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Winter Build-Off 2022: Speed Bass
- Thread starter rojo412
- Start date
Well to me that top looks pretty knotty, also punky in spots.
Are you going to stabilize those tops?
If it were me, I'd be choosing from the impressive piles behind the spalted wood.
Good luck,
Dirk
Are you going to stabilize those tops?
If it were me, I'd be choosing from the impressive piles behind the spalted wood.
Good luck,
Dirk
The pics are of a bunch of possible candidates for hickory. I’ll dig into some and see what shakes out. No problem with stabilizing, if I find a winner.
But… I do have a really nice walnut gunstock blank that could be “reborn” into bass wing tops.
But… I do have a really nice walnut gunstock blank that could be “reborn” into bass wing tops.
Took a while, but got a true start on this yesterday by clearing my work bench:
Now I can start working on a full size drawing.
Now I can start working on a full size drawing.
You read my mind! It happens every time I clean that thing off.
I often do a reset and clean up and put everything in it's place before I get started on something.
Within an hour, the entire top of the bench is covered, like a bomb went off and I can't find half the stuff I just had in my hand in the last 15 minutes.
Within an hour, the entire top of the bench is covered, like a bomb went off and I can't find half the stuff I just had in my hand in the last 15 minutes.
Well, I always heard that super geniuses are typically messy, disorganized people.
I'm not sayin nothin, just sayin.
I'm not sayin nothin, just sayin.
Subbed for real time alerts. This thread is moving really fast.
^See what I did there?!^
^See what I did there?!^
And so it begins:
Laid out the basic specs:
- 32.5" scale length
- 1.5" nut
- TURBO pickup configuration. It's a Speed bass, so I gotta!
(For those that don't know, the Turbo configuration was popularized by Modulus. They took their "Sweet Spot" pickup position, then added another pickup between that and the bridge. Obviously, it makes it faster.)
Then as I was looking around for inspiration on the body shape, I thought about my first build. Maybe a renewal/rebirth of that design?
I even strapped it on, chin high, and slapped the hell out of it. And the shape is actually really good for that sort of action. The balance is insane, too. So while the Speed bass will be headed, I think the general body shape, combined with the inherent balance it has, this will certainly be a good shape to start with.
So I'm pretty sure that's gonna be where I begin this project.
Specs of the electronics (which are subject to change):
- 3 Band Passinwind preamp
- 4 Duncan humbucking J pickups, converted into 2 soapbars (or under 1 huge cover, TBD)
- Each "pickup" will be wired to a 4-way rotary switch for either coil as well as series/parallel modes
- Both "pickups" will then be sent to ANOTHER 4 way switch, so you can solo either one or use both in series/parallel modes
- Volume with preamp bypass
I just realized that may leave me lacking a passive tone. I can either stack some of the active controls OR just not use it. What is a passive tone if not a governor of raw power?!?!
But yeah, this is why it's subject to change.
Also, you people want me to do LEDs, so I have to find a place for that switch as well.
Fun stuff though!
If my math doesn't fail me (and that's not always the case), this should yield 40 different options for the pickups...
- 4 each solo'd (North, series, parallel, south)
- 16 options together in parallel
- 16 options together in series
The only thing to slowing anything down would be the selection of pickup options!
Laid out the basic specs:
- 32.5" scale length
- 1.5" nut
- TURBO pickup configuration. It's a Speed bass, so I gotta!
(For those that don't know, the Turbo configuration was popularized by Modulus. They took their "Sweet Spot" pickup position, then added another pickup between that and the bridge. Obviously, it makes it faster.)
Then as I was looking around for inspiration on the body shape, I thought about my first build. Maybe a renewal/rebirth of that design?
I even strapped it on, chin high, and slapped the hell out of it. And the shape is actually really good for that sort of action. The balance is insane, too. So while the Speed bass will be headed, I think the general body shape, combined with the inherent balance it has, this will certainly be a good shape to start with.
So I'm pretty sure that's gonna be where I begin this project.
Specs of the electronics (which are subject to change):
- 3 Band Passinwind preamp
- 4 Duncan humbucking J pickups, converted into 2 soapbars (or under 1 huge cover, TBD)
- Each "pickup" will be wired to a 4-way rotary switch for either coil as well as series/parallel modes
- Both "pickups" will then be sent to ANOTHER 4 way switch, so you can solo either one or use both in series/parallel modes
- Volume with preamp bypass
I just realized that may leave me lacking a passive tone. I can either stack some of the active controls OR just not use it. What is a passive tone if not a governor of raw power?!?!
But yeah, this is why it's subject to change.
Also, you people want me to do LEDs, so I have to find a place for that switch as well.
Fun stuff though!
If my math doesn't fail me (and that's not always the case), this should yield 40 different options for the pickups...
- 4 each solo'd (North, series, parallel, south)
- 16 options together in parallel
- 16 options together in series
The only thing to slowing anything down would be the selection of pickup options!
Attachments
That is a formidable electronics scheme. No shortage of tonal variety there. ACF BallBuster switching to the nth!
Wow, it's been hard to get to this project! Better start making some headway.
Neck... I need a neck.
Was gonna do multilaminate and "rebirth" some scraps. But I'm kinda running out of time. So it's a quartersawn 1-piece instead.
Neck blank is almost done.
I think I'm gonna do a Richlite board for this one. The added stiffness will help keep the neck thin and sturdy. Plus, they look really fast, too.
Neck... I need a neck.
Was gonna do multilaminate and "rebirth" some scraps. But I'm kinda running out of time. So it's a quartersawn 1-piece instead.
Neck blank is almost done.
I think I'm gonna do a Richlite board for this one. The added stiffness will help keep the neck thin and sturdy. Plus, they look really fast, too.
You mentioned this -
Now that's fast!
But you didn't mention anything about playing it with a pick on a cordless drill like Billy Sheehan -
Now that's fast!
Slotted a board for it:
But of course, I don't have inlay dots here. I'm gonna have to experiment with that. I know that they tend to be translucent enough for LEDs behind them, but they need to be on there when I run the lights so it's all sealed up for the epoxy.
Then again, I'd love to try some other method, so I may have to scratch my chin a bit on that. The only unfortunate part is, I can't make any moves on neck construction until that has been sussed out.
I guess it's time to figure out the body situation.
But of course, I don't have inlay dots here. I'm gonna have to experiment with that. I know that they tend to be translucent enough for LEDs behind them, but they need to be on there when I run the lights so it's all sealed up for the epoxy.
Then again, I'd love to try some other method, so I may have to scratch my chin a bit on that. The only unfortunate part is, I can't make any moves on neck construction until that has been sussed out.
I guess it's time to figure out the body situation.
I haven't done it in a build yet, but I'm going to try fairy light LEDs under the fretboard right behind luminlay dots. My hope is they will be charged from the inside and will glow externally, or can be just lit up and enough light would pass through. Of course I'll share once I've tried it. I also have a variety of coloured glow powders which have worked well in my tests. 
