Andyjr1515 Posted July 31, 2016 Share Posted July 31, 2016 Hi I alluded in another thread that I was on the road to another full build. In summary, our old-gits-band's bassist, Pete, has persuaded me in the past to build him two "in the style of" instruments. He is a long-standing Jack Bruce fan and first got me to build him a Jack Bruce Thumb tribute fretless, which many of you will have seen before: ...and - because he fancies himself as a six-string lead player too (actually, he plays a mighty fine lead when the band's main lead guitarist lets him) - an SG-style electric: The new request is a neat seque of the two ... a nod to one of the EB3 fretted basses that Jack Bruce used to play. Happily, Pete isn't a purist. If he was, he wouldn't ask me to build guitars and basses for him More than that, he doesn't want it to be short-scale per the original. So the spec in my mind, so far is:[list] [*]34" scale, with bridge moved back from original to improve balance and shorten the apparent look and feel of the neck [*]Mahogany two piece body with maple or Wenge demarcation stripe. Chambered to reduce weight. [*]Mahogany through neck with central walnut splice [*]Ebony fretboard and headstock [*]Cherry red stain [*]DiMarzio Number One bridge pickup [*]Still to be spec'd mini humbucker for neck [*]Infamous Gibson three-point bridge - purely for a passing nod towards authenticity (even though JB did also play EB3's with the even earlier non-compensated nickel bar bridges, but I do have at least one photo of him playing a three-pointer) [*]Still to be spec'd EQ if any. [/list] I got hold of one of the few remaining three pointers on the shelves - I think the UN has banned them for crimes against humanity: Note the (supplied) Sellotape holding the saddle-screws in....because there's nothing else holding them in, certainly! Two paper templates cut - one for the back and one for the top: Two pieces of mahogany ready: ...and DiMarzio Number One bought from Thomann to achieve free postage for Stuart when I ordered his semi-acoustic's EQ : I think we're away Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassBus Posted July 31, 2016 Share Posted July 31, 2016 Watching with interest already. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ezbass Posted July 31, 2016 Share Posted July 31, 2016 Ooh, another build; goodo! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bastav Posted July 31, 2016 Share Posted July 31, 2016 This should be good! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ahpook Posted July 31, 2016 Share Posted July 31, 2016 Looking forward to seeing how it turns out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hobbayne Posted July 31, 2016 Share Posted July 31, 2016 Those two paper templates reminded me of J Kay's hat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
White Cloud Posted July 31, 2016 Share Posted July 31, 2016 I'm in! This is going to be awesome... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGreek Posted July 31, 2016 Share Posted July 31, 2016 Hooray...Another of Andy's builds to follow Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted July 31, 2016 Author Share Posted July 31, 2016 [quote name='Hobbayne' timestamp='1469985146' post='3102468'] Those two paper templates reminded me of J Kay's hat. [/quote] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
W1_Pro Posted August 1, 2016 Share Posted August 1, 2016 Looking forward to this. You should have your own Youtube channel Andy..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted August 1, 2016 Author Share Posted August 1, 2016 (edited) Of course, the observant amongst you will have noticed that the big pickup goes in the neck position! I also forgot to mention the Varitone... So the spec will be, of course:[list] [*]34" scale, with bridge moved back from original to improve balance and shorten the apparent look and feel of the neck [*]Mahogany two piece body with maple or Wenge demarcation stripe. Chambered to reduce weight. [*]Mahogany through neck with central walnut splice [*]Ebony fretboard and headstock [*]Cherry red stain [*]DiMarzio Number One [b]neck[/b] pickup [*]Still to be spec'd mini humbucker for [b]bridge[/b] [*]Infamous Gibson three-point bridge - purely for a passing nod towards authenticity (even though JB did also play EB3's with the even earlier non-compensated nickel bar bridges, but I do have at least one photo of him playing a three-pointer) [*]Varitone [/list] Edited August 1, 2016 by Andyjr1515 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted August 1, 2016 Share Posted August 1, 2016 Gibson did make a long-scale version of the EB3. Have a look at [url=http://www.flyguitars.com/gibson/bass/EB3.php]Fly Guitars[/url] for more details including models with two completely different pickup positions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted August 1, 2016 Author Share Posted August 1, 2016 [quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1470077733' post='3103129'] Gibson did make a long-scale version of the EB3. Have a look at [url="http://www.flyguitars.com/gibson/bass/EB3.php"]Fly Guitars[/url] for more details including models with two completely different pickup positions. [/quote] Wow - fascinating, BigRedX. Those pickup positions are quite, quite different! