SSB
This is my second build, SSB (Semillon Sauvignon Blanc? Short Scale Bass? You decide!! Ha ha)
Here is the link to my build thread:
Specs:
I really wanted to try and make this one, timber wise at least, all Australian. We've got some nice stuff out here, but it's not that common from what I've seen.
Body: Bunya pine (not a pine softwood, it's a hardwood that really does look a lot like normal pine)
Cap: Queensland maple
Veneer accent strip: Tasmanian blackwood
Neck: Queensland maple
Fretboard: Gidgee
Fretboard binding and markers: Bunya Pine
Pickups: EMG Active PJ set
Bridge: Hipshot D-type
Tuners: Gotoh sealed
Scale length: 30"
The history of this build: I did a 1 week building course back in 2015 and had been harbouring dreams of building another after that. It took me a couple of go's to eventually get build #1 done, which is also documented on this site. One of the false starts though was a bass - I bought all the hardware plus some timber to get started but messed up making the neck, got a bit dejected and parked it for a couple of years. After I made build 1 last year, I was keen to have another go at the bass - especially given I had the pickups, tuners and bridge just sitting in a box. I'd used the body blank in build 1, and I'd messed the neck up, so I was on the lookout for new timbers. I saw this cap pop up with a timber seller over in the east coast and jumped on it straight away.
I drew the design up in Inkscape (think free Adobe Illustator), then used AutoCAD to flesh out the design in more detail. Build one took about 15 months from start to finish, I was keen to do this one quicker, partly with more experience and a few more tools, but mostly with better planning. In the end, I got this one done in 5 months, while not exactly record breaking, I'm pretty happy with it - I still have a day job and look after a 2 year old, very hectic toddler! Ha ha, so I'm limited to an hour here or there in evenings or occasionally during an arvo toddler nap.
I chose the short scale as I'd always found playing a 34" scale bass a bit of a stretch for me - I could do it, but not comfortably. Having now played it, yep, that was definitely the right call for me! The short scale just fits so much better and is easy to play nicely.
I also included an integrated pick and right angle jack adaptor cavity; I know, I know, picks, bass, blurgh! Too bad, I like playing with a pick. Ha ha. I'd often thought it would be handy to have a little holder build into the guitar to keep a pick, so you don't have to go searching when you want to have a 2 minute jam. The right angle jack adaptor was a more practical thing; most of my cables are straight, and a couple of my guitars can only take straight leads, but I really wanted to try to the front jack location, so I picked up an adaptor and designed the cavity around it. This is where the cad design really came into it's own, as I was able to build the cavity to fit in and around the pickups without interfering, and also sink a spare jack in from the top of the body blank before the cap went on.
Right, that feels like enough wall of text, here are some photos.
