Infinite Bass 1.5FL - COMPLETED (again)

[HazBeen]

So up next will be a modern 5 string.

- 35” scale

- 24 frets (may opt for 21)

- 2 active EMG MM pups

- passive EQ VVT (may put in a preamp)

- Black hardware

- 18mm string spacing (single string bridge) at bridge

- brass nut (10mm spacing) 50mm wide

- swamp ash body with a tbd top (walnut likely)

- maple neck, bolt-on

- wenge fretboard (most likely)

- I quite like scalloped headstocks, so will probably go with that

Will be doing a full-size drawing in the next weeks..... old school style  
 

Edited February 24, 2021 by HazBeen

[spacecowboy]

Awesome! Will be watching with great interest! 

I'm also using EMGs on my build, active J pu's with VVT!

Good luck!

[itu]

Interesting indeed. Any idea of the weight? Oil/wax or lacquer?

[HazBeen]

48 minutes ago, itu said:

Interesting indeed. Any idea of the weight? Oil/wax or lacquer?

All my builds I want to be under 4 kg, the swamp ash I have is really light so 3.6/3.8kg I expect to end up at. Oil finish for sure.

[durhamboy]

Sounds nice, looking forward to the build. Interested in the EMG MM's I've never tried EMG's and have no idea how their MM types sound.

[HazBeen]

It will take some time before this thing takes shape, but I think I am happy with the body shape and headstock.

- I have decided to go for 21 frets as it helps balance without needing deep cutaways

- headstock I want as small as I can get to prevent neck dive (but it does need to look good and balanced in relation to the body)

- I am going for a pickup position that is around 1/2” back towards the bridge compared to a Ray

Clearly just a first draft, any comments folks?

[HazBeen]

I think I will stick with the walnut top, looks understated but I think it will have a nice contrast against the swamp ash body, black hardware and wenge fretboard.

[songofthewind]

Walnut’s nice! Looking forward to seeing this progress.

[HazBeen]

And we now have a full size drawing, to the correct dimensions, scale etc.

I need to sort out some neck wood, as I didn’t yet order anything whilst I was deciding what I wanted to do. 

Tuner positions are just approx. to get an idea of the headstock. Not sure what it reminds me of, but I may unintentionally have nicked a design. Pedulla Rapture-ish, but smaller.

The body is an adaptation of the body I designed for my fretless.

Anyway, can start on the body, but the neck will need most work so need to start ordering something...

[HazBeen]

A part of me wants to put both MM5CS pickups right next to each other, so without a gap. Like an MTD Super 5, but slightly further from the bridge....... hmmmmmm.

[Hellzero]

Go wild, Harry, express yourself. We all need it at some point.

[SpondonBassed]

19 hours ago, HazBeen said:

Have you got a mouse in your kitchen?

[HazBeen]

36 minutes ago, SpondonBassed said:

Have you got a mouse in your kitchen?

I can imagine the confusion, as I am using a kitchen-esque tablecloth on my worktop and clearly I am standing on a chair.
 

However, my mrs would never let me build anything but dinner in the kitchen (she did let me nick a plastic tablecloth for my workshop), and I’d be chasing any mouse with a mallet

[HazBeen]

Just ordered neck and fretboard material. It will be a 3 piece neck, flatsawn maple with a 2cm quartersawn wenge spine and a wenge fretboard.

[spacecowboy]

43 minutes ago, HazBeen said:

Just ordered neck and fretboard material. It will be a 3 piece neck, flatsawn maple with a 2cm quartersawn wenge spine and a wenge fretboard.

Lovely lovely Wenge! 

[robertg43]

19 hours ago, HazBeen said:

I can imagine the confusion, as I am using a kitchen-esque tablecloth on my worktop and clearly I am standing on a chair.
 

However, my mrs would never let me build anything but dinner in the kitchen (she did let me nick a plastic tablecloth for my workshop), and I’d be chasing any mouse with a mallet

Man up thats what I do ( between the hours of 8.30 to 5.30 Monday to Friday) then when she gets home I do what she saids to do

[HazBeen]

In true “me” fashion I am already thinking of/am making changes to the original plan.

- I am indeed going to put the pickups side by side

- with the wenge fretboard and centre “spine” I’ve gone off the nut top idea, most likely going to mix it up

Did the rough body shaping (bandsaw). Since getting my spindle sander I just sand to shape, not needing to make a routing template. More control and no chipout risk.

[HazBeen]

Can someone please tell me why I have a partially lined, epoxied wenge fretboard in mind all of a sudden? Must be all the Intronaut I’ve been listening to. Time will tell if it is a phase......

[HazBeen]

I have settled on an ambrosia maple top. It will look better than the walnut I feel.

 

 

[Geek99]

3 hours ago, HazBeen said:

I have settled on an ambrosia maple top. It will look better than the walnut I feel.

 

 

You feel walnuts ? It’s important to check yourself regularly 

[HazBeen]

36 minutes ago, Geek99 said:

You feel walnuts ? It’s important to check yourself regularly 

You must nut be serious.

[durhamboy]

Leaving aside the whole walnut contact issue, love the maple top, some real charicter there. Sometimes I find the usual flamed maple tops to be a bit boring, lovely as they are, this one should have some real interest to it when the grain is brought out under a finish.

[HazBeen]

Glued the 2 bits together. Will work well.

 

[HazBeen]

What do you get if you create heaps of sawdust?
 

......... a thinner, lighter body.

The bass will be 36mm thick. The thinnest I have ever made, but I reckon 6 bolts and the way I designed the body means 18mm for the neck to bolt on to should work well enough.

As I will be adding a lot of hardware, I need to keep the weight down. As is we are at 2.3 kg, which means when all is said and done, so final shaping, all cavities routed, arm/belly contour, rounding we should end up around 1.7kg.

In the end I think we will pretty much bang on 4kg. Hopefully 3.9, but I’d even take 4.1kg.

Still waiting on neck wood, so will likely focus on getting the body all done, ready for routing the neck cavity.

 

 

Edited August 30, 2020 by HazBeen

[Si600]

12 hours ago, HazBeen said:

What do you get if you create heaps of sawdust?
 

......... a thinner, lighter body.

The thin slice is the body and the fat lump is the routing template?