Ruach Utility Bass

[4 Strings]

Hopefully this won't be too long!

Utlra impressed by the work of Heath at Ruach basses with a painfully beautiful bass made for a friend of mine and his willingness and ultimate success in improving the neck profile of my Stingray, leaving the finish an improvement on the original. Top geezer, life revolves around wood (house full of amazing wooden furniture and art), bass enthusiast.

I want a utility bass with the most amazing piece of maple for a one piece neck, a one piece body of lightweight wood and a durable finish. Two pickups, one to sound like Jamerson, the other to sound like a Stingray. A set neck (cheaper than a through neck), through strung, a set back machine head. All for a budget of £1200 - not much for a custom build.

Details such as a skunk stripe (truss rod from the back), wheelie truss rod adjuster, knobs set into the body (rather than on a plate) were also flowing, including a 5-way pup selector.

No fancy wood tops, no high gloss finishes (so that dings either won't notice or can be taken out easily) just two bits of wood in a functional form. I love the almost brutal simplicity of this:[attachment=136808:G&L Simple.jpg]

Heath deals only in quarter-sawn wood for necks, I set him off to search for a piece of wood that would match this pic.[attachment=136806:Maple neck.jpg]

I would compromise budget elsewhere to achieve this.

Heath waxed on about the virtues of sycamore. Type of maple you know! Light and strong, not expensive and can be found with a delightful pattern and colour. If he could find some to look anything like this in one piece I'd be very happy.
[attachment=136807:Sycamore Wal1.jpg]

So that's the starting point. Thanks for keeping with me so far, target completion is the end of August.

2013!

[Myke]

It sounds like it's going to be a humble looking bass

Not that this is bad of course

Edited June 12, 2013 by Myke

[4 Strings]

Yes, thanks, that's kind of the point really. I don't mind too much if it ends up painted black, the idea is to produce a bass I can use all the time, for everything and not worry about but is of the best quality I can afford and set up to suit exactly what I want. The Utility Bass!

Comparing the wood in the Ruach workshop to that used in my Fender and Musicman basses shows the mass produced items not surprisingly wanting. I really like these basses and they get a lot of use, but I'd like to get down to one and use that all the time.

I haven't got any money and so it will be funded purely from sales of bass gear and any earnings from playing.

Edited June 14, 2013 by 4 Strings

[4 Strings]

Heath priced it to be £1320 without case, £1400 with a Hiscox. A little over budget. I have a case, but we'll see.

So, to start - I have £120 from a Motown show the other week and I sold my Hartke amp for £150 (bargain, but I kept the case!) so I have £270, enough to buy the wood! (estimated at £250)

In the meantime Heath has tracked down wood for a one piece Sycamore body and some flame maple for the neck. These are air dried, he will not work with kiln dried, and he reckons I'd struggle to find a better bit of neck maple in the country!

Money transferred across, hopefully the wood should arrive on Monday. I have never been excited about a piece of wood before, but I can't wait to see the neck piece! For me, this is the core of the bass and its success will be judged largely on the neck.

[4 Strings]

While we're waiting for the wood to arrive, here's some wood.

I had thought of various woods for the body, including, being from London, London Plane. This is also a type of maple (see, I didn't know that).
[attachment=136923:London Plane body.jpg]

Its nice, but not as keen as I am on Sycamore.

I found this, it has a sycamore neck. quite beautiful, what do you think?
[attachment=136922:Sycamore neck.jpg]

Next thought - Tuners

[4 Strings]

Now tuners. We don't seem to be able to make such things here in the Workshop of the World (unless I'm wrong..?) and Hipshot are looking very likely.

However an interesting detour was via Rubner products for double basses. These are extraordinary tuners for very reasonable prices. Have a dig about here http://translate.google.co.uk/translate?hl=en&sl=de&u=http://www.rubner-markneukirchen.de/&prev=/search%3Fq%3Drubner%2Btuning%26client%3Dsafari%26rls%3Den%26biw%3D1094%26bih%3D684

However, won't be going there as their standard models do not come with a slotted post (just horizontally drilled) and without the 'Fender' drilling into the length of the post in which the ends of the strings get tucked. They say they do custom designs, I'll see how much it would cost to do that, making them suitable for electric basses.

