Jabba_the_gut

Another option to consider and potentially doable but as @3below said, you would most likely need an assortment of jigs a the back of the neck I round, the route would need to be accurate, you need the router base to avoid the heel of the neck etc. It would also mean a complete refinish of the neck.

I'm just wondering if there would be an issue using a double acting rod as it is designed to bend to oppose the force of the strings - it would potentially put pressure on the back of the neck at the nut and heel and possibly split the wood if it is that thin. A single acting rod would be applying compression down the length of the neck to prevent it bending as far as I can tell. Again, not something I've tried, just a thought!

That's a really handy tool but not cheap!!

If that is the case and if it looks like the diagram there might be a chance to remove some wood around the rod so there is enough to get a nut and washer on. If, if.....never tried it myself though!!!

A couple of random pictures from the web of typical truss rods. Apologies if I'm posting something that everyone already knows. This is a single action truss rod This type will only tighten to counteract the force created by the string tension. One end is fixed typically in the heel of the neck and the other has a nut and washer on it. As the rod is fixed it doesn't turn but tightening the nut applies tension. This is a double action truss rod This type has a fixed beam with a couple of threaded blocks on that are welded to the beam. The threads are opposite hands so when you turn the threaded rod it becomes longer or shorter than the fixed beam so bends and can apply pressure with the strings or against them. I don't know what type of rod your bass has in it but the first impression would be a single acting rod with the nut and washer missing - I might well be wrong though!! Be interesting to see what others think.

There are typically two types of truss rod; single action and double action. Depending on the type might determine whether the thread should rotate or not. It might make a difference as to whether this could be solved without taking the fretboard off. I’ll try and find a couple of pictures to explain this and post them later. Cheers

That would be interesting....

One very last little bit to this build, I made a truss rod cover from a leftover piece of ebony. As I decide not to put a logo on the headstock as I think it would have been too much, I decided to put a little mother of pearl logo on the truss rod cover. That's it, job done. On to the next! Cheers for the comments and feedback - much appreciated! Take care.

Really nice - draws your eyes in and the black/chrome/yew works so well.

Here's a picture from a different angle. You can see the join on the back of the headstock - the other end is halfway between the first and second fret line.

I think it might be the way sapele works and joins. You can see the join line on the back of the headstock but you cannot see the join from the sides at all. If I veneered the back of the head it would be complete!y invisible! I've actually been looking at doing this and reusing the neck.

This is it. I dismantled the bass quite a while back - really should put it back together again! Sapele laminated with I think two strips of wenge and some other random hardwood. I was looking at this recently as it was my first attempt at a scarf joint that worked really well because I cannot see the join.

Nope, it’s paduak if I remember right. The dust from sanding was very, very orange!! I did make a fretless neck from sapele that was fitted to that reclaimed door bass I made a couple of years back. I’ll dig a picture out for you.

Nice to have a day off today. Been working on another 27" bass in spalted beech again. Had a piece left from the previous bass so marked it up for cutting - odd shape but sufficient for his build. First, I placed the templates on to work out which was would avoid any of the knots or faults in the wood and look the best when done (always a bit of a guess with spalted beech when you are going to carve some of it as it changes pattern throughout it's thickness) Then marked the line to cut: and ended up with this which lines up quite nicely across the join: I've also been practicing making scarf joints and have a nice selection of blanks for a neck: I've got another body glued up made from ash which may also get turned into one of these.

@SpondonBassed. Another option could be to use one of the cheaper headless bridges and put a hack saw to it to remove the saddles to use the tuning bit on it's own (think @Andyjr1515 took that approach to Mick's bass). Then make a bridge (maybe using the saddle blocks from the headless bridge?) or even run a piezo across at an angle. At the neck end, use a straight string clamp and an angled nut. A bit like this very rough mock-up: It's a compromise on a few bits but cheaper! Might work, might not. Might be a starting point though....

https://bassdirect.co.uk/bass_guitar_specialists/Grosmann_Travel_Walnut.html This looks like the wood is rotated 90 degrees to normal.

Meant to put these details up before - final weight of this was 3.2kg / 7lb and overall length 92cm / 3ft. Can't put it down...….

Nice build. Love the colour.

Lovely build. Nice design, choice of woods and a quality finish. I'm really liking the fret dots - they work really well and are the icing on the cake.

23” and 27” scale. The headed one is my new favourite toy!! So much so, I’m making another.

Could try Vanson Guitars on eBay. They have some knobs at 18mm and 15mm diameter. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2-x-NEW-Small-Narrow-Vanson-Screw-Knobs-for-Guitar-or-Amplifier-Amp-VS001/121200192341?hash=item1c38182b55:m:mDGNUu0-NXdIuBhdhQ2GyoQ https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2-x-NEW-Vanson-Rounded-Screw-Knobs-for-Fender-Telecaster-Tele-guitar-VS002/120881725102?hash=item1c251cbeae:m:mNOWUmg_jC4xp52ivuJj8PQ

I have to say, I'm really liking this 27" scale. It's very comfortable to play hence why I'm making another. I'm just torn between everything (active electronics and side LED fret markers) or more simple (passive jazz pickups). Still, plenty I can do before it gets near that point and I changed my mind enough on this build that went from 23" scale to 27" scale! I changed my mind enough that these are the leftovers for another day!!

@SpondonBassed Yikes indeed! There are other options but for a multiscale headless you would ideally be looking at individual headless units something along the line of ABM units (around £40 per string) plus a headpiece (around £50) so still not cheap. I've got a Nova 5 string headless bridge unit sat in front of me (it's actually in a pile of 'parts I've bought but haven't quite decided if I'll actually get round to using'.....) that is much more affordable (around £150 for bridge and head piece) and still very nice quality. There's quite a bit of adjustment in the way it is designed though whether this is enough for a multi scale I wouldn't know.

I like the thought that has gone into this. One part of the timber is more spalted than the other so this is made to be the bit that isn't covered by the pickguard. The black pickguard and hardware then really sets it off. I'm not sure if I would try a neck from spalted wood as the strength is likely to be a bit variable across the piece (obviously depending on how spalted it is) and I wonder if that could cause inconsistent bending or warping later down the line. Just my immediate thought as I've never tried it but as Del would say 'He who dares, wins'....