HazBeen

Very nice, the Origin helps speed things along. Almost CNC speed.

Glue ups look neat too

Look what showed up Thanks @Andre_Passini!

Little bit of progress to report. Fronts and backs glued up. Also cleaned up body core (no pics, took down thickness some more (3.8 cm will be final thickness) and chambered.

Better with Ebony fretboard....fretboard and body core thicknessed.... body core is 2.6cm. So we will end up just over 4cm. Will be chambering the core, so weight will not be any issue. Next step, trussrod/graphite rods, fretboard and a million other things 😂

Widest neck blank I ever made

Having slept on it, Ebony fingerboard ordered...

It is already decided and sorted , ABM single string clamps. Anyway... Neck blank and body core glued up. I still need to thickness the ash a little, so when I slap on 8mm walnut on both sides we get to 4 cm or just under. It was getting a bit late for my thicknesser’s volume and I prefer using a hand plane for the last few mm anyway, so glued the 2 halves and will sort the planing out when dry. I decided to go for the 3 ply, maple/wenge/maple. I liked it best. What I don’t like is how the ovangkol looks against the walnut top. Too similar in colour.... I need to do something about that. Probably just order new fretboard material, darker.

What a cracking instrument!

I also am going to make a saw guide for the multi-scale frets as my normal jig only does straight. Saw a design online that looks good and that I will copy. Uses magnets to keep the saw blade stable against a maple block that can pivot to make the correct angled cuts.

Bridge is being set to me today ... yeah and ABM is making me the black single string clamps to order and they will ship Wednesday/Thursday next week. So, this weekend I want to make a start and finally create some saw dust. Rough cut and glue up the body, and also glue up a neck blank.... leaning toward 3 ply Maple, quarter sawn Wenge, Maple (my go to) or maybe do a 5 ply Maple, Wenge, Maple, quarter sawn Wenge, Maple or even a Maple, Wenge, Wenge quarter sawn, Wenge, Maple option... but maybe all the wenge in a 5 ply is a bit dark (given the dark walnut cap on the body and black hardware.

There certainly are ways, I thought about routing the strings through headstock “in diagonal ferrules”, and then clamping straight on the underside or I could indeed do an inset, but I had something specific in mind and chose to follow that vision (ie single string clamps)

More an esthetics thing than technical to be hones. I just dont like a square line (clamp) against the diagonal nut/zerofret. Going single string clamps means I can follow the diagonal.

Hmmm, whilst not spent much time on it, using the upper horn shape as the basis for the “headstock” makes sense. Example attached. I cannot use the Nova string clamp due to the fanned fret, so I am looking to get some single string string locks a la ABM7011. Open to suggestions/alternatives if anyone has any.

That said, it may be a proper headless too. My sketchbook will decide

Basically a smaller headstock, without tuners just clamps .... a la Ritter, Bogart (old series), LeFay

I might have just bought a single saddle bridge off @Andre_Passini with the intention of making the above a (semi)headless....... 😎

I have to admit I cannot be @rzed to read all 7 pages, but moving around or not does not make you a boring bass player. It may make you a boring stage presence, but boring bass player not so much. Playing all root notes all the time does, but even that can be viewed “cool” in the right context. I must be growing old, all the shallowness on YT confuses me.

Plus 1, great pickups

I agree, you are making me feel all inadequate 😂 This build is just gorgeous.

Not wanting to take anything away from some of the constructive feedback I am reading, @benh if this is your first build my advice would be: accept that you are learning and that you will make mistakes, building is as much overcoming and finding solutions to issues as anything; this will not be your last build (trust me) so it is much more about enjoying the process and getting a feel for it; you are building your bass (yeah!) so nothing to stop you do whatever you want with whatever design which is the best thing about building your own instruments.

Perfectly fine bridge solution.

Yes, but the shorter the distance of the pocket, the shorter the distance between front and back screws and the less surface area to spread the load of the strings. But regardless, everyone is agreeing it makes sense to extend the pocket.

It feels the same playing on the ramp section as it does on the pickup over the screw hole, it is like that by design. I have very particular wishes wrt a ramp (I love them) and this one (counting the pickups themselves as part of it) covers all main playing positions and still leaves enough room to pluck.