3below

The second bass of this type (I also confess to having built a 3 string version for mrs 3below). Aiming for fretless, 30.75" scale length and hopefully 7lb or thereabouts. Routing done before assembly this time, makes life much easier. Only 3 new mistakes so far, none of which are show stoppers. Chose to rout the preamp recess much more deeply in this version, then decided I did not like it. Sorted by inserting some wood strips and re-routing. I routed the the inner hole after the outer recess, it would have been much easier to do the inner through hole first. Routed a small clearance slot for the preamp cable on the inside at the wrong end. There are now two cable clearance slots. The above shows a rough idea of where this is going. I will use an extension bar at the back to move the strap anchor to a suitable place, not going for the 1lb of lead this time. A year ago I bought some katalox fretboards (harder than ebony and far cheaper). Tried planing this today with the electric hand planer. Not good, it cracks easily and the planer pulls divots out even at 0.25mm depth. Will get the Scheppach planer/thicknesser on it next which will do 0.1mm. Being idle I started to glue the box up without using my dowel jig. I had forgotten the joys of wrangling butt joints and wet titebond.

Built from unobtanium, however I still reckon I can manage it, lol.🏋️‍♂️

I can wear it, 3.5 hr set (which I used to do, seriously..) no problem, man up chaps. Seems a bargain with the band 'yes' included as well.

The look is completed by wearing crocs.

I just need to go and lie down, I am at a loss for words.

Machine head arrangement. I must get out and have a life.

I am surprised at the choice available (I am just out of touch) https://producerhive.com/buyer-guides/bass-guitars/best-12-string-bass-guitars/

And on the other sliding scale £ >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> £££££££

Car detailing stripes, silver, 0.5mm If a) I did not have too many basses and b) lived nearer Newcastle these days - Chopwell / High Spen as a young child, the bass would be very tempting. I had noticed it was local to you For greater reality, It might be possible to fabricate an aluminium block to fit at the bridge and black plastic block at the neck with holes drilled at the right string spacing with stiff silver colour wires to replicate the extra strings (but below the business of real playing). Fix this onto the body with double sided tape. The grid in the image below, held flat on the body, at the correct sizes etc., gives the idea. (you will however, not need the microwave source and detector, happy? memories from teaching physics lol). The silver detailing tape could continue the effect on the fretboard. It might have to be done in four parts, bridge to pickup - grid, over pickup - detail tape, pickup to neck - grid, fretboard - detail tape. With lights, loud music and an audience under the influence, 80% should be good enough.

If it can be done with fx then appearance is somewhat easier imo. A dc bass e.g Gibson, or this https://www.basschat.co.uk/topic/468542-antoria-new-yorker-short-scale-bass-£250/, Fabricate a cosmetic headstock plate (2mm aluminium, black scratch-plate plastic?) that is the correct Hamer V shape and length, held down by the machine head ferrules and add some faux tuner heads to make up the other eight. Just another left field thought.

Left field way ahead with donor: start with a used Chowny swb-1 since this is close to the Hamer shape. Have a suitable person e.g. @Andyjr1515 or @Jabba_the_gut construct a suitable neck, fit this and and reshape the body if required. The Chowny provides a set of pickups and nice fairly lightweight bass machines. Neck dive might still be an issue unless you go for the strap extension bar. Whether this is more cost effective than a full custom build is another question.

As above ^. Also, look at the keys sideways on, there is a small screw holding the key onto the gear shaft etc. Is this screw missing? This can cause the gear shaft to exit out of the machine head as in your picture. If so I am sure there are many spare ones available on BC.

For 9v just get some wire e.g. from a broken mains cable, strip the ends and twist them. Fold back one end on each wire and poke the folded ends in the appropriate holes. Press the other ends on the 9V battery. For anything serious look up multimeter leads in the well known online shopping site.

Any regular CTS, Alpha etc pot will do. Measure the pot diameter from the outside then buy a long shaft one, use a combination of pot nuts / washers as spacers if it is a little too long. G&L freight prices to the UK are eye watering, I had thought of the 2nd pickup mod to my L1505 but the cost was just too much.

What is up with the volume control? As far as I can find out: 250K logarithmic / audio. https://www.bassesbyleo.com/gl_bbe_wiring_diagrams.html. This thread might be useful https://www.basschat.co.uk/topic/309919-gl-spare-parts-looking-for-a-uk-supplier/ and this https://g-l-online-store.myshopify.com/products/split-shaft-potentiometer-tribute-series-bass. If it is not just the squirt of contact cleaner fix, I would desolder it and get the pot out to measure the shaft diameter and length. Useful hint: cover the body with card / cloth / masking tape, blobs of hot solder produce interesting results. No need to ask me how I know......

To encourage you, this, as built by my own bodging does not have neck dive, weighs in at 7.9lb (less now that the neck has a reduced profile) , 30.9" scale. Strap button is at about the 17th fret. It does have a 1Lb block of lead at the bridge end to stop neck dive. On the next one I am going to use an aluminium strap button extension bar behind the neck for the upper strap horn, rather than adding weight. A shorter scale length as @Jabba_the_gut uses in his builds would (obviously) help offset the increased machine head masses. Body elongation (as you hint at with reduced neck length) will also help. This bass has 13.5mm string spacing, playable with a plectrum, at the limit for me with fingerstyle. String spacing with 12 strings will be an interesting set of compromises.

Schmelzende Stompboxen - what a great name for a band

Rigel http://www.rigelinstruments.com/publish/abg.shtml and very nice they look and sound in the various youtube vids. I like db, I owned and played a db for about 20 years, I miss my db. I do not miss transporting it and now have an EUB. I can see the attraction of something in between e.g. http://www.claessenscustombasses.be/ or at the other end Rob Allen basses.

^ This. The heat and fumes are quite something even when done outside in the fresh air. This was just using CA to stop some small cracks in a domestic repair, not a major @Andyjr1515 type process.

I think we should be told, unless it is a matter of national security . Apols on thread derailment, however if I ever build a super extra long plus scale bass, the large body upper horn will show every finishing defect, so we need to know

Even when I take time, considerable care and effort then look, feel and think I have 'perfection', the gremlins intervene and create some new defects that require more work. I admire and envy those who have the skill and determination to get super high quality finishes. You know who you are

Try it for balance & weight. I have two, the bubinga bodied one is heavy (no surprise) and does not sit as comfortably as the ash bodied one. I suspect this is due to the chunky neck which the other does not have. Other than that, well made, stay in tune, they do the business. One is active, the pre amp is a bit neither here nor there.

You are quite correct, a boomer in US Navy slang is a ballistic missile submarine (SSBN). When the boomers are gone as suggested by @musicbassman, i.e. all the nukes have been used and WW3 is over, there will be little need for vintage guitars. In seriousness, having owned (in my youth, since I am a trailing edge boomer) what are now vintage guitars and comparing them to modern instruments, they are nice but I would not be putting my money into them. Modern (dirt cheap kit) is usually really outstanding value. Using a PA or 'stage volume' any subtlety or nuance of a really good vintage guitar is lost. It can be taken out without fear of loss or damage. A Robin Trower interview has stuck with me for many, many years, roughly summarised, he had vintage guitars and amps stolen, after that he chose to use modern kit that was replaceable in the same event.

Build and sell a few more basses of that quality. The bass amp of your dreams will then be yours

Inspirational! A great reminder of what can be achieved with chiselling skill.