Rog's 'Conehead Dragon Buzzard'

[mica]

Here's the pictures I emailed you earlier today, Roger:  

 

  I'll see about the upper "bump" and get you a revision if anything looks promising.

[Roger Smith (rogertvr)]

Thanks Mica!
 
I've had a little e-mail conversation going on with Mica about the design, but I'm not going to tell any of you what has been said because I don't want to lead the jury!
 
I am open to comments and suggestions on all aspects of this design - so, let me have them please folks!
 
Cheers,
 
Rog

[Roger Smith (rogertvr)]

Amazingly, with a HB pencil and some baking parchment, I have managed to come up with a couple of things of my own (I surprise even myself sometimes!). I've tried to get a common theme underway.  The upper part of the body above the end of the neck is virtually idential to Susan's drawing, but it is just a little further back and a little lower (it's got the line by it).  Working my way down to the the other end of the body (even though it may look like a straight line, it's meant to be a very shallow curve), the bit that goes under my right arm now has a nice curve on it and is meant to represent the dragon's curly flowing back.  I hold Susan fully responsible for this, I have used the Chinese dragon inlay to fuel this fire!  The bottom of the bass reflects the trailing edge of the dragon's wing.  Finally, the part below the end of the neck follows the same line as the end of Susan's peghead.  Obviously this design of mine might need balancing up but this is where I'm heading with this project.
 
Any comments anyone please?

[Paul Lindemans (palembic)]

Aha ... work to do!
Part of the body: I basically agree. I will load down the picture and see if I can print it. Maybe I can give you some ideas after that.
As for the peghead, I still like the idea of the spear. That could achieved by making a mix of a standard crown peghead and a (narrow) cone. Maybe it's an idea that also for this thing I make a sketch.
Yeeeeeez ... this is gonna be a busy thread. Brother Roger ... you don't have the faintest clue what you started here.
You're gonna be very sorry (BTW ...how sorry can you get??) LOL
 
Paul (the bad one)  

[Roger Smith (rogertvr)]

Thanks for your input Paul. I believe both Mica and Susan will have input to this.
 
I'm on holiday as of tomorrow and I'm not back until 11 April.  So if anyone wants to contribute to this thread, I will pick-up on my return and I'll go from there.
 
Catch you all soon folks!
 
Cheers,
 
Rog

[mica]

Hey Roger,  Here's some of the newer sketches from my mom's design book:  

 Susan's idea is to incorporate some additional carving on the inner surfaces of some of the curves. It gives somewhat of a beveled look to the shape.  She wants to change the interior of the lower left curve and carving some.  

 A bit of a bevel on the peghead shape to tie it all together.   Hope you like the direction. I'll be posting some more Coco Bolo tops on Friday or Monday, can you direct me to a photo the has the character of grain you prefer?

[mikedm]

Pardon me as I 'but' in, but has anyone seen Jim Henson's movie, The Dark Crystal? There's something gracefully wicked brewing here. LOL. The peg head could do double duty in realing in guitar players b4 the extended solos take off.
Very niccccccce....
 
Mike

[rogertvr]

Thanks for posting these for me Mica!
 
My initial reaction is that it's looking fabulous! I've been trying to get the bottom end of the bass revised in my head but this is just fantastic!  There is one thing I don't like though - that is the radius of the curve in the bottom left hand corner.  I would like that opened out, it looks too pinched up; if it could mirror the curve/claw effect at the far end of the headstock, I think that would be great!
 
The whole bevelling idea is inspired - I think that will look absolutely stunning, especially if the different layers of wood and therefore different colours are allowed to show through.
 
Is there an answer yet Mica to my question regarding knob and switch layout?
 
I will have a hunt around over the weekend to find some wood that I like the grain on. I might just have to go to the Griffin for a pint or four and photograph that certain table!
 
To everyone who has commented so far - thank you - please carry on, I welcome your comments both good and bad.
 
Best,
 
Roger

[mica]

Excactly my mom's observation, the lower left curve needs to be opened some to coordinate with the other curves better.  
 
The knob ans switch layout is somewhat flexible, but it really depends on the exact body design, that has to be addressed first unless you have a specific control configuraton then we should be designing the body around that.  
 
Looking forward to the pub table grain pattern and I'll get in the wood pile and find some candidates along the lines you've expressed above.
 
This is a very exciting project!

[rogertvr]

Hi Mica,
 
Everyone who has seen this design thinks the left bottom curve is too pinched (but that the rest is stunning) - except for Senior Management who thinks the pinched corner gives the bass an edge ('kick ass' I believe the American saying is).  However, she's not designing, paying for or playing it, so I'd like to see a version where the radius of that curve is more open.  Then I can compare the two.  We're close to a final design here!
 
That said, I don't want to design the shape of the bass around the switch and knob layout - that is secondary as far as I am concerned. Let's worry about that later.
 
The Griffin table - I'll see if I can get down there over the weekend and find it without various pints of beer spread all over it! Although that may not be necessary now as I have a serious idea about wood requirements in my head. I will e-mail you off the Club about them Mica.
 
I'm buzzing!!!!!!!!!!!!

[palembic]

Hey Brother Roger, Moder Mica and Sister Susan,
 
nice piece of work you are brewing together here. Until now it's one of the most fairy designs I've seen on Alembic the last few years. For some reason it reminds me at fairy-tales, legends, old strange weapons, knights and ...dragons.
So ...bull's eye!
Why does this reminds me to Jethro Thull stuff?? Or the Dune movie???
Mmm...
Keep up the good work ..carry-on. There are only a 853 people looking over your shoulders!
LOL
 
Paul
 
PS come on Roger. I know it's hard but really you HAVE to go to the pub saturday!! HA!!!

[rockandroller]

Here is my own take on opening up the bottom curve a bit (sans bevels, since I am too lazy...)
 
I really like the dragon claw headstock, but when I tried to incorporate it into this scale drawing, it seemed absolutely puny compared to the body. Rather than fiddle with it, I made a bigger headstock thats a little more buzzard-esque
 

[David Houck]

That looks really nice, Michael.  I even like the way the grain looks on the headstock.
 
Roger, I have two questions.  Where will the strap locks go?  And will there be a problem with balance?

[mica]

Here's the unpinching from my mom's notebook:  
 

I think everyone's on the same page here.  
 
Looks like you've been busy, Michael. I also hear you are drafting a representation of a neck profile. Roger has you hard at work, or is it volunteer work?
 
I  don't think that balance will be problem, Dave, as basses with the upper body half with mass farther from the bridge tend to balance extremely well (like Explorer/Exploiter styles). In fact, those Spyder basses are among the best balanced ones we make.  It looks like they shouldn't, but they do.

[David Houck]

Thanks Mica; that's intersting that the Spyder basses are that well balanced.