Face mount(N/C)

Electronics
Pickups: 2 BigBlademans

Preamp: Nordstrand JC-3b preamp
Click to expand...

In Spanish, "amapola" is a flower. It means poppy. I've never heard of it as a wood.

One of my dream basses is a 32" scale Cliff Bordwell fretless. Enjoy yours.
 
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#11
matante said:
In Spanish, "amapola" is a flower. It means poppy. I've never heard of it as a wood.

One of my dream basses is a 32" scale Cliff Bordwell fretless. Enjoy yours.
Click to expand...
You know, I hadn't heard of it, either... just trusting Cliff on this one. It came up in regard to weight, as all of my basses are 9-11 pounders and damn, I'm getting old.

I couldn't find too much about it. There's a mangrove tree in Florida called an amapola, but that's not it.

It's this one:
View attachment 4902198

Pseudobombax ellipticum

It looks like this, nothing too fancy:


If you look at the Wikipedia page, it's a pretty interesting tree that grows in Central America. I'm actually leaving for the Yucutan next week and will be in the jungle, so I'm going to keep my eye out for any. They look kinda cool.
 
Last edited:
#12
My first 2 30” builds I did with Cliff over the last year were both amapola. I had never heard of it either, but I’m quite happy with it. I’m also quite happy with the final weight of these basses. Both are around 6.5 pounds.
 
#14
lordradish said:
You know, I hadn't heard of it, either... just trusting Cliff on this one. It came up in regard to weight, as all of my basses are 9-11 pounders and damn, I'm getting old.

I couldn't find too much about it. There's a mangrove tree in Florida called an amapola, but that's not it.

It's this one:

Pseudobombax ellipticum

It looks like this, nothing too fancy:
amapola-2-2.jpeg


If you look at the Wikipedia page, it's a pretty interesting tree that grows in Central America. I'm actually leaving for the Yucutan next week and will be in the jungle, so I'm going to keep my eye out for any. They look kinda cool.
Click to expand...
I can't see that image for some reason.

Here's what the Wikipedia page says in Spanish about the common names for that plant:

  • coquito, clavellina, cabellos de ángel, cocuche, mocoque, guietiqui, itayata; amapola (Guatemala)
  • chilochuchi, pochotle, xiloxochitl, itayata, flor de Sospó, Lele (México)[4]
  • carolina (República Dominicana).
I've never heard of any of them, but everyone knows "amapola" as the poppy flower. Odd choice to use that word for this wood when lots of other names are apparently available. I suppose the name depends on where it's being sourced from.
 
#16
LowWay said:
My first 2 30” builds I did with Cliff over the last year were both amapola. I had never heard of it either, but I’m quite happy with it. I’m also quite happy with the final weight of these basses. Both are around 6.5 pounds.
Click to expand...
Wow, that's light. I have a regular length scale and it's a 6 string, but I'm really hoping I can get this under 9. Tonally, you dig it?
 

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#19
lordradish said:
Wow, that's light. I have a regular length scale and it's a 6 string, but I'm really hoping I can get this under 9. Tonally, you dig it?
Click to expand...

It sounds great. I like it a lot.

I currently own 3 bordwells, 2 30 inchers with amapola and a 34” with swamp ash. All are right around 6.5 pounds. All sound great. I was nervous at first, but I’m so glad I just trusted Cliff.
 

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