Kiwi Posted May 25, 2014 Author Share Posted May 25, 2014 [quote name='Acebassmusic' timestamp='1401011509' post='2458990'] Stunning colour and bass.......you taking orders? [size=4][/quote][/size] A minimum of 90 hours of labour at 40 quid an hour plus another 700-800 in parts and materials... Looking at the bass before I left (with another set of clear coats still to go) I thought the bass looked more Paul Reed Smith than D'Angelico, mainly because of the outrageous quilt in the carved maple top with the binding. [size=4]The string spacing will be 16.5mm which is nicely consistent with my Alembic. It kind of ended up that way after we aimed for about 17mm. [/size][size=4]However, I can live with both those deviations from the plan. [/size] I'll still be trialling the graphite necks BTW. and will replace with wenge if I don't get quite the sound I'm after. Also, Jon will no longer be holding classes as his order book is so busy that he's run out of time and has had to take on an assistant, Tim. Tim is an extremely interesting chap...for being part of [url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZACBEW_B8s"]this[/url] band for starters. And for then going on to be an extremely prolific pop song writer during the late 80's to mid 90's thanks to his connections with Stock Aitken and Waterman. He was a source of many anecdotes...one of which was about a certain pop star still around today which I can't repeat for legal reasons...but I'll never think of them in the same way ever again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGreek Posted September 19, 2014 Share Posted September 19, 2014 Any updates??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiwi Posted September 20, 2014 Author Share Posted September 20, 2014 Unfortunately I haven't had the time to go back up there with organising a house shift and taking time out in NZ. Jon was going to do the bridge assembly anyway but decided there were 4 or 5 other instruments he needed to do first. I may have time in the first half of October though...we'll see although Jon didn't return my last text messages. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ezbass Posted September 20, 2014 Share Posted September 20, 2014 How am I only just discovering this thread? Looking awesome Steve, great design and that blue is just stunning. Looking forward to the updates and the finished article. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiwi Posted September 20, 2014 Author Share Posted September 20, 2014 [quote name='ezbass' timestamp='1411215657' post='2557584'] How am I only just discovering this thread? Looking awesome Steve, great design and that blue is just stunning. Looking forward to the updates and the finished article. [/quote] Thanks EZ. It started off being Jaydee meets Fodera and Steinberger but with the way its turning out I suspect it'll be more Steinberger, Jaydee and PRS. The maple top is breath taking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evil Undead Posted October 12, 2014 Share Posted October 12, 2014 sub'd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiwi Posted October 12, 2014 Author Share Posted October 12, 2014 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeFRC Posted October 12, 2014 Share Posted October 12, 2014 [quote name='Kiwi' timestamp='1411237279' post='2557828'] Thanks EZ. It started off being Jaydee meets Fodera and Steinberger but with the way its turning out I suspect it'll be more Steinberger, Jaydee and PRS. The maple top is breath taking. [/quote] I also have just noticed this thread - that build looks amazing - it looked pretty cool a few posts back but then that blue making the top pop out - it'll look amazing polished up! The sound hole does make me think a little of model made by a company we don't see up for sale much around here... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Posted May 15, 2015 Share Posted May 15, 2015 Zombie thread time Any updates? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PlungerModerno Posted May 15, 2015 Share Posted May 15, 2015 I remember this beautiful thing! Such potential. Hope things have worked out for it, and Kiwi! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiwi Posted May 15, 2015 Author Share Posted May 15, 2015 [quote name='Rich' timestamp='1431696627' post='2774078'] Zombie thread time Any updates? [/quote] I had discussed going over to Jon's at the end of this month assuming I had my car back by then...which I don't...and then plans for my wedding in China took over but consequently moved on only to be replaced by a huge public consultation event at work...the wedding is now planned for September. To be frank, I've given up struggling against my circumstances at the moment...but whenever I do it, I'd like to drive up and give the car a decent fizzing on the way. Driving through the Peak District is pretty amazing. [quote name='PlungerModerno' timestamp='1431696788' post='2774082'] I remember this beautiful thing![/quote] Did you see it hanging up? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiwi Posted September 24, 2016 Author Share Posted September 24, 2016 Quick bump to breathe some life back into this thread. I was back at Jon's this week and while I didn't get to even start on the fretless, the first bass is finished...save for a new headpiece and set up. Stay tuned for more later folks... