Andyjr1515

Hi With the last three builds being on the 'dark side' (6-string electrics), it has way overdue for there to be a return to bass guitars And I'm really pleased to have been asked by Neil ( @Len_derby ) to build one! Neil and I met at a Basschat bass bash a few years ago and found out that we live only a few miles from each other - and if that isn't an excuse for an occasional pint, I don't know what is. Anyway, the broad spec Neil has asked for is going to be of particular interest to me as it is following the continued development of lightweight instruments. It's going to be a 34" scale bass, with a body taking the general shape of the top half of my 6-string lightweight in the middle here, with the bottom half of Jane's on the right, with the number of strings of Pete's on the left : Mocked up (just shape wise - ignore the headstock shape and the body wood), scaled up and with everything in the right place for decent balance, etc, it should look something like this: The aim will be to get something tangibly lighter weight that the equivalent Jazz bass or similar, using similar construction and weight saving techniques as the three in the top picture. Other spec ideas being crystallised include: Thru-neck Black block inlays on a maple neck Light but figured top wood. Maybe poplar burr, maybe maple burr, but something in this ilk: Back wood Ash or Swamp Ash Fretted Passive, 2 J-pickups Loads of details to sort before chisels start cutting timber but my mind is already working overdrive ! Neil's away at the moment but we're travelling together to the Midlands Bass Bash on Saturday. Guess what's going to be the main topic of conversation! Andy

I love Wals! Fretted, fretless, don't mind!!!!

This is how I do it too. Remember to hog out the bulk of the wood with a forstner bit first and just use the router to take the last few mm off the sides and bottom - or, if you've actually done the routing on the shot above, 'did you remember...'

Honestly, this is going to look a million dollars when it's all finished Excellent work.

Blimey - you don't hang about, @Jimothey ! I like those colour combinations

Excellent

Yes - you need to either find a smaller grubscrew or file the other end down a bit so it doesn't stick out further than the bearing. Or, assuming it is a 1/2" bearing and 1/4" shank, pm me your address and I'll send you a collet with a flush grubscrew. Got one here from an old bit.

My watch does it in certain circumstances too

That's what I do too. I find the long cutters far too dangerous and my router has limited plunge so I use a 1" long top bearing cutter, then flip the body over and use a bottom bearing cutter to take the rest of it off. Also, because I use a personal rule of never cutting more than 2mm depth at a time, I either bandsaw VERY close to the template line on the blank, or use progressively small guide rings initially to reduce the blank to within 2mm of the template. I'm a bit paranoid about routers...

It's a bit odd - the collar and allen screw would normally be smaller dia than the bearing and cutter... If it's just the allen screw that is running proud then you could slip the collar off , tighten the screw til it's flush, then use a circular needle file to take off the excess in the bore. If , when the bit is in the router, the collar butts up to the collet, you could even take the allen screw out. The collar, and thus the bearing, can't go anywhere... Don't do this, however, if there is any gap between the collar and router collet. And I reiterate what others have said - small cuts, multiple passes!

There might be a super lightweight build thread starting elsewhere on the forum soon

That them thar new fangled computrickery! Actually, Inkscape is pretty neat - I used Turbo-cad at one stage but it's just too darned hard for the fairly simple stuff we need in this game. Inkscape is - for me - just right. My last build and the one I'm just kicking off were basically designed on it. Brilliant for trying the 'what if's'...such as the 'what if I wanted to put a black feature on a cream headstock?' Almost as good as black paper and scissors

What I do is get a piece of black paper, then cut out various shapes and try it. The right one will jump out at you....

Not too pretty? It's lovely!

It would look fine...

If it had been a maple board, I'd have stuck with maple headstock, but done like this - which looks great, by the way - definitely cream to match the body for my money

Beautiful! Cracking job - many congrats ...and now I predict you will have the build bug

Looks good to me

Excellent. Looking forward to seeing the pics wen it's all sorted

Looks a nice shape

Oooooh....that will be interesting

End grain will always stain darker than straight grain. It will even do that if you are simply clear varnishing plain wood due to the finish soaking in more into the grain pores where they are exposed. It's one of the reasons that the effect of flame maple is enhanced when you add the finish. I think you'll find that the effect looks pretty natural, though. I think I mentioned earlier that there's a stage in finishing where it really doesn't look great - hence the old advice of 'don't panic...it will be fine'

Yup... bin there, done that!

Pete, our bassist (and me when we allow him to do his 1/2 doz numbers on lead guitar), plugs the EB3 Tribute I built him directly into the PA. Having said that, the tribute has a proper induction choke-equipped variomatic with three settings and loads of tone options But having said that having said that... he actually plays on just one setting - the standard neck position.