What I did on my summer vacation

AcornHouse

Venerated Member
Joined
May 22, 2011
Messages
10,213
Reaction score
7,206
Location
Bidwell, OH
Guild Total
21
This year’s build was an electric bass commission. This required a new design and plenty of choices to be made by myself and the customer. I used woods to maximize its tone: wenge (often compared to Brazilian RW), redwood (very resonant in addition to being very light), and Honduran mahogany (with a dash of maple for the neck). The pairing of the ultra dense and heavy wenge with the very light redwood managed to keep the final weight down to 8 lbs., 12 oz.
The customer selected Aguilar pickups and preamp (17 wires!) for maximum tonal versatility, and challenged me to create a 12th fret MOP inlay of a wild horse. I finally decided to name it The Wenge Underlord for its dominion over the bottom realms.
He was well pleased.

Full specs and pics at https://acornhouseworkshop.com/gallery-pages/wood-for-music/electric-bass-the-wenge-underlord/

9f254a99-4916-423b-ac3c-bad4330e0c6c.jpeg
 

D30Man

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 30, 2015
Messages
2,949
Reaction score
998
Location
Rockwall, TX
Guild Total
5
That is gorgeous Chris.. Absolutely beautiful.. Redwood as a tonewood.. Very interesting.. I can only imagine that you have a very happy client!
 

D30Man

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 30, 2015
Messages
2,949
Reaction score
998
Location
Rockwall, TX
Guild Total
5
Snuck a look at your jumbo acoustic project "tin man's heart".. Very nice work indeed.. I bet that thing sounds amazing..
 

AcornHouse

Venerated Member
Joined
May 22, 2011
Messages
10,213
Reaction score
7,206
Location
Bidwell, OH
Guild Total
21
That is gorgeous Chris.. Absolutely beautiful.. Redwood as a tonewood.. Very interesting.. I can only imagine that you have a very happy client!
I have some leftover redwood to use in an ukulele at some point. Really nice tap tone.
And I got some more wenge to use for the sides with the quartersawn wenge I have leftover for the back of a future smaller bodied guitar build, either parlor or maybe F-20 size (I need to measure it). That stuff rings!
 

fronobulax

Bassist, GAD and the Hot Mess Mods
Joined
May 3, 2007
Messages
24,708
Reaction score
8,836
Location
Central Virginia, USA
Guild Total
5
Nice, although I'm not sure my commission would have that many right angles on the top...
 

shihan

Senior Member
Gold Supporting
Joined
Jan 18, 2013
Messages
1,540
Reaction score
796
Location
Ventura CA
Wow, you have some skills! That’s one to be proud of. Very impressive.
 

F312

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 12, 2008
Messages
2,760
Reaction score
958
Nice work, have any sound you'd like to share?

Ralph
 

AcornHouse

Venerated Member
Joined
May 22, 2011
Messages
10,213
Reaction score
7,206
Location
Bidwell, OH
Guild Total
21
Nice work, have any sound you'd like to share?

Ralph
Not yet. I finished the wiring and doing the final setup within 24 hours of its pics and presentation to the commissioner. He was the one to play its first notes. When his group makes a recording or video of one of their gigs, I’ll post it.
 

davismanLV

Venerated Member
Joined
Mar 24, 2011
Messages
19,197
Reaction score
11,813
Location
U.S.A. : Nevada : Las Vegas
Guild Total
2
I've been watching the progress on this build, Chris, and I must say it turned out SUPER NICE!!! I like the inlaid, overlapping rectangles on such a curvey shaped bass!! Congrats! I'm sure he's super excited about it. Love the knobs, too. Sure beats what I did this summer....... :encouragement:

p.s. - the horse is a nice touch. Glad he requested it and it's perfectly proportioned!!!
 
Last edited:

AcornHouse

Venerated Member
Joined
May 22, 2011
Messages
10,213
Reaction score
7,206
Location
Bidwell, OH
Guild Total
21
I've been watching the progress on this build, Chris, and I must say it turned out SUPER NICE!!! I like the inlaid, overlapping rectangles on such a curvey shaped bass!!
I used the Golden Ratio for their proportions.
 

walrus

Reverential Member
Gold Supporting
Joined
Dec 23, 2006
Messages
23,956
Reaction score
8,019
Location
Massachusetts
Beautiful, Chris! The buyer must be very happy!

walrus
 

dreadnut

Gone But Not Forgotten
Gone But Not Forgotten
Joined
Jun 15, 2005
Messages
16,082
Reaction score
6,442
Location
Grand Rapids, MI
Guild Total
2
Beautiful work! I browsed your other offerings, you are a man of many talents. I only want to play instruments, not build them. A woodworker I ain't; don't even ask me to cut two 2X4's to the same length, and I'm not joking.

But I can appreciate the fine details of your work, and I imagine the tones are pretty incredible as well.
 

AcornHouse

Venerated Member
Joined
May 22, 2011
Messages
10,213
Reaction score
7,206
Location
Bidwell, OH
Guild Total
21
And, by the way, if you’ve ever wondered about the wiring in an active bass system, here’s the wiring loom after soldering.

*Dreams of drowning in a vat of spaghettini*

864fbda5-f20a-488e-8e15-12b1e566ba03.jpeg
 

D30Man

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 30, 2015
Messages
2,949
Reaction score
998
Location
Rockwall, TX
Guild Total
5
Man that butternut deuce is pretty amazing looking.. there than just being a magnificent example of craftsmanship your speaking my language with that through neck and tr p-90’s..
 
Top