Winter Build Off 2022 - Get Ready

[RichterScale]

Draw out the design... get eraser-hand-cramps and walk away... stare at it for a day or two before getting a fresh piece of paper... ad infinitum, ad nauseum

I may need to start with a voting thread.

Pics, or it didn't happen

I actually wanted to post it a few times, but is that taboo? Don't we wait till the BO starts?

I've seen full designs posted before it starts. And @Scoops was famous for fully prototyping an instrument before rebuilding it for the build off.

Well, my crappy MS paint pics won't give much away other than the shape and general idea of color contrast.
I keep making changes and my eyeballs and knuckles are about numb.
So, I'm only using wenge and maple. I originally wanted to do a maple core with wenge top & back. But that didn't look right with the wenge infinity board. Doing a wenge core with maple top and back looks better, but that's a lot more wenge weight. I also didn't want to cover the wenge or waste a bunch by chambering. But I was thinking about it and this board has very straight grain. Awesome for a fingerboard, boring for a body. It will have more character around the edges where it's shaped, rounded and exposed, so I'm good with using it as the core. I also shaved off some of the treble side bout. That makes it more symmetrical and will shed a little more weight, in addition to chambering.
I may even shave off a little more of the bout to make it more comfy holding it in my lap, but I have to try that out on the foamarleaux© first to see if it works.
Anyway, I've been staring at this thing far too much and just can't decide if it's a total disaster or not. It only vaguely resembles a Diva now, which I'm okay with because I really wasn't looking to do an exact copy, but I can't tell if looks ridiculous now.
Does it look decent? proportional? Should I take an art/design class? see a counselor? Here's 2 versions of what I'm working with,

 

[Reedt2000]

I really dig lefty

The strandberg-ish scoop on the lower bout looks good on the Diva shape. I also like the sort of matching scoop on the headstock.

I think you're playing the under-promise then over-deliver game with us

 

[Reedt2000]

For the woods, the dark looks great where it is in the drawing. You could get that effect with a 5 piece body and still keep the core lighter (or even grab a different wood like sapele, alder, swamp ash, for the core). It would be maple/wenge/core wood/maple/wenge.

That way you'd reveal the wenge as you sides taper off giving the visual effect of the drawing.

 

[RichterScale]

I think you're playing the under-promise then over-deliver game with us

I actually do play that game all the time. It's the only way to manage the overwhelming amount of regular disappointment.
But in this case, I really can't tell anymore if this looks right.

 

[RichterScale]

For the woods, the dark looks great where it is in the drawing. You could get that effect with a 5 piece body and still keep the core lighter (or even grab a different wood like sapele, alder, swamp ash, for the core). It would be maple/wenge/core wood/maple/wenge.

That way you'd reveal the wenge as you sides taper off giving the visual effect of the drawing.

I'm thinking of doing something like MG does with the layers kinda like this,
I'm just not sure how that will look with the board all the way to the end. I don't have a way to draw it 3D to visualize it. I s'pose I could try it with pencil and paper.

 

[Reedt2000]

I'm thinking of doing something like MG does with the layers kinda like this,
I'm just not sure how that will look with the board all the way to the end. I don't have a way to draw it 3D to visualize it. I s'pose I could try it with pencil and paper.
View attachment 4490719

If your drawing is any indication... it'll look awesome! Especially if the never ending fretboard is the same material as the reveals around the body.

 

[RichterScale]

If your drawing is any indication... it'll look awesome! Especially if the never ending fretboard is the same material as the reveals around the body.

I hope so. I'm trying to merge some of my favorite features from different builders. Sometimes that works out, sometimes not so much.

 

[Slidlow]

Does it look decent? proportional? Should I take an art/design class? see a counselor? Here's 2 versions of what I'm working with,
View attachment 4490691

I like the one on the right. Never was too fond of cuts in the bottom of a bass.

 

[RichterScale]

I like the one on the right. Never was too fond of cuts in the bottom of a bass.

It's a little choppy, but more like this?

 

[Flamingo21]

Beautiful, Richter. Go ahead, you just have to trust yourself.

 

[2groggy]

Beautiful, Richter. Go ahead, you just have to xxxxxxxxx.

... not give a hoot what anyone else thinks.

Edit - Try to be the Tyler Durden of home-built bass guitars, except that I already am.

 

[Beej]

Well I think the bass is hideous, and also that @RichterScale looks like a young Mr. Six.

 

[RichterScale]

That's obviously not me.
I don't smile. Or like kids.

 

[Beej]

Ironically I actually look a bit like that guy

 

[RichterScale]

Well I think the bass is hideous,

More psychological warfare.
I know that if it was bad, you'd say it was good, so I'd build it and lose.
Unless,....that's what you knew I would think....

 

[Beej]

More psychological warfare.
I know that if it was bad, you'd say it was good, so I'd build it and lose.
Unless,....that's what you knew I would think....

 

[dwizum]

Wenge and maple in that shape will be spectaular. This is becoming one of my most anticipated builds!

 

[dwizum]

View attachment 4490691

Just make sure you pick the right one of those two designs, because if you pick the wrong one it's going to totally suck.

 

[Beej]

Agreed. I haven't commented on a preference because all of them look killer.

 

[RichterScale]

The the extra cutout on the bout really grew on me, but I have to test it out on the foam dummy. If it doesn't work ergonomically, it has to be cut from the team.