Jabba_the_gut

I made a template that will be used for the final routing of the body cavity once all the excess wood has been removed My Forstner bits got some use removing the bulk of the wood

Body wood was cut into two pieces, the edges squared then glued and clamped. As was the top and a layer of wenge veneer in between The top is not glued on at this point, just in position to see how it looks.

The body for this is being made from some mahogany that I got in the form of the end of a church pew. It's been cut to size and thicknessed and looks quite nice. The top is maple (I think - I bought this a long time ago and can't remember what I was told!!) There's enough for the top and a piece left over to cut a couple of matching veneers for the headstock.

This build is completely @Owen's fault... A while back Owen gave me a set of tuners from a bass uke and the other week I thought it was time to turn them into something. I had a go on a rubber stringed Kala bass and kind of liked it so that's the plan. The plan is for a 21" scale, hollow bodied 4 string with a piezo pickup. I've already got some way with this (I took the body to the recent SW Bass Bash) so this build thread is catching up a bit. This is the scribble for the design with a couple of rough MDF templates

#7 Jez (Jabba_the_gut)

And the first one finished!

And it was great to meet you S’manth! See you next time

Thanks again to @scrumpymikefor organising this event. Always nice to catch up with folk again and meet some new ones too. Nice turnout and lots of really interesting basses and amps. See you next time!!

I’ve got an old Axl guitar amp I’ll stick in the raffle or give away. I was going to repurpose it as a guitar speaker cab but didn’t get round to it!! My Line 6 Studio 110 amp I’m bringing will be up for sale if anyone is interested. I’ve also got a Harley Benton Shorty for sale that I’ll bring along. Looking forward to it - see you all tomorrow.

Excellent news. All the best.

ELmO

Get well soon Mrs Wrinkley. All the best.

Just the truss rod cover to sort - all other jobs done!! Electrics all sorted - not the world's biggest cavity and no spare height to work with for the EMG push/pull pot but it fitted!! Here's a couple of pictures of it next to my MarkBass 801 - makes for a nice little mobile set-up!! I'll take some proper pictures when I've finished the truss rod cover. Cheers

I like that idea. Always interesting to hear these comparisons.

That would be my plan…..

I’ll be bringing the following: Semi hollow fretless bass 5 string mini bass Ibanez RB960 bass Markbass 801 Line 6 Studio 110 TC RS450 combo and some raffle stuff!!

Definitely. I have a Markbass 801 and a Line 6 Studio 110 that I can bring along for comparison if anybody wants to hear them.

And a little more done.... Before I start applying the final finish, I wanted to make sure everything fitted together properly so any adjustments could be made without creating more work! I've fitted threaded inserts for the pickup screws again - just something about them that I like but a minor detail. The strings for this bass are custom made by Newtone strings, this set is .105 to .025 so tuning E to C. I'm quite pleased how the tuner arrangement has worked out - the headstock isn't much bigger than the four string versions I've made before. I will use this headstock layout again on a longer scale 5 string at some point soon. I've played it acoustically and I'm really liking it! The pickup is and EMG 40TW so has a pull switch on the volume to split the coil and give a bit more variation to the sound for a single pickup bass. Next task is to fit the other hardware and electrics so I can finish the body. The neck then needs the frets dressing and I need to make a nut. No too far off so should be ready for the SW Bass Bash.

Just a quick update. LED issue sorted - won't make that mistake again!! Holes drilled for tuners, headstock edges rounded, neck sculpted and sanding sealer put on the neck and body. Next task is to make a truss rod cover and nut and to install the frets.

My son went to this with group of friends and left early yesterday as the mood changed. It was his first festival and he said he wouldn't go there again. He went off to get some (overpriced) food and came back to find the tent slashed, camp chairs had been put on the fire, bottles being thrown etc. So they left.

Only 7 weeks? Damn, I need to get some things finished to bring with me!!

I've had a lot going on recently outside of the bass world but finally got a few hours on this today. This was divided into two hours assembling this for the first time and an hour playing it!! Got a little bit of fettling (the bridge needs raising slightly on the treble side) but apart from that it sounded rather pleasing!!

Wow. Just looking at the pictures around the neck ferrules……it really has been attacked!!