Moonshine presents the platypus of basses... The Rip-O-Nator!

[moonshinegtrs]

Wood pic (complete with requested post...):

These humble beginnings are the start of a journey into madness... Otherwise known as the "Moonshine Zone" (think cheap synths and two tin foil pie pans taped together with Christmas lights...). Cue the freaky music!

Moonshine’s Entry: The Trip-O-Nator Bass
(a mashup of Gibson’s iconic instruments)

Here is my design elements:
* Loosely based on the Trini Lopez model guitar (F-holes, inlays, etc…)
* Les Paul Signature Bass Body (bound top/back)
* Pickups: 1 Ripper and 1 EB0 Mudbucker pickups
* Modified Thunderbird style headstock
* Dobro style 10 ½” resonator (modified via MCG custom resonator design) with Dobro Mississippi Voodoo chrome resonator coverplate (Dobro is a Gibson owned company).
* Bridge/Tailpiece: Dobro Spider style (Moonshine custom redesigned).
* 7 pc. (?) Thunderbird style Mahogany (thru) neck with ebony fretboard (neck blank is approx 48” long).
* Curly Maple steam bent rims (ala ES-335)
* Bookmatched Curly Maple Top/Back; .100” arched and braced (standard Gibson
acoustic style)
* Double White/Black/White Binding (most Gibson ES model instrument Translucent Blue (ala Gibson EB650)
* Chrome Tuners… Hipshot?

Allllright Everybody!... Everything's cool. .. We're amongst friends...


Bring it on.



Moonshine

 

[ctmullins]

Bring it on!

 

[Jon Clegg]

Can't wait to see it!

 

[Matt Liebenau]

Sounds definitely cool. Likes me some reso bass.

 

[moonshinegtrs]

Here is a rough sketch...

I first drew out a body outline on a piece of 3/4" plywood, originally this was going to be the top layer of a mold (cut out the inside and cut in half, two layers to make 1 1/2" thick) but then I remembered that I had decided to make this a neck thru bass, so I will need to rethink my approach.

Instead I cut it out as a template.

Next I went to work in the headstock. I wasn't happy with the initial drawing, I also decided to use a Tbird shape instead of a Victory bass. I have always had trouble trying to reshape a Tbird headstock. I started with this. The Fender style tuner spacing proved to be too wide so I made adjustments.

I then a sketched a TBird peghead and started drawing my design over it. I downsized it as much as I could while still trying to retain the original shape (somewhat, I wanted to put more curve in the design).

Final outcome.

Mocked up. Also you can see the ebony fretboard blank that I will be using (the rosewood board in the lower pic is just for the mock up).

Moonshine

 

[IconBasser]

This is gonna be awesome!

 

[moonshinegtrs]

I actually got something done over the holidays...

First, reviving an old tradition; The hair shot.

Scary... Huh?

Okay now that that's done, Let's get to work.

First up is the neck thru section. I am building this as a (somewhat) copy of Gibson's 9 pc. laminated necks that was utilized in their Firebird/Thunderbird instruments.

I decided to use a neck made from: Mah/Wenge/Maple/Wenge/Mah/Wenge/Maple/.Wenge/Mah.

Being New Years, I was busy smoking BBQ at the same time as I was working on the Rip-O-Nator...

Seems fitting.

more to come.


Moonshine

 

[Scoops]

MMMM....MMMMMM....MMMMM....MMMMMM...MMMMMMMMMMM!

Ta heck with the build, what wood you using for the BBQ?

 

[Bruce Johnson]

I'm assuming that the still is cookin' up some 'shine away over on the other side of the hill?

This looks like a cool project. I want to see how far you can push the resonator design. Get a resonator cone mechanism that has enough travel to really throw bass frequencies. There's an unexplored frontier out there in that direction. Go for it!

 

[moonshinegtrs]

MMMM....MMMMMM....MMMMM....MMMMMM...MMMMMMMMMMM!

Ta heck with the build, what wood you using for the BBQ?

@Scoops ; I'm old school (big surprise there )...

I use any wood I can get my hands on as long as it's Hickory.

I'm assuming that the still is cookin' up some 'shine away over on the other side of the hill?

This looks like a cool project. I want to see how far you can push the resonator design. Get a resonator cone mechanism that has enough travel to really throw bass frequencies. There's an unexplored frontier out there in that direction. Go for it!

@Bruce Johnson ; Ixnay on the illstay...

Thanks, We have discussed this before.
Blast from the past... Resonator bass revisited.

I am using the above concept for the first time with this bass. I've had good results but this will be the first real world test.


Moonshine

 

[Scoops]

@Scoops ; I'm old school (big surprise there )...

I use any wood I can get my hands on as long as it's Hickory.

Moonshine

Yum....

Next Question:

Sauce or Rub?

 

[moonshinegtrs]

Yum....

Next Question:

Sauce or Rub?

Really??? Is this a trick question?



Rub (my own recipe).



Moonshine

 

[Jon Clegg]

I gotta believe that barbeque with Moonshine is a treat.

 

[Scoops]

Really??? Is this a trick question?

Rub (my own recipe).
Moonshine

Sorta a trick question....

For years, when I slow cook meat, I have used apple wood. Sometimes mesquite, sometimes hickory. (mesquite is my fav when I can get it)

What I had been doing is making 1/2 of the meat with a rub, and then the other half, a sauce.

When I ask my guests, what do you prefer, it was always a toss up.

A couple years ago, I started doing the whole batch with the rub first, and at about the 75% cooked mark, I'd put on a sauce

Pick that up from a guy at a cook off.

But, as my uncle Frank used to say "To each their own"

 

[Will_White]

Dang it now I want bbq.

 

[moonshinegtrs]

Sorta a trick question....

For years, when I slow cook meat, I have used apple wood. Sometimes mesquite, sometimes hickory. (mesquite is my fav when I can get it)

What I had been doing is making 1/2 of the meat with a rub, and then the other half, a sauce.

When I ask my guests, what do you prefer, it was always a toss up.

A couple years ago, I started doing the whole batch with the rub first, and at about the 75% cooked mark, I'd put on a sauce

Pick that up from a guy at a cook off.

But, as my uncle Frank used to say "To each their own"

With BBQ, it's definitely to each their own...sounds like you know what you're doing.

I have messed with sauces (I make a killer tequila lime sauce), but I love rubs.

I'm into BBQ almost as much as building.

We might need a thread;

" Blues, Brews & BBQ"


Moonshine.

 

[two fingers]

Rip-O-Nator?

You can use it to take over the tri-staye area!!!!

(Sorry. Totally indulgent Phineas and Ferb reference. Please, continue. I'll be going now.)

 

[Jon Clegg]

When a build thread makes you hungry: drool

 

[Gilmourisgod]

The real unanswered question: would BBQ sauce work well as a meaty transparent stain? Building the bass out of hickory would Align The Stars.

 

[Slidlow]

Would hickory smoke impart a better sound into your tone wood?