Yes, it's finally finished. I believe it's been a little over a year and a half since I first started. For those of you that forget, here are the specs:
Strings: 4
Fretted/Fretless: Lined Fretless
Body: Maple/Walnut/Maple
Neck: Wenge with Purpleheart and Poplar at Body
Neck Construction: Through-neck
Fingerboard: Acrylicized Andiroba
Electronics: Active with Passive Push/Pull
Pickups: Bartolini Classic Bass Jazz
Preamp: Bartolini 3-Band with Volume/Blend
Hardware: Satin Chrome, Inlayed Straplocks, Wooden knobs by Nateo
Bridge: ETS Tuning Fork
Tuners: Hipshot Ultralites
Finish: Boiled Lindseed Oil with Wax
And a soundclip.
The EQ was set flat and the bass was run straight into my soundcard.
Some changes were made from the original plan. I decided to make it lined fretless after everything else had been finished. This was simply because I wanted to enjoy the instrument right after it was finished, rather than having to work on intonation for the next couple of months. I will probably go ahead and make an unlined bass at a later time. The pickups are also different. Originally I was going to get the 9J#1 Barts, but I found an unused set of the Classic Bass Bart J's on eBay for lots cheaper. The headstock laminate of padauk was also an afterthought, though one that was necessary. I accidentally took way to much off of the front of the headstock when I was thicknessing it with my router. So, I flattened the back with that devil tool and slapped the laminate on there. It turned out looking perfect, and I think I like it a lot better than I would have. It also happens to match the tophat knobs that Nateo turned for me .
There are quite a few mistakes, some which I will eventually be able to correct, and others which I must just chalk up to having no woodworking experience at the time. Some of the minor mistakes include fretlines in which the blade wandered a bit, side dots in which the dremel wandered a bit (I will eventually correct this by simply making the dots larger), very slight gluelines and gaps on the treble side of the neck where it joins the fingerboard (which I will eventually fill with... something), sanding marks, chips at the end of the fingerboard, etc.
I will not really attempt to describe the sound, as you can hear it in the clip. While it is hard to make it sound bad, it is very difficult for me to get my sound, especially through my cheap Behringer combo amp (my one and only... bought when I first started playing... didn't know better). The highs and mids can be very harsh because of the density of all woods involved. It does, however, sit well in a mix. It's just difficult to find a tone for playing by myself.
The ergonomics are perfect, which was certainly not planned upon. I just got lucky. Despite it's weight, it is very comfortable to play standing. The 4 inch Moody strap also helps . There is no neckdive, and the neck balances close to 45 degrees. Sitting while playing is also very comfortable, and my hand naturally rests where I usually pluck (resting my thumb on the fingerboard and plucking at about the 24th "fret").
Also, the inlay that I had planned has not yet been implemented. I had planned on inlaying an ammonite fossil at the top of the headstock, but the one I had broke while sanding the back, and the other one mysteriously vanished. So, I will eventually get to that.
I think that's all there is to really say, so here are the pics:
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Sorry about the lighting. I guess I should have dusted under the TR cover as well :eek:. Also, in one of the pics, the pup cavities look way oversized, but that was just because of the lighting. But anyways, what do you all think?
P.S. Yes I simply copied this from my original post on Talkbass. Sue me .