Projects (6/7) ~ Luthiery Laboratories

Projects (6/7)

Audiovox Gibson-style Bass

Audiovox 736 Replica Bass

Audiovox Gibson-style Guitar

Audiovox Danelectro-style Bass

Audiovox Fretless Bass

Audiovox Electric Upright Bass

Audiovox Strat-style Guitar

Audiovox 12-string Guitar

Audiovox Ukulele Bass

Audiovox Mandolin

BC Rich "Osprey" Bass

Brownsville Violin Bass

Cowbell Bass

Danelectro Pro-1 Bass

Danelectro "Super-63" Guitar

Danelectro Silvertone 1457 Rescue Guitar

Danelectro Longhorn Guitar

Danelectro Silvertone U-1 Guitar

Danelectro Companion Guitar

Danelectro Silvertone 1443 Bass

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 Squier Stratocaster Guitar

Fender Telecaster Bass

SX Precision Bass

Gibson Fenderbird Bass 1

Gibson Fenderbird Bass 2

Gibson Reverse Fenderbird Bass

Kubicki Bass

Schwinn Stingray Bass

Mosrite 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 Silvertone 1448 Guitar

Danelectro '63 Guitar

Danelectro Silvertone 1457 Guitar

Harmony H617 Bobkat

Danelectro Silvertone 1450 Guitar

Harmony Silvertone 1478

Danelectro Silvertone 1472 Amplifier

Danelectro Longhorn Bass

My projects are generally inspired by classic designs, but with a twist. I like to build things like basses on guitar bodies, non-standard scale lengths, and occasionally originals, and experiment with materials, finishes, and electronics. One of my great interests is driving the cost out of luthiery by sourcing parts and materials from the hardware store. I prefer to build more guitars than simply more-expensive guitars.

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Stratocaster Bass 1

This body was purchased on eBay from a parted-out guitar. Might have been a Squier, I don't remember. It was in pretty good shape, and I gave it a good polishing. The neck is hand-made, one of my first. The back is hand-picked Home Depot maple, the fretboard is pre-slotted rosewood from StewMac, I hadn't yet worked out how to make my own. If you cut the first two frets off a 34" fretboard, you end up with a 30" scale. That's about the limit with a pre-slotted fretboard though, as you start to run out of frets at the other end. The dots are 1/4" pearl from StewMac, expensive. The frets are probably pre-cut Fender.

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Stratocaster Bass 2

This Strat bass is another of my early projects, an evolution of the first one. It uses basically the same neck, but mounted in the stock guitar neck pocket. This moves the bridge position adjacent to the old tremolo hole, but the expansive Mustang bridge plate covers it nicely. The pickguard looks stock, but is actually custom-made to cover the six stock bridge screw holes. If you can't get a Mustang bridge ( and you can't any more, ) you could extend the pickguard to cover all the guitar holes, or use a stock pickguard and just make a small bridge-sized cover. Or just leave the tremolo hole and keep your stash in it.

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Stratocaster Bass IV

Uses the bottom four strings of a Bass VI set to get a low enough total string tension for the Strat tremolo to work.

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Stratocaster Bass VI

The Fender Bass VI was a bass for guitarists. It was basically a Jazzmaster body with a 30" short-scale bass neck and six mid-weight strings tuned EADGBE one octave below a guitar, or the same as a bass. The string spacing is such that it can only be played with a pick. You can look up the rest of the details. Danelectro actually invented the Bass VI, they were always willing to try new things while Fender and Gibson were just determined to deepen the rut they were in. Rickenbacker's rut is so deep they can't even see out of it.

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Stratocaster Fretless Bass

This fretless sounds really cool, and is super-easy to play, as you no longer have to stretch your hand unnaturally just to make ordinary patterns. It is set up with flats I found in the junk box. Can anyone tell me what kind of strings have blue thread leaders? The intonation fell right in, which is surprising considering the bridge was previously set up for 25.5" guitar strings. ( Actually, how important is intonation on a fretless anyway? )

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Stratocaster Micro Bass 1

Eden paddle-head guitar neck converted to bass. Strings are lower four of 5-string set, unwound to fit 25" scale.

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Stratocaster Micro Bass 2

Originally all red, refinished in black burst. Eden paddle-head guitar neck converted to bass. Strings are lower four of 5-string sets, unwound to fit 25" scale.

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Stratocaster Uke Bass

21" neck, adjustable bridge with piezo saddle, active electronics. EBay body. Now has metal-wound strings.

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SX SPB-57 Precision Bass

This is my attempt to recreate my very first bass, a "Montaya", as well as one of my first ventures into 'modding'. These SX's are great instruments. For 109 bucks you get an alder body with a beautiful 3-tone sunburst, a decent neck, functional bridge & tuners, and a flawless finish. What you don't get is any kind of useable pickups or strings. On this one, I installed a USA Fender pickup, my favorite d'Addario strings, and gave it a careful fret dressing and setup. I also added the tortoise pickguard, rosewood thumbrest, and ashtray for the looks only. At the time, I was going purely from memory, but I later found a picture of the original, and I got it dead right.

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Telecaster Bass

Solid ash body, 32" neck, active electronics ( stacked tones. )

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Projects

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Skunk Stripes

The skunk stripe is the walnut strip down the back of many 'classic' guitar necks. It is an indication of the type of truss rod within: A single steel bar in a curved channel. To create a perpendicular force, a truss rod needs two members: one in tension and one in compression. The skunk stripe rod uses the neck itself as the compression member. This was originated on a guitar neck and then extended to the bass. The problem is, a bass neck is much longer and less stiff than a guitar neck and is under much greater compression. The last thing you want to do is add more compression. Also, using two dissimilar materials for the two members inserts a host of issues, and using steel against wood, that's just hideous. The wonder of the skunk stripe is that most of the time you get away with it, despite how awful the design is. Of course, it is very cheap and easy to manufacture, in a factory setting.

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