hendrikjan Posted January 5, 2006 Report Share Posted January 5, 2006 Hey hello, I am slowly contineuing my five string fretless bass project. I am reading a lot and it takes a lot of time designing the whole thing... slow steps, many decissions etc. etc. (it is also my first project) I just recently received a Badass V bass bridge, I am not sure whther it is really all that but it looks solid and i read nice reviews (all hype???). I planned to use this as a normal bridge, i.e. not string thru. When i read the info on the package it mentioned that it was also possible to use it as a string thru bridge. Which made me ponder that idea... What has me puzzled though, is the angle the string should make. Should it go straight through the body of the guitar and then make an almost 90 degree angle into the bridge or could you also drill holes at an angle... instead of drilling trought the "back" of the bass you drill holes through the side (the side that also holds the strap button) this would result in a different angle and it would probably also have influence on the wy the bass sounds. I have not been able to find any info on this matter on this site or any other for that matter ... Any ideas on this would be greatly appreciated Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stiggz Posted January 5, 2006 Report Share Posted January 5, 2006 wow thats an interesting idea, a couple of points you may (or may not) have overlooked is the holes where the strings come through the bottom of the bridge, if your strings come through to the bridge at an angle then the holes on the bridge will have to be eliptical. As goes for the ferrules, i dunno how one would get them to sit neatly, or you could ge a machinists shop to machine some ferrules that would sit flush. but apart from those minor cosmetic details i think it is a killer idea. keep it up luke Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rokeros Posted January 5, 2006 Report Share Posted January 5, 2006 I'm just afraid that when drilling from an angle, the position of the hole may differ from the top. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
x189player Posted January 5, 2006 Report Share Posted January 5, 2006 Hi, It sounds brilliant! You're asking great questions. When you look at the way most people build instruments, you'll find that very few are really trying new things. Oh, we draw weird body shapes and make little improvements, but c'mon, most people are building strats and P-basses, and using conventional hardware, when in doubt, imitate something safe and known. So... I love your question, it's like a ray of intelligence. The answer? Nobody knows, somebody should try it! So let me suggest this- it's about your approach, not your ideas. Doing lots and lots of research before starting is very good. But I caution you against the idea of thinking you are going to make one very perfect instrument, and doing your research and preparation in that direction. With the innovative questions you are coming up with, you need to make a dozen of them (or at least several). Try new things, see what works better. Maybe you'll discover something you didn't expect! I can also guarantee that the second one you build will be easier, and you can include improvements based on your first experiment. So look to the future- version two, three, four, etc etc. Another way to look at it is to build several different bodies so you can try out different string mounting ideas. Or build a first one as a test mule, drill a million holes in it and run it through the paces. Then make another one based on the best of what you've learned, sign the test mule and hang it on the wall of your studio- when you're fifty it will mean a lot to you, believe me! It's easy to get the angles of the holes consistent if you clamp a block of wood next to your body, and drill the angle you want through it- then by moving it sideways you can drill a series of holes at exactly teh right angle, the block will guide the drill bit and keep the angle perfectly steady. btw- I highly recommend you buy a long drill bit for this- they make bits about a foot long, most hardware stores have them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickguard Posted January 5, 2006 Report Share Posted January 5, 2006 I'm a sucker for reinventing the wheel myself... So this idea becomes possible because the bass bridge is located near the butt end of the guitar, right? (As opposed to a regular guitar, where the bridge is located too far toward the middle.) Have you seen: Veillette Guitars? They've got an interesting bridge design that might make your life easier too (i.e., in getting the string through holes lined up properly. Especially their basses. Here's their 5-string: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hendrikjan Posted January 5, 2006 Author Report Share Posted January 5, 2006 thanks for the positive feedback And the interesting link First a few things, I am (almost) sure that I will **** up this (or parts of this) guitar ... since it is my first project and, although I am quite the handyman around the house, my woodworking skills have yet to be proven ... lets just say that I have reason to believe that I am not the stradivarious of electric bass guitar land ... This however does not stop me from wanting to build my own project... and playaround with all the ideas that come to mind in the process ... The trouble is though.. the more I read and the more i make adjustments