Tom's African Fretless Bass

[Andyjr1515]

So (nonchalantly pretending it hasn't been weeks since I last posted on this thread) to the jack socket....

When the project started out, we both thought it might be a right dog's dinner and the challenge was simply to get a bass that:

• didn't fall to pieces
• sounded at least as good (or, as a minimum, nearly as good) as a rubber band stretched over a baked bean can
• we both knew that some bits would look a bit odd, chunky and rough but that if we stuck with (using the artistic definition) a 'primitive' rough-carved, hand- carved look, those bits would not look entirely out of place 

Tom had some particular wants with some aspects, and was very open to suggestion on others:

•  We had already decided there simply was not enough depth of body to fit pots of any sort, so the pickup would be direct wired to the jack socket
• We had both twigged that the average jack prong was at least 50% longer than the body was deep...
• ...and Tom specifically wanted to use a neutrik locking socket.   Man, those are big suckers...
• Tom also wanted a top entry jack (a la ES335, Jazz bass, etc) 
• Tom wanted to have a major input into the shape of the headstock.

The two paragraphs in italics above are linked, causing an interesting dilemma later in the story, but for now, back to the jack socket.  So at the moment we were still in the primitive but functional 

So - easy.  Rough-carve a great big lump of cocobolo, tall enough to stop the jack and socket poking though the back of the bass and put the neutrik into it:

  

So - in terms of looking like a dogs dinner, looking primitive but functional, we certainly had achieved one of our objectives 

[Andyjr1515]

So to the headstock.  Here Tom had an aspiration.  He wanted longish, a cutout, angled tuners, capped top and bottom, non-symmetrical.

We had a happy week of emailing thoughts, tweaks, different thoughts, more tweaks, until we agreed on this:

Beyond that, I was free to do what I liked 

I needed to widen the headstock which I did with a couple of strips of cocobolo, and then firstly plated it on the top - also with cocobolo.  Rather than just a plain cutout, I went for an angled and filed cutout:

At the back, before I added the second plate, I carved Tom's next requirement - a thumb rest built into the volute, positioned where Tom preferred for a 34.5" scale fretless (he told me where, so I didn't have to guess or make it up...phew!):

Then carved and fitted the backplate:

Finally, added my MoP 'swifts':

 

Add a few tuners, the brass adjustable nut and maple trussrod cover (also with swift routed into it) and the headstock was done:

 

So here was the dilemma.....this now didn't look quite so 'primitive'...in fact, it was starting to look almost 'elegant'...in parts

Well THAT wasn't in the plan! 

[Andyjr1515]

Sorry about the delay in putting an end to this trailing, meandering thread 

The bass was now almost done.

I wasn't sure what strings Tom wanted, so to sort the action and test the basic strength I popped on the only strings I had in the drawer that were long enough - some really poor acoustic bass strings off an upgraded $40 (yes - I mean that...and that was new!!!) acoustic bass.  Roundwound and bronze.  

Oh, dear oh dear....but...wait a minute....it actually sounds OK....in fact it sounds GREAT!!!!!

As for the final neck shape, I had agreed that I would do the final carve when Tom could visit to sort that and his preferred action height, and his preferred strings, etc, etc.  As such, I left it at a couple of mm thicker than my normal target and 'U' shaped on the basis that "you can always take it off but you can't stick it back on"

But I was troubled by one thing.  When you see the pictures below, it will make you hold your head in your hands and tut loudly

The problem was simply this: Tom and I had started off with a single purpose - to see if it was at all possible to incorporate this wholly unsuitable piece of wood into something that would actually play a few notes.  Aesthetics were not a consideration and so a number of the solutions were purely functional and done in the 'primitive' style, aesthetically.

 

But what we had ended up with was this.  Unconventional, agreed, and certainly not to everybody's taste, but actually not what many people would call butt ugly:

 

  

 

And the deeply troubling thing?  Yup - that blasted Neutrik sticking up on a rough-cut pyramid 

I still had some cocobolo left over, so carved some alternatives for Tom - a back angled wedge, a tear-drop and even an option to poke it out of the back 

I would do the lot when Tom came for his 'final fitting'

Don't worry folks, the epic saga is very nearly at its conclusion.... 

Edited February 10, 2016 by Andyjr1515

[Prostheta]

Given that the bass was built around the requirements of the wood you were given (arf) it turned out fine. I was expecting some bad news once it was under string tension.

[ScottR]

57 minutes ago, Andyjr1515 said:

but actually not what many people would call butt ugly:

It's really not, is it? It also was a nice puzzle and a hell of a project.

SR

[Prostheta]

Reminds me of the outline from a Streamer and the profile of a Saber. That the body is almost as thin as the neck is crazy! Even my Carl Thompson tribute bass wasn't that mad.

[Andyjr1515]

52 minutes ago, Prostheta said:

Reminds me of the outline from a Streamer and the profile of a Saber. That the body is almost as thin as the neck is crazy! Even my Carl Thompson tribute bass wasn't that mad.

I know what you mean....the top horn...

Maybe Warwicks are popular in  The Gambia

I'll try to find some sound clips (Tom is supposed to be doing a full video review but it hasn't happened yet  ) but it does sound very good.  Goes to show, all you need to do, at the end of the day, is separate the pickup from the strings and stop the neck clapping hands....  

[Andyjr1515]

3 hours ago, ScottR said:

It's really not, is it? It also was a nice puzzle and a hell of a project.

SR

A great thought-provoking exercise, Scott.  In many ways, one of my favourite builds - it gives that added spark to be always on the edge of disaster 

[Prostheta]

I wouldn't have had the balls myself. I would literally have been working myself up into knots over trying to engineer out the wood problems!

[Andyjr1515]

Thanks, folks! 

You have all been very patient, but you will be pleased to hear that, at last, we come to the end of the saga (or almost  the end)

So Tom arrived for the final tweaks:

• To put on his preferred strings
• To adjust the action 
• To reshape and slim the neck profile to his preference
• To look at the jack plug housing alternatives and me just swop them round

...and he didn't want anything changed.  To be accurate, he didn't want anything changed yet.  He was chuffed to bits with it and, although agreeing that the neck probably did need a reshape, wanted to use it in action and drop it back to me when he was clearer about what final shape he wanted.

My surprise was that he also wanted to keep the acoustic strings on it!  That was in August last year and, although we are in pretty regular contact, he still hasn't brought it back 

In October, his facebook page showed this:

 

This was last month with Tom with a festival notable at a music festival in Brixton, London:

 

...and here he and it is in action on stage with an african drummer, playing an african drum, almost certainly made from the same wood!:

 

...and, I noted with a smile, still with the same acoustic strings on...

 

This hobby doesn't get much more satisfying than that   

 

Thanks for your patience and encouragement along our epic thread journey 

Andy

Andy

[ScottR]

You are correct. It doesn't get much better than that. Cool story and thanks for sharing!

SR

[Andyjr1515]

I've just found some decent YouTube footage of the above concert!  I was wrong - it's in Trafalgar Square in London.  The bass looks and sounds great . I'll post the link when I get back on my desktop PC

[Andyjr1515]

I (almost) promise this is the last final end finale fin terminus ultimate post of the saga.  This is the bass in action in Trafalgar Square in London:

...and, if I've sorted the technology out properly, this is the YouTube video of part of the event

Thanks y'all 

Andy

[ScottR]

Niiiice.

SR

[Prostheta]

I love infectious music such as that. Really free high energy stuff. Sounds like an enjoyable bass to play too! Music such as that really benefit from laying in with the instrument.