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It will be a miracle if I even get to trying to play along, but perhaps it will be just the nudge the miracle needs. I'm still kinda compromised on functional space, and walnut is one of the few things I'd likely have to buy more in of (I do have a weird big off-cut from a log, and some little blocks hanging around, but not much I'd see a neck from. Meanwhile there's a pile of about 6000 BF mixed local hardwoods (none of which are walnut) hulking in the shop.)
Hm - did I scavenge a table leaf from somewhere on the premise that it was walnut? Might not be after all, if I can even find the stupid thing...but possibly.
I do have a crazy offbeat concept about half in mind, but the other half is still out of my mind, which might be the other problem with my wood-dorking self trying to actually play at the lutherie game with all y'all.
Hm - did I scavenge a table leaf from somewhere on the premise that it was walnut? Might not be after all, if I can even find the stupid thing...but possibly.
I do have a crazy offbeat concept about half in mind, but the other half is still out of my mind, which might be the other problem with my wood-dorking self trying to actually play at the lutherie game with all y'all.
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For the record, I think we should stick with the parameters as laid out. I think the main point is really to primarily use walnut in the build. To keep things clearer for those who want, or prefer, to mix up woods (myself included), there is a hard cutoff at 65%.
It's pretty easy to guesstimate % by volume, and I'd think that for any entry that is visually bumping up against the minimum, a collective calculation could be applied and a consensus reached.
Walnut's a great wood but not available everywhere to everyone at a reasonable cost. If it's not in the cards for a participant due to lack of access to wood, disinterest in the specifics of the build, etcetera, then s/he doesn't have to play.
It can be had in a pretty wide variation of colour, especially when you include the various species, sapwood, and highly figured pieces including the ever elusive "curly burly crotch". One could easily build a full walnut bass in contrasting colours.
Anyway, it should be fun...
It's pretty easy to guesstimate % by volume, and I'd think that for any entry that is visually bumping up against the minimum, a collective calculation could be applied and a consensus reached.
Walnut's a great wood but not available everywhere to everyone at a reasonable cost. If it's not in the cards for a participant due to lack of access to wood, disinterest in the specifics of the build, etcetera, then s/he doesn't have to play.
It can be had in a pretty wide variation of colour, especially when you include the various species, sapwood, and highly figured pieces including the ever elusive "curly burly crotch". One could easily build a full walnut bass in contrasting colours.
Anyway, it should be fun...
If you've got a bunch of wood, and there are a bunch of builders here, maybe you could arrange a swap with someone who is richer in the walnut department than you are ?
Crazy & off beat sounds cool, sure would like to see you build it!
If you happen to find a good, reasonably priced source for that kind of walnut, do share it with the group!
Rôckhewer
Commercial User
- Feb 28, 2015
- 2,922
- 9,028
- Disclosures
- Owner/Builder- RockHewer Custom Guitars LLC
I got a couple Walnut book match tops I would be willing to trade for other wood. I also have...
A ... 96" x 10" x .75" plank of BW with CURL and 2" of sapwood down each edge.
I offered some of it to Nexy ....but she never came & got any.
If I can manage to participate in this contest I will be using some of it but nowhere near all. So point being, I have Walnut for trade. Not a ton but some.
A ... 96" x 10" x .75" plank of BW with CURL and 2" of sapwood down each edge.
I offered some of it to Nexy ....but she never came & got any.
If I can manage to participate in this contest I will be using some of it but nowhere near all. So point being, I have Walnut for trade. Not a ton but some.
Barring someone in my area (near where MA/VT/NY intersect) who could meet for a face-to-face swap, the shipping probably makes "go buy some" more sensible, but I'm not opposed to the idea in principle.
I'll see if I can mange to draw out any of my half ideas to the point of commentary, since that can be done before the "cut wood" phase, assuming I can do it at all (took a stab while on vacation in August and got not-very-far, put it on the back-burner pending inspiration/clarity of vision.) Something on the line of the mutant offspring of a MLTQWT speaker cabinet and an upright bass, aiming for full acoustic function in a more easily transportable (but full or larger cubic-inches/liters - AFAIK, no replacement for displacement in acoustic function) package. Probably toss a piezo in it, but that won't get used on my usual gig. And it has to be bowable, the mando/banjo folks are all fans of the bow sound since I started using that on the URB. Might limit it to 3 strings for simplicity. Tempted to put frets on it for the sake of my sanity (jumping into URB was/is going fretless from the deep end, and certainly limits my potential speed, at present.)
Yes, legal, and recommended where applicable (from a build-off point of view)
Stuff like this is by far my favorite part of this forum.
Can't wait to see what you all come up with!
Agreed
What if... you'd make a neck-through and the body section of the neck makes up for the 65% that the laminations in the neck lack? For example, if I'd like a neck section of 60% maple and 40% walnut but with a block or some extra layers, Fodera style, in between body wings? I tried but have not been able to source nice, properly sawn and dried walnut full length for a neck-trough but in this way I could still comply to the rules
What if... you'd make a neck-through and the body section of the neck makes up for the 65% that the laminations in the neck lack?For example, if I'd like a neck section of 60% maple
and 40% walnut but with a block or some extra layers, Fodera style, in between body wings? I tried but have not been able to source nice, properly sawn and dried walnut full length for a neck-trough but in this way I could still comply to the rules
<<<See my embeded emojii's>>>
Possible options
1) Make a bolt on
2) Get involved in wood swap. I have some lengths I could share
3) Shipping may be prohibitive >>>[Invalid or Expired Link Removed] or Lumber, Wood, Slabs, Gunstock Blanks | Walnut, Maple, Figured Maple, Curly Maple, Quilted Maple, Madrone, Myrtle | Goby Walnut or maybe ebay
Let me ponder this for a while however. I'll get back to you
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Rôckhewer
Commercial User
- Feb 28, 2015
- 2,922
- 9,028
- Disclosures
- Owner/Builder- RockHewer Custom Guitars LLC
"English walnut"...grows in Britain...and the Balkans peninsula area.... (I think)...That's not too terribly far from the Netherlands...
I LOVE walnut! When I made my living as a woodworker at a bronze art foundry I worked exclusively with black walnut.
The only bass I ever built was in HS shop class, it is a bad imitation of an Alembic Series I with walnut wings and stringers. I still have it.
I am really looking forward to watching everyone's builds come together during this challenge!
The only bass I ever built was in HS shop class, it is a bad imitation of an Alembic Series I with walnut wings and stringers. I still have it.
I am really looking forward to watching everyone's builds come together during this challenge!