Meanwhile, the wood still hasn't been delivered, been promised on Monday now. I keep looking at pictures of flame maple necks! when it arrives I've been promised pics and I'll put those up.

[4 Strings]

Wood has arrived!

The pencilled outlines were put on by the supplier to prove (to himself?) the size to be adequate for a bass.

Here's the body, one piece of English Sycamore. Actual body shape still to be decided, I'm thinking something between a G&L and a Wal.

I'm currently thinking maybe a reddish waxed burst. However, I'd quite like a finish that an be easily changed.

[URL=http://s1341.photobucket.com/user/4Strings1/media/Ruach%20Utility%20Bass/Sycamore_zpsbfa98f01.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1341.photobucket.com/albums/o760/4Strings1/Ruach%20Utility%20Bass/Sycamore_zpsbfa98f01.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

Here's the neck, quarter sawn flame maple.
[URL=http://s1341.photobucket.com/user/4Strings1/media/Ruach%20Utility%20Bass/FlameMaple1_zpseb0e065c.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1341.photobucket.com/albums/o760/4Strings1/Ruach%20Utility%20Bass/FlameMaple1_zpseb0e065c.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

And the top part of the neck, I'd like to see the neck moved up and to the right from the pencil marks to put the light flame into the headstock. Heath suggested an amber wax to give it some colour.

This piece of maple is thick enough to allow a laid back head, as opposed to a flat, Fenderesque type. In which case it's likely to be 2+2 rather than one sided.

The neck will be one piece without a separate fingerboard, the truss rod mounted from the back with a walnut 'skunk stripe' in the slot.
[URL=http://s1341.photobucket.com/user/4Strings1/media/Ruach%20Utility%20Bass/FlameMaple2_zps90f20ca6.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1341.photobucket.com/albums/o760/4Strings1/Ruach%20Utility%20Bass/FlameMaple2_zps90f20ca6.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

Hopefully Heath will be popping by my place next Saturday evening to talk about body and head shapes. He'll be bringing a pencil.

[Myke]

I really like that bit of flame maple!

Also.. The truss rod from the back is something I've not seen before so that's very interesting

[andydye]

lovely!

[4 Strings]

[quote name='Myke' timestamp='1372158483' post='2122236']
I really like that bit of flame maple!

Also.. The truss rod from the back is something I've not seen before so that's very interesting
[/quote]

Thanks! I'd love to wipe a damp cloth over to see the how it will look with a finish! Won't be able to move the neck outline too much in the direction desired as there's a bit of a knot to steer clear of. Never have I been so excited about a piece of wood!

Just about every Fender designed guitar and bass with a solid maple neck has the truss rod from the rear. Only relatively recently (10-15years?) did they standardise construction by applying maple fingerboards (instead of cutting the frets straight into the body of the neck) and mounting all truss rods from the top.

The back of the neck picture in the first post shows what it looks like from the back.

[Myke]

[quote name='4 Strings' timestamp='1372164743' post='2122344']
The back of the neck picture in the first post shows what it looks like from the back.
[/quote]

Ooh! That'll be lush!

[4 Strings]

Not much to update, the next real step will be sketching out body and head designs, wasn't able to do that last w/e (my fault), will try again this Sat.

I asked Rubner if they could modify their tuners with a Fender style slot and core drill to the string post. "Of course' they replied, '€20 for the set, did I need any special dimensions or profiles'. Wow, very tempting, I love their 'French' style where the windy bit is separate to the gear/post bit (and so is extra work for the poor luthier to line it all up perfectly). Trouble is I use Hipshot de-tuner, and actually have one to use with a MM pattern. Hmm.

Do I keep my detuner option (thus making my 'Utility Bass' even more useful) or go for beauty (not really the point of a Utility Bass)?

[attachment=138172:Rubner French.jpg]

I suppose I could ask if they could make de-tuner, but I wonder that the money would be better spent elsewhere. Or I could select, from their wide range, a design that looks pretty much like the Hipshot MM detuner and just have one slightly odd. They come in sets of 4, so if I didn't need the detuner I'd have a nice, full set.

[Myke]

I personally think you should make it as Utility as possible.

