Twelve-string Non-Reverse Thunderbird

[Basvarken]

Hip Hip Hooray!
A new Brooks bass was born today.

The Brooks NR-TB-12
A twelve-string Non-Reverse Thunderbird.

Specifications:
- Body: Mahogany. Non-Reverse Thunderbird shape
- Top: Bookmatched Quilted Maple. Lemon Burst stain
- Neck: Mahogany three piece. Glued in.
- Two spokewheel truss rods. One carbon stiffening rod
- Fretboard: Rosewood. Checkerboard inlay on 12th
- White side markers
- Frets: Jumbo size. Sintoms. Nickel-silver
- Scale: 34”
- Top Nut: Buffalo horn
- Bridge: ETS twelve string bridge set. Chrome
- Pickups: 3x Gemini TB Pickup.
- Output: PureTone 1/4 inch Jack.
- Controls: Volume, Volume, Volume, 6-way rotary switch:
N - NM - M - NMB - MB - B
- Pickguard: Pearloid
- Binding: Pearloid
- Bass string tuners: Gotoh Res-o-lite GB350. Chrome
- Octave tuners: Schaller Grand tune Chrome. Pearloid buttons
- Strings: d’Addario. 170-12
- Strapnuts: Large, Chrome
- Weight: 4.6 KG

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

 

[Gilmourisgod]

Stunning bit of work there, Sir. Very impressive build.

 

[Basvarken]

Even if Non-Reverse Thunderbrids are usually quite prone to neck-diving I did make an effort to make the body as light as possible.
I sort of guessed that the three pickups and the massive brass bridge plus tail stop would add substantially to the weight to still be on the safe side.

Also drilled the holes for the controls cavity.
And then routed the shape along the template that I made.

The glued the quilted maple top onto the body blank.

Routed the profile for the controls cover plate, along the MDF template:

Then routed the body shape:

 

[Basvarken]

Shifted my attention to the neck.
First off I routed the channel for the carbon reinforcement strip.

And next I routed the two truss rod channels.
I always let them follow the taper of the neck:

Sawed the headstock angle. And shaved it smooth with my Lie Nielsen long-throw plane:

Spent some extra time on the spoke wheel part of the neck.
The part where the spoke wheel goes lies a bit deeper in the heel of the neck. So I prefer to cover that part up with pieces of the same wood:

Customer is a big Cheap Trick fan. And he asked me to make a checkerboard inlay in the 12th postion.
So I chiseled a rectangular shape in the rosewood fretboard:

Glued the laser cut black and white blocks in place:

Sanded them flush to the fretboard and filled up the gaps with a mix of Titebond and rosewood dust:

Drilled the holes for the other inlays:

The inlays were going to be aluminum ring with a rosewood center.
So I drilled some rosewood plugs to put inside the rings:

Glued all the rings in and sanded everything flush with a 16" radius block:

Put the frets in:

 

[Basvarken]

Before I glued the fretboard onto the neck I made the access slot for the truss-rod cover:

And I made a cover from the same piece of fretboard:

Glued the fretboard onto the roughly shaped neck:

Let it dry and rest for a couple of hours.
Then started shaping the neck profile:

When the neck started to reach its final shape I made the side markers:

Drilled the holes for the tuners:

And cut the shape fo the headstock:

 

[Basvarken]

Went back to the body.
Routed the profile for the binding channel:

Since I was going to stain the body I chose not to use glue. But I used acetone to make the binding stick to the wood of the body.
The acetone softens the celluloid binding. And when you tape it tight to the body it adheres to the wood without leaving any glue remains that could interfere with the stain.

 

[Basvarken]

Routed the neck pocket:

Shaped the heel of the neck to fit into the neck pocket:

And then started working on the right depth and angle:

Routed the pickup cavities:

Glued the neck in:

 

[Basvarken]

Filled the pores of the mahogany:

Then stained the back and sides a dark mahogany colour:

Did not bother to fill the pores of the quilted maple since the grain is very tight.
Stained it yellow first.
And then did the burst.

After quite a few coats of clear lacquer I applied the water slide decals:

 

[Basvarken]

Mounted all the hardware and put the strings on:

And I made an insert for the case to prevent the bass from shifting around on the case during transit:

 

[Mickey666]

Amazing as always!

