Bolt-On 5-string Bass Build

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Bolt-On 5-string Bass Build

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HaMMerHeD

Post subject: Bolt-On 5-string Bass Build

Posted: Tue Apr 16, 2013 6:08 pm

Cocobolo

Joined: Tue Apr 05, 2011 3:22 pm
Posts: 116
First name: Mark
Last Name: Warner
City: Norman
State: OK
Country: USA
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur

Greetings folks. Long time, no see!

I'm working on build number 10. This one is called Apostate.

It is to be a 5-string bolt-on bass guitar. Specs:

34" scale
19mm/0.75" string spacing at the bridge
Hard Maple and Peruvian Walnut neck, with Honduran Mahogany veneer accents (9 pieces total)
Honduran Mahogany and Peruvian Walnut body, with Hard Maple veneer accents (10 pieces total)
East Indian Rosewood fretboard with 24 frets
Peruvian Walnut headstock cap, with Hard Maple and Honduran Mahogany veneer accents (3 pieces total)
Paua abalone fretboard face markers
Brass and aluminum fretboard side-dot markers
EMG 40HZ passive humbucker neck pickup
EMG 40HZ passive humbucker bridge pickup
Passive master volume, tone, and pickup blend controls
Bourns pots
Orange drop caps
Gotoh tuning machines
Carvin bridge

Here's the design:

Here's the neck wood, spread out before gluing:

Neck wood in clamps:

Closeup of the neck beam after gluing:

Here are the electronical bits:

The little red cap is for the treble bleed on the master volume pot.

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HaMMerHeD

Post subject: Re: Bolt-On 5-string Bass Build

Posted: Wed Apr 17, 2013 1:57 pm

Cocobolo

Joined: Tue Apr 05, 2011 3:22 pm
Posts: 116
First name: Mark
Last Name: Warner
City: Norman
State: OK
Country: USA
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur

I decided to give knucklehead's Circle K Strings a go with this one, so I've just ordered a 5-string Balanced .136 set (.136 .102 .076 .057 .041).

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Frank Cousins

Post subject: Re: Bolt-On 5-string Bass Build

Posted: Wed Apr 17, 2013 2:01 pm

Koa

Joined: Tue Sep 30, 2008 8:57 am
Posts: 544
Location: Auchtermuchty, Fife, Scotland
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur

Lovely design! Will watch with interest!

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HaMMerHeD

Post subject: Re: Bolt-On 5-string Bass Build

Posted: Wed Apr 17, 2013 2:05 pm

Cocobolo

Joined: Tue Apr 05, 2011 3:22 pm
Posts: 116
First name: Mark
Last Name: Warner
City: Norman
State: OK
Country: USA
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur

Thanks, Frank!

Aaand 12 minutes after I ordered the strings, I have tracking info.

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Chameleon

Post subject: Re: Bolt-On 5-string Bass Build

Posted: Fri Apr 19, 2013 11:16 am

Koa

Joined: Mon Feb 07, 2011 8:15 pm
Posts: 529
First name: Mark
Last Name: Sorrentino
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur

Nice headstock. What are the weird pots for?

_________________
http://www.tinyhouseandland.com

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HaMMerHeD

Post subject: Re: Bolt-On 5-string Bass Build

Posted: Fri Apr 19, 2013 6:26 pm

Cocobolo

Joined: Tue Apr 05, 2011 3:22 pm
Posts: 116
First name: Mark
Last Name: Warner
City: Norman
State: OK
Country: USA
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur

Volume, Tone, Pickup Blend.

They are just Bourns 500K-ohm sealed pots, designed for guitars.

http://www.bourns.com/ProAudio.aspx?name=pamm

The black ones are Model 95, the blend pot is PDB182-GTRB

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Chameleon

Post subject: Re: Bolt-On 5-string Bass Build

Posted: Fri Apr 19, 2013 9:48 pm

Koa

Joined: Mon Feb 07, 2011 8:15 pm
Posts: 529
First name: Mark
Last Name: Sorrentino
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur

Ah, I hadn't yet seen a bourns pot but I have heard they make them well.

_________________
http://www.tinyhouseandland.com

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HaMMerHeD

Post subject: Re: Bolt-On 5-string Bass Build

Posted: Sat Apr 20, 2013 10:53 am

Cocobolo

Joined: Tue Apr 05, 2011 3:22 pm
Posts: 116
First name: Mark
Last Name: Warner
City: Norman
State: OK
Country: USA
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur

I got the body wood surfaced and such.

Walnut, Maple, Mahogany, Maple, Walnut

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HaMMerHeD

Post subject: Re: Bolt-On 5-string Bass Build

Posted: Sat Apr 20, 2013 11:53 pm

Cocobolo

Joined: Tue Apr 05, 2011 3:22 pm
Posts: 116
First name: Mark
Last Name: Warner
City: Norman
State: OK
Country: USA
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur

Gluing the body pieces.