[4 Strings]

Well, along the lines of Utility, the bridge. Nothing more utilitarian than the Fender BBoT!

However, surely we can do better than that. I like the idea of individual bridges, like the Hipshot version. It's string through (string passes through the mounting bolt). Not sure I understand how the intonation works. Does the saddle just slide, but what locks it in place?
[attachment=138292:Hipshot bridge.jpg]

A variation on this theme comes from Ibanez which is neater being string through without the top loading option:

[attachment=138293:Ibanez BRidge.jpg]

Then there's this particularly nice looking thing, but the intonation is slidey rather than screwey, might be a little awkward for fine adjustment, but locks down. Not sure if it needs to lock down, but there we are. It looks like string through would be ok but would need space behind the bridge for the hole etc. I'm keen for the bridge to be as far 'South' as possible to keep the neck short and improve the balance.

[attachment=138295:Toone Bridge.jpg]



Can no-one make this stuff in the UK? Does anyone know of any manufacturer of hardware in the UK?

Edited July 4, 2013 by 4 Strings

[4 Strings]

Sold the Musicman and the Jazz basses to fellow BCers, so now have the cash ready for the Ruach Utility Bass (RUB?)!

Well, Heath came to visit yesterday and a pleasant evening had, talking wood, hardware and sketching body shapes.

He brought the wood along and here's a pic of the neck with a bit of water dampening to bring out the figure. This is an unfinished, sawn lump and the picture doesn't really show the depth of the 3D effect.
[URL=http://s1341.photobucket.com/user/4Strings1/media/P7070004_zps8fed5f97.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1341.photobucket.com/albums/o760/4Strings1/P7070004_zps8fed5f97.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

The body also has more figure than I was expecting, but unfortunately on the back! We may be able to turn the slab if we're careful with horn and bottom bouts.

Here's the master sketcher at work on the dining table, we're taking inspiration from other utility type basses, mostly Leo's designs (not sure how much he contributed to body styling) from MM and G&L and also Wal Mk 1 and Mk3. The result is still a work in development, I'm going to look and tinker over the coming couple of weeks (Heath is busy finishing other guitars anyway so nothing is being held up) but you can see the gist. The bridge end, which you can't see, is a little more stubby than a Fender, a more modern sort of shape with a Jazzy-esque bottom bout.
[URL=http://s1341.photobucket.com/user/4Strings1/media/Ruach%20Utility%20Bass/P7070008_zpsd3542571.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1341.photobucket.com/albums/o760/4Strings1/Ruach%20Utility%20Bass/P7070008_zpsd3542571.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

If I'm happy with the body in two weeks, headstock design next.

This is a great way to buy a guitar!

Edited September 17, 2014 by 4 Strings

[Myke]

That neck is going to look amazing!

I am so jealous of you, I would love to have my own built but I can't afford it and I haven't had enough experience with basses to know what I want as of yet.

[4 Strings]

Utility bass?

[attachment=138552:Brutal GandL.jpg]

[4 Strings]

[quote name='Myke' timestamp='1373226747' post='2135094']
That neck is going to look amazing!

I am so jealous of you, I would love to have my own built but I can't afford it and I haven't had enough experience with basses to know what I want as of yet.
[/quote]

I thin that's fair enough. I had a single bass (a Jaydee Roadie) for 25 odd years before buying different basses in recent years in search of the perfect bass. I didn't lose any money on buying and selling (in fact made a little bit!) so nothing regretted but, yes, I think it has taught me more of what I actually want. I'm not an exotic player who needs a unique instrument with which to express my art, but going to see the work in progress and bits of wood at Ruach made me realise I wasn't going to find my perfect bass from those mass produced in american factories - good as they are.

This has a budget of £1200 which, although a little over at the moment is still cheaper than buying a standard new bass. You can get a US Standard Jazz or Precision for this but you'll struggle to find a Stingray and half the price of a Warwick Thumb.

The downside will, of course, be resale. Anything with Musicman written on it keeps it's value and is very easy to sell. A bass made to measure is of little interest to anyone else so will not be worth the same. In the end I have just had to decide that I'll be keeping it.

