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Double neck Thunderbird


Basvarken

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It's alive!
The Brooks DDB (DoubleDuaneBird).
A double-neck Thunderbird with a traditional Thunderbird 4-string neck. And a 30 1/2" scale 12-string bass neck.

I can finally share another completed build with you guys.
The idea had been brewing for a while but the actual build started out early july 2024.
I'll share the pics of the build proces in separate posts below this opening post.
 

Specifications:
- Korina body
- Korina 12-string neck 30 1/2" scale
- Korina 4-string neck 34" scale
- Candy Apple Red  Nitrocellulose finish
- Ebony fretboards
- Circle position dots
- Jumbo frets
- Buffalo horn nuts
- Three ply (vintage) white/black/white pickguard
- Custom made ETS twelve string brass bridge set. Chrome
- Wide travel Thunderbrid style bridge. Chrome
- Spokewheel double action trussrods
- Carbon reinforcement strip in 12-string neck
- Gemini Dominator pickup for 4-string
- Gemini Devastator pickup  for 12-string
- Bourns pots (volume/tone volume/tone)
- Mullard capacitors
- Toggle switch to choose 12- or 4-string
- Gotoh GB 350 lightweight bass tuners
- Gotoh ST-31 Stealth tuners
- 1 x Pure Tone Multi Contact jack output
- d'Addario custom set strings (12 string)
- Rotosound RB 50 (4 string)
- Weight: 7.9 kg

 

brooks-ddb-front-full-1500_orig.jpg


brooks-ddb-body-1500_orig.jpg


brooks-ddb-headstocks-1500_orig.jpg


brooks-ddb-front-full2-1500_orig.jpg


brooks-ddb-back-full-1500_orig.jpg


brooks-ddb-headstocks-back-1500_orig.jpg


brooks-ddb-controls-1500_orig.jpg


brooks-ddb-bridges-1500_orig.jpg


brooks-ddb-jack-plate-1500_orig.jpg


brooks-ddb-front-full-diagonal-1500_orig


brooks-ddb-ftom-top-to-toe-1500_orig.jpg


brooks-ddb-square-1500_orig.jpg

 

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The initial idea was to build a double-neck Firebird/Thunderbird.

 

brooks-doublebird_orig.jpg

 

But when Duane Daniels saw the sketch he asked me to change the Firebird part into a Twelve string Thunderbird.
Duane has a crazy collection of twelve string bass guitars and he commissioned the build of the DDB (DoubleDuaneBird)

 

The first step was to order all the parts. Starting with the Korina body blank and neck blanks.

 

brooks-ddb-neckblanks-bodyblank_orig.jpe

 

And the two ebony fretboards. I asked my good friend Frank Hoffmeyer of Holz-Faszination to pre-radius them (16") and also have them slotted.

 

brooks-ddb-fretboards_orig.jpeg

 


While all the other parts were also ordered from all over the world, I set out to make the templates.
In the past I used MDF. But laser cutting MDF is not very healthy so I switched to using Plexiglass.
I made the vector files on my computer using Adobe Illustrator. Them exported them as DXF files and loaded them into the laser cutting software.

 

brooks-ddb-lasercutter-software_orig.jpe


brooks-ddb-lasercutter2_orig.jpeg

 


Very clean looking templates!


brooks-ddb-template-neckpockets_orig.jpe


brooks-ddb-template_orig.jpeg

 


First cut out the rough outline.
Then routed along the template

 

brooks-ddb-routing-body-outline_orig.jpe


brooks-ddb-routed-body-outline_orig.jpeg


brooks-ddb-body-outline_orig.jpeg

 

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Next step was to use the other template for the neckpockets

brooks-ddb-routing-neck-pockets_orig.jpe


brooks-ddb-neck-pockets_orig.jpeg

 


And the pickup cavities

 

brooks-ddb-routing-pickup-cavities_orig.


brooks-ddb-pickup-cavities_orig.jpeg


brooks-ddb-body-routing-done_orig.jpeg

 


And the controls cavity on the back

 

brooks-ddb-routed-controls-cavity_orig.j


brooks-ddb-routed-controls-cover-profile


brooks-ddb-controls-cavity_orig.jpeg

 

Drilled the output hole

 

brooks-ddb-drilled-output-hole_orig.jpeg

 


And took out the shinto rasp to make a belly cut

 

brooks-ddb-carving-belly-cut_orig.jpeg

 

