My new Spalted maple bass is finished. EADGC. {} {} {} {} {} More Pictures at www.pianodesk.com/bass3.htm
Interesting design. Is it one piece of wood? How does it sound is the most important part I guess. Also, where is the truss rod access? (assuming there is a truss rod)
Questions, questions and more questions: 1. Is the body one piece of spaulted maple or is there a body wood too? 2. Looking at it again, is that whole bass one piece of spaulted maple? 3. Why did you stop putting more frets? Did you run out of fret wire, or as Pee Wee would say, "I meant to do that" and why? 4. What scale is it and why? 5. How does it play and sound? 6. Electronics and why you did what you did? 7. How does it balance? 8. Why is there no bottom horn? Were you looking for something different or was there a practical reason for it? BTW: Interesting work. Nice.
Yes on the truss rod. It's actually two 3/4 inch spalted put together in the neck. The wings are done the same way but separate. Biscuit joined to the neck. 34 inch scale with a very long fingerboard. I didn't run out of fret wire. It didn't seem wise to add more, especially if the neck has any bowing. I was afraid of the lower frets buzzing if I added them. This is my first fret job so I wanted to make sure it works. It plays really good. I'm a very pleased with the frets I put on. They all check out in tune. I'm a piano tuner and that's important to me. When I ordered the monster humbucker, I didn't really realize that it would be so HUGE! It does have a really good fat sound. Much better than my fender. There is no bottom horn just to be different. It's a strap bass all the way. It's also very light. I haven't weighed it yet. You wouldn't expect it to balance very well, but it does for some reason. I would say my fender weighs twice as much. My next post is of a new bass I'm working on.
Here's the new 6 string bass I'm doing. I have really loved the bassline bass in the print. It's been a bass I've wanted to make. I'm doing it in Bubinga and flamed walnut. The wood on the wings will altrinate with walnut on top of the top wing and bubinga on the top of the bottom wing. This will not be a headless bass. I also precut the component cover with a slight taper on the cut so it fits perfect. And yes, that is a grand piano lid as a workbench. {} {} {}
That second one looks like it'll be killer! Are you going to make the neck wider than the fretboard as on the picture you're working from? The spalted one is cool, but it seems a bit sketchy what with the neck being spalted too, but as long as it plays and doesn't warp, hey, it's cool.
I could make it 5 string fretless. I have already ordered parts for it to be 6 sting but if you are interested, let me know. Yes, the top of the neck will be larger thank the fingerboard as in the picture above.
I am wondering at this point if I should have the low B string level and have the other strings all taper more, or taper both sides of the neck. I'm pretty sure that's the way the bassline bas is done. I wonder how that would affect the feel. This is the look I'm going for. Mine will have more shape.
Congrats on the completion of your project bass! I love single-buckers. Question: I've read here and there that spalted wood can be extremely difficult to work with. How was it for you? Thanks!
I didn't have any problems with the spalted wood. Seemed like regular old maple to me. The sycamore is really nice and hard. I only used it for the fingerboard. There was one spot that was softer than the rest at the control knobs. The only thing I really did different is to make sure I wore my resporator. I'm cutting the truss rod on my new bass tonight. I'll probably get to the neck as well. I'll try and post some pictures.
On one side it has Bubinga, on the other figured walnut. Reversed on each side. Here's a pic of the underside. {} {}
