Medium-Scale Basses ~ Luthiery Laboratories

Medium-Scale Basses

Basses built with a medium scale length of 32 inches.

Audiovox 736 Bass

This was my first Audiovox project. Below is the original walnut body, fairly true to the original. My goal was to build the closest possible reproduction of the original Tutmarc Audiovox with modern parts. The ergonomics were very bad, much like a Steinberger. The headstock geometry is also not great, you can see how two of the tuners are reversed to make it work. These are expensive Gotoh tuners that are tight enough to work in reverse; I wouldn't try this with Chinese cheapies.

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Cowbell Bass Guitar

Built as a testbed for a number of ideas:

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Kubicki Factor Bass

Sort of like a Kubicki, but not really.

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Mosrite Bass

This one went through a long and torturous build process over almost two years. All I can say is don't believe the "advice" you find on talk_ass. However, in the end, it turned out to be a pretty nice instrument.

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Osprey Bass (BC Rich Eagle)

This beautiful instrument was built from a teak cutting board that I got for free from Home Depot for review. 32" Eden neck, active electronics. Teak is hard enough for a simple oiled finish. This one was built with a minimum of tools, mostly by hand, to show that it can be done and how.

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Rickenbacker 325 Bass 2

These were my first two tries at a 325 bass. Both are plywood over pine hollow-bodies. The one on the left - #1 - used an experimental neck mounting that I didn't like. The one on the right - #2 - suffered a router mishap. I took all the good parts and built the solid-body, and both of these bodies spent years on the scrap heap.

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Rickenbacker 325 Bass 3

This was my third go at a 325 bass. The first one was unbalanced with this long neck, and the second suffered a router mishap. Eventually, I salvaged both of those, but first I took all the good parts and did this. Fender-type alder body with 3-tone sunburst, single binding. Surface-mounted pickups, active electronics. Finished entirely in polyurethane.

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Rickenbacker 4001 Bass 1

This one is kind of a joke and an experiment in just how cheap you can build a guitar. The body is dry-erase board over plywood - no finish - with Tolex side binding. Dry-erase board is Masonite covered with Melamine. The neck is 100% Radiata pine, even the fretboard. The "inlays" are glitter and CA glue. The pickguard is the other side of the dry-erase board - 'chalkboard'. The pickup mount is a 57 cent switch plate.

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March 27, 2023

Slideshows

March 27, 2023

Audiovox 736 Replica Bass

Audiovox Gibson-style Bass

Audiovox Gibson-style Guitar

Audiovox Strat-style Guitar

Audiovox Danelectro-style Bass

Audiovox 12-string Guitar

Audiovox Mandolin

Audiovox Ukulele Bass

Audiovox Fretless Bass

Audiovox Electric Upright Bass

BC Rich "Osprey" Bass

Brownsville Violin Bass

Cowbell Bass

Danelectro Pro-1 Bass

Danelectro "Super-63" Guitar

Danelectro Silvertone 1457 Rescue Guitar

Danelectro Silvertone 1443 Bass

Danelectro Companion Guitar

Danelectro Longhorn Guitar

Danelectro Silvertone U-1 Guitar

Danelectro '67 Hornet Guitar

Fender Jazzmaster Bass 1

Fender Jazzmaster Bass 2

Fender Jazzmaster Bass 3

Fender Stratocaster Bass 1

Fender Stratocaster Bass 2

Fender Stratocaster Micro Bass 1

Fender Stratocaster Micro Bass 2

Fender Stratocaster Fretless Bass

Fender Stratocaster Bass VI

Fender Stratocaster Bass IV

Fender Stratocaster 12-string Guitar

Fender Stratocaster Uke Bass

Fender Telecaster Bass

SX Precision Bass

Gibson Fenderbird Bass 1

Gibson Fenderbird Bass 2

Gibson Reverse Fenderbird Bass

Kubicki Bass

Mosrite Bass

Schwinn Stingray Bass

Rickenbacker 325 Guitar

Rickenbacker 325 Bass 1

Rickenbacker 325 Bass 2

Rickenbacker 325 Bass 3

Rickenbacker 4001 Bass 1

Samick SG450 Guitar

Danelectro Pro-1 Guitar

Danelectro '63 Guitar

Danelectro Silvertone 1457 Guitar

Harmony H617 Bobkat

Danelectro Silvertone 1450 Guitar

Danelectro Silvertone 1472 Amplifier

Harmony Silvertone 1478

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