Owen Posted December 27, 2017 Posted December 27, 2017 ........... however, things change. Some time ago I bought a Chennell Arco Bass. It was proper lush, but in the BC way, it moved on and then something else came, and then that moved on. You know how it is. However, the build quality and aesthetics were something to behold and I thought of it often and fondly. I had also been thinking of commissioning a very small EUB with Uke Bass strings on it. But I had put all that behind me. And then I saw this I fought it for a bit, but as we all know, resistance is futile. Toby is making me a 5 string one with a curved fingerboard for a very small Double Bass vibe. It will have an Fdeck preamp mounted under the fingerboard. Nice and discreet, like. Toby does lovely things with lovely wood. I am excited. 4 Quote
Happy Jack Posted December 27, 2017 Posted December 27, 2017 You realise that you will now need to commission a 1/4-size bow? And the bow will end up costing more than the bass? Quote
Owen Posted December 29, 2017 Author Posted December 29, 2017 (edited) Edited December 29, 2017 by owen 1 Quote
Owen Posted December 29, 2017 Author Posted December 29, 2017 This is frankly eye watering speed as far as my personal experience of custom builds goes. Quote
Dazed Posted December 30, 2017 Posted December 30, 2017 Lovely. Is it played upright or...? How big or small is it? Quote
Owen Posted December 30, 2017 Author Posted December 30, 2017 It will be played vertically or horizontaly depending on how I feel at the time. I will be able to mount it on a straight cymbal stand should I wish to. Scale length will be 530mm so pretty tiny! Quote
Owen Posted January 6, 2018 Author Posted January 6, 2018 We are have reached discussion about where the "stop" on the neck/body join will be. On a DB it is traditionally either where D is on the G string or where Eb is on the G string. Toby usually has the "stop" on the model this is based on at the octave. As someone who is used to a D stop on a DB that would freak me out completely. I get edgy enough moving away from the dusty end as it is but with no safety net of familiar physical clues I would not shift. The problem here is that this puts the whole proportion out of whack - it all gets a bit of a Picasso vibe. All the bits are there but not quite as you expect to see them. Here is a pic of bridge and F hole placement with the octave stop and here is one with the same placement with a D stop I got a bit concerned here but eventually Toby came up with the superb idea of a stepped heel so that I get my D stop reference and then the actual stop is probably the octave. Happy days! 1 Quote
SpondonBassed Posted January 7, 2018 Posted January 7, 2018 You'd think it was easy to scale up the exact same pattern for any of the violin family until you look into the reality of it. It's astonishing how physics appears to behave differently with the larger changes in scale. I'm liking the build so far. Quote
Owen Posted January 24, 2018 Author Posted January 24, 2018 So, my machine heads have arrived from Kala in the US and I have now posted them and a set of Pahahoes down to Toby. He has reached here. Toby is ready to do the neck once the machine heads land because then he can get the headstock right. Exciting times indeed. 1 Quote
Owen Posted January 24, 2018 Author Posted January 24, 2018 I just love the proportions of that last picture! Quote
SpondonBassed Posted January 25, 2018 Posted January 25, 2018 8 hours ago, owen said: I just love the proportions of that last picture! The curves are emerging too. Lovely. Quote
Owen Posted March 27, 2018 Author Posted March 27, 2018 The tailpiece is a stopgap. The brass insert is for passing leads through for preamp stuff. The preamp will be installed under the fingerboard. Quote
SpondonBassed Posted March 27, 2018 Posted March 27, 2018 I like it a lot. With the oddest proportions I have ever seen on a fiddle it's looking proper funky. No leopardskin jacket for this one... ...unless you are the possessive type and you don't want your new squeeze showing leg to just anyone that is. Quote
Happy Jack Posted April 2, 2018 Posted April 2, 2018 I am SO going to have a go on this at the DB bash ... Quote
Owen Posted April 2, 2018 Author Posted April 2, 2018 Sadly I don't think it will be ready by then. I think it will be structuraly but the fdeck on board preamp in nano format with an extra passive tone control I have had built is proving problematic and needs more work. Sad times Quote
Owen Posted April 3, 2018 Author Posted April 3, 2018 I have not quite grasped that uploading pictures into the new BC thing yet. Can you tell? Quote
SpondonBassed Posted April 3, 2018 Posted April 3, 2018 Dammit Owen. Now I am sitting in a puddle of my own drool! Is it any good for metal? 1 1 Quote
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