THE ANDROMEDA STRAIN

[Rôckhewer]

Hello again happy Luthiers, friends & onlookers.

In Greek mythology, Andromeda was
basically this chick who was so damn "fly" ...
Well.... folks got all shook up over just how fine she was. (Nutshell)
The Andromeda Strain...was a novel about an ET microorganism outbreak (in Arizona )...that disintegrates stuff. (Nutshell)

My client has named this bass "Andromeda".
The top is spalted maple, which is wood suffering from microorganism disintegration.
Furthermore, "strain" is what can happen to a luthier's nerves when working with a ..."certain type" of clientele!
See how this all ties together?

(Just kidding @Lloydtownsend...you're alright )

Specs:
5 string, neck-through
32" scale, & 27... (yes 27) frets (stainless)
Neck: 9pc. Hard maple/curly maple/ HonduMahogany & Wenge
Body wings: core- curly maple w/mahogany & wenge accent stripes.
Top: Spalted maple, bookmatch to center.
Back: Spalted maple, bookmatch to neck.
Spalted maple headstock cap w/accent veneers.
Hipshot D bridge (black) w/my "batwing" tailpiece (string-through body)
EMG TWX soapbars (2)
Hipshot ultralight tuners.
Gaboon Ebony fingerboard inlayed w/ abalone & copper ovals.
Green LED illuminated, acrylic fret position markers (side)

The owner has a very....(*very*) specific vision in mind for this bass. Not only the shape & appearance....but has written a song, and has plans for a video...specifically themed, with his "dream bass" in mind.
Therefore...
It does me honor, that he has entrusted me with the task of bringing forth this instrument, into the physical realm.

Here is the body shape, as designed by Lloyd Townsend... from which I then cleaned up the lines a bit in AI...& printed out.
(The fine outer line is the actual shape)

One unique feature of this bass...is that the body will be significantly smaller, by comparison to your average bass. Beeing of somewhat smaller stature himself....this, (and the medium scale lentgh) was at the request of the owner.
From tip of upper horn to extent of lower bout is only 19.25 inches! About the size of a Strat?
That's one cool thing about commissioning a custom instrument... sized to fit!
I think it is going to be a sexy little bass!

Lloyd was concerned that the treble side horn might be a bit close to the neck.
When I did a mock-up drawing I confirmed that was indeed the case...so I had to make some alterations. (So much for CAD assistance) Pencil & paper for me...thanks anyway

Edit...that tailpiece cut &paste is actually my 4 string design...(in case anyone was looking closely)... the real one will have the right number of holes.

 

[rudy4444]

Build topics are always fun!

The more-often used example of "Andromeda" is the galaxy, the largest example of a galaxy viewable with the naked eye from earth. It re-affirms our place in the universe every time I catch a small glimpse of it from our back yard on particularly dark nights.

Are you staying with the neck pocket as shown? It looks to be too short for stable and solid neck attachment.

Nothing wrong with hand drawing, but I find there's nothing wrong with CAD either. I find it's a lot easier to move a few curved line points than to physically re-draw something, but obviously that's my opinion and not a hard and fast rule. I found CAD to be a huge benefit when I did the layout for the recent short scale semi-acoustic bass build topic. It enabled me to quickly shift components around to verify the physical relationships of the smaller body and neck.

It DOES sound like your client would be the type I would send on to someone else, but I'm too old and curmudgeonly to work with anybody!

 

[Rôckhewer]

Are you staying with the neck pocket as shown? It looks to be too short for stable and solid neck attachment

She's a neck-through... that indentation in the drawing was more or less to show fretboard intrusion into the body.

 

[GKon]

Looks great already, as usual with your builds. Sub'd and looking forward to seeing more

 

[Rôckhewer]

After an exhaustive search, we selected this plank I resawed for top & back.
It's got some really sweet curl.... for a spalted anyway.

Here's the neck going together

T-rod cut in, headstock angled & rough shaped :....back scooped out & drop top...dropped.

 

[Rôckhewer]

Body edge colors. Not particularly colorful here, but will get nice curl chatoyance from the core & more vibrant & deep color when finished is applied.

Wings laminated & cut to shape.

Contact paper on top of wings to make it way easier to see the shape drawn on the wenge.

Here the e-cavity is cut out ...I left some little "spars" sticking into the cavity to help support the top, due to the spaltedness making the top fairly weak .
I am going to "impregnate" it with thin CA glue prior to finishing...but.... well ...we'll see.

 

[tbrannon]

Can you band saw the piece of spalted top from the cavity and then make a two or three piece laminate control cavity cover?

If you could do that, there wouldn't really be any concerns about the strength of the spalted maple, correct?

 

[Gilmourisgod]

Sub'd!

 

[Rôckhewer]

Spent some time on this...
Was supposed to cut these inlay pockets on the laser... cut out the abalone inserts, then was starting to cut the board.
But, had just gotten that started, and had some brilliant individual turn OFF the computer while my program was paused & I had stepped away from the machine (grrrrr)

So these are actually hand cut.

 

[Rôckhewer]

Can you band saw the piece of spalted top from the cavity and then make a two or three piece laminate control cavity cover?

If you could do that, there wouldn't really be any concerns about the strength of the spalted maple, correct?

That IS what I am going to do for the back cover... it's the front span across the gap... that holds the pots, that I am concerned about.
I might go ahead and cut a piece of the same copper sheet I waterjet cut the ovals from... & epoxy that on the inside of the front in the cavity.
It would not only strengthen, but sheild as well.
(Although EMG's don't need shielding)

 

[rudy4444]

She's a neck-through... that indentation in the drawing was more or less to show fretboard intrusion into the body.

Ah. Thanks, I should have caught that.

 

[tbrannon]

That IS what I am going to do for the back cover... it's the front span across the gap... that holds the pots, that I am concerned about.
I might go ahead and cut a piece of the same copper sheet I waterjet cut the ovals from... & epoxy that on the inside of the front in the cavity.
It would not only strengthen, but sheild as well.
(Although EMG's don't need shielding)

That makes sense. I saw the cavity in the body and didn't even think about the top spanning it. I was thinking rear control cavity only.

 

[mapleglo]

sub'd!

 

[Rôckhewer]

Further refinement of the neck.
Not quite down to final thickness.
Going to be a particularly thin neck.
Going to rout in some aluminum strips for support.

 

[Rôckhewer]

On an unrelated note:
A wee bit o wood porn!
My next build will be topped in cocobolo.
Might end up coming from these...might not.
But I liked these & figured it would be prudent to stockpile a little cocobolo. It is sure to become harder to get ahold of. I read somewhere that the CITES regulations for this species are going to be more strict starting this year.

These are two consecutive slabs, 3" thick 10" wide 51" long. Over 20 board feet!
They are 8 years air dried...and do have some checking... but there is still a LOT of good lumber here

Unsanded & dry... pictures do not do these justice.

 

[Jisch]

Wow! that's some nice looking wood! drool

 

[maves75]

Wow! great post. I need to come back here more often!

 

[Rôckhewer]

Wow! great post. I need to come back here more often!

Hahaaa... Thanks Sam

 

[maves75]

You bet Kevin!! Really good stuff. I have made stuff with EDM, lasers,waterjet, and 5 axis mills, and I haven't made anything as stunning as you have. not even the guns!

 

[PDX Rich]

Diggin' it, Rock. Always great to see your work come together! Also, as temperatures warm slightly here (yeah, yeah), it is motivating to get my builds progressed as well!