Winter Build Off 2020 - Kuun Space

[Jisch]

I've seen several posts by Murray Kuun Guitar Designs on Facebook (check out his stuff it's really cool, though it's all guitars). Something about his designs interest me, so rather than make a traditionally shaped design, I'm going to incorporate a few of his design concepts into a build.

This will be:
- 34" scale 5 string bolt on fretless
- 21 fret positions
- carved top made from walnut and birdseye maple
- back will be either cherry or mahogany (haven't decided yet). Built "bathtub style" with a single piece of wood for the back, with the inside hollowed out.
- birdseye maple fingerboard with maple binding
- Neck will be 5 piece laminated walnut and maple with black laminate
- Magnetic pickup right up against the fingerboard and a JJR piezo transducer in front of the bridge
- Audere made me a custom preamp with the right input impedance for the JJR on the bridge position
- floating bridge
- wooden trapeze tailpiece

The design as it stands, which will definitely change:

and my lame-a$$ wood "pile":

I probably won't really get going on this until after Xmas, we've got invaders coming to town that will occupy my time until then.

 

[Gary_M]

That's gonna be very cool... can't wait to see this! Awesome piece of birds eye.

 

[ctmullins]

Nice. I’ve recently discovered the joys of a hollow body with a bright/clear pickup right at the neck. Adding the piezo will be icing on the cake.

 

[dwizum]

You never disappoint when it comes to creativity and pushing the boundaries of what's expected in a bass. I am looking forward to seeing this unfold.

 

[Jisch]

I'll be honest, I have a lot of doubts about this design. The comments above have really lifted my spirits.

Thanks!

 

[Jisch]

I guess we're going with cherry for the back, consecutive cuts from the log, so it's sort of bookmatched.

 

[ctmullins]

for cherry!!

 

[IconBasser]

this is gonna look really pretty when it's done, can't wait!

 

[dwizum]

I'll be honest, I have a lot of doubts about this design. The comments above have really lifted my spirits.

Thanks!

I think Murray's designs are really fantastic but I like your sketch even more. Probably because of the not-an-f-hole cutouts. But the whole idea of having the center wood as a sort of big sweeping overlap of contrast to the Birdseye is just spectacular.

 

[wraub]

No doubts here... All your recent work has been an obvious step (or five) above your previous work imo, definitely watching this one.

I'll be honest, I have a lot of doubts about this design. The comments above have really lifted my spirits.

Thanks!

 

[Jisch]

As the thought of this build grows on me I'm considering its use. I have plenty of four stringers that never see playing time, I think I'm going to change this to a fiver. I can do it now easily (I think). Four is probably a more "classic" look, but it will be another wall hanger in my studio, I have enough of those.

 

[CatchaCuda]

Looking forward to seeing this come together. You're a fan of walnut eh?

 

[Jisch]

Looking forward to seeing this come together. You're a fan of walnut eh?

yeah, walnut is my jam. I have a lot of it in my wood racks, so I can build without any investment (which is a lie I tell myself anytime I use something that I paid for in the past).

 

[Jisch]

I got the back wood glued up

and I cut the templates for the birds eye/walnut intersection for the front.

I also selected the section of walnut I'll use for each half of the front. I'm going with a very straight grained piece of walnut.

 

[Jisch]

I got the back out of clamps. I had a slight misalignment problem, fixed with the planer, I'll probably need to augment the depth a bit, it was already part of the plan as a possibility.

 

[Jisch]

A friend of mine gave me this piece of birds eye maple. It will be the majority of the neck, the outside pieces of the body and the fingerboard. As an aside, does anyone else stress about making a cut in a piece of wood like this?

In a bit of foreshadowing I accidentally designed the body around five string neck dimensions, so I guess this will be a five string!

 

[Gary_M]

...As an aside, does anyone else stress about making a cut in a piece of wood like this?...

Every single time .

 

[Jisch]

I am 100% sure where I want to make cuts, but terrified to do so.

 

[Jisch]

I bucked up and made the cuts

I cut a couple strips of walnut and got it glued up

 

[postalflunkie]

Gonna ba a beautiful neck!