Winter Build Off 2022: 5 String Fretless Neck Through

[T_Bone_TL]

How do you disarm this thing? Easy, cut the white wire. No, not THAT white... <Booom!!!>

I dunno what it is with guitar wiring that using a few of the 10 or more available colors before even getting to stripes is änäthëmä....

[Have I taught electronics and soldering to supposedly intelligent engineering students? Have I seen a group decide that every wire was black? Did their project work? If not, could it be fixed/debugged? Yes, it was more complicated than a guitar, but the principle stands.]

 

[Matt Liebenau]

How do you disarm this thing? Easy, cut the white wire. No, not THAT white... <Booom!!!>

I dunno what it is with guitar wiring that using a few of the 10 or more available colors before even getting to stripes is änäthëmä....

[Have I taught electronics and soldering to supposedly intelligent engineering students? Have I seen a group decide that every wire was black? Did their project work? If not, could it be fixed/debugged? Yes, it was more complicated than a guitar, but the principle stands.]

I feel that one. Back when I was an HVAC service tech I had to track down an electrical problem in a huge rooftop unit. All the wires were black. Yes, they were labeled at both ends… 15 years ago when it was new. At that point what little wasn’t worn off of the wire was covered in dirt and grease. Good times. I had to get another tech out to help. The building owner was not thrilled with the bill. “Look… you had 2 other guys looks at it before me. I had to figure out what they did, undo it then figure out the actual problem.”

 

[Gary_M]

How do you disarm this thing? Easy, cut the white wire. No, not THAT white... <Booom!!!>

I dunno what it is with guitar wiring that using a few of the 10 or more available colors before even getting to stripes is änäthëmä....

[Have I taught electronics and soldering to supposedly intelligent engineering students? Have I seen a group decide that every wire was black? Did their project work? If not, could it be fixed/debugged? Yes, it was more complicated than a guitar, but the principle stands.]

So, I should use different colored wires for each leg of the audio signal journey? Both white wires coming in are from the pickups... I didn't feel the need to change those. The white wire (audio signal) continues from the blend pot to the volume pot, then to the tone pot and finally to the output jack. Black, gray and bare are all ground... It's a very basic circuit, so guess I'm not understanding what I've done incorrectly here?

 

[RichterScale]

Well, I don't know what you did wrong, but I'm pissed and you better never do it again.

 

[Matt Liebenau]

So, I should use different colored wires for each leg of the audio signal journey? Both white wires coming in are from the pickups... I didn't feel the need to change those. The white wire (audio signal) continues from the blend pot to the volume pot, then to the tone pot and finally to the output jack. Black, gray and bare are all ground... It's a very basic circuit, so guess I'm not understanding what I've done incorrectly here?

You’re absolutely fine. The bass and electronics function and you obviously know what’s going on in there. Good job.

 

[Gary_M]

This is my submission for the 2022 Winter Build Off in the Partial Build category.

I made all of the components, but I glued up the neck beam in 2018 when I built the first version of this design. That is the reason that this build is in the partial build category. If you would like to take a look at the first version, you can find it here.

I see this build as a refinement, or rebirth (to tie in with the build theme) of my previous design. My goals were to take my craftsmanship up a notch, refine the body and headstock shape, reduce the overall weight and take the carving a step further. I'm very happy with the results and I feel like I've achieved my goals while adding some additional experience and skills to my "tool box".

Unofficially, this bass has been dubbed "Qüïmsgëfääërdën ÏÏ (rëvïsïtëd)", since I didn't have a cool sounding name like so many of the other cool kids in the build off.

