Spoombung

So next came the attack of the rasp:

[quote name='Matte_black' post='446378' date='Mar 26 2009, 07:50 PM']I really like how it's turning out. My only doubt about that body shape is about the position the bass wil stay in when you play sitting. It will be too low on your leg and this could make slapping a bit tricky. Other than that, I really like it! This is the problem of all the small bodies, though.[/quote] [i].........Slapping????!!!!!! [/i] C'mon, that's for the kids! Matte, the body is designed for a [i]perfect [/i]playing position. You will see the wisdom of my ways shortly, brother.

Okay, I visited the workshop today and it was time to tackle the contouring now we finally have a body to work on. Mike tends to favour very soft, rounded contours on his own basses but that's not really to my taste. With the exception of the forearm ease, I prefer something more angular especially on the edges that do not require heavy contours. so rather than uniform soft curves this bass will feature a combination of square-ish angles and softened areas. We started with Mike taking the edge of the whole body with sort of angled drill bit (I'm sorry, I can't remember what it's called) Then it was time to attack it with a very noisy disk sander. It was a terrifyingly, quick process and the wood rapidly came off it great clouds of dust.

More progress: these were the frets going in yesterday:

gorgeous.

[quote name='Mike' post='444887' date='Mar 25 2009, 12:26 PM']Good luck with the bass, I look forward with great anticipation to more pictures of the completed bass![/quote] Thanks Mike. This thread will be active all the way through the build and probably beyond.

[quote name='steve' post='445377' date='Mar 25 2009, 08:19 PM']thats an ace fretboard[/quote] I'm glad you think so. I must admit, I'm having trouble getting a 'feel' of what the instrument will be like mainly because there is nothing to pick up and put on my lap yet and the jots haven't been joined.

Mike has sent me some pictures of the radiusing: Tomorrow I'm going to visit and discuss the all-important contouring.

Yep, another recommendation for Alan at ACG. He loves that singlecut stuff.

It's true there wasn't much attention paid to ergonomics at Wal: the neck was huge and thick like a bowling bat and Pete would tell you they made them like that to force you to get your hand into the proper playing position. I always thought that sounded like total bvllshvt. The basses [i]did [/i]weigh a ton and the strings were miles above the body due to the shallow fitting neck pocket. But you could ask them to tailor it a bit to your requirements - they were happy to do so - and they were always well made with lovely woods. They looked great. But of course the main thing was the sound; the pickups together with the tone controls sounded so much better (fruity and hi-fi) than all the other basses to me... and still do. I was recently at a 'Bass Bash' and by Crikey, my Wal wiped the floor with the other 40 or so golden- bvllvcked, pink ivory basses that were there.... but then again I type this after 2 pints of wine and early spring sunstroke.

[quote name='budget bassist' post='440730' date='Mar 20 2009, 11:04 PM']that top wood is gorgeous did you say you were leaving it natural? An amber or blue stain on there would look gorgeous to me![/quote] I was going to have an amber stain but I think it'll look fine natural.

[quote name='Stylon Pilson' post='440011' date='Mar 20 2009, 09:10 AM']Well, I suppose there will be people who like Fenders with the exception of certain aspects, and if they have the cash to bankroll their quest for perfection, then they'd go for a custom build of a "perfectified" Fender. S.P.[/quote] It's an odd practise as they usually have them made like the original, albeit exotic woods, petrified ivory and golden balls.

[quote name='aido43' post='439659' date='Mar 19 2009, 08:07 PM']Wasnt sure about shape on drawings but it looks great now its cut---the wood is lovely--are you going for a matte or gloss finish?[/quote] It's going to be an oil finish - so no gloss.

[quote name='steve' post='439678' date='Mar 19 2009, 08:27 PM']+1, it looks better 'in the flesh' so to speak. I'll be interested to see the contouring[/quote] The plan is to make the contouring pretty severe on the back and quite shallow on the front.

