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Practice build: 5-string multi-scale, HD woods
- Thread starter pilotjones
- Start date
Geoff St. Germaine
Commercial User
- Aug 31, 2001
- 6,267
- 302
- Disclosures
- Owner - St. Germaine Guitars
Congratulations PJ! That's truly an outstanding instrument you've built! You've inspired a lot of ideas!
This thread has been a fantastic read and inspiring. The bass turned out beautiful - you have much to be proud of. Thank you very much for the hours of reading.
Thanks to everyone for their comments. I'm glad someone gets something out of this. Besides me, who gets to play the bass! - and who learned a ton. 
As promised, here's the accounting. But before the numbers, a bit of the philosophy behind this. I undertook this project knowing that it would take a good deal of time, and knowing that it would take a fair amount of money. As far as those two aspects go -- it took twice the time I expected. This is fine, though, since I was working for myself, and I made conscious decisions along the way to spend additional time to make a better product than what I had planned on at the outset. So, I'm terribly self-satisfied with the result!
As far as money, it was about what I expected.
So here's the accounting, by a non-accountant. I've divided up things into four categories. There's some grey area on which category items could go in, but this is how I've grouped it. Here goes.
Tools: $1407
This includes general purpose tools that are purchased complete, and can be (and have been) used for things other than building instruments. It also includes router and drill bits - which by some accounting could also be put into the consumables category.
Consumables: $96
Things like sandpaper, varnish, & glue. For each item I put a fractional multiplier onto the cost of the "full container" to represent how much I used for this instrument, and how much leftover I will likely realistically use on other things, be they instruments or home repair. I put the bandsaw blades here also, since I've heard of them getting used up quickly. No, I did not include the solder, or the fish tank tubing to float the pickups.
Wood and materials for tools and fixtures: $62
This includes templates and jigs as well as tools that I built myself, like the neck lamination press -- rather than purchased things like a sander. This category also gets a multiplier to reduce the damage assigned to the project if the tool or fixture will be used at least once more for AD0002.
Wood and materials for AD0001: $381
This includes wood, pickups, tuners, strap lugs, shielding, etc. -- everything that became part of the bass itself. But there's a large caveat here. I bartered some of my services in return for the truss rod, tuners, fretwire, and a few other minor bits. So, you could add $100 at least to this total.
So, this wasn't cheap. But it is amongst the most rewarding things I've done. I'd recommend it to anyone with the means, the time, and the desire to learn, and to become somewhat more than you were before. To that thought, here's a comic that I wouldn't pretend to be a great example of, but I love the thought, and it's something to shoot for.
http://www.smbc-comics.com/index.php?db=comics&id=2722#comic
As promised, here's the accounting. But before the numbers, a bit of the philosophy behind this. I undertook this project knowing that it would take a good deal of time, and knowing that it would take a fair amount of money. As far as those two aspects go -- it took twice the time I expected. This is fine, though, since I was working for myself, and I made conscious decisions along the way to spend additional time to make a better product than what I had planned on at the outset. So, I'm terribly self-satisfied with the result!
As far as money, it was about what I expected.So here's the accounting, by a non-accountant. I've divided up things into four categories. There's some grey area on which category items could go in, but this is how I've grouped it. Here goes.
Tools: $1407
This includes general purpose tools that are purchased complete, and can be (and have been) used for things other than building instruments. It also includes router and drill bits - which by some accounting could also be put into the consumables category.
Consumables: $96
Things like sandpaper, varnish, & glue. For each item I put a fractional multiplier onto the cost of the "full container" to represent how much I used for this instrument, and how much leftover I will likely realistically use on other things, be they instruments or home repair. I put the bandsaw blades here also, since I've heard of them getting used up quickly. No, I did not include the solder, or the fish tank tubing to float the pickups.
Wood and materials for tools and fixtures: $62
This includes templates and jigs as well as tools that I built myself, like the neck lamination press -- rather than purchased things like a sander. This category also gets a multiplier to reduce the damage assigned to the project if the tool or fixture will be used at least once more for AD0002.
Wood and materials for AD0001: $381
This includes wood, pickups, tuners, strap lugs, shielding, etc. -- everything that became part of the bass itself. But there's a large caveat here. I bartered some of my services in return for the truss rod, tuners, fretwire, and a few other minor bits. So, you could add $100 at least to this total.
