g1's 3rd bass build

g1

Hi Guys,
I'm new around here ?

I often post on a few international luthiery forums but I'm stoked I've found a south african based forum!

Just entered into the finishing stages of my 3rd build (yes I am a bassist ?)

This is a 6 string fretless semi-hollow bass I'm currently working on:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=50836&l=6e4b9&id=528485680

Couple of questions you can maybe help with. I'm planning on keeping the rear cover on with magnets. Does anyone know where one can buy decent magnets (I've tried fridge magnets, not gonna work ?) in cape town.

I'm also keen to have a go at designing my own vribrato at some stage. Anyone know where I can buy springs?

I've build one guitar a year for the past 3 years. Hoping to break that pattern this year by building 2 more this year. I'm considering a fretless version of one of my other builds and also a fanned fret 5 string (yet to be designed), but those plans are still in the pipeline ?

Jeff

Explorerlover

:'( ... That is beautiful. I've been trying to get everything together to build my explorer, but there's always something else that needs the cash. Hopefully there are a bunch of tips we can learn from you.

Oh and Welcome

g1

Don't think there's that much to learn from me ?

I consider myself an okay designer but my basic woodworking skills could be much better!

Sean

Welcome, quite a few guys around here who are building guitars. I might take a whack at it someday ?

Explorerlover

My main concern is the neck. I'd love to build my own, but the angle w.r.t. the body and stuff like that makes me rather want to get one from Soulmate or Warmoth.
Which woods did you use on this bass?

g1

The neck is panga-panga with maple stringers. Body core is maple (largely hollowed out). Top and back are zebrano. Bit of bubinga in the transition block.

The neck need not be scary. Just plan and go carefully!

g1

update:

Right so after the first coat of finish I wasn't quite happy so I've since sanded it back to do some more touch up work, but here is a pic before I sanded it back:

I just finished up the knobs yesterday which came out real nice!

Heath

she is pretty

AlanRatcliffe

Hi Jeff - welcome to the forum

That is looking impressive! Well done! Are you putting the strap pin higher than usual on the rear to help balance the bass? I think a hollow body 6-string would tend to being a bit neck heavy otherwise.

I don't know where you can get magnets for the plate. To be honest I'd be worried about them coming loose unless they were so strong that it might be a bit difficult to remove the plate when you need to. Are you thinking of doing this to avoid the holes stripping if you take off the cavity cover repeatedly for battery access or to change the wiring? If so, consider using metal wood inserts and machine screws instead of wood screws.

What type of springs are you looking for?

CornFlakes

Laaikit!

Spyke

Hi g1 and welcome.

You could try find a company that does magnetic name tags. One side (usually the name tag itself) is a metal plate while the other is two VERY strong magnets. We often use these to attach car number plates so that they can be take off when we feel like being naughty on the highways.

They'll be ideal.

These are so strong that if you put it down on a metal table you either need to pry it off with a screwdriver or try slide it across the table to get it off the edge.

I'm sure they could be disassembled so that you 're left with only the magnets

g1

Thanks Spyke thats a good idea!
The idea is to make a clean look and allow easy access without a screw driver.

The cover was cut out from the back with a jewelers saw (the narrowest curf I had). The idea is to make the cover as invisible as possible. In the pic above the bass has a coat of finish on but the cover doesn't which is why it appears a slightly different colour.

I'm not sure about the strap buttons. It seems to balance fairly well on the knee. I'll try and find the best place before I add the buttons. It is hollow but the woods used mean that the body is still relatively heavy. It'll be interesting to get it on a scale actually. Being a 6 string I don't expect it to be light anyway. ?

Manfred-Klose

Do you have any pics from your earlier projects?

What wood combinations did you use in your current building project?

g1

Here's a pic of the previous build with the woods for this current build:

Woods used in this build (my 3rd build):
maple, panga-panga (similar to wenge), zebrano

Woods used in my 2nd build:
maple, purpleheart, ash, walnut, bubinga

AlanRatcliffe

Very nice - somehow reminds me of an MVP/Pedulla bass (may be the upper cutaway). The walnut is very pretty - I love a good piece of figured walnut.

Is it a lined fretless, or a fretted bass? Can't be sure from the pic...

deanBailey

Woah, that looks really awesome ?

Explorerlover

@ Dean : How far is that custom of yours?. I can just imagine the sound out of that thing,

iceman83

WASSUP!!!!

XL told me about you - I'm a bassist too - also into the kind of fantastic designing you like

the bass looks wicked in more ways than one - I've drawn out something similar some time ago, but like you, I consider myself more of a designer than a woodworker. anyhoo, welcome to GFSA

peace

deanBailey

Explorerlover wrote: @ Dean : How far is that custom of yours?. I can just imagine the sound out of that thing,

Hey, It's almost done. Just a few more mods and changes and it should be good to go in about a few weeks (if not less)
I currently have it now after a minor re-setup for the last Marching Dead show that was played on Saturday.

Pics will be posted though once it's done ?

@Jeff: sorry for the hijack hehe.
How much does a custom bass like that go for? (on average if you're not comfortable with posting real prices ?)

g1

Thanks for the compliments!

My second build came out well (it's been my main axe for the past year now). Sounds really good (Got an emg p-type pickup in there). The fretwork/playability good be better, but learning and improving is part of the fun.

@ Alan Ratcliffe: it's fretted

@ iceman83: thats cool. What kind of basses do you draw your inspiration from. I keep a big folder of builds that catch my eye to draw inspiration from.

@ deanBailey: It's hard to keep a track of all of the expenses, but I normally say about R5K on parts and about 100 hours of work. I'm not sure how much it's worth but if I were to build to sell then I would probably be lucky with R50-R70 per hour for my efforts. I guess prices for custom instruments probably depends more on demand/desirability which atm I have no experience of.