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Then switched to making the necks
Routed the trussrod slot for the 4-string

 

brooks-ddb-4-string-trussrod-slot_orig.j
brooks-ddb-4-locking-up-trussrod_orig.jp

 

And routed the slot for the carbon reinforcement strip for the 12-string neck

 

brooks-ddb-routing-carbon-strip-channel_


brooks-ddb-carbon-strip-close_orig.jpeg


brooks-ddb-carbon-strip_orig.jpeg

 


Then routed the two slots for the two trussrods for the 12-string neck

 

brooks-ddb-trussrodslots-close_orig.jpeg


brooks-ddb-trussrodslots-ready_orig.jpeg

 


Sawed the headstock angle  for both necks and planed them nice and flat

 

brooks-ddb-headstock-angle_orig.jpeg

 


Prepared the fretboards for the position dots

 

brooks-ddb-drilling-fretboard-inlays_ori


brooks-ddb-4-string-inlays-mop_orig.jpeg

 


Made the 12th position ring inlay

brooks-ddb-4-string-inlays-sawing-12-rin


brooks-ddb-4-string-inlays-12-ring-inlay

 


Cut out the truss rod access slots

 

brooks-ddb-trussrod-access-slot_orig.jpe

 

And made the covers

 

brooks-ddb-trussrod-cover-loose_orig.jpe


brooks-ddb-trussrod-cover_orig.jpeg

 

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Then fretted the fretboards for both necks

 

brooks-ddb-halfway-fretting_orig.jpeg
brooks-ddb-all-frets-in_orig.jpeg
brooks-ddb-4-string-inlays-glued-in_orig

 


Glued the fretboards on and started shaping the necks

 

brooks-ddb-shaping-neck-profile2_orig.jp
brooks-ddb-shaping-neck-profile_orig.jpe
brooks-ddb-shaping-neck-profile3_orig.jp

 


Made the side dot markers and filled the gaps under the fret tangs

 

brooks-ddb-drilling-side-dots_orig.jpeg
brooks-ddb-glueing-side-dots_orig.jpeg
brooks-ddb-filling-fretslot-gaps_orig.jp
brooks-ddb-side-dots-ready_orig.jpeg
brooks-ddb-side-dots-ready2_orig.jpeg

 


And then there were two paddles 😉

 

brooks-ddb-4-two-necks-with-paddle2_orig

 


Shaped the headstocks

 

brooks-ddb-4-shaping-headstock_orig.jpeg
brooks-ddb-4-shaping-neck-profile_orig.j

 


Made the faceplates from a material called Richlite. Which is a composite substitute for ebony.

 

brooks-ddb-4-making-faceplates_orig.jpeg
brooks-ddb-4-headstocks-with-faceplate2_
brooks-ddb-4-headstocks-with-faceplate_o

 

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Drilled a lot of holes...

 

brooks-ddb-4-drilling-tuner-holes_orig.j
brooks-ddb-4-drilling-tuner-holes-back_o
brooks-ddb-12-drilling-tuner-holes_orig.
brooks-ddb-12-drilling-tuner-holes-octav
brooks-ddb-12-drilling-tuner-holes-back_

 


Two necks


brooks-ddb-12-and-4-neck_orig.jpeg
brooks-ddb-12-and-4-neck-headstocks_orig

 


Shaped the heels for the neck pockets

 

brooks-ddb-12-and-4-neck-headstocks_orig

 


And after a lot of fitting (and cursing) they finally both fitted 

 

brooks-ddb-12-and-4-fitting-necks_orig.j
brooks-ddb-12-and-4-necks-in-body2_orig.

 


Then I weighed the bare ones bass to see what the sale would say...
It weighed in a a disturbing 6.2 kilograms Without any hardware!


So I decide to  route ways some wood underneath the pickguard area. the bass lost 400 grams!

 

brooks-ddb-routing-weight-relief_orig.jp
brooks-ddb-weight-relief_orig.jpeg

 


Next step was the point of no return: glueing the necks in

 

brooks-ddb-4-neck-glue-in_orig.jpeg
brooks-ddb-12-neck-glue-in_orig.jpeg


 

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Drilled the holes for the bridges and tail stops

 

brooks-ddb-test-fitting-bridge-sets_orig
brooks-ddb-test-fitting-bridge-sets-2_or

 


Before I started the pore filling I decided to stain the bass red. Just to see if the red color that I had i mind would suit this bass.
And as an advantage the red  stain would also be good back up  in case spraying the Candy Apple Red  would not work out properly.
I used Glitsa parquet varnish as a pore filler this time.

