Popular Post LFlab Posted June 4 Popular Post Report Share Posted June 4 Thinking about a hybrid bass/guitar for a while (like the one Charlie Hunter plays), and I did a design for a 7 string fanned fet instrument, with a body like the Ernie Ball St.Vincent signature guitars. On a local dutch bass forum, people kept commenting that they would like a regular bass in that form factor, and I thought by myself "me too", so yeah. I'd already bought some rough basswood lumber, and was thinking about giving the shortscale necks you can buy from amazon a try. The design A shortscale bass, using a paddle neck from Amazon (71 euros) Cut some templates on my lasercutter: Started work on the body, used a handplane to do the big chamfers, much easier than anticipated actually. The main challenge was routing the control cavity, as that bottom needs to be parallel with the top (made a wedge shaped jig for that). Did a mockup for the headstock, and decided to slim it down a bit (right one is slimmed down already, it is not getting even thinner ) Headstock contour done and painted, eye-popping yellow As it sits now Only recently received the pickups, and they are slightly bigger than I assumed (classic), so I will need to do some routing on the body, which I am not looking forward to. Also, you really see every imperfection with this paint, so it is certainly not perfect, probably will need to do some sanding and painting after routing. It has one layer of clear currently. Also did a design for the triangular knobs, and had them 3d resin printed: There's a "V" also stvincent_bass_layout15MAY2024.pdf 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Akula Posted June 5 Report Share Posted June 5 I dig it! The simplistic angular style works perfectly with that finish and colour. And I just adore those triangular knobs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LFlab Posted June 5 Author Report Share Posted June 5 Thanks! I can post the STL files for the knobs if anyone is keen to have them printed for their own. To me, the inspiration for the shape of the body must be something like this (I think I recall seeing an old Chanel or Dior ad) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LFlab Posted June 10 Author Report Share Posted June 10 A bit more routing, wet sanding, another coat of yellow, two coats of clear, and that's it. Finishing definitely is something I am learning. Assembled, and did a few iterations for the shape of the pickguard, finished one variant (mounting holes still to do) 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LFlab Posted June 12 Author Report Share Posted June 12 Posted two versions of the knobs (without the "V" en "T" on top) on thingiverse: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:6658889 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mistermikev Posted June 12 Report Share Posted June 12 On 6/4/2024 at 2:01 AM, LFlab said: don't take this the right way but... sweet knob. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LFlab Posted June 13 Author Report Share Posted June 13 Yes, my wife also complimented my knob (not nearly often enough though) And, thanks! Like I said, the STL's are on Thingiverse so you can have them printed (or print them yourself). Would go for resin 3d prints, for shits and giggles I opened them in Cura to slice them for an FDM 3d print, but the preview promised something very horrible. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LFlab Posted June 14 Author Report Share Posted June 14 Two colours of pickguard, decided to go for the pearloid 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bizman62 Posted June 14 Report Share Posted June 14 3 hours ago, LFlab said: decided to go for the pearloid Good choice although the industrial non-slip flooring does make a statement as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LFlab Posted June 15 Author Report Share Posted June 15 I work at a maintenance department, and we have that rubber with teardrop anti slip pattern, that could have worked also had some time today, so I buttoned her up. tested the preamp this week, and that was working well, it also helps to tame the mud Pickup position is also key for that, neck pickup is in P position, bridge is slightly further forward than on a J. Need to have the knobs printed again, because the silver chrome paint remains sticky, even after a week and a half of drying. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henrim Posted June 26 Report Share Posted June 26 That’s a funky one. Nicely done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Asdrael Posted June 26 Report Share Posted June 26 I like it a lot! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LFlab Posted June 27 Author Report Share Posted June 27 Thanks guys! Really wasn't too hard of a project, especially given that I bought a paddle neck, the one thing that did kick me is the finish though. This neon colour really shows small specks of dust, some of them came from the paint itself, I suspect. Also, I had planned to use a rattle can 2k clearcoat on this one, but I found a warning somewhere not to use a 2k epoxy over acrylic. Instead, I went for an acrylic clearcoat, which sucks, do not ever ever ever use that stuff. I remember it from the old days that it stayed sticky for a long time, and figured that they might have figured that out by now, wrong. The neck has two coats of acrylic clear over bare wood (and the headstock) and it feels sticky, so it needs to come off at some point. The body is sort of OK, but I noticed a slight stickyness when I picked it up fom the guitar stand, and sure enough, the rubber of the stand left black stripes where it touches the body, I'll see if I can save this, and put a coat of nitro over it, but in the future, I think I'll stick to nitro. The bass plays and sounds (and still, looks) great though, strings could be a tiny bit higher but that needs to wait until the neck fully sets under string tension. It sounds massive, with still plenty of definition. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henrim Posted June 27 Report Share Posted June 27 1 hour ago, LFlab said: acrylic clearcoat, which sucks I like acrylic for many purposes. 2k, that is. Or actually it is polyurethane acrylic clear I use. Dries in 20 minutes or so. And forms a hard and durable finish. I don’t use much rattle cans, but I do prefer acrylic over alkyd for all purposes. I have not used 2k rattle cans other than I once tried. That particular paint was no good and the nozzle clogged easily. The problem with 1k alkyd is that you need do all the coats once. Maybe max half an hour between the coats. If you fail that, you need to wait a week or so the paint to fully cure before you can paint another layer. Otherwise it will never cure but stays sticky. I have not seen that happening with 1k acrylic, but my experience is limited and it is possible that it has similar behavior. All the nasty chemicals aside, I much prefer 2K. 1 hour ago, LFlab said: the rubber of the stand left black stripes where it touches the body, I'll see if I can save this, and put a coat of nitro over it, Just be aware that nitro finish is really picky about what it is touching. Many stands with rubber cushions are not good for nitro. Leather or felt is fine. I once had a white nitro guitar in its case with a guitar cable touching the body. I don’t think it was there longer than a day or two, but the nasty black and yellow marks on the body were permanent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LFlab Posted June 27 Author Report Share Posted June 27 Thanks, so maybe that is what I did wrong, have not noticed issues with rubber of stands touching nitro yet. Maybe a diy nice wooden stand for several instruments is a nice future project, and then use felt as a buffer, rather than rubber. WRT finish, I have one guitar which I started, but was built and finished by a luthier, I think he used rustins plasticoat, that's something I like to try as well, but that is a very lengthy process, needs a long long time to cure, I believe. Anyone here use it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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