Opinions on a bass I am designing

Like this?
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00F8KFPNY?vs=1

 

These type of instruments are referred to as silent guitars/basses. This one is similar in construction to your idea though not exactly the same. Pardon the russian.

 

Just trying to give you an idea of what it could sound like, though most of these types of instruments use piezo pickups. If you're planning to use conventional bass pickups you made need to add some little wings to the body portion of the Carvin neck (like a Steinberger), I don't think it's wide enough for most pickups or has enough space to fit the bridge, tuners, pickups, and controls. I also don't know if the body portion of the Carvin neck has enough space behind where the bridge would go to fit the 5 tuners, unless you get creative.

 

A draw-bored finger joint would be able to extend the body end of the Carvin neck with enough strength to hold up to the strings.

 

I think building a bass with graphite aircraft aluminum or some sort of metal is something you would want to build. I love the status basses Normandy basses a Status is graphite and it durable you never have to worry about expanding and detracting like wood you bring your guitar out in freezing cold with a case wood tends to be to sensitive. You have the right idea this bass sounds a little to much if you would play just a sound byte. I would know it was made out of metal. You might want to go with aircraft grade aluminum Normandy's sound so nice there not popular there huge hollow body basses if you can make a solid body with your own special design. I think you would get a great guitar that needs very little maintenance or adjustments or some type of metal that has more of wood sounding bass, status makes graphites they sound incredible they have durability and are worth the money. Jay Tussarts are another great sound metal built bass. That the type of material you want to use and come up with a unique shape. For instance I like the reverend look its different there really cool looking. You can design a AK 47 that would be cool a true fender bird type. If you build a prototype and market it you can make something that would have your name. You can do leg work and make a few for real famous bass players. If they indorse it love it forget it everyone will want one. The other thing I would do is try to build it to high end mass produced fender 1,500 to 2,000 range that would really take off if you do it right. Jay Turrsarts and status basses are very expensive there 4 to 5k Normandy uses aircraft aluminum which sounds great and they go for 2,200 2,300 bucks I think they are not popular because the hollow body is all they build and most bass players don't want one. I played one they are really comfortable they sound great I like the feel more then a bass made out of wood. Make a few different models you don't have to change body styles but build different size necks 1.5 nut then do 1.625 nut and then do 1.75 nut all the other companies that make metal basses don't give you that option. Just by doing something as simple as that you get the interest of all bassist. You have bassist that want to play a jazz bass or a bass with that size neck thats why Lakland is really popular 1.625 you have Gibson and a Ric radius and 1.75 you have Fender P bass radius.That is very important for bassist they have comfort level with the neck and last you want to do a couple of different pick up configurations and get lightweight hardware unless your planning on designing and building the bridge tuners and pick ups. I think everything I mentioned if you make great product you will do really well

 

The jazz pickups will probably still hang off the edges of the body core, not saying that's necessarily a problem, just a serious possibility. A five string neck through Carvin for example:



Also a good indicator of how much space is left behind the bridge before adding on more wood.

 

I think leaving the ends exposed is asking for them to get hung up on something and ripped off. You'll only need wings about an inch or so wide.

The 8-string guitar neck is more similar to a 6-string bass neck in width. It'd make a very difficult to play 4-string unless you zipped wood off the edges. And at that point, you'd have to reshape the neck, so you aren't saving much time or effort by using a prefab neck.

Also, you can get individual bridges with tuners built in.

http://www.allparts.com/BB-3501-010-ABM-3901-C-Single-String-Bridge_p_642.html

 

Assuming I am understanding what you are asking RE: pickups, have you looked into the Lace Alumitone Bassbars? Not a "humbucker" in the classic sense but they are noise-free and full-range and appear to suit your purposes mounting configuration-wise.

 

I don't understand the reasoning for volume switches.

 

I see. Well what I would do would be to set a volume pot (500K is common for humbucker, 250K for single coil) at half on/off and measure the resistance. Then use that.

 

Not 100% sure what you mean by angle metal but I'm thinking you mean something like this?

I'm guessing you would drill holes and screw them into the sides of the body? I think it would hold but I also think you would have to thread the holes for the pickup screws. I think the surface of the metal would also need to be flush with the bottom of the pickup routes as well, but then it may be at the wrong height for the bridge depending on what type you use and where it's screw anchors are located. IMO it would be easier to just glue some small wings to the body, like HaMMerHeD said they would only need to be an inch or so wide, then you won't have to worry about screw placement, or whether or not there is enough material for the pickup screws to bite, or how far from the front of the body the metal's front surface needs to be. Sorry if my response is way off or confusing.