Fretless 5 Custom

[slawie]

OK, this is my target. It did actually come to me in a dream.
 
5 String
Fretless
Essence body style
Signature electronics
Side entry jack
Side LED's in green and yellow at 12th & 24th position.
Ebony fretboard
Front and back bookmatched superb walnut laminates
Ebony stringers in the neck recipe instead of walnut slightly wider at the D and E line of sight
Continuous wood back plates and truss rod cover.
Walnut Stained Maple body core.
Ebony laminate front and back of body
Body contour
Europa style peg head with contour edge
Embedded sterling silver logo with dark greenish coloured Abalone inlays.
Black nickel plate hardware.
Bird tail piece
Upsized bridge block
Ebony bridge saddles and ebony nut.
Recessed strap locks
Green abalone or ancient Redgum inlay Kasiana at 25 position
 
slawie

[David Houck]

This sounds very cool!
 
What do you mean by slightly wider at the D and E line of sight?

[slawie]

Dave,
The neck laminates are say 0.5mm thick
Where the (normally walnut) laminates run under the D and E strings on a 5 string  
I would like ebony laminates at 5mm thick.
 
slawie

[David Houck]

Ah!

[wfmandmusic]

Great dream!

[slawie]

So I am making my dream bass into a reality.
I have started to build my own neck-through 5 string fretless.
I am currently getting Signature Electronics package for her.

So far I have 13 piece neck Maple-purpleheart-cherry-maple-walnut-cherry-walnut-cherry-walnut-maple-cherry-purpleheart-maple.
Body is Mahogany with Gidgee front and back laminates with a black laminate of 0.6mm between the M and G

still so much more to go.

slawie

[slawie]

Here are some pics.

[growlypants]

That looks amazing.  Congrats, and I look forward to seeing it come to life!!

[slawie]

Thanks Dan,

I'm hoping I can build something worthy of the Signature electronics.

The wood, Ringed Gidgee or Acacia Cambegai is one of the top 3 hardest woods on the planet add to that
they are found in semi arid regions of Australia they are also embedded with silica from sand storms.
Tools get chewed up at a fairly rapid rate but it is well worth the extra sharpening rate for the beauty
of the grain and ripple effect in some light it looks 3D.

So a couple of things have varied from my original dream
i.e. No ebony in the neck.
Mahogany not walnut body (lighter in weight)
No side LEDs found stuff called "Luminlay" phosphorescent flourescent luminescent (I don't know take your pick) markers.

Anyhow some more pics below

[slawie]

Here are more pics

[growlypants]

Holy Smokes, it's coming to life, already!!  (I'm putting on my seatbelt, as we speak!)

[slawie]

And now a picture of the progress. 
Don’t be fooled the body is yet to be attached to the neck through.
Just conveniently placed for the photo.
I have a number of hours to rasp, file and sand before gluing the body wings.


I’ve only ordered the Alembic parts.
1 x AXY
1 x Fatboy
1 x Bird Tailpiece
Bridge block
Adjustable nut.
Once the brass parts arrive it’s off to the players for black nickel plating

[slawie]

*Platers not players

[edwardofhuncote]

Enjoying your build thread, Slawie. 


Kinda' missing my shop already.

[slawie]

Thanks Greg.

After doing this for a couple of months and working towards
kitting up my own shop I can appreciate your sentiment.

I hope you get better.

slawie