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyTravis Posted September 24, 2016 Share Posted September 24, 2016 Wow, can't believe I didn't see this the first time round and I'm glad I've caught up with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiwi Posted September 24, 2016 Author Share Posted September 24, 2016 Here's a teaser with the man himself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ped Posted September 25, 2016 Share Posted September 25, 2016 I played the bass at the weekend. I was really taken with it. Seriously versatile and the build quality is fantastic. I have a pic somewhere. The bass has lots of neat details like the bridge cover and the binding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiwi Posted September 25, 2016 Author Share Posted September 25, 2016 OK here goes part one before I fly back home tomorrow. Feel like I need to be doing some kind of Captain Kremen style exposition. "Hellooooo viewers! Last week you'll recall we left the bass finished but not complete! What could possibly go wrong?! Lots, as it so happens..." OK so Jon had painted the body in its colour coats and given it a couple of coats of clear finish. The grain popped way more than I expected and I ended up worried that I was going to have some PRS DNA mixed into the whole Fod-berger-gelico thing. That didn't turn out to be as big a deal in the end after Jon slapped more clear coat on it but there were a couple of issues we needed to resolve before we could make progress. 1) The neck pocket. The screw holes were out of alignment with the holes in the neck pocket DESPITE using the pointy neck bolt process to identify the locations of the neck bolt holes. So Jon and I agreed that the neck holes on the neck needed to shift instead of the holes on the body. So I drilled out the brass inserts we put in the neck last time, routed out a super deep channel through each of the rows of bolt holes and we slammed a couple of bits of wenge in, [attachment=228626:20160919_134109.jpg] Planed/sanded the inserts back, drilled new holes that lined up with the neck heel and then installed new socket inserts. [attachment=228625:20160919_170704.jpg] One problem solved. 2) Bridge Yeah Jon worked out a solution but the dimensions needed testing. So we worked on that for a bit. First a sodding great hole needed routing in the back of the bass for the tone block and to allow enough clearance for using the tuners. [attachment=228627:20160920_122719.jpg] Then I shaped and drilled holes in an oddly shaped tone-block that the saddles were fixed to. [attachment=228629:20160920_160059.jpg] After the bridge was fixed, Jon rounded the saddle edges off for me on the vicious belt sander (sorry, but I swear it had it in for me) and we set about aligning it with the neck. [attachment=228633:20160923_115857.jpg] After the saddle was screwed down, the rest of the work just involved tweaks - we took the ebony bridge cover down a few mill so it stood less proud, I lined the control cavity and tinted the back rout for the bridge, f hole and neck screw holes with black stain or paint. Then I installed the pickups, soldered connections on the pick up coil selectors and worked the rats nest of a circuit into something slightly more rational (and robust). That took a whole day as we didn't have a schematic for the pickup wire colours and I got the connections wrong before we both managed to work out what went where. After that...we discovered that the double ball end strings I brought wouldn't fit. OH f***... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiwi Posted September 25, 2016 Author Share Posted September 25, 2016 Anyway, so there was a problem with the string length and after faffing about for a bit, we concluded that the best option would be to go for a headpiece that allowed single ball end strings to be used. Moses do one but they're being a bit obtuse in confirming whether that head piece will fit my neck. I suspect not but then there's a question about whether the head piece could be made to fit if all it involved was removing material. Alternatively, HeadlessUSA do an add on string clamp out of milled brass or aluminium but it's a less elegant solution than the Moses head piece. We shall see what happens when I hear back from both this week. It's almost the sort of thing that someone might take to e-machine shop in order to fabricate... But anyway, Jon rigged a set of old strings he had so they fit just so we could test the electronics. The finished instrument is here: [attachment=228636:20160925_121806.jpg] [color=#1D2129][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]When I set out with this project I wanted visually to achieve something that looked like the bastard love child of a three way between Fodera, Steinberger and D'Angelico with body width to match a Jaydee. I think the extra coats of matt finish helped to pull the maple back a bit and turn the whole thing into a much more subtle thing.[/font][/color] [color=#1D2129][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Tonally, I went looking for prominent midrange, vintage highs and solid, warm lows. That was mostly achieved - loads of snarly midrange as you might expect with a semi holllow. However the bass sounds a lot more stingray than I anticipated through all the coil split options. I may yet still faff about with resistors to change the impedance of the neck pickup in order to fatten it up a bit. [/font][/color][color=#1D2129][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]The surprise was how much sustain was on tap. I've generally held Moses-made Steinberger necks in high regard and that trust has been rewarded. I expected the semi hollow body to dampen things a little - and it has but in a nice way. The notes take ages to die off though - which suggests the next bass planned (a matching fretless in a tobacco sunburst), will be something to look forward to.