Andyjr1515 Posted April 11, 2015 Share Posted April 11, 2015 Hi All The 'under-wraps' project is progressing well so I am starting to work out the what next. It's a few weeks away before any physical progress, probably, but I am planning to make a start on an 'essence of thumb' thru-neck fretless. As I've discussed before, I built a thumb tribute for a band mate who idolises the late Jack Bruce and asked if I could build something like JD's own fabulous Warwick NT Thumb. The build went very well and it is fantastic to play. Construction method was quite different to the original, and it has my moniker inlaid 'swifts' on the headstock for all avoidance of doubt but is clearly a copy not only of the materials but also the shape. I've had a few enquiries about building another, but building a bass to sell is quite different to building an at-cost tribute for a mate and I have no interest in encroaching on Warwick's products which, I think, are fabulous. I also use my mate's bass now and again and the green monster always gets to me 'want it...want it...keep it....keep it....steal it.....steal it....' because, regardless of the shape (which does polarise views a bit) it has a great (quite full-on) weight, great tone, great playability. My answer is to design my own shape but with the same overall dimensions and timbers as the last one I did. May turn out to be a lemon, but worth a try This is the shape I have in mind... ...and this is the bubinga I've got maturing like a good wine in the shed: I won't know until I start slimming it down how good the figuring is going to be, but based on the grain, it should be nice: As I say, it'll probably be a few weeks before I start on it in earnest but I'll let you know when I do for them's that might be interested... Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HowieBass Posted April 11, 2015 Share Posted April 11, 2015 Love these build-a-bass threads! Have fun! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ezbass Posted April 11, 2015 Share Posted April 11, 2015 [quote name='HowieBass' timestamp='1428771267' post='2744457'] Love these build-a-bass threads! Have fun! [/quote]Me too. I am in awe of the building talent on this forum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myke Posted April 11, 2015 Share Posted April 11, 2015 I am looking forward to this! Your builds are always satisfying! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rumple Posted April 12, 2015 Share Posted April 12, 2015 Ooooo I'll be following this one Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted April 12, 2015 Author Share Posted April 12, 2015 Thanks, folks Committed myself now with an order in place at Thomann for a couple of SD SJB-2's, an SCT-2 Equaliser, Warwick bridge, tuners and 'just a nut' . Thomann don't seem to do the MEC's anymore and I wanted to try out the SBJs in any case... What's the view on the body shape? It's trying to be 'familiar but different'... Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimBobTTD Posted April 12, 2015 Share Posted April 12, 2015 The body shape looks interesting - familiar yet not ripping off anything (as far as I can tell!). I can only echo what the gentlemen above have said - I too shall be watching this with interest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FuNkShUi Posted April 12, 2015 Share Posted April 12, 2015 Looking forward to seeing how this progresses!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scojack Posted April 13, 2015 Share Posted April 13, 2015 Good start Andy, loving the Bubinga ! Think the body shape is an improvement ...was never keen on the top horn, giving it a bit more shape looks much better. Looking forward to seeing this progress ...what's the neck spec? IanM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PlungerModerno Posted April 13, 2015 Share Posted April 13, 2015 (edited) Aside from the upper horn, the silhouette is pretty close to a Warwick thumb bass - but with different contouring the finished body could look a lot different. FWIW for a I'd suggest having a long upper horn (reaching to or beyond the 12th fret) for a standard 34" scale - to get a good balance, even if the bubinga is fairly light when shaped, or is so heavy you end up doing something like a chambering system. As I'm sure you're aware - some people have found the thumb layout (especially the bolt on ones?) a little neck heavy. If it comes to it, you can always shorten the horns if the bass sits too far to the right (or move the strap button). EDIT: P.S. I agree with scojack, the upper horn no your body design, at least in outline / silhouette, is less "awkward" than the thumb one. Kinda like a cross between a status and a jazz upper horn. Tasty. Edited April 13, 2015 by PlungerModerno Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted April 13, 2015 Author Share Posted April 13, 2015 (edited) [quote name='scojack' timestamp='1428911691' post='2745745'] Good start Andy, loving the Bubinga ! Think the body shape is an improvement ...was never keen on the top horn, giving it a bit more shape looks much better. Looking forward to seeing this progress ...what's the neck spec? IanM [/quote] Thanks, Ian The neck is going to be Amazaque (Ovangkol) spliced with mahogany. It will be a thru' neck, done my strange way (I don't glue the wings to the neck, I slot the body with a router, cut a notch out of the body section of the neck and slot it in. That way, I have a continuous (albeit 2 part in this case) body top rather than a third piece to cover the neck.) It's how I did my Tribute, pictured above: Then in slotted the neck and eventually it came out like this at the back: People think I'm bonkers but I find it a lot easier to accurately cut a routed slot than producing gap-free flat and square butt-joints Andy Edited April 13, 2015 by Andyjr1515 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted April 13, 2015 Author Share Posted April 13, 2015 (edited) [quote name='PlungerModerno' timestamp='1428929738' post='2746003'] Aside