Specifications:
Neck-through construction
Scale: 34"
Fingerboard radius: 12"
Neck materials: Wenge, hard maple (tapered), bloodwood, black poplar veneer, spoke wheel truss rod
Fingerboard: Figured Gabon ebony
Nut: Gabon ebony
Position markers: White PVC side markers with additional inlaid aluminum/brass/black plastic "bullseye" markers at 3,5,7, etc. Bullseye markers on fingerboard face from 12-24.
Body wings: Mahogany core, padauk, black poplar veneer, with grain matched electronics cover (padauk)
Body top: Book matched quilted big leaf maple
Body thickness: 1 5/16", a little over 33mm
Finish: Rubio Monocoat hard wax over ZPoxy finishing resin sealer coat
Tuners: Hipshot Ultra Lite
Bridges: Generic individual bridges
Strings: Ken Smith taper core rounds (I'm not sure why the B string has a slightly different silk color)
Pickups: Nordtrand Big Splits
Electronics: Passive circuit with volume, blend and tone
Weight: 7lb 11oz (roughly 3.5kg)

A huge thank you to everyone who followed along, commented, encouraged, etc. This has been a lot of fun and something that I enjoyed tremendously. The gang here at TB are a wonderful bunch of people!

An extra special thank you to @Beej for keeping this herd of cats in line. You've done an amazing job all while completing a build of your own. Bravo!

Here are a bunch of pictures of the finished bass, it is completely finished, the electronics work, it sounds great! If I have time later I'll try to upload a sound clip.

Yeah, I know, that's a lot of photos.

I'll make another post shortly with a "build summary". Thanks for looking.

 

[Reedt2000]

 

[Bent77]

..

 

[dmarino]

 

[Gary_M]

Here's a build summary pictorial.

Pile 'o wood

Gluing on the maple headstock veneer

Working on fingerboard position markers

Routing the truss rod slot

Gluing the fingerboard to the neck

Gluing up the body wing sammiches in the vacuum bag

Carving the neck

Installing face markers on the fingerboard

Routed out the headstock "winglet" features which will receive matching padauk and black poplar

Cutting out the control cavity from the rear, treble side padauk laminate

Gluing in the winglet accents

Body wings have been rough cut and ready for pattern routing

Gluing the body wings to the neck beam

Attaching the quilted maple top in the vacuum bag

Carving out a little detail work on the volute

Carving the contours in the body

Shaping the neck heel

Mock up and rough set up before applying the finish

Applying a sealer coat of Z-Poxy finishing resin

A side by side picture with the siblings... V1 and V2

Thanks for following along.

 

[ardgedee]

I like this a lot!

 

[Jeff Siddall]

Whoa, that is unbelievably nice!

And those woods are amazing. Maybe it's just the pictures but that padauk turned a fantastically good red.

My goals were to take my craftsmanship up a notch...

Uhhh... so to go from amazing to impeccable? I think you are there. Seriously, the workmanship is phenomenal! I am speechless.

 

[2groggy]

Gorgeous. I had to go back to page 1 to remind myself why this wasn't a scratch build (neck beam laminated a few years back).

 

[Flamingo21]

 

[Mickey666]

Nice, very well done.

 

[RichterScale]

It's too nice.
It should be disqualified.

 

[Means2nEnd]

Beautiful work and wood selection. Super nice build! The headstock is elegant and original. Excellent

 

[Gary_M]

I like this a lot!

Thanks!

Whoa, that is unbelievably nice!

And those woods are amazing. Maybe it's just the pictures but that padauk turned a fantastically good red.





Uhhh... so to go from amazing to impeccable? I think you are there. Seriously, the workmanship is phenomenal! I am speechless.

Thank you. Oh, that padauk turned the most gorgeous deep red, with lighter ribbons. It really has great chatoyance that just doesn't quite translate in the photos.

Gorgeous. I had to go back to page 1 to remind myself why this wasn't a scratch build (neck beam laminated a few years back).

Thanks. Yessir! I'm just glad I was able to put that neck beam to use, I was afraid it would just sit on the shelf for another 4 years.

Nice, very well done.

Thank you.

It's too nice.
It should be disqualified.

Haha! Indeed it should, just on the principle of the thing.

 

[Gary_M]

Beautiful work and wood selection. Super nice build! The headstock is elegant and original. Excellent

Thanks a lot. I wasn't sure about the combination at first, but it has really grown on me. It's pretty bold and dramatic in person for sure.

 

[TerribleTim68]

This thing is beautiful, and when you win I'm gonna cry.