And Now for Something Completely Different

[3below]

Inspired by my last licence plate 3 string cbg I decided to build something 'different'. 30.9" scale, flat ebony fretless board (10mm thick) , hollow body, parallel neck and as small a headstock as possible.  

 

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 Stainless inserts and a 'mistake' in drilling the the bolt holes despite using a pillar drill.  Note the anti neck dive fitment, 1 lb of lead!

 

 

20mm neck depth and 48mm width (easy using the planer-thicknesser).  48mm neck width results in 13.5mm string spacing. From using the 3 string cbg I hoped that this would be playable (if not the design will let me replace the neck with a conventional taper one).

 

 

Extended neck join and angle to get neck tilt with shim.  Next time I will set the neck support block in at an angle in the body (or rout an angled pocket).  Those with sharp eyes will notice the little infill at near the fingerboard end.  Careful measurements can fail when user stupidity intervenes in simple mathematics!

 

 

Wanting to keep the headstock as thick as possible, get the maximum break angle (and not cut / carve / rout a Fender type headstock thinning) I copied this sunken method that I found on another guitar build.  If anyone does use it remember to make the depressions large enough to get a box spanner or socket over the machine head bushing nut.  These did, just! Self made ebony nut, made with rat tail file, really pleased with how that turned out. 

 

 

 

Cavity for recessed piezo pre amp control panel.  Due to this 'design' evolving rather than being planned correctly (ironic that my professional career relied on planning to prevent p**s poor performance) I ended up routing the recess after assembling the body shell. Much easier if done before.  Body is sapele, 60mm wide, 20mm depth.

 

 

Bridge with stainless adjusters.

 

 

 

Angled machine heads to reduce turning moment (and hopefully help with neck dive). Machines are from Retrovibe, 20:1, excellent quality and fairly lightweight. Good price as well.   Neck dive has been averted, all up weight is 7.9Lb

 

 

Joyo piezo pre amp, chosen beacuse of price and features (£24, 5 band eq, tuner and phase.  It also had a piezo undersaddle rod thrown in).  Bought direct from Joyo so no risk of a 'knock off'.

 

 

 

 

Finish is Tru-Oil. Very easy to use and get a 'glossy' finish.  The neck is so stiff that I have had to (for the first time ever in any bass I have owned) use the truss rod to add relief.  If you build one be aware that not all USA licence plates are the same thickness, some are very flimsy, some are steel, others aluminium. The Colorado plate was easy to use, the Nebraska one was 'buckled', difficult to get flat and eliminate buzzing / vibrations.   Strung with some status flats I had lying around it is quite a 'fun' thing. The box format is surprisingly loud acoustically, string spacing is tight and playing it requires finesse (not my normal right hand technique). Will hopefully post some sound clips, I am pleased with it, it has a jazzy EUB, double bass vibe, plenty of string growl as well.

 

 

Edited September 18, 2021 by 3below

[Teebs]

That's ace!

 

[SamIAm]

Do you have a licence for that!?  x

[Andyjr1515]

Missed this somewhere along the way!  Looks great

[3below]

11 hours ago, Andyjr1515 said:

Missed this somewhere along the way!  Looks great

Thank you, appearances can be deceptive, many blunders since it 'evolved' in spite of some attempts at designing   The flat fretboard works well, I need to thin the neck, even though I also play an EUB (and previously DB) the profile depth is uncomfortable.  The 13.5mm string spacing is just about manageable, there is a reason bass and guitar necks are tapered.  As always, the next one will be better and is in the pipeline.

Edited June 3, 2022 by 3below