Spoombung Posted January 26, 2009 Author Share Posted January 26, 2009 Here's a little photoshop mock up of the bass: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ashevans09 Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 That will end up being an absolute beauty to record on...it looks so comfortable! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MacDaddy Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 Just seen this thread, read all of it and will be following. I take it you are not too bothered about the upper fret access? Or maybe you could have the neck side curve of the LH contoured? BTW +1 on Mike. I'm picking up my Iceni from him any day now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spoombung Posted January 28, 2009 Author Share Posted January 28, 2009 [quote name='MacDaddy' post='393165' date='Jan 27 2009, 09:01 PM']Just seen this thread, read all of it and will be following. I take it you are not too bothered about the upper fret access? Or maybe you could have the neck side curve of the LH contoured? BTW +1 on Mike. I'm picking up my Iceni from him any day now :)[/quote] Yes, I probably will have the LH (well done for using the abbreviation!) curve slightly contoured - although I'm also not too bothered about upper fret access. What bass are you picking up from him? There didn't seem to be that many complete basses in his workshop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spoombung Posted January 28, 2009 Author Share Posted January 28, 2009 [quote name='ashevans09' post='393144' date='Jan 27 2009, 08:35 PM']That will end up being an absolute beauty to record on...it looks so comfortable![/quote] Let's hope so! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MacDaddy Posted January 28, 2009 Share Posted January 28, 2009 [quote name='Spoombung' post='393412' date='Jan 28 2009, 09:14 AM']Yes, I probably will have the LH (well done for using the abbreviation!) curve slightly contoured - although I'm also not too bothered about upper fret access. What bass are you picking up from him? There didn't seem to be that many complete basses in his workshop.[/quote] this one Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spoombung Posted January 28, 2009 Author Share Posted January 28, 2009 [quote name='MacDaddy' post='393668' date='Jan 28 2009, 01:55 PM']this one [/quote] That's not a bass - that's just a body! Are you having one made? Do tell... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MacDaddy Posted January 28, 2009 Share Posted January 28, 2009 [quote name='Spoombung' post='393893' date='Jan 28 2009, 06:08 PM']That's not a bass - that's just a body! Are you having one made? Do tell...[/quote] I have an Iceni, which was custom made for someone who believed 'the heavier the better' so everything on it was heavy. Somewhere along the line before it got to me, Mike made a new neck for it, and now I'm having a new body made. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spoombung Posted January 31, 2009 Author Share Posted January 31, 2009 On Friday I travelled up to Witham to see Mike and fix the final positions of the the neck, pickups and knobs and refine the headstock and tuners on the [i]Rhino [/i]cad program. The majority of the design has already been established with the analogue drawing so it was a simple matter to move stuff around on the screen. [attachment=19495:Captureprog4.jpg] [attachment=19496:Capturewhole1.jpg] [attachment=19497:Capturebody2.jpg] You'll notice the new,slimmer headstock shape: [attachment=19499:Capturehead3.jpg] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spoombung Posted January 31, 2009 Author Share Posted January 31, 2009 Now it was time pick some wood starting with Mike's collection of swamp ash boards (that I was happy to pose against). This'll form the main body of the bass with a maple face. Here's Mike tidying up the selected piece (complete with bark - no we're [i]not [/i]going to use that) on the saw: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
budget bassist Posted January 31, 2009 Share Posted January 31, 2009 Glad to see it actually becoming a real bass, this must be really cool for you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spoombung Posted January 31, 2009 Author Share Posted January 31, 2009 Then it was time to move on to the maple and see what I fancied from his collection. Here's Mike sawing the selection in half (the two pieces will be opened up like a pair of hands and [i]bookmatched [/i] as they call it in the trade - as I'm sure you know) And here it is (complete with scorch marks from the bandsaw) with a rough outline of the body drawn on: Wow, it looks quite psychodelic - with a lighter coloured band running through the centre. Quilted maple, is it's official name. Here's another view of it. It looks very 3-D when turned to the light. