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6 String Bass Project


Jimothey
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2 hours ago, Christine said:

For someone who has a big problem counting how many strings a bass should have you have some great idea's of shapes :)

I can't really take much credit for the shapes I take inspiration from other basses and then alter them slightly 

This build is a kinda of mix of an Marleaux Consat and a Skjold Skjoldslayer 😀

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I can't decide on the top wood??........ 

My choices are....... 

Panga panga

_20190113_121859.JPG.55a82e6059b0621cf27f59e92f2e936c.JPG

Which will go a lot darker like Wenge when it's oiled 

Or African Walnut

_20190113_121930.thumb.JPG.b3c0abf09ac92ade285d0ebe787df6e4.JPG

Both will be bookmatched and I will probably keep them natural. 😀

 

Edited by Jimothey
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Something about the shape I'm thinking of using is bugging me but I don't know what it is??........ Is it the length of the bottom horn, is the angle of the bottom horn I just can't put my finger on it but something doesn't look right??............

So I had a spare hour and thought I'd have a play on inkscape and see what I come up with....... 

 

6 string bass ideas.png

I like both shapes but I might stick with the original and I might have to do the other shape as another project....... 

Edited by Jimothey
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14 hours ago, Jimothey said:

Something about the shape I'm thinking of using is bugging me but I don't know what it is??........ Is it the length of the bottom horn, is the angle of the bottom horn I just can't put my finger on it but something doesn't look right??............

So I had a spare hour and thought I'd have a play on inkscape and see what I come up with....... 

 

6 string bass ideas.png

I like both shapes but I might stick with the original and I might have to do the other shape as another project....... 

Just blending these two together, how does this look?

580489983_6stringbassideas.thumb.png.f38979d18657cd8c3df4f973ced23a61.png.226acae4ef0d65ffbc2ab9617588ec43.png

Edited by Christine
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7 minutes ago, Jimothey said:

That's a very good shout @Christine!! I like that!! I think I'll give it a go!! 😀

I'd be a little concerned about the lower horn not giving you enough purchase for it to balance well on the lap.
Perhaps extend it a little to compensate for the big ol' headstock and 6 tuners?

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3 hours ago, Jimothey said:

@Christine I tried the shape that you suggested but it reminded me too much of the 5 string I've just done so I thought I'd try and make this project a different shape to any of my others, but saying that I always seem to gravitate towards a longer than average top horn 😀

Long top horns generally mean decent balancing on the strap. I always regard the button somewhere between 12th and 13th fret as being in the Goldilocks zone.

As @eude says, a long bottom horn helps if playing over the knee. 

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2 hours ago, Andyjr1515 said:

Long top horns generally mean decent balancing on the strap. I always regard the button somewhere between 12th and 13th fret as being in the Goldilocks zone.

As @eude says, a long bottom horn helps if playing over the knee. 

I think all of my builds (except the tele shaped bass) have the end of the top horn finish around the 12th or 13th fret but I think that was more aesthetic than ergonomic?!? 😀 

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25 minutes ago, Jimothey said:

I think all of my builds (except the tele shaped bass) have the end of the top horn finish around the 12th or 13th fret but I think that was more aesthetic than ergonomic?!? 😀 

To be honest, it's more about physics than aesthetics or ergonomics ;)

The interesting thing is that it is a rule of thumb that is just as relevant for 6 string electrics as it is for basses...

Of course the rules can be broken, but - in general terms - at 12th fret, the body can be pretty light and/or the headstock pretty heavy and it will still sit OK on the strap.  At higher than the 13th fret, then you have to be aware of the relative weights of the two ends leading to corrective action such as light tuners, strap button positioning, weight addition to the body, even!  One of my basses has fishing lead shot in a chamber under the bridge - and that has a tiny headstock, light tuners AND a very heavy solid bubinga body!...xD

Edited by Andyjr1515
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10 minutes ago, Andyjr1515 said:

One of my basses has fishing lead shot in a chamber under the bridge - and that has a tiny headstock, light tuners AND a very heavy solid bubinga body!...xD

Interestingly, this has the button at the 16th fret - proportions based on the Warwick Thumb.

Can't believe Thumbs ever have a neck dive tendency.  :facepalm:

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7 hours ago, Jimothey said:

@Christine out of interest how much do you pay for your Ash from Huws Gray? I've been quoted £31 Inc p&p for 1.2m x 180mm x 32mm from a company online I just wondered how it compared to the price you get? 😀

Ouch! I never buy home grown from Huws Gray I use Dave Hoyle in Llangernw or Timbmet

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11 minutes ago, Christine said:

Ouch! I never buy home grown from Huws Gray I use Dave Hoyle in Llangernw or Timbmet

For some reason I thought you got it from Huws? 

Is that expensive then? Because that's the cheapest I've found?........ 

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Unfortunately they aren't going to have any Ash till late spring all he's got apart from Oak and Sycamore is Sweet Chestnut

So I might just use some Sapele that I've got and top it with something light coloured ☹️

Edited by Jimothey
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I was getting ready to order the Ash and Panga Panga but my oven has just died and it's going to cost about £700 to replace so that's scuppered my plans!! 😠

So I think the body is now going to be made out of Sapele back with Oak top as I've got them in the workshop but as I've already done that combo in a natural finish I think I'm going to try something different, I'm thinking of staining them both black and then lime the Oak so hopefully it will look kinda like this........ 

_20190117_190222.JPG.f3200661df2debedddbc0bf2e83c1910.JPG

 

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How about colour grain filling the oak? There is a book by a guy called George Frank who developed techniques for that back in Art Deco days, it's worth trying to get a library to track down a copy. He also uses techniques like charring/wire brushing and grain filling too. One I remember was wire brushed, black stained then limed and let to fully dry then light sanded before a red filler was applied which gave a background of black with red filled white grain, spectacular!

 

Edit, this is the book https://www.amazon.co.uk/Adventures-Wood-Finishing-Fine-woodworking/dp/091880406X

Edited by Christine
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