[/font][/color] This bass took a lot longer to finish than I expected but the results have been more than worth it! For once, things turned out pretty close to how they were planned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiwi Posted February 28, 2017 Author Share Posted February 28, 2017 [attachment=239314:20170228_172845 - Copy (2).jpg] OK so now I've lived with it for 5 months, probably time for an update. I fitted the headstock string clamp and it works but it still isn't elegant. I looked into designing an alternative but the main issue is the angle of the fixing screws for the headstock cap aren't parallel to the fingerboard. Designing a headpiece that is more substantial to provide clearance for string clamping screws is going to be a problem. At the moment the clearance isn't needed because the string clamp is detachable. On the whole though, while the honeymoon phase has worn off, I'm still really happy with it. Things I like most are: 1) The sound. It's got a really lovely, articulate mid range purr/honk thanks to the body design and wood choices. The pickups are pretty neutral so capture lows and highs in equal measure. The graphite neck also adds an authority to the lows that is missing from the wooden necked basses I own but lacks any brittleness 2) The playability. The graphite neck allows very low, fast action (which also adds to the purr) and there are no dead spots. I use reasonably light gauge strings (035-120 which are getting increasingly hard to find) and the whole package of neck and strings lends precision to how the instrument feels when played. The chambered body is also nicely resonant and the whole instrument feels very alive - I'm looking forward to the day when I can play the instrument at stage volume just to test how the amp and instrument interact with one another. Surprises: 1) The hidden tuner system won't be to everyone's taste but I've found it surprisingly usable despite the lack of finger room. 2) The neck pickup also gets really close to the sound of a 5-string Stingray - more by accident than design. 3) The bass really doesn't need the active electronics. I've achieved my objectives for how the bass sounds just in the construction alone and it sounds great passive. 4) The edge binding is very practical - helps absorb all sorts of slight taps and knocks. I'd definitely put binding in on future instruments. 5) The B string is phenomenal. Very focussed, clear and full without sounding muddy in the slightest. Things I would change: I won't say the instrument is perfect! There's a bit of a clanger in the balance of the instrument when seated thanks to the location of the bottom horn that I really should have checked and picked up during the design stage. It's not head stock heavy enough (needs another 250-300g) and tends to slide off the knee. But on a strap it feels really nice - weighs in at 3.8kg. I like wide body basses too but this bass is perhaps a smidgen too wide, my arm can start to feel a little cramped after playing a while. So perhaps I'd reduce the width by 10mm on either side as well. At the moment I just keep thinking about what I'm going to do for bass number 2. Spanish cedar is a cheaper substitute for mahogany and has been used in a number of Les Paul tribute guitars to wide acclaim (the Huber Krauster for example). I'm curious about the impact of wenge on the sound - should fatten it up a little but it's not clear how much is needed. Also need to think about whether to go with Moses necks again given the lack of string-clamping headstock and the problem with lining up the pre-drilled bolt holes. We'll have to see what the future holds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted February 28, 2017 Share Posted February 28, 2017 Thanks for the update It's a great looking design and build and the learning points you raise bode very well for the future ones. Improvement on something that's pretty darned good to start off with is well worth following - can't wait Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiwi Posted February 28, 2017 Author Share Posted February 28, 2017 [quote name='Andyjr1515' timestamp='1488280806' post='3247448'] Thanks for the update It's a great looking design and build and the learning points you raise bode very well for the future ones. Improvement on something that's pretty darned good to start off with is well worth following - can't wait [/quote] Thanks for the reply! I know it took a while to complete the instrument but I'm surprised by the lack of other replies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bastav Posted February 28, 2017 Share Posted February 28, 2017 People are waiting for the artsy fartsy photos it looks great, i like the shape! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bastav Posted February 28, 2017 Share Posted February 28, 2017 People are waiting for the artsy fartsy photos it looks great, i like the shape! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheddatom Posted March 1, 2017 Share Posted March 1, 2017 [quote name='Bastav' timestamp='1488320694' post='3247981'] People are waiting for the artsy fartsy photos it looks great, i like the shape! [/quote] I certainly am! I love the shape too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ped Posted March 1, 2017 Share Posted March 1, 2017 It's really sweet - the satin finish and the shape make it a really tactile instrument and it seemed to respond very well to different positioning and technique. You can't beat a graphite neck IMO and the marriage between the body material and the neck works really well, bringing out the best in each. Yeah we want some better pics to show off the neat design details such as a really crafty bridge cover. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JPJ Posted March 2, 2017 Share Posted March 2, 2017 Ooh nice result! The satin finish looks gorgeous, there is something undeniably more 'expensive' looking about satin finishes, to me anyway. Nice accident with the Stingray sounding neck pickup, but that has reminded me that I really need to complete my own Status graphite necked blingray build As I find myself playing my fretless more and more these days out of choice not necessity, I'll be interested to hear how build no2 turns out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.