Concave Bottoms and Related Obsessions

[Andyjr1515]

Hi

In this thread are a few personal musings, but hopefully also the opportunity for us to share experiences, good and bad, of some of the less conventional body shapes.

We all know how conservative we all are - most guitars bought and sold are still based on dimensions and shapes that were a result, rather than cause, of practical considerations prevailing 50+ years ago: if your blade switch 50 years ago was 1.75" high, then that's at least how deep the body needs to be, etc, etc..

I've done a few builds that have started to break out of that mind-set, usually driven by folks who wanted something specific from their builds and mods.  

The first was Pete's Jack Bruce Thumb tribute.  I'll be honest - I'd never seen or touched a Warwick Thumb until after the build was finished.  However, I did find this picture on the internet - a feature I incorporated in my tribute:

 

 

Also, to be honest, I never gave it much thought why Warwick might have done that.  But my own effort, made out of stunningly heavy bubinga:

...wasn't quite as heavy as I thought it might be.  Hmmm...that's worth remembering....

 

The next leg of my journey was Tom's African Bass.  If you remember, Tom had been given a 'bass body' by an African traditional drum maker to build a bass from.  It was of unknown and unsuitable wood with loads and spreading cracks in it and it was VERY, VERY thin!!

This was what I made from it:

 

Now THAT's what I call a slim heel...

Hmmm...that's worth trying again

I was so impressed with how Pete's Jack Bruce tribute felt to play (he lets me play a few numbers on it during our gigs ), that I built a fretless for myself.  Different shape, but same woods and overall dimensions, and incorporating a back cutaway and also the slim neck heel of Tom's African bass:

 

 

And I realised that this was one of the most comfortable basses I had played.  And that got me thinking...

In the next post I'll cover one or two intentional developments from the above 'happy accidents', and the one on the drawing board at the moment that will either showcase the concept....or comprehensively shoot it down in flames 

 

 

 

[StratsRdivine]

Cool stuff man!!!  Potato chip guitars.  Now you hate me for saying that, but it was the first thing to come to mind - sorry.  Now you need to make Pringles guitar.  Sorry again, can't stop.  

I describe this in the other shaping thread, but you might want my big one for your next concave surface.  

 

Edited March 10, 2017 by StratsRdivine
correct term changout

[Andyjr1515]

On 3/10/2017 at 7:46 PM, StratsRdivine said:

Cool stuff man!!!  Potato chip guitars.  Now you hate me for saying that, but it was the first thing to come to mind - sorry.  Now you need to make Pringles guitar.  Sorry again, can't stop.  

I describe this in the other shaping thread, but you might want my big one for your next concave surface.  

 

Ah....I have one of those tools that you don't realise exists but when, by chance, you spot you know immediately it's going to change your life.  It's the top one here:

 

It's a Veritas Pullshave and is designed to scoop out the 'comfort contours' in wooden chairs.  It works an absolute treat 

[Andyjr1515]

Well, now I had a hunch that a scooped bottom could be quite useful.  In the recently completed piccolo bass, I incorporated the feature to achieve the combined advantages of weight reduction, slimness of neck heel and comfort of play:

 

At 5lb 14oz, it is certainly light and the neck/body transition is a delight.  If ever you wanted an instrument to help encourage you to play more, it's this - it's difficult to put it down.

 

But now here is one of the things to be really careful with your drawing and calcs:

No room for push/pull or 5-way blade switches with this body depth!  Same goes with the f-hole chamber.  It doesn't mean you can't do it, but it does mean you need to think about it, plan ahead, measure accurately and go carefully.

 

So where is this leading?

To the edge of the concept's envelope.

To this (the dark area is the cross-section of the through-neck):

It's the next project, it's on the drawing board, the wood gets purchased on Thursday and...well...we'll see! 

 

[StratsRdivine]

Nice pullshave!  I can definitely see its utility.  It has a fixed radius?  Maybe its radii gets tighter at edges for multi radii?  Cool.  thanks for reminder on switch depth,  I looked up several on StewMac.  Looked like the Right Angle toggle will be best for my new body but it requires 13/16" depth.  

This one only requires 11 mm depth.    

http://www.stewmac.com/Pickups_and_Electronics/Components_and_Parts/Switches/Free-Way_Pickup_Switch.html

I love your magnetic hold down.  Gotta love the new neodymium magnets.  

[komodo]

I played a guitar with an aggressive radiused shape back in the late 80s at a guitar shop. Wish I could remember what it was, as I've been obsessed with it ever since. It was an absolute marvel to play sitting or standing. I've since built a bass with a similar body, I used a flap sander to do most of the hogging. You've convinced me again to apply the idea to my next build regardless of all other variables, including semi-hollow.

Jerzy Drozd has some interesting chambered build that I could see curved. Theres also the Ibanez Artfield which was designed similarly.

[omnilion]

Hey!
I just bumped into this thread as I'm looking for a guitar maker that had a Strat/Superstrat-type shape with a concave back like the one in the original post! The biggest difference though was that it was very thin overall as well.

I thought it was a Tom Anderson Guitarworks model but I haven't been able to locate a single photographic evidence that would prove this.

THe reason for me asking is they had one of those guitars at my local guitar store years ago, and it looked pretty cool and wanted to find out more about it.

[Andyjr1515]

Hmmm - not sure for strat.  Folks round here might know whose you are thinking of.