Semi-hollow twelve-string Brooks bass

[Basvarken]

Ladies and gentlemen; I proudly present a new Brooks Bass!

The EXB-12-SA.
A semi-hollow twelve string bass.

- Mahogany body. Chambered
- Quilted Maple top, bookmatched
- Nine ply laminated Mahogany set neck. Glued in
- Cherry Burst finish. Naturel Mahogany back and sides
- Pearloid binding
- Ebony fretboard
- Abalone position dots. Aluminium ring in 12th position
- Jumbo frets
- 34" scale
- Buffalo horn nut
- Custom made twelve string brass bridge set, gold plated
- Two spokewheel double action truss rods
- Carbon reinforcement strip in the neck
- Lace Alumitone Bass Bar in the neck position
- Lace Alumitone Bass Bar in the bridge position
- Pure Tone output. Gold plated
- Toggle switch (single coil/humbucker). Gold plated
- Gotoh GB 350 lightweight bass tuners, Gold plated
- Gotoh Stealth CXB-01 guitar tuners. Gold plated
- d'Addario EXL 170 - 12 strings
- Weight: 4.1 kg

Serial number: 2025001

I'll post pics of the build process in separate posts below

 

[Basvarken]

Started with the fretboard this time:

Then shifted my attention to the neck. Routed the slots for the carbon reinforcement strips plus two spoke wheel truss rods

 

[RandomKaren]

Looks amazing! Have you sent pics to John Paul Jones?

 

[Basvarken]

Sawed the headstock angle.

And planed it nice and smooth

Made the truss rod cover

Glued the fretboard onto the (roughly shaped) neck

While that dried took to the mahogany body blank.
First off I routed the controls cavity

Then switched to the other side to route the chambering

Did some free hand routing for the wiring channel

Before glueing the quilted maple top onto the chambered body I had to saw the tri-angular shaped F-holes

 

[Basvarken]

Back to the neck:
Made the side markers

Then started shaping the neck profile

Drilled the tuners holes

 

[Basvarken]

Routed the body outline (along the template of course)

Then routed the binding channel

Glued the pearloid binding in

The routed the neck pocket. And shaped the heel

 

[bholder]

 

[Basvarken]

After lots of checking and measuring I finally glued the neck in

Then drilled the holes for the controls

And stained the back a dark mahogany (with a dash of red)

The quilted maple top was going to get a cherry burst
First did the yellow stain.

And then (while still wet) did the red outline.
And feathered it out to make nice smooth gradient.

Then built up lots of layers of clear

After lots of sanding and polishing I mounted the pickups and hardware

 

[Basvarken]

Made a label and glued it in

Cut the top nut (string guide) from a piece of buffalo horn. I used the brass template the ETS provided with the bridge

Mounted the tuners. Had to modify the carbon base plates of the (light weight) Gotoh CXB-01 tuners that I used for the octave strings.
Because the "ears" were overlapping each other.

 

[bholder]

That thing is already haunting my dreams!

 

[klattman]

That looks like too much awesome. Can anyone or any song handle it?

 

[bholder]

That looks like too much awesome. Can anyone or any song handle it?

I'm pretty sure my solo bass / voice cover of "Nantucket Sleighride" would sound pretty (bleep)ing fine on it! Not that my version is anything to brag about, just it'd sound better on this! hehe

Spoiler: shameless self promotion

On BEAD tuned 12er, 3 octaves per course:

Original fretless version with voice:

 

[nixdad]

Ladies and gentlemen; I proudly present a new Brooks Bass!

The EXB-12-SA.
A semi-hollow twelve string bass.

- Mahogany body. Chambered
- Quilted Maple top, bookmatched
- Nine ply laminated Mahogany set neck. Glued in
- Cherry Burst finish. Naturel Mahogany back and sides
- Pearloid binding
- Ebony fretboard
- Abalone position dots. Aluminium ring in 12th position
- Jumbo frets
- 34" scale
- Buffalo horn nut
- Custom made twelve string brass bridge set, gold plated
- Two spokewheel double action truss rods
- Carbon reinforcement strip in the neck
- Lace Alumitone Bass Bar in the neck position
- Lace Alumitone Bass Bar in the bridge position
- Pure Tone output. Gold plated
- Toggle switch (single coil/humbucker). Gold plated
- Gotoh GB 350 lightweight bass tuners, Gold plated
- Gotoh Stealth CXB-01 guitar tuners. Gold plated
- d'Addario EXL 170 - 12 strings
- Weight: 4.1 kg

Serial number: 2025001

I'll post pics of the build process in separate posts below

Gorgeous!

 

[bholder]

I'm pretty sure my solo bass / voice cover of "Nantucket Sleighride" would sound pretty (bleep)ing fine on it! Not that my version is anything to brag about, just it'd sound better on this! hehe

Spoiler: shameless self promotion

On BEAD tuned 12er, 3 octaves per course:

Original fretless version with voice:

Hmm, 34" scale, so yeah, the "3 octave per course" BEAD tuning ought to work. Have yet to figure out the right gauges though, and the highest D ends up too close to breaking even at like .008 gauge. Hmmm.

 

[Mickey666]

So very Kool...

 

[Thunderthumbs73]

Neck dive quotient?

I'd love a 12-string bass. I've played a few and it was always fun, and I seemed to take to it with minimal trouble. The problem always is that no matter the price point, how many songs could I use this on, in any gig? I'm taking the queue from my long-term experience with my Epiphone Riviera 12-string electric guitar, that answer is very few.

But that looks so cool and I'm sure it sounds awesome.

 

[MCF]

Ladies and gentlemen; I proudly present a new Brooks Bass!

The EXB-12-SA.
A semi-hollow twelve string bass.

- Mahogany body. Chambered
- Quilted Maple top, bookmatched
- Nine ply laminated Mahogany set neck. Glued in
- Cherry Burst finish. Naturel Mahogany back and sides
- Pearloid binding
- Ebony fretboard
- Abalone position dots. Aluminium ring in 12th position
- Jumbo frets
- 34" scale
- Buffalo horn nut
- Custom made twelve string brass bridge set, gold plated
- Two spokewheel double action truss rods
- Carbon reinforcement strip in the neck
- Lace Alumitone Bass Bar in the neck position
- Lace Alumitone Bass Bar in the bridge position
- Pure Tone output. Gold plated
- Toggle switch (single coil/humbucker). Gold plated
- Gotoh GB 350 lightweight bass tuners, Gold plated
- Gotoh Stealth CXB-01 guitar tuners. Gold plated
- d'Addario EXL 170 - 12 strings
- Weight: 4.1 kg

Serial number: 2025001

I'll post pics of the build process in separate posts below

Wow Rob!

 

[Hollowway]

Man, that’s amazing!

 

[GrooveCaptain]

That thing is absolutely gorgeous! I love every detail about it. Explorers are my favorite shape, and it's always disappointing how so many big popular companies screw up so many aspects of it that ruin the balance and playability (bridge in the middle of the body/strap buttons in wrong place). I'm currently putting together my own.
That thing is a piece of art... Just beautiful

 

[Gilmourisgod]

Damn! Very impressive build. That thing must thrum like the Hammer of Thor. I'm curious, do you get any acoustic volume out of it unplugged? Building a semi-hollow now, hoping I get at least enough to hear it unplugged.