This page describes a neck-through fretless 5-string bass that we are building for a customer named Gary to his specifications, which are:

  • Neck-thru bass
  • 33-inch scale
  • 5-strings
  • Seven-piece maple/walnut/koa neck with ebony fingerboard
  • Side position markers only at the "fret" postions 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 12, 15, 17, 19, 21, 24--double dots at 12 and 24
  • Mahogany body sides
  • Bartolini 5-string Jazz-Bass pickups (provided by the customer)
  • Carvin 3-band active EQ preamp
  • Through-the-body string attachment
  • Black hardware
  • Warwick Thumb body styling
  • SMCTek Oakhurst-style headstock
  • Satin lacquer finish

The first picture shows the neck assembly with the fingerboard in place on it--but not glued on yet. We can't do that until the body sides have been glued on and sanded down flush with the neck assembly.

In this picture we can see the side of the fingetboard, with the position-marker dots showing. They are placed at the "fret positions, instead of between them, so that Gary can see where his fingers are suppposed to go!

This one shows the back of the neck assembly:

Here we see the blocks that we cut for the body sides, from a piece of 2-inch thick Honduras Mahogany that we got fromn Auburn Hardwoods in Auburn CA. This Mahogany has a moderate amount of flame figure in it that shows up really well when I spray a little water on the wood. Doesn't show too well in the pictures, unfortunately.

In the next set of pictures, the body sides have been glued in place, the body sanded flat on top, and the fingerboard glued in place. Once this was done, we used the oscillating drum sander to smooth the body edges and carve the neck to the shape and profile Gary wants (slim and flat!). The next two pictures show the front of the bass:

Here's a close-up of the headstock:

More detail shots of the body--the first one shows the edge of the fingerboard, as well as the really nice flame figure in the koa stripes. The second one shows that back of the body, and illustrates how the heel of the neck is shaped:

Another shot of the bass from the back:

The next picture shows the beginning of the body-shaping process, as well as giving us an idea of what the bass will look like with the pickups (Bartolini 5-string Jazz pickups) and bridge in place:

 


All Pictures and Text
(c) Copyright 2003 by Stephen Cyr
Last updated June 28, 2003		 Best experienced with

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