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolverinebass Posted August 1, 2016 Share Posted August 1, 2016 How much is this costing?!! I bet lots of folk on the forum would be interested in getting in on this. I don't even like Gibsons and I'd be up for this. Plus it'd beat paying £6500 for the equivalent EB3 Warwick copy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rk7 Posted August 4, 2016 Share Posted August 4, 2016 Subscribed! RK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted August 4, 2016 Author Share Posted August 4, 2016 [quote name='Wolverinebass' timestamp='1470085721' post='3103234'] How much is this costing?!! I bet lots of folk on the forum would be interested in getting in on this. I don't even like Gibsons and I'd be up for this. Plus it'd beat paying £6500 for the equivalent EB3 Warwick copy. [/quote] Now there's the rub. You can get an Epiphone SG Bass for significantly less than the cost of the timber alone to build one. Wood, hardware and pickups get you fast heading towards Gibson's finished price - and that's before the couple of months making it. It's why this to me is a hobby and not a going concern Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted August 4, 2016 Author Share Posted August 4, 2016 The one thing that Pete wants is the bass to be cherry red. Beyond that, he is happy for me to do pretty much any variations that take my fancy. One possibility is the top. I wonder how this might look, stained cherry red? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JPJ Posted August 4, 2016 Share Posted August 4, 2016 Go anywhere near that beautiful piece of timber with red stain and I will be forced to hunt you down and kill you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassBus Posted August 4, 2016 Share Posted August 4, 2016 [quote name='JPJ' timestamp='1470310067' post='3104957'] Go anywhere near that beautiful piece of timber with red stain and I will be forced to hunt you down and kill you! [/quote] You won't need to. The horned devil in the wood will do it for you. Or am I getting too Freudian. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted August 4, 2016 Author Share Posted August 4, 2016 [quote name='JPJ' timestamp='1470310067' post='3104957'] Go anywhere near that beautiful piece of timber with red stain and I will be forced to hunt you down and kill you! [/quote] Now, then....I used to think that also ... until I stained Mick's (TheGreek) 'Silk' bass walnut back panels orange on a 'I wonder if...' basis: So..... 'I wonder if...' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bassmonkey Posted August 4, 2016 Share Posted August 4, 2016 Here's mine for reference if that's any help. Was a deep red wine colour, now browner than brown (except under the pics guard Subscribed. Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted August 4, 2016 Author Share Posted August 4, 2016 [quote name='Bassmonkey' timestamp='1470320949' post='3105111'] Here's mine for reference if that's any help. Was a deep red wine colour, now browner than brown (except under the pics guard Subscribed. Andy [/quote] Wow - lovely job How long did it take to lose the red? Remarkable.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted August 4, 2016 Author Share Posted August 4, 2016 [quote name='BassBus' timestamp='1470310495' post='3104966'] You won't need to. The horned devil in the wood will do it for you. Or am I getting too Freudian. [/quote] No - I think you are being absolutely correct....blimey, there are some crazy scary images in there. Beats ink and blotting paper any day! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bassmonkey Posted August 4, 2016 Share Posted August 4, 2016 Was made in '73. I only got it this year so dunno. Nice though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted August 4, 2016 Author Share Posted August 4, 2016 [quote name='Bassmonkey' timestamp='1470322684' post='3105140'] Was made in '73. I only got it this year so dunno. Nice though [/quote][quote name='Bassmonkey' timestamp='1470322684' post='3105140'] Was made in '73. I only got it this year so dunno. Nice though [/quote] It's the real deal! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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