Balls.

[Owen]

I knew that would get your attention.

 

My local tech bod is very gracious with me and humours my ever wandering mind. I have a Shuker which I love dearly, but I have taken an irrational dislike to the machine heads on it. They do their job fine and dandy, but there is something about them I just do not like. I often look at my daughter's acoustic and wonder why I cannot have nice machine head buttons. Then I thought that spheres would be a very nice thing. Mark is cnc'ing some for me. Here is the first prototype. Eventually they will be made out of Ebony. I thought others might like to see.

[dudewheresmybass]

They look great, but I wonder about grip. 
perhaps a ridged design or a slight knurl might help?

[Owen]

I must admit I am not worried about grip. Once I have tuned a bass I very, very rarely - if ever in fact - find myself drifiting out of tune. And I am such a slave to aesthetics that I will put up with any slight extra work on grippage.

[dudewheresmybass]

Fair enough. 

[KingBollock]

4 minutes ago, dudewheresmybass said:

They look great, but I wonder about grip. 
perhaps a ridged design or a slight knurl might help?

That might risk them looking like beach balls or pumpkins. I think I’d go for some sort of text around their equator. Perhaps something in Elvish or other mythical language with a fancy looking font.

[ezbass]

54 minutes ago, KingBollock said:

That might risk them looking like beach balls or pumpkins. I think I’d go for some sort of text around their equator. Perhaps something in Elvish or other mythical language with a fancy looking font.

[Baloney Balderdash]

Ballsy move...

 

Edited March 18, 2023 by Baloney Balderdash

[BigRedX]

Those won't make the headstock too bulky for a hard case, or prevent the neck from lying on the neck supports in transit?

[Owen]

36 minutes ago, BigRedX said:

Those won't make the headstock too bulky for a hard case, or prevent the neck from lying on the neck supports in transit?

A fair question. Thanks. Sadly, my playing these days does not necessitate a hard case so not a huge issue for me. If that world tour does come through, then I will take another bass. I have too many.

[Owen]

I feel a bit stupid running two threads on this, but I figure I cannot be the only person who finds this interesting.

 

https://www.basschat.co.uk/topic/473275-not-a-build-surprised-but-a-woodwork-question/page/2/#comments

[Owen]

Sorry, I forgot to post final pictures. What a lightweight.

[LukeFRC]

Balls indeed. 

[Baloney Balderdash]

13 hours ago, Owen said:

Sorry, I forgot to post final pictures. What a lightweight.

 

[three]

Tasteful and classy - a sympathetic complement to the bass