So, this wasn't cheap. But it is amongst the most rewarding things I've done. I'd recommend it to anyone with the means, the time, and the desire to learn, and to become somewhat more than you were before. To that thought, here's a comic that I wouldn't pretend to be a great example of, but I love the thought, and it's something to shoot for.
http://www.smbc-comics.com/index.php?db=comics&id=2722#comic
I can't imagine a more beautiful bass! I've loved following this thread almost sad it's over! lol
Just saw this and wow congrats on an amazing build. Love everything, but especially the bridge. Gonna borrow some ideas from it. Hope you don't mind. 
Looking forward to the video!
Looking forward to the video!
Wow! I started following this not long after you started it. Then I found it in my subscribed threads and checked it out. Two weeks later I have caught up with you. Fabulous build, great beer reviews. I salute you sir!
JB
JB
- Thanks for the comments. Hope you like the thread, the bass, the beer, whichever
- the guy with the youtube videos hasn't posted any with me playing this bass, so sorry that didn't work out
- I haven't posted to the thread since I've haven't gotten any sound clips yet -- I swear, I just looked up where local Radio Shacks are so maybe I can get an adapter to record straight to the compy this weekend
- making plans for #AD0002! Have started sourcing materials.
- the guy with the youtube videos hasn't posted any with me playing this bass, so sorry that didn't work out
- I haven't posted to the thread since I've haven't gotten any sound clips yet -- I swear, I just looked up where local Radio Shacks are so maybe I can get an adapter to record straight to the compy this weekend
- making plans for #AD0002! Have started sourcing materials.
All tracks recorded through the pre, to the computer input and into GarageBand, with no processing there. Pickups in serial mode.
First up: finger style, bridge pickup. Played pretty much down by the bridge. Flat eq for reference, although this style is actually better served with either the vintage amp thing, or a little mid boost and high cut.
I normally wouldn't play down that low on this kind of groove, but I know everyone always wants to hear the B string in a clip.
Finger style, neck pup. Slight bass and mid boost, large high cut. Played over the neck pup.
I am not a pick player, but this is pick played song. Neck pup, no EQ, played over the neck pup.
Too late tonight to get the both pups sound, but it's kind of hollow/bright, somewhere between a J-both and an MM.
First up: finger style, bridge pickup. Played pretty much down by the bridge. Flat eq for reference, although this style is actually better served with either the vintage amp thing, or a little mid boost and high cut.
I normally wouldn't play down that low on this kind of groove, but I know everyone always wants to hear the B string in a clip.
Finger style, neck pup. Slight bass and mid boost, large high cut. Played over the neck pup.
I am not a pick player, but this is pick played song. Neck pup, no EQ, played over the neck pup.
Too late tonight to get the both pups sound, but it's kind of hollow/bright, somewhere between a J-both and an MM.
Last edited by a moderator:
I'm only on my phone, but they sound good, man. Not my style, but I definitely dig the sound of it
Got to see/hear Pete's bass in person last Wednesday.
Stunning all around. For a first time effort, he absolutely killed. Outstanding work by a quality player!!!
Regards----------------
Stunning all around. For a first time effort, he absolutely killed. Outstanding work by a quality player!!!
Regards----------------
Nice to see this pop up in my subscribed threads again. I don't think I saw the final photos when they were first posted -- very nice. Thanks for the soundclips as well. And THANK YOU again for sharing the process and your thoughts in such detail as you went along.
I think that you mentioned designing the bass initially with a more subtle fan. How do you like the fan you finally went with...
And how did you decide on the amount of fan and where you wanted the perpendicular fret? I still haven't played a fanned instrument, but the executions I've seen online have varied in both areas.
Beautiful bass -- hope it serves you well for a long time.
I think that you mentioned designing the bass initially with a more subtle fan. How do you like the fan you finally went with...
- Scale lengths 36 to 33.5. Perpendicular fret at 1/3 point (roughly 7th fret)
And how did you decide on the amount of fan and where you wanted the perpendicular fret? I still haven't played a fanned instrument, but the executions I've seen online have varied in both areas.
Beautiful bass -- hope it serves you well for a long time.
Thanks.
AFA the fan, the starting point was Dingwall's design, since I (and thousands of others!) find it to be comfortable and effective on his awesome basses. Sheldon makes 5ers in 34-37" with the 7th perpendicular. So my alterations to that are:
- clip an inch of length off overall, since I'm not a six footer, and so that I can use fairly common strings
- narrow the string spacing a bit at the bridge, since that's my preference
- since narrowing the spacing while holding a 3" scale length variation would increase the angles, I then increased the 33" to 33.5, to yield roughly the same angles. Maybe marginally more subtle a fan than a Dingwall, not sure.
The result is very comfortable for me. Other bassists who haven't played a multiscale board before have had little trouble with it.
