Some weeks ago I was in Ayr where Carol took me to an afternoon jam with Mick and Dee. I got the privilege to play Mick’s short scale bass, made by Mark. It was an eye opener for me. Never played a short scale bass and with my small hands it felt very comfortable. So I decided that after more than three years I’d go back into my shed and make a short scale bass.
First I made a 1:1 scale drawing of it and picked some wood for it from my wood heap.
Mahogany and spalted maple for the body, a mahogany and maple laminated neck blank and birds eye maple for the fretboard. Tuners and bridge are Gotoh in cosmo black.
Pickup will be a Seymoru Duncan SMB 4A.
Today I started by making the router pattern for the neck.
And for the neck pocket.
"I never forget a face, but in your case I'll be glad to make an exception"
Groucho Marx
@marcel Yes!!!! LaBella flat wounds on a short scale. Short scales feels so comfy and I love building them.
I'm not a great fan of flat wounds. I have flat wounds on one of my fretless basses (the one I made many moons ago on the BYO course), but on all my other basses I use round wounds.
"I never forget a face, but in your case I'll be glad to make an exception"
Groucho Marx
Made some progress today.
First I've cut the fingerboard a bit shorter and narrower and with my router made it to 6 mm thickness. And sanded it flat.
Routed the truss rod channel.
Cut out the neck on the bandsaw and routed it to the right shape.
And drilled the holes for the tuners.
"I never forget a face, but in your case I'll be glad to make an exception"
Groucho Marx
This morning, after making sure they fit seemlessly (a tiny bit of routing and some sanding) I glued the pieces of wood for the top together.
And this afternoon after sanding it flat I glued the top on the body blank. To keep it in place I drilled some holes to put some screws in it, then glued it, put the screws in and. with a piece of scrap wood on top put the clamps on it.
"I never forget a face, but in your case I'll be glad to make an exception"
Groucho Marx
@marcel That neck is beautiful, did you laminate it yourself ? or where did you get it from?
I am considering making the laminated necks myself I am already looking for some wood at Masave, but I have not decided yet.
That body blank is also verrrry sweet!
@marcel That neck is beautiful, did you laminate it yourself ? or where did you get it from?
I am considering making the laminated necks myself I am already looking for some wood at Masave, but I have not decided yet.That body blank is also verrrry sweet!
No I did not laminate it myself, bought it at Masave in Zwolle where I buy all my wood. Rick usually has many neck blanks in stock, also laminated. And what I like is he will always make it to the thickness I want without any extra cost. When people ask my advise for where to buy tonewood I always recommend Masave. The tonewood corner of his shop is a candy store!
"I never forget a face, but in your case I'll be glad to make an exception"
Groucho Marx
Today I have put some coats of wood hardener on the top wood as spalted maple (or any spalted wood) can be quite brittle. So no spectacular progress today, but it does give an impression of how it will look once oiled.
"I never forget a face, but in your case I'll be glad to make an exception"
Groucho Marx
Next job was to shape the fretboard on the bandsaw and router.
And then glued it on to the neck.
Today I took the thickness of the headstock down to appoximately 15 mm.
And finally drilled a hole to the nut of the truss rod.
To be continued...
"I never forget a face, but in your case I'll be glad to make an exception"
Groucho Marx
...so today, using a bobbin sander, I rounded off the piece behind the nut to the headstock.
With a 12 inch radius block I sanded the radius on the fretboard.
Then marked out the positions of the dots on the fretboard.
And glued them in.
It's starting to look like a neck!
"I never forget a face, but in your case I'll be glad to make an exception"
Groucho Marx
Today I worked on the body.
Cut out the shape with a jig saw (my bandsaw hasn't enough power to cut through a body blank, especially when it's treated with wood hardener).
And then brought it to the right shape with the router. Still had the router pattern for the body from previous bass builds.
A sneak perview of what it's gonna look like:
"I never forget a face, but in your case I'll be glad to make an exception"
Groucho Marx