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HaMMerHeD

Post subject: Re: Bolt-On 5-string Bass Build

Posted: Sun Apr 21, 2013 1:11 pm

Cocobolo

Joined: Tue Apr 05, 2011 3:22 pm
Posts: 116
First name: Mark
Last Name: Warner
City: Norman
State: OK
Country: USA
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur

Gluing the body slabs together:

Routed the truss rod slot:

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dzsmith

Post subject: Re: Bolt-On 5-string Bass Build

Posted: Sun Apr 21, 2013 4:12 pm

Contributing Member

Joined: Fri May 18, 2012 8:35 pm
Posts: 2660
Location: Austin, Texas
First name: Dan
Last Name: Smith
City: Round Rock
State: TX
Zip/Postal Code: 78681
Country: USA
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur

Looking good, Mark!
I look forward to seeing the build progress.
I'd like to make a bass for my best friend, but I may start with a kit to get a feel for neck size, assembly, weight, etc.
Regards,
Dan

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HaMMerHeD

Post subject: Re: Bolt-On 5-string Bass Build

Posted: Mon Apr 22, 2013 8:33 am

Cocobolo

Joined: Tue Apr 05, 2011 3:22 pm
Posts: 116
First name: Mark
Last Name: Warner
City: Norman
State: OK
Country: USA
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur

Cut the body out and routed the pickup cavities:

Sorry for the crap photo.

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Brad Way

Post subject: Re: Bolt-On 5-string Bass Build

Posted: Tue Apr 23, 2013 7:56 pm

Koa

Joined: Tue Jul 04, 2006 3:24 am
Posts: 744
Location: United States

Looking good.

_________________
Brad
Avon, OH

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HaMMerHeD

Post subject: Re: Bolt-On 5-string Bass Build

Posted: Thu Apr 25, 2013 3:12 pm

Cocobolo

Joined: Tue Apr 05, 2011 3:22 pm
Posts: 116
First name: Mark
Last Name: Warner
City: Norman
State: OK
Country: USA
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur

Thanks, Brad.

Headstock is shaped and fretboard is glued/clamped:

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HaMMerHeD

Post subject: Re: Bolt-On 5-string Bass Build

Posted: Sat Apr 27, 2013 8:28 pm

Cocobolo

Joined: Tue Apr 05, 2011 3:22 pm
Posts: 116
First name: Mark
Last Name: Warner
City: Norman
State: OK
Country: USA
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur

I got a little done on the body profile today.

For this, I am using a 17" farrier's rasp and a set of short stewmac dragon rasps.

And here it is, wetted with denatured alcohol to see what it'll look like with a finish on it:

I love those colors.

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HaMMerHeD

Post subject: Re: Bolt-On 5-string Bass Build

Posted: Sun Apr 28, 2013 2:19 pm

Cocobolo

Joined: Tue Apr 05, 2011 3:22 pm
Posts: 116
First name: Mark
Last Name: Warner
City: Norman
State: OK
Country: USA
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur

More body profile work:

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Frank Cousins

Post subject: Re: Bolt-On 5-string Bass Build

Posted: Sun Apr 28, 2013 4:26 pm

Koa

Joined: Tue Sep 30, 2008 8:57 am
Posts: 544
Location: Auchtermuchty, Fife, Scotland
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur

Very Very Nice!

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VirgilGuitar

Post subject: Re: Bolt-On 5-string Bass Build

Posted: Tue May 07, 2013 11:10 pm

Koa

Joined: Wed Apr 13, 2011 9:21 am
Posts: 783
First name: Virgil
Last Name: Mandanici
State: FL
Focus: Build

Looking awesome!

_________________
"Talking about music is like dancing over architecture".
See the most insane first guitar build: http://www.virgilguitar.com
http://www.youtube.com/VirgilGuitar

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dzsmith

Post subject: Re: Bolt-On 5-string Bass Build

Posted: Wed May 08, 2013 5:53 pm

Contributing Member

Sweet!

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Wednesday

Post subject: Re: Bolt-On 5-string Bass Build

Posted: Thu May 09, 2013 12:26 am

Mahogany

Joined: Sun May 08, 2011 10:24 am
Posts: 57
Location: Israel
First name: Hillel
Last Name: Levy
City: Rehovot
Country: Israel
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur

Wow man!
Very elegant. Real nice design.

_________________

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Chameleon

Post subject: Re: Bolt-On 5-string Bass Build

Posted: Fri May 10, 2013 8:57 pm

Koa

Joined: Mon Feb 07, 2011 8:15 pm
Posts: 529
First name: Mark
Last Name: Sorrentino
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur

Excellent headstock 8-)

_________________
http://www.tinyhouseandland.com

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HaMMerHeD

Post subject: Re: Bolt-On 5-string Bass Build

Posted: Sat May 11, 2013 11:12 am

Cocobolo

Joined: Tue Apr 05, 2011 3:22 pm
Posts: 116
First name: Mark
Last Name: Warner
City: Norman
State: OK
Country: USA
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur

Thanks, folks.

Got the neck roughed:

And the fingerboard radiused, dots installed:

And the headstock face veneer sandwich glued on:

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Mike Baker

Post subject: Re: Bolt-On 5-string Bass Build

Posted: Sat May 11, 2013 3:51 pm

Koa

Joined: Fri Feb 01, 2008 11:37 pm
Posts: 1740
Location: Virginia, USA
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur

Lovely bass there.

_________________
Mike

The only thing nescessary for evil to thrive is for good men to do nothing.

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HaMMerHeD

Post subject: Re: Bolt-On 5-string Bass Build

Posted: Sat May 25, 2013 2:00 pm

Cocobolo

Joined: Tue Apr 05, 2011 3:22 pm
Posts: 116
First name: Mark
Last Name: Warner
City: Norman
State: OK
Country: USA
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur

I Finally have all the goodies to finish this thing. So ill be doing the last bit of work this weekend. Then...finishing...my nemesis.

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dzsmith

Post subject: Re: Bolt-On 5-string Bass Build

Posted: Sat May 25, 2013 2:53 pm

Contributing Member

dzsmith wrote:

Sweet!

Even Sweeter!
Love the carving!

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