 

brooks-ddb-stained-red-in-pore-filling-p
brooks-ddb-stained-red-in-pore-filling-p


brooks-ddb-stained-red-in-pore-filling-p
brooks-ddb-stained-red-in-pore-filling-p

 


After several layers of sanding sealer and nitro primer I sprayed three layers of Shoreline gold nitro.

 

brooks-ddb-shoreline-gold_orig.jpg

 


And then the transparent red to get the Candy Apple Red effect.

 

brooks-ddb-andy-apple-red_orig.jpg
brooks-ddb-andy-apple-red2_orig.jpg

 

 


After plenty of layers of clear coat I applied the decals.
(yes I live in Velp)

 

brooks-ddb-serial-number_orig.jpeg

 


And signed the bass for Duane

brooks-ddb-signature_orig.jpeg

 

brooks-ddb-candy-apple-red-backside3_ori
brooks-ddb-candy-apple-red-frontside2_or

 

Applied the decals on the faceplates

 

brooks-ddb-logox2-2_orig.jpg

 

And after a few more layers of clear coat I sanded the entire bass with 1400, 2000 and 2500 grit. Then polished it.
And mounted the hardware.

brooks-ddb-hardware-installed2_orig.jpg

 


Cut the two top nuts from buffalo horn

brooks-ddb-making-the-12-nut_orig.jpg

 

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When I started the build I was worried that I wouldn't be able to find a case that was large enough to fit this monster. But it turned out the Rockcase The Beast (by Warwick) is large enough.  I happened to have one in my house for another build (an explorer bass).  Laid it in the case and found out I only had to remove the little compartment in the left corner.
So I ordered another one and modified that. Made a nice foam insert and put some velours fabric over it. I'm never going to be a real upholsterer, but it turned out quite nice

 

brooks-ddb-in-case2_orig.jpg
brooks-ddb-in-case5_orig.jpg

 


The last step was done by my good friend Bas Becu (BQ Music). He is an electronics wizard.
Although this was pretty straight forward electronics, he can do a much better job soldering the wiring than I can.
So I asked Bas to do it for me.

 

brooks-ddb-electronics-1500_orig.jpg

 

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Dear god, I look at my feeble efforts and realise I'm not worthy. For some reason I imagined this guitar being used by Thor or some sort of Norse god. That nut is amazing.

 

I take my hat off to you, Sir.

 

What clear coat did you use please?

 

Thanks

 

Rob

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10 minutes ago, rwillett said:

Dear god, I look at my feeble efforts and realise I'm not worthy. For some reason I imagined this guitar being used by Thor or some sort of Norse god. That nut is amazing.

 

I take my hat off to you, Sir.

 

What clear coat did you use please?

 

Thanks

 

Rob

I used a few coats of Nitrocellulose clear.
And let that cure for a bit.
Then switched to Acrylic. Because it's cheaper and easier to work with basically.

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11 minutes ago, Basvarken said:

Then switched to Acrylic. Because it's cheaper and easier to work with basically.

Thanks. Any particular acrylic brand? I've tried a few and not had fantastic results in the past. Building or rather 3d printing another one and would like to do a better job this time. 

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13 minutes ago, rwillett said:

Thanks. Any particular acrylic brand? I've tried a few and not had fantastic results in the past. Building or rather 3d printing another one and would like to do a better job this time. 

I use really cheap rattle cans from  a store called Action. €3 per can.

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18 minutes ago, Basvarken said:

I use really cheap rattle cans from  a store called Action. €3 per can.

Wow, I had assumed with that fantastic finish it was a high end acrylic finish. Thanks :)

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Jaw dropping! 

I read the through to the end before I realised it's a 12 string bass, not a 12 string guitar.   Did you make the two piece bridge and string-ends, or are there suppliers for such niche items?

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9 hours ago, Richard R said:

Jaw dropping! 

I read the through to the end before I realised it's a 12 string bass, not a 12 string guitar.   Did you make the two piece bridge and string-ends, or are there suppliers for such niche items?

The 12-string bridge set was custom made by ETS Hardware in Germany. And the 4-string set comes for Philadelphia Luthiers.

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