I built this bass for Michael-Scott Earle, who lives in Southern California. It took almost almost 5 months to complete, primarily because the contract consulting gig I have took me out of town 8 weeks out of 12 in the Fall of 2004. It's a 4-string fretless Jazz-style bass with these characteristics: Handwound pickups by SweetSounds Ltd. in a P/J configuration Three-layer body of bookmatched spalted maple, walnut, and alder Straight-grain hard maple neck with a birdseye maple fingerboard Black hardware Black nylon-wrapped strings, made by LaBella. At the right is a picture of the body during the gluing process. Every C-clamp I owned at the time (but one) is in this picture! I've bought more since then. Below is the body the next day after I cut it to shape on the Ryobi 9-inch bench-top bandsaw I bought about 18 months ago. I can't say enough good things about this little saw! Just about the best $97 I ever spent. Below that are two pictures of the neck after the black plastic position marker dots were installed. The "fretlines" are black-stained maple veneer I got from Woodcraft.     The first picture is the body immediately after I unclamped it and cut it to shape on the notorious Ryobi 9-inch band saw. The second is the body after contouring and routing (sanding the contours, rounding the edges with the 3/8" roundover bit, then cutting the neck pocket and pickup cavities with the 3/8" pattern bit): This picture is the neck, shown after it was completely cut to shape, position markers installed, and sanded to 220-grit. The next step will be the addition of the spalted maple headstock overlay. This is a detail shot of the fingerboard that shows the really excellent birdseye figure in the piece of maple I used for the fingerboard. The fretlines are maple veneer dyed black, obtained from Woodcraft Supply. Below is another shot of the body after the sanding sealer and the first two coats of lacquer have been applied. This particular bookmatched top was a prime example of what happens to Western Bigleaf maple when it is heavily spalted. Spalting is a decaying process wherein water and fungus get into the wood fibers, causing the discolorations and patterns that you see in the pictures. But the decaying process damages the wood fibers too, and there were several spots in the wood where the wood was very soft. I used Stewart-MacDonald's Cyanoacrylate Instant Adhesive #20 to stabilize the wood fibers in these areas. The spalted maple overlay has been applied to the headstock, then cut to shape and sanded. The overlay actually consists of a layer of walnut veneer, with the spalted maple over that. All that's left is to cut the nut slot, then I can start putting on the sanding sealer. Update on December 17, 2004: I've finally gotten most of the work done on this bass, which I plan to ship to it's rightful owner soon. Here are some pictures I took today:

Update January 28, 2005: The bass was delivered to it's owner this week, and he received it on the 27th. His initial reaction: Oh my gosh Steve! I just got the bass in the mail!!! I've taken out my camera and am taking some pictures before I play it. Words can't describe how great of a job you did on the finish. Write back soon with more details. Later last night I received a second email: Steve, I love you. This is an amazing bass. Probably the most expressionate string instrument I have ever played on. The sustain is unreal. I feel like the note swells and gets louder after I puck a string. The vibrato is very easy. I do a little bit of movement and it really comes out in wondrous color. This really is a work of art both to see and hear. Every time I open the case I gasp a little bit and can't wait to get it in my hands. Though it looks like a painting it feels as solid as a block of cement and the neck feels just right in my hands. I was worried that I might have not liked it since I was only able to tell you what I wanted through email and not show you want I wanted- but you did a great job of producing a very playable instrument for me. I guess he likes it. Another Update, February 4, 2005: Steve, Just wanted to update you. The bass is really great. It sounds incredible and I can't say enough good things about it. My teacher is a pretty anti fretless-flat wound guy. There is nothing he likes better then a super bright sounding bass with harmonically gifted round wounds. When I told him what I was getting from you at the start of this project he shook his head and told me that I probably wouldn't like the sound of it- Last Sunday I showed it to him and he was amazed by the sound and construction. "I'd like to play one of his fretted basses with some round wound strings" he said. Of course I gave him one of your cards. What brand of strings did you put on the bass? Fender? I can't tell you enough how happy I am. I want you to build me my next fretted four string bass. I know exactly what I want but I won't be able to do it for another year. Your devoted fan, Michael-Scott These are the pictures that the he mentioned in the first email, taken immediately after he unpacked the bass. From the last picture, it looks like he hadn't even tuned it up yet.