NBD - 39 inch Scale Australian Built Heavyweight

[Alex Xander]

I recently finished this build, and I'm tickled pink with the monster, to say the least. It took quite a bit of time, as I'm still an inexperienced woodworker, but this was easily my most rewarding build so far.

This is my second 39" scale bass, the first was built for me by an Australian luthier (Polaris Basses). The (very) long scale is surprisingly comfortable to play and easy to adjust to. I have strings to tune this at both normal tuning and sub-contra (and octave below normal), but it is currently strung for normal tuning.

The project started with some ironbark wood gifted to my by a friend. It was from a shearing shed build in the late 1800s, so it is well seasoned!

Specs are
39 inch scale
Ironbark and silver ash construction
Dimarzio P pickup (unsure of the model) hotrodded with neodymium magnets
Guyker headless tuners (these will get changed out for ABM in the future when funding permits)
Newtone strings
Controls - volume only with a big square knob

Weight is somewhere around 6kg (13lbs), which is the price you pay for using hard Australian timbers. The benefit of using them (to my ears at least) is a Warwick growl on steroids and sustain that lasts for days.

 

[Green Knight]

Wow. That's the coolest wood-themed bass I've ever seen.

 

[bholder]

Oh, my!

 

[Killing Floor]

So hot! And long.

 

[Ricky Rioli]

It would be good to see this in the same photo as something a bit more, er, stock

 

[definenredefine]

When I think of inexperienced wood-workers, I definitely envision folks who can "only" accomplish something like this.

 

[Ricky Rioli]

This is my second 39" scale bass, the first was built for me by an Australian luthier (Polaris Basses).

Have I dug up the right photo?

 

[Alex Xander]

It would be good to see this in the same photo as something a bit more, er, stock

Here it is with my double reverse P 5 string. 34" scale. The difference is not as extreme as you'd think.

 

[Blues Bass 2]

Awesome looking bass!

 

[arbiterusa]

Everything about this is not normally my bag, but the combo is epic and I would buy one in a second. Phenomenal work.

 

[B-Mac]

I recently finished this build, and I'm tickled pink with the monster, to say the least. It took quite a bit of time, as I'm still an inexperienced woodworker, but this was easily my most rewarding build so far.

This is my second 39" scale bass, the first was built for me by an Australian luthier (Polaris Basses). The (very) long scale is surprisingly comfortable to play and easy to adjust to. I have strings to tune this at both normal tuning and sub-contra (and octave below normal), but it is currently strung for normal tuning.

The project started with some ironbark wood gifted to my by a friend. It was from a shearing shed build in the late 1800s, so it is well seasoned!

Specs are
39 inch scale
Ironbark and silver ash construction
Dimarzio P pickup (unsure of the model) hotrodded with neodymium magnets
Guyker headless tuners (these will get changed out for ABM in the future when funding permits)
Newtone strings
Controls - volume only with a big square knob

Weight is somewhere around 6kg (13lbs), which is the price you pay for using hard Australian timbers. The benefit of using them (to my ears at least) is a Warwick growl on steroids and sustain that lasts for days.

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I love the headless with a head style. I don't care for headless basses, but this looks great!
Stop in here when you get a chance.
The 'Official' 4 string extended scale bass club

 

[Jefenator]

Looks like 39 is the new 35.

 

[bobyoung53]

Have any audio?

 

[Bikeguy57]

So much for the short scale craze!

 

[Alex Xander]

Nothing yet, but I'll aim to record something soon.

 

[crazycloud]

@Alex Xander did you ever make some recordings of this bass?
I'm especially interested in the G string as I'm interested in making an extra long scale, probably a 5 B-G and all the comments I've seen are how the high strings sound awful.

 

[UNICORN BASS]

Seeing this bass for the first time. Wow, quite something, some of it is not thrilling me, the squared off "headstock" for instance, but the overall look and balance is fantastic.

 

[Alex Xander]

@Alex Xander did you ever make some recordings of this bass?
I'm especially interested in the G string as I'm interested in making an extra long scale, probably a 5 B-G and all the comments I've seen are how the high strings sound awful.

I don’t record this specific bass, but have clips on my YouTube channel of basses with a 39” scale.

This one had zero signal processing (bass plugged straight into an iPhone).



And I’m not sure about this one, but I think it was the same.