One advantage is, of course, if there's anything I don't like, I can change it! Nothing will be sacred, I can even get the colour sanded off and have the body carved a different shape!

Edited July 7, 2013 by 4 Strings

[Myke]

[quote name='4 Strings' timestamp='1373228714' post='2135121']
One advantage is, of course, if there's anything I don't like, I can change it! Nothing will be sacred, I can even get the colour sanded off and have the body carved a different shape!
[/quote]

That's the thing that makes me want one! Everything on it is what you want and if your tastes change it can change with them. Also you can say that it's unique to you which would be awesome

[4 Strings]

There's been plenty going, sorry not had time etc to keep things updated!

It's mostly been ideas and drawings.

Ideas for Utility:
I like things simple. Fewer knobs the better, only occasionally use a second pup. What if the the second pup was optional, in that it was mounted on a scratchplate and the whole thing plugged in when needed? Yes, sounds a bit daft now, this took a lot of discussion and sketching, current bass design has a scratchplate. Still quite like the idea, but I think in reality it's not going to be useful as I first thought.

Here's the current drawing:
[attachment=142188:IMG_3394.jpg]

Another idea that's not likely to run the distance is a built in stand. I have a little foldaway stand in my gig bag, bit flimsy but cost me £7 and is tremendously useful in that it's not something I have to remember but gets regularly used. Surely a piece of wood could be let into the back of the bass and simply folded out instead of leaning the bass against something. It was the wife who pointed out the rattling potential of this! However, I'd really appreciate this feature so we'll see how far it goes.

[4 Strings]

There's also been a lot of discussion on the preamp. I'm really happy for the East MM type, he does a 3 knob: Vol, Treble/bass stack, mid/midsweep stack. In practice I only use the volume, treble and, sometimes, mid. As luck would have it his standard set-up has the bass and mid sweep on the bottom of the stack.

To help my easily confused mind the two stacked knobs will be recessed into the body so the lower part of the knob just peeps so, in effect, I'll just have vol, treble and mid to play with. One the mid sweep has been set, it's out the way and the bass, always left full up, is also out the way.

Pups will be by Armstrong, the bridge will be a standard MM type, the second pup, if I go for two, will be a P type, but not P shape. I found the second H on my HH Stingray I had was more Gibson EB0 than Jamerson, and that's what I'm after.

However, in the interests of simplicity the jury's out on the second pup at the moment. Means a switch won't be necessary too.

[Myke]

I really like the look of the scratch plate!

Built in stand seems a bit odd to me though

[4 Strings]

Just while I'm at it, here's the current idea for the headstock. It may be wider in the end, depending on the length of the (eventually!) chosen tuner keys but you can see the reflection in the scratchplate shape.

[attachment=142192:IMG_3409.JPG]

Still pursuing the Rubners, but they will have to be specially made. Giving one more effort, otherwise it will be Hipshot HB1s, these are fine tuners, or I found some Gotohs which look very nicely made and have an adjustable resistance and also the bush screws through the hole into the tuner tightly bringing the whole assembly together.

[url="http://www.g-gotoh.com/international/?btp_product=gb528s"]http://www.g-gotoh.c..._product=gb528s[/url]

I'm going for 'traditional' Klusonesque style in the name of simplicity and robustness.

Edited August 23, 2013 by 4 Strings

[4 Strings]

[quote name='Myke' timestamp='1377296921' post='2186099']
I really like the look of the scratch plate!

Built in stand seems a bit odd to me though
[/quote]

thanks, Myke, although, funnily enough, I'd like to pursue the stand idea more! Heath is great at drawing and getting proportions, that's all him. He made the point that even the thickness of a pencil line can make a difference in the feel of a shape, and he's absolutely right. He left the body shape with me to live with for a couple of weeks with a pencil and a rubber so I could make adjustments. I made one, virtually invisible, to a cutaway! However this is Heath's interpretation of my mental desires which were highly inspired by MM and G&L.

[Myke]

The shape is really good, I can see the influences.

I think the stand would be better for me if I could see it because at the moment I'm thinking of the back folding out and that to me would feel like it was making the bass less solid (this seems to be the best word I can think of for what I'm trying to say atm)

Hmm... You'll have to keep us posted because I've been thinking about it more and now I'm curious!