to my plans ( I just started of with a 35 inch line, it being the scale length, and took it from there) the more questions I have .. the further away it takes me from acctualy building the thing ... There is something else that also does not help; I do not have a clear picture in my mind of how I want my bass to sound .. I am a fan of a lot of different sounds and do not have the intention of creating a bass with a particular sound .. I would rather have it play nice and that the sound is not so great than the other way around ... (i think) Some decisions are for a great dela bassed on the path of least resistance ... i.e. fretless .. the precisssion work of frets, sawing, leveling, hamering etc. there is just to much that can go wrong .. on the other hand I love upright basses ... Luckily it also takes a good deal of time to find the right woods, get all the parts not to mention tools, it also helps that I am in no hurry what so ever .. Therefore it doesn't really bother me that i get these ideas. .. which throw me off for while ... I have a nice playing and sounding (self customized) ibi bass.. so this really is a learning and discovering experience Of course I hope to have the ultimate dream instrument with a playabillity and sound that cannot be matched .. but lets be real about this.. No to come back to the idea ... if you guys are still reading .. does anyone have any ideas of how it would effect the sound ... though? If you do the normal ninty degree srting thru method .. the string has at least 4 (insert hole, exit hole, bridge, nut) contact points with the guitar befor it reaches the tuning machine .. If you put the string in at an angle you can eliminate one of these points. ... the exit hole.. how will this influence the the sound .. .. cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fookgub Posted January 5, 2006 Report Share Posted January 5, 2006 This may get you going a bit. From a very talented builder on a certain bass guitar forum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marzocchi705 Posted January 5, 2006 Report Share Posted January 5, 2006 That bass is freaking beutiful!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickguard Posted January 5, 2006 Report Share Posted January 5, 2006 does anyone have any ideas of how it would effect the sound ... though? ← Honestly, I don't believe it'll affect it at all. Or if it does, there will be no way of knowing because of all the other variables involved in a guitar. The question is really one of coolness factor (your own opinion of cool). The rest is just voodoo --you know, you can dance around a fire and walk across broken glass, that might make the sound better too. On the project I just finished, I cut myself, and the blood just happened to drip into the neck pocket, so I left it there. Bet it's going to sound great! Another couple of weeks and it'll be ready to string up. As for whether or not you can build it...hell, if you can dream it, you can build it. Just take your time, practice on scrap. If I could build a guitar without completely screwing it up, then you can too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marksound Posted January 5, 2006 Report Share Posted January 5, 2006 The question is really one of coolness factor (your own opinion of cool). The rest is just voodoo --you know, you can dance around a fire and walk across broken glass, that might make the sound better too. On the project I just finished, I cut myself, and the blood just happened to drip into the neck pocket, so I left it there. Bet it's going to sound great! Another couple of weeks and it'll be ready to string up. I know where you can get a High John for your mojo hand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickguard Posted January 5, 2006 Report Share Posted January 5, 2006 I know where you can get a High John for your mojo hand. ← Cause you know I'm a hootchie cootchie man... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hendrikjan Posted January 6, 2006 Author Report Share Posted January 6, 2006 does anyone have any ideas of how it would effect the sound ... though? ← Honestly, I don't believe it'll affect it at all. Or if it does, there will be no way of knowing because of all the other variables involved in a guitar. The question is really one of coolness factor (your own opinion of cool). The rest is just voodoo --you know, you can dance around a fire and walk across broken glass, that might make the sound better too. On the project I just finished, I cut myself, and the blood just happened to drip into the neck pocket, so I left it there. Bet it's going to sound great! Another couple of weeks and it'll be ready to string up. As for whether or not you can build it...hell, if you can dream it, you can build it. Just take your time, practice on scrap. If I could build a guitar without completely screwing it up, then you can too. ← hmm yeah you might have a point there .. i definatly have to spray my bass with blood before i string it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickguard Posted January 6, 2006 Report Share Posted January 6, 2006 hmm yeah you might have a point there .. i definatly have to spray my bass with blood before i string it ← heh heh, I bet I'm not the only one who's spilt a little blood during the build...the only thing is, now, if I stick a pin in the guitar, my back hurts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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