 

[pwilson]

Strings: d’Addario. 170-12

170 guage string? Is that a typo?

 

[Basvarken]

170 guage string? Is that a typo?

No that’s not a typo. That’s what the set is called. Has nothing to do with gauge. E- bass is 100.

 

[BassicJazzy]

Hip Hip Hooray!
A new Brooks bass was born today.

The Brooks NR-TB-12
A twelve-string Non-Reverse Thunderbird.

Specifications:
- Body: Mahogany. Non-Reverse Thunderbird shape
- Top: Bookmatched Quilted Maple. Lemon Burst stain
- Neck: Mahogany three piece. Glued in.
- Two spokewheel truss rods. One carbon stiffening rod
- Fretboard: Rosewood. Checkerboard inlay on 12th
- Luminlay side markers (blue)
- Frets: Jumbo size. Sintoms. Nickel-silver
- Scale: 34”
- Top Nut: Buffalo horn
- Bridge: ETS twelve string bridge set. Chrome
- Pickups: 3x Gemini TB Pickup.
- Output: PureTone 1/4 inch Jack.
- Controls: Volume, Volume, Volume, 6-way rotary switch:
N - NM - M - NMB - MB - B
- Pickguard: Pearloid
- Binding: Pearloid
- Bass string tuners: Gotoh Res-o-lite GB350. Chrome
- Octave tuners: Schaller Grand tune Chrome. Pearloid buttons
- Strings: d’Addario. 170-12
- Strapnuts: Large, Chrome
- Weight: 4.6 KG

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

Is this the one you were asking us whether it would look better with or without pick guard? I think at the time I voted "no pick guard" but I would change that vote, because this pick guard looks great with this bass! Beautiful!

 

[Basvarken]

Is this the one you were asking us whether it would look better with or without pick guard? I think at the time I voted "no pick guard" but I would change that vote, because this pick guard looks great with this bass! Beautiful!

No, that was a different bass. (this one)
With this NR-TB-12 bass there was no doubt in my mind that it needs a pick guard. It really enhances the body shape.

 

[JamesGrant]

Absolutely stunning.
More pegs than a washing line!
Are there sound clips? - can’t imagine what the three-strings-per-string sounds like!

 

[Basvarken]

Absolutely stunning.
More pegs than a washing line!
Are there sound clips? - can’t imagine what the three-strings-per-string sounds like!

Only just completed the build today. Haven't had the time yet to make a video demo.
But this is not the first 12-string bass that I've built. So if you want to hear what they suond like I invite you to take a look here

 

[nixdad]

Hip Hip Hooray!
A new Brooks bass was born today.

The Brooks NR-TB-12
A twelve-string Non-Reverse Thunderbird.

Specifications:
- Body: Mahogany. Non-Reverse Thunderbird shape
- Top: Bookmatched Quilted Maple. Lemon Burst stain
- Neck: Mahogany three piece. Glued in.
- Two spokewheel truss rods. One carbon stiffening rod
- Fretboard: Rosewood. Checkerboard inlay on 12th
- Luminlay side markers (blue)
- Frets: Jumbo size. Sintoms. Nickel-silver
- Scale: 34”
- Top Nut: Buffalo horn
- Bridge: ETS twelve string bridge set. Chrome
- Pickups: 3x Gemini TB Pickup.
- Output: PureTone 1/4 inch Jack.
- Controls: Volume, Volume, Volume, 6-way rotary switch:
N - NM - M - NMB - MB - B
- Pickguard: Pearloid
- Binding: Pearloid
- Bass string tuners: Gotoh Res-o-lite GB350. Chrome
- Octave tuners: Schaller Grand tune Chrome. Pearloid buttons
- Strings: d’Addario. 170-12
- Strapnuts: Large, Chrome
- Weight: 4.6 KG

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

WOW!
Is this another one destined for Tom's collection?

 

[Basvarken]

No. It’s for Duane Daniels’ collection.

 

[jimmydean]

I'll buy one so my roadie will have something to do (tune) before a gig .

 

[fuzzy thunder]

Friggin' Gorgeous!!!!!!