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Finished! A Bridge Too Far?


Andyjr1515
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[quote name='TheGreek' timestamp='1495540068' post='3304540']
The beauty of the design is really starting to come through - look at how soft all the surfaces are beginning to look. I just hope that I don't get too precious about it and this doesn't become too beautiful to play. :D :D :D :D

Keep on doing what your doing, Andy..
[/quote]
:)

The pickup coil hatch is done and the coils are on their way. Probably shouldn't go for magnetic catches on this one - they are very strong and can feasibly affect the pickup magnets. Not worth the risk...







This is the headstock shape we've agreed on. It will be in sycamore, radiused and rounded like the body and probably with a few swifts flying around....

Edited by Andyjr1515
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[quote name='Andyjr1515' timestamp='1495534678' post='3304471']
Mick and I are getting close to finalising the headstock shape and in the meantime I've been starting to round the edges:


Mick has asked that there are no flat surfaces anywhere so the headstock will also be radiused and rounded.

In the meantime I've just head that the custom pickup coils are ready :)
[/quote]


aha, so invisible to radar? ;)

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[quote name='Andyjr1515' timestamp='1495547181' post='3304645']
Yup - Mick will be able to hit the audience with a G9sus4 when they are least expecting it...
[/quote]

That would be unexpected - especially considering that it's a 5-note chord. ;-)

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[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1495549308' post='3304672']


That would be unexpected - especially considering that it's a 5-note chord. ;-)
[/quote]

It does not have to have the fifth of the chord innit. Sorry, I am just going outside for a word with myself.

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[quote name='owen' timestamp='1495549638' post='3304682']
It does not have to have the fifth of the chord innit. Sorry, I am just going outside for a word with myself.
[/quote]

But IME the 5th is what makes it sound so good. If was going to loose a note in a chord it would always be the 3rd because it nearly always sounds out of tune to me, but in this case it's already been replaced by much sweeter sus 4th.

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[quote name='owen' timestamp='1495549694' post='3304683']
Don't get me wrong - I only ever play the big letter given the choice!
[/quote]
[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1495549938' post='3304684']
But IME the 5th is what makes it sound so good. If was going to loose a note in a chord it would always be the 3rd because it nearly always sounds out of tune to me, but in this case it's already been replaced by much sweeter sus 4th.
[/quote]

Now look what I've done :rolleyes: :lol:

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Really? A friend of mine who's following the build commented that it looks like a Star Trek com badge.

Andy and I have both fiddled with the design but I've been unable to settle on anything I've [i]really loved[/i]. I spent a few hours the other night trying to emulate the body lines in the headstock a bit more but wasn't happy. ATM I'm not unhappy with the design.

The headstock is actually influenced by many including Marleaux, CV, GB, a bit of AJR and yes, a bit of Ritter too. When I was designing the headstock I Googled "Bass Guitar headstock design" and [i]borrowed[/i] bits I liked. It's going to be virtually impossible to be completely original so I used what influenced me. I managed to avoid using anything Fenderlike.

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I have a mockup of the headstock in the white sycamore which makes it look quite different. There are also some subtle changes we've been bouncing around...and, of course, the whole thing will be radiused like the body .... and I've just had an Andyjr1515 inspiration moment!

Now, admittedly, the latter might be just wind... :rolleyes:

Anyway, suffice to say that there are things being tweaked and nudged that will make the finished thing have a look quite of its own. It is Mick's and my own ambition, if we get this right, to be getting the other suppliers copying our designs not the other way round :lol:

Still, bit of a bummer that Mick didn't want the Fender shape....I think that would have added a certain je ne sais quoi ;)

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[quote name='Bigwan' timestamp='1495630002' post='3305420']
Afraid to say that headstock looks a bit too Ritter-like for me... Not that there's anything wrong with Ritter, but this isn't one!
[/quote]

Definitely got the Ritter vibe too. Weirdly I think that the black with the white like shape marks add to this. When I think of Ritter basses I always think like thick glossy finishes which is why I feel like this is leading my thinking. I think once in the wood it'll lose a lot of that feeling and feel more unique. Especially once those Swifts are added!

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[quote name='Bigwan' timestamp='1495630002' post='3305420']
Afraid to say that headstock looks a bit too Ritter-like for me... Not that there's anything wrong with Ritter, but this isn't one!
[/quote]

I'm another who is picking up on a Ritter feel. The body shape, with its severe asymmetry, it's strongly reminiscent of a Ritter Seal, and the nut-to-bridge fingerboard of a Ritter Roya Concept (and some of those have hidden pickups too).

S.P.

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The body design is actually heavily influenced by my ACG SC Harlot, and some custom flames on a Hot Rod (which I can't actually find but I posted something similar).

[url="http://s1167.photobucket.com/user/FairfaxAikman/media/ACG%20singlecut/94cb79ae-b334-4ebf-809b-c706d9e1f58f_zps45c8a798.jpg.html"][/url]



The idea for the full length fretboard comes from a Marleaux but yes, the reverse mounted headless tuners was influenced by the Ritter Concepts. A bit of a mishmash of ideas but I trust Andy to put his own twist on them.

The headstock design is suppose to have "[i]that little black dress[/i]" with an "[i]off the shoulder" [/i]look to it. I think some others may have had a similar thought at the back of their minds.
[URL=http://s1167.photobucket.com/user/FairfaxAikman/media/Veillette%20Citron%20Basses/vc%20headstock_zpsurzrv4th.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1167.photobucket.com/albums/q639/FairfaxAikman/Veillette%20Citron%20Basses/vc%20headstock_zpsurzrv4th.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

Edited by TheGreek
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....and the body profile is based on a Bausch+Lomb Ultra:


:lol:

Trust me, fellas, when this is finished, this isn't going to look like any Ritter or ACG or Alpha or anything else you've ever seen. Mind you, once any of those excellent builders have seen this one in its finished state, you might see clones of [b]this[/b] popping up in [b]their[/b] catalogues in a couple of years time ;) :lol:

Edited by Andyjr1515
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I think something more in the likes of Frederico Malaman's Laurus would suit the body shape a bit better:


but reshaped in a way more similar to a shrunken warwick headstock.
[attachment=245986:dtjd.jpg]

Edited by Ghost_Bass
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Thanks for the suggestions, folks.

There is the final knockout and unique headstock in progress, very close to the mock up but with just some further evolutionary changes. I won't be revealing it until it starts looking like it will when it's finished. And it isn't going to look like anyone else's... ;)

But you're all going to have to wait! :)

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