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spoombung Posted January 31, 2009 Author Share Posted January 31, 2009 [quote name='budget bassist' post='396454' date='Jan 31 2009, 09:21 PM']Glad to see it actually becoming a real bass, this must be really cool for you![/quote] Yes, it's very gratifying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spoombung Posted January 31, 2009 Author Share Posted January 31, 2009 (edited) [b]OH FECK the FECKING JOURNEY BACK DOWN TO SOUTH LONDON ON THE FECKING A12 THROUGH THE FECKING TUNNEL![/b] Edited January 31, 2009 by Spoombung Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted February 1, 2009 Share Posted February 1, 2009 mmmm quilted maple... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spoombung Posted February 1, 2009 Author Share Posted February 1, 2009 [quote name='BigRedX' post='396781' date='Feb 1 2009, 01:37 PM']mmmm quilted maple...[/quote] Mmmm indeed. I'm not sure how I felt when I learned Steve and Mike have nicknamed the bass 'The Lady-Pleasurer'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve-soar Posted February 1, 2009 Share Posted February 1, 2009 The Tunnel fell through the Road, I'm having that for a song title. The "Arouser" is looking fantastic, can't wait to hear it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spoombung Posted February 1, 2009 Author Share Posted February 1, 2009 [quote name='steve-soar' post='397175' date='Feb 1 2009, 08:07 PM']The "Arouser" is looking fantastic, can't wait to hear it. [/quote] Yes, I'm getting quite '[i]excited[/i]' about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve-soar Posted February 1, 2009 Share Posted February 1, 2009 Are you definitely going for fretted? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spoombung Posted February 1, 2009 Author Share Posted February 1, 2009 (edited) [quote name='steve-soar' post='397340' date='Feb 1 2009, 10:36 PM']Are you definitely going for fretted?[/quote] Yes. It's a bit of a change because I've obviously based my style around fretless - but if i think about it I've been playing more [i]guitar[/i] than bass over the past 6 years or so and I tend to write from the melody down rather from the bottom up (as I did years ago) and then fashion chords and various tonal colours around the melody. I still like fretless immensely but I think if i want to play all these tunes I've written live (that's my main interest - [i]not[/i] recording) in all honesty a fretted bass is more useful. I can still play my little triplets and harmonics and all that stuff - I just won't be stretching them quite as much. And I find it easier to play chords on a fretted. Also the scale length gives me an opportunity to go for a higher pitched tuning if i want. I might try tuning in 5ths, for instance, as I love playing tenor guitar. Edited February 2, 2009 by Spoombung Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mathewsanchez Posted February 4, 2009 Share Posted February 4, 2009 (edited) Don't know if you heard but Prince's purple lower horn is bigger than yours. Edited February 4, 2009 by mathewsanchez Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Huw Foster Posted February 4, 2009 Share Posted February 4, 2009 [quote name='mathewsanchez' post='400384' date='Feb 4 2009, 08:20 PM']Don't know if you heard but Prince's purple lower horn is bigger than yours. [/quote] Haha, yeah was gonna say actually... I've been watching Rave un2 the year 2000 today, and Prince's guitar reminded me of this. Perhaps it's short man syndrome? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spoombung Posted February 4, 2009 Author Share Posted February 4, 2009 [quote name='mathewsanchez' post='400384' date='Feb 4 2009, 08:20 PM']Don't know if you heard but Prince's purple lower horn is bigger than yours. [/quote] There's always someone with a bigger LH than yours... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spoombung Posted February 9, 2009 Author Share Posted February 9, 2009 (edited) Well, it all went a bit quiet over the last week and a half and I was beginning to wonder whether Mike and Steve had got lost in the snow drifts of Essex... swept away among the [i]bare ruined choirs[/i]. It turns out Mike's been busy glueing bits of wood together. First of all here is the ash: And then the maple bookmatched join: Tomorrow he's glueing the maple and ash together. Edited February 9, 2009 by Spoombung Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prosebass Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 [quote name='Spoombung' post='404881' date='Feb 9 2009, 10:49 PM']Well, it all went a bit quiet over the last week and a half and I was beginning to wonder whether Mike and Steve had got lost in the snow drifts of Essex... swept away among the [i]bare ruined choirs[/i]. It turns out Mike's been busy glueing bits of wood together. First of all here is the ash: And then the maple bookmatched join: Tomorrow he's glueing the maple and ash together.[/quote] Thats a nice piece of ash I hope you are not going to spoil it with a maple top...? The grain is reminiscent of a Wal... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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