[quote name='Matte_black' post='439648' date='Mar 19 2009, 08:03 PM']I like "liquid", harmonic and soft shapes. Can't stand huge bodies or Fender clones but it's my problem [/quote] Yeah, I'm with you there. Can't understand people getting a 'custom build' and ending up with another Fender.

[quote name='GreeneKing' post='439587' date='Mar 19 2009, 07:08 PM']I'm thinking that I understand your appreciation Matte, looking at your avatar Marks out of ten for ascetics hmm.... not a hug amount from me but it's Kev's bass and it'll hopefully suit a purpose.[/quote] There's quite a long way to go on it, Peter, and I'm going to ask for the the horns to be shaped differently - all will hopefully be revealed next week.

[quote name='Matte_black' post='439583' date='Mar 19 2009, 07:02 PM']I like it! [/quote] Thanks Matt, that gladdens me as I'm a BIG admirer of your work!

[quote name='MacDaddy' post='439565' date='Mar 19 2009, 06:49 PM']You know those paintings by Dali, with the melting clocks? It looks as though it could be the bass equivalent. Can't wait to see the body contoured and painted! BTW what colour are you going for?[/quote] I'm going to go for natural. I know what you mean about Dali but I'm trying my best not to use innuendo and allude to his catchy painting titles eg, "[i]The Great Masturbator[/i]" as there's been enough talk about [i]lower horns[/i] here already.

Okay Ladies and Gentleeeeeeemennnn...... I present the body!

So that looked all right. What could possibly go wrong? The machine moves into action - tracing the lines of the body at last and leaving a tantalizing, mouth-watering impression of something resembling a bass guitar..... ...then the drill bit snaps! Feck. Abandon mission. We drive off to Braintree to get some new drill bits, return to the workshop but the computer needs major adjustments and I'm running out of time and I have to leave without seeing the body. So close and yet so far. Nothing else remains but the misery of fighting my way back through the traffic down the A12 to the 20 mile queue for the Blackwell Tunnel. And no, I have not included another photograph of that horror.

Well, things have been really quite slow at Zoot HQ lately due to a number of calamitous setbacks (it's probably wise not go into details) so we had a situation where the body wasn't even cut from the block yet. Anyway, on this visit it was Mike's solemn intention to actually create the body and liberate a shape from the block so we could both feel the build was moving on a bit. So here we are with the machine moving into action first routing the pickup holes:

That noise just Billy's pants talking. And his pony tail.

Brook are fantastic and will make you something unconventional if you want it.

[quote name='The Burpster' post='433869' date='Mar 13 2009, 04:26 PM']How about some of these.... ? [url="http://www.pioneer.no/no/products/TS-A2510/print.html"]http://www.pioneer.no/no/products/TS-A2510/print.html[/url][/quote] Car speakers?

[quote name='alexclaber' post='433852' date='Mar 13 2009, 04:13 PM']Xmax is how far a cone can more forwards or backwards with <10% distortion. Combined with cone area it is the limiting factor in how loud you can get the lows from a speaker. However a speaker with low Xmax can have excellent bottom and sound very bassy - you just won't be able to turn it up far before the distortion starts increasing and the sound gets less and less bassy. Whizzer is the description for the additional smaller cone attached to the main cone. They've been used in hi-fi since the '40s I believe, maybe earlier and the Lowther driver is the most famous example and is still popular with single driver aficianados: Lowther drivers tend to be used in enormous rear-loaded horn cabs, which increase the pressure behind the cone so that you can get more bottom from the minimal Xmax (if you double the pressure of the air you're moving then the cone only need move half as far to get the same SPL.) Alex[/quote] Would you recommend this then? [url="http://accessories.musiciansfriend.com/product/Eminence-Legend-B102-10-Bass-Speaker?sku=667707"]http://accessories.musiciansfriend.com/pro...aker?sku=667707[/url] There doesn;t seem to be an obvious UK supplier. Seems the business for pub/small venues...