Spoombung

Then it was time to move on to the maple and see what I fancied from his collection. Here's Mike sawing the selection in half (the two pieces will be opened up like a pair of hands and [i]bookmatched [/i] as they call it in the trade - as I'm sure you know) And here it is (complete with scorch marks from the bandsaw) with a rough outline of the body drawn on: Wow, it looks quite psychodelic - with a lighter coloured band running through the centre. Quilted maple, is it's official name. Here's another view of it. It looks very 3-D when turned to the light.

Now it was time pick some wood starting with Mike's collection of swamp ash boards (that I was happy to pose against). This'll form the main body of the bass with a maple face. Here's Mike tidying up the selected piece (complete with bark - no we're [i]not [/i]going to use that) on the saw:

On Friday I travelled up to Witham to see Mike and fix the final positions of the the neck, pickups and knobs and refine the headstock and tuners on the [i]Rhino [/i]cad program. The majority of the design has already been established with the analogue drawing so it was a simple matter to move stuff around on the screen. [attachment=19495:Captureprog4.jpg] [attachment=19496:Capturewhole1.jpg] [attachment=19497:Capturebody2.jpg] You'll notice the new,slimmer headstock shape: [attachment=19499:Capturehead3.jpg]

[quote name='7string' post='395873' date='Jan 31 2009, 12:26 AM']I'm going along to the Bass Bash on 15th February, so you're more than welcome to try both the ACG 9 and my Sei 7.[/quote] Where's the 'bass bash', then...?

Aw, congratulations that looks like a monster! Enjoy your new bass! PS. Does 'ERB' mean it's got lots of strings? I not familiar with that term.

It was a good idea to model them first. Nice to see that instead of a big spec sheet. 'B' is my fave.

I'd go for an Asian-made Peavey Cirrus. Lovely neck and action, good EQ, really well made - about £300 - 350. They're everywhere. Or Ibanez SB basses - £450 - 500

Let's see the pics, then!

[quote name='MacDaddy' post='393668' date='Jan 28 2009, 01:55 PM']this one [/quote] That's not a bass - that's just a body! Are you having one made? Do tell...

[quote name='ashevans09' post='393144' date='Jan 27 2009, 08:35 PM']That will end up being an absolute beauty to record on...it looks so comfortable![/quote] Let's hope so!

[quote name='MacDaddy' post='393165' date='Jan 27 2009, 09:01 PM']Just seen this thread, read all of it and will be following. I take it you are not too bothered about the upper fret access? Or maybe you could have the neck side curve of the LH contoured? BTW +1 on Mike. I'm picking up my Iceni from him any day now :)[/quote] Yes, I probably will have the LH (well done for using the abbreviation!) curve slightly contoured - although I'm also not too bothered about upper fret access. What bass are you picking up from him? There didn't seem to be that many complete basses in his workshop.

I was drooling for this one: ...but the jazz copies they specialize in (with the 'distressed' treatment and all that) - well they were fine but overpriced for what they were.

Here's a little photoshop mock up of the bass:

I had one around '79. It was my first 'proper' bass. Took me 6 months to save up for it.

I'm going to ask Mike to contour the horns roughly the same way as this unbelievably, beautiful Bordwell bass - albeit without the fancy scroll. There will be a compromise required, I suspect, when it comes to the bolt on section of my bass.

[quote name='MB1' post='390624' date='Jan 24 2009, 07:44 PM']MB1. The stuff of Myth? OR.... Could possibly be the contents of the Legendary Voodoo Butter Underpants thrown onstage during a Zappa Gig! [/quote] We're going to lose a lot of people who have subscribed to this thread with nonsense like that!

[quote name='7string' post='390002' date='Jan 23 2009, 09:31 PM']Shows that the delicate lower horn can be done though [/quote] I've typed 'Lower Horn' so many times on this thread I will now abbreviate it to 'LH' from now on.

[quote name='wmsheep' post='389928' date='Jan 23 2009, 07:26 PM'][/quote] Not bad.

[quote name='MB1' post='389836' date='Jan 23 2009, 05:35 PM']MB1. Just a thought... but Dont the upper and lower horns affect Bass and treble response?[/quote] What kind of Voodoo nonsense is that??

This is probably going to be the maple on the face of the guitar with a birdseye maple fingerboard. I'm thinking of having a little amber/honey colouring in the lacquer. There's such a lot to think about. Today I found it almost impossible to decide whether I wanted a black veneer between the fingerboard and neck or what sort of markers I wanted on the fingerboard. Anyway, Mike is digitizing my drawing and next week I'll go back and settle on the final positions of the neck and body, all the hardware, the electronic cavity, routes and electronics. It's all established on the computer first then the machine will cut the laminated wood later on.

[quote name='Merton' post='389791' date='Jan 23 2009, 04:53 PM']Mike is the proper dude, he's such a nice fella. When he still ran the Bass Merchant I bought a Trace cab off him, he took me into the workshop and showed me every single bass in production, going over all the intricate details of each one. Didn;t need to, I didn't even ask, but he did it as part of the experience. It was awesome [/quote] I couldn't agree more. It's difficult to get a word in edges due to his motormouth barrage of anecdotes and technical info. I've just got to try and get him to focus on my lower horn now *ahem*

[quote name='MB1' post='389882' date='Jan 23 2009, 06:19 PM']MB1. ...are you prepared to bend your lower horn?.... [/quote] Swing low, lower horn.

[quote name='MB1' post='389836' date='Jan 23 2009, 05:35 PM']MB1. Cant pick any i'm afraid! Cant help thinking that lower horn is both totally impractical,possibly sexually Offensive,and probably more trouble than its worth!... custom case required! Just a thought... but Dont the upper and lower horns affect Bass and treble response?[/quote] But you've got it the wrong way round. All I've done is design the lower horn how it [i]should[/i] be - in honour of the human body, in honour of the player. The little, fashionably compromised lower horn we get on most basses these days is the 'impractical' one! It serves no purpose.

Meet Mike and Steve - the brains, the hands and the boiler suits behind the Zoot operation. Working from a windowless, workshop deep in one of the darkest corners of rain-soaked Essex, there is a smell of sawdust, tobacco, fairy cakes and doughnuts about these two (the sweet smell of success) as they toil relentlessly transforming bits of wood, bark, plastic, wire and glue into sensual objects of beauty. They are agents of the fundamental, ministers of 100 hz - 250 hz.

"Well Steve, that's the most impressively proportioned lower horn I've ever seen" "It's a fierce pancake, alright, Mike"