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Sonum Experior

#61
Parts porn! My AllParts order came in and now I have me some truss rods and jacks for this build! Barring any unforeseen complications I should be getting started on the neck tonight.

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#63
With truss rods in hand I measured out the channels, routed them on my trusty router table, and glued the fingerboard on. Tomorrow I will be able to taper and shape the neck and route out the neck pocket on the body. I also updated the concept drawing a bit, laid out the locations where the piano pin tuners will go, etc. I should be playing this by the weekend, though it still needs a ton of sanding and shaping.

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#64
Canadian APII said:
I am still trying to figure out my next build. I have so many possibilities and designs running through my head.

In the meantime I will probably build a pickup testbed to work out pups and electronics. A few years back I got a cheap bass through Evil-bay. It looked reasonable online and I was going to use it as a refinish project only. When I got it it was unplayable, shimmed everywhere with soft plastic, broken bridge, useless pup, heavily filed neck, broken tuners even bent and rusted screws. Literally nothing was useable as was. I got in touch with the seller and told him I would be sending it back. He said I should just keep the bass and he would send the money back. I'll use that and rout out between the bridge and enlarge the electronics compartment to test different components. It will still need ample repairs and a new bridge and tuners just to be minimally playable. I won't consider this a bass, I'll consider it a tool. I can still use it to test tuners, bridges different nuts and frets. I am not expecting this to be a "player".
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I like your concept of a dedicated test bed also. This is my take on the subject. It is from a different thread.

A few months back I was reading up on Reed James I think and he was talking about how he routed out a bass to trial the different types he builds. I immediately thought of this junk bass I had and how it would be perfect. I won't be expecting fantastic tone because there are so many problems with the bass but I'll be able to test so much.
 
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#65
Canadian APII said:
I like your concept of a dedicated test bed also. This is my take on the subject. It is from a different thread.

A few months back I was reading up on Reed James I think and he was talking about how he routed out a bass to trial the different types he builds. I immediately thought of this junk bass I had and how it would be perfect. I won't be expecting fantastic tone because there are so many problems with the bass but I'll be able to test so much.
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When you get to doing the work please post a thread here on TB - I am really curious how that turns out for you!
 
#66
The neck blank came out of clamps and had a template laid on top of it for positioning in the tapering jig, and it looks good. The glue seams are tight with no gaps. The tapering went without incident, and I have a good idea of how large this beast is going to be. Next steps: routing the neck pocket, rounding the neck profile, and mounting the neck!

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#70
Oh yeah....I just figured out why you keep doing all these headless designed basses. It's not because they are unique, interesting, well balanced and just a darn cool signature theme you've created.
Naw.... It's simply because you get to skip a buttload of steps not making a headstock!;)
What with scarf joints, figuring angles, gluing headstock wings, thicknessing, veneers, laying out tuner hole positions....etc...etc.... Jeeze!!
Maybe I'll go headless on my next build!:)
 
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#74
Thanks guys!

She's still in rough shape, and needs a LOT of sanding and shaping. If my well laid plans do not cascade into chaos I should be able to get the piano tuners and headpiece installed tonight and I can take her for a test drive. A couple of notes as I sit with her... I am finding I hate the 34" scale, especially on this build. I am a small dude with short arms and tiny hands, and getting to the notes in the first through fifth frets are painful...literally. The wide seven string fingerboard doesn't get comfortable until about the second fret. I am going to have to make a 32" scale neck soon - the Aleph has me spoiled.

She balances well in my lap and is not very heavy. I think that the headless design helps a great deal to in both of those aspects, and I think it takes away some of the cumbersome lines that I am used to seeing in most seven strings. I owned a Conklin Groove Tools seven string for a short time, but it was heavy, huge, and really awkward to play. I loved the extended range, but it was just too much bass for me. I am looking forward to seeing if the headless design will make a significant difference.
 
#75
The more I look at that body shape, the more I like it! It's classy and understated. Especially paired with such a massive neck, the two really offset each other nicely. Want...to...play...

Lonnybass
 
#76
Lonnybass said:
The more I look at that body shape, the more I like it! It's classy and understated. Especially paired with such a massive neck, the two really offset each other nicely. Want...to...play...

Lonnybass
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Thanks! I know the guy who made it....I can put in a good word for you.
 
#77
Michael-

How are you planning to finish that fingerboard? I did a fretless with a highly flamed maple similar to yours- curious what your plans are for that thing.

Lonnybass
 
#78
Lonnybass said:
Michael-

How are you planning to finish that fingerboard? I did a fretless with a highly flamed maple similar to yours- curious what your plans are for that thing.

Lonnybass
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I have not made up my mind yet... I am considering thinned epoxy, CA, and potentially some Stew Mac fingerboard oil. I am keeping the radius flat as I have grown used to playing a flat radius...hmmmm. Perhaps @Rôckhewer has me pegged - I find myself preferring a lot of options that end up translating to quick and painless builds. ;)
 
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#79
This evening I cut out a headpiece, slotted and fitted a zero fret, bored out the holes for the piano tuners, and mounted a ghetto bridge out of walnut and fret wire. She's strung up and talking, but not wired for sound yet. I am going to wait until I get the alligator clips on the morrow to install the jack, but once that's done the hard part is over....well except for the sanding. And more sanding. And more sanding.....

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#80
A few notes after playing it for a bit. It's taking some time to get used to the 34" scale and find my way around, but it will be fine after a few days of orientation. The fingerboard needs a bit of leveling, and I need to redo the headpiece, but it feels and plays fairly decent. I was not aiming for a stellar player, but it plays better than most, if not all, of the basses I plinked around on in a used music store a few weeks ago. The chasm in the middle of the bass is super bizarre - I prefer to have a ramp under my fingers, and the giant empty space leaves me no place to place my thumb. The action is WAY too high, but shaving down the wooden bridge will correct that easily.

The string spacing is a tight 16mm at the bridge, and the width of the "nut" at the zero fret is 2 1/2". I configured it for "equal center" string spacing so that it would accommodate multiple gauges and types of strings and string arrangements. If I want to string it up with an E in the middle and put an A, G, and D strings on either side like a strange take on a Warr bass this configuration will manage it without a problem.

I agree with @Lonnybass in that the body works well with the wide seven string neck, and I am considering making a "production model" version at some point in the future. I would like to have a nice seven string on hand, though I would more than likely string it up like an eight with the E being the lowest string.
 

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