from the upper horn, the silhouette is pretty close to a Warwick thumb bass - but with different contouring the finished body could look a lot different. FWIW for a I'd suggest having a long upper horn (reaching to or beyond the 12th fret) for a standard 34" scale - to get a good balance, even if the bubinga is fairly light when shaped, or is so heavy you end up doing something like a chambering system. As I'm sure you're aware - some people have found the thumb layout (especially the bolt on ones?) a little neck heavy. If it comes to it, you can always shorten the horns if the bass sits too far to the right (or move the strap button). EDIT: P.S. I agree with scojack, the upper horn no your body design, at least in outline / silhouette, is less "awkward" than the thumb one. Kinda like a cross between a status and a jazz upper horn. Tasty. [/quote] Hi PlungerModerno I know where you're coming from but the aim is to pretty much replicate my Thumb tribute but without it being shaped like a Thumb (apart from anything else, is it just me that thinks the Thumb is a little bit...er...suggestive? Oh, it is just me!...'nuff said... ) What I like about the original build was the weight, balance, compactness as well as the playability. Of course, there's no guarantee that ANY of that will be the same with a second build Thanks for the feedback, folks...much appreciated Andy Edited April 13, 2015 by Andyjr1515 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ezbass Posted April 13, 2015 Share Posted April 13, 2015 (edited) [quote name='Andyjr1515' timestamp='1428938813' post='2746150'] Andy [/quote] Look at the curve on that body, fantastic! Edited April 13, 2015 by ezbass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scojack Posted April 13, 2015 Share Posted April 13, 2015 (edited) Ahh right never seen it done this way before. I have done neck throughs with a step where you glue neck and sides leaving the neck proud then fitted a cap over the top. Aye ...[original] top horn looks a little ....erm .....odd (imo) Ian M Edited April 14, 2015 by scojack Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted April 13, 2015 Author Share Posted April 13, 2015 [quote name='ezbass' timestamp='1428940385' post='2746182'] Look at the curve on that body, fantastic! [/quote] It's a great place to hide a beer belly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alittlebitrobot Posted April 15, 2015 Share Posted April 15, 2015 Another build! Woohoo! I'm sorry if this is impertinent but I was just thinking about your shape. If it was me, I'd thin the lower horn a bit to match the change to the upper horn a bit. Something like this http://i.imgur.com/B5brGLu.jpg Just putting it out there... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted April 15, 2015 Author Share Posted April 15, 2015 [quote name='alittlebitrobot' timestamp='1429104123' post='2748034'] Another build! Woohoo! I'm sorry if this is impertinent but I was just thinking about your shape. If it was me, I'd thin the lower horn a bit to match the change to the upper horn a bit. Something like this [url="http://i.imgur.com/B5brGLu.jpg"]http://i.imgur.com/B5brGLu.jpg[/url] Just putting it out there... [/quote] Hi, alittlebitrobot Hmmmm - yes quite like that. Might shamelessly steal that thought Thanks Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alittlebitrobot Posted April 15, 2015 Share Posted April 15, 2015 (edited) Great but, actually, I insist that I be given due credit in the form of my name scorched into both the front and back of the bass.... and really big too. Edited April 15, 2015 by alittlebitrobot Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted April 15, 2015 Author Share Posted April 15, 2015 [quote name='alittlebitrobot' timestamp='1429128596' post='2748398'] Great but, actually, I insist that I be given due credit in the form of my name, scorched into both the front and back of the bass.... and really big too. [/quote] That seems fair... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HowieBass Posted April 15, 2015 Share Posted April 15, 2015 Call it the Robot Bass? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted April 16, 2015 Author Share Posted April 16, 2015 (edited) [quote name='HowieBass' timestamp='1429134536' post='2748489'] Call it the Robot Bass? [/quote] Actually, if it's got to have 'alittlebitrobot' emblazoned in very big letters on it, maybe it should be called the Extraordinarily Large Bass Edited April 16, 2015 by Andyjr1515 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alittlebitrobot Posted April 16, 2015 Share Posted April 16, 2015 I like where this is heading.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
White Cloud Posted April 18, 2015 Share Posted April 18, 2015 I have to say that I was hugely impressed by your JB Thumb copy...this is shaping up beautifully too... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted April 18, 2015 Author Share Posted April 18, 2015 Sort of committed now - got the p/ups, EQ and hardware: Thomann seem to have stopped doing the MECs so I've gone for SD SJB-2s with a STC-2 EQ. The hardware is Warwick...still impresses me that their hardware is so relatively affordable I've used the Just a Nut before and I think they are good. For the 'under-wraps' we've gone for the brass one...but for this one I've stuck with the composite but - having now seen the brass one - I'm really tempted... Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sblueplanet Posted April 21, 2015 Share Posted April 21, 2015 I used to own a lefty Thumb BO4 and found the neck would dive so be interesting to see if your body design tweaks will alleviate the issue whilst still keeping to a compact body shape. Another small body shape you could consider blending into the mix could be that of a more symmetrical SG but with contouring or is that just impractical? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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