bass guitar design (for design contest)

[beater]

I've entered my design in an [url="http://theguitarcustomshop.com/index.php?name=PNphpBB2&file=viewtopic&t=876"]online design contest[/url], and I have made it to this month's finals...

[url="http://theguitarcustomshop.com/index.php?name=PNphpBB2&file=viewtopic&t=876"][/url]

[b]If you like it, [size=4]please[/size] help me out and pop in a vote for it[/b] (if you think it's more worthy than the competition there...)

PS: It only takes about 5 seconds to register for voting there (link [url="http://theguitarcustomshop.com/user.php?op=check_age&module=NewUser"]here[/url])

[charic]

The headstock ruins it for me I'm afraid.

Best of luck though, my moneys on this though:

[Roland Rock]

[quote name='charic' post='1066446' date='Dec 22 2010, 08:57 AM']The headstock ruins it for me I'm afraid.

Best of luck though, my moneys on this though:
[/quote]

My thoughts exactly. The sock gets points for being bonkers. Looks like you're well in the lead though - good luck.

[derrenleepoole]

That's a great design, but I'd echo other members comments on the headstock. It's actually a really nice headstock design, it just seem a little too big compared to the body. But the flow of it is great, well done

[Slaveunit]

what do you get if you win?

[BigRedX]

I'll echo the other comments about the headstock. It's too big to visually balance the instrument.

Plus Points - the body shape looks pretty ergonomic (even if the headstock isn't) and since you've not specified any string trees I'm assuming that the headstock is set at an angle which is good idea (I hate string trees).

Minus Points - The current design of the headstock is too big to be angled - your case will need to be much deeper to accommodate it. The hipshot bridge you've chose is a complete pain to adjust. There are plenty of much more ergonomic bridges available, and no-one has yet convinced me that there is any significant tone advantage in this design that is worth the hassle of set up changes.

Other things - you haven't indicated where the strap buttons go. This can make a big difference to the comfort of a bass and really should be described. The pickups and electronics could be considered rather bland by some.

Overall it's not bad apart form the headstock, but IMO there's more to instrument design then trying to come up with something a bit different shape-wise and then populating it with a selection of stock parts. Truly innovative instrument design considers everything and breaks people's expectations while offering genuinely new advantages.

If you want to see some really innovative bass designs take a look at the work of BassLab, Gus, Lightwave, Jerome Little and Michael Spalt to name but a few.

[Spoombung]

Depends if you want your design to be judged on its practicality or its aethetics.

Aethetically it's quite elegant.

In practise the headstock will be bashing into the drummer's cymbals and catching on low roofs and won't last long and as pointed out, cannot be angled because of its length. It will also have terrible balance and the neck will head for the ground. It will not balance on the knee either.

[Big_Stu]

Is it me or is the bass in the OP tiny in the body area? Not much mass there; & I do believe in body mass helping to shape tone. + you might need to rename it as the "Stuka".

If the shape was the same but about 50% bigger overall it would balance better both aesthetically & physically.

The second one would get a hell of a scrap off Rickenbacker, would be interesting what they said if the result is widely publicised & they hear of it.