Dave's Custom Europa

[mica]

There isn't a different standard for fretless, we use the same size aluminum dots for everything.  
 
Pictures of dots? I guess I could, but they would look like, well, dots. How big do you want them? Any materials preferences?

[bassjigga]

Aluminum is fine. Can we make them 3/32? I'm thinking 1/8 might look too big, but the standard ones seem small without frets.

[bassjigga]

Mica,
 
Any thoughts here?  
 
Dave

[mica]

As for the side dots, the work order was initially marked for larger dots. I've refined it to include 3/32 as a target diameter, but I need a little more detail about the alternating positioning for the dot/sideline arrangement.
 
From what I understand, you want the dots to appear on the side, on the invisible fretline where the 10 normal positions are.  
 
Then, we'll be putting visible sidelines on the remaining positions. So it's to appear something like:
 
(NUT)||.|.|.|.||.  
 
But, do you want two dots at the 12th and 24th fret dots positions to straddle either side of the invisible line? Or do you want three dots at the 12th fret, the middle one centered at the 12th fret, and maybe just one at the 24th since it's the last position? Or did you have something else in mind entirely?

[bassjigga]

Correct. Dots on the invisible line in the traditional positions (*1*, 3, 5, 7, 9, 12, etc) with the sidelines in the non-dot positions (ie. 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 11 etc). *I would also like to add a dot at the 1st fret in place of the sideline.
 
Regarding the 12th and 24th positions, let's do the 3 dots with the center dot being centered on the invisible line. If three will not fit on the 24th then we can default to one dot.
 
Hope this clarifies it. I know this custom setup is confusing on paper but I think it makes sense from a playing perspective.

[mica]

It's not that it's confusing, but there's always the challenge of documenting requests precisely  
 
So now we're at:
 
(NUT) .|.|.|.|.||...||.|.|.|.||. (unless 3 fit nicely @24th)
 
We can handle it, and since it will help you navigate the bass better, it's all worth it.

[bassjigga]

Looks good. Thanks Mica. There is a logic to it. In my mind, any marking on a fretless is on the position. So if I did a regular sidelines the dots, being off-position, would confuse. But having them is helpful for knowing where I'm at. Hence, the solution of having them and centering them on the invisible line.

[mica]

Hi Dave,  Here's your top wood, with the templates positioned for the BTC. You'll have to let me know if you prefer choice #1:

    or choice #2:

   There's also another slice than can be used for the peghead veneers. Do you want us to use it there?

[the_8_string_king]

Wow, Dave, you weren't kidding when you said you had some nice ebony!

[mica]

Choice #2 has some flame figure at the center - can you see it?

[bassjigga]

Told ya Mark!  Just wait til the finish hits it!
 
I definitely want to keep most of that awesome flame in the bass, so provisionally I say #2. If it's not too much trouble, could you do a pic with #2 rotated 180 degrees; so that the little lable is in the lower left corner so I can compare that as well? I'm thinking it might be cool to capture some of that squiggly striping in the top of #2.
 
Oh and yes to the peghead question. That's why I sent those smaller slices. One thing I forgot to mention to Susan; if there is any material left from those peghead pieces that would be suitable for more pegheads I would like to save it. The reason being I have a couple more of these boards and it would be cool to have some peghead material to go with those. If there isn't enough left over to bother, or if the positioning doesn't allow for it (this bass is top priority) then don't worry about it.
 
Thanks Mica.

[mica]

There should be some wood left over for your other pegheads. I'll ask Bob to reserve it and when we're done, and I'll send you back the parts we don't wind up using. We'll try to conserve as much as possible.
 
Here's the wood from that last photo rotaed 180:  

Let me know if any of these arrangements work out for you.

[bassjigga]

Mica,
 
Thanks for the pic. This last one looks good (post 4373). Let's go with that.  
 
Hmm... this photo has me thinking about black hardware. What do you think?
 
Dave

[mica]

Ok Dave, we'll use the most recent placement for the top laminate.  
 
Black hardware would look nice and understated. Here's a  on a Rogue we recently completed for our showroom.

[Bradley Young]

Hey, who's the fat kid playing that thing?