The Last Bass Outpost

Seems a tad high for a repaired headstock
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=230615883855&ssPageName=ADME:B:SS:US:1123

This will be an ebony with white pickguard 'bird.  Scott has supplied a BadBird and tailpiece.  The Tonepros studs and anchors came from Allparts.

This is the first attempt with a .75 mm shim in the neck pocket and anchors flush with the top of the mahogany body.  Action was a little high.  I reversed the screws and springs on the Badbird to make it easier for me to adjust, it can be returned to stock no problem


So I pulled out the anchors and drilled the holes deeper.  Sank the studs about 2mm into the body (3/32"), cut very shallow slots in the saddles and increased the shim to 1mm thick.  Neck is a Jazz profile with bone nut and Gotoh CBS type tuners.  Since it's for Scott I'm not concerned about neck dive.   JAEbird Customs now have Hipshot Ultralite Clovers, vintage look with less weight.


Here it is with preliminary intonation, I use an over the strings pup to set it.  The tailpiece has to have the mounting holes enlarged for the proper size screws.  Other than that it is a SWEET hunk of stainless.


Now disassembled for finishing.  Edge sanding, leveling, radiusing the edges, finish sanding and sealer next.

http://bassplayer.com/article/the-ampeg-b-15/March-2011/128073

This may be as close as you can get to the real thing.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=180625513521&ssPageName=ADME:B:SS:US:1123

The first  Honduras Mahogany JAEbird is going Down Under to Mark, it will be Fiesta Red The second is staying in the US and will be Ebony.






Bottoms up


Right side up drilling the bridge alignment holes


bandsaw to the lines


The small inner template gets removed to make the shallow rout in the control cavity.  All routs are made with one depth pass, up to 1 1/2 inches on the edges, 1 1/4 in control cavity





Truly Twins, check out the matching end grain.


Mark's is on the bottom


And a Fiesta Red/ white pg with 'vintage" tint neck for Dan Vo.  He's going to be using it in a Who show for friends' 50th Wedding Anniversary in March.


Next is finishing up the body work and paint, then setting the bodies aside for two weeks to cure while pick guards, pup rings and toppers, bridge/tailpiece and necks are finished...I'm getting the process down, the neck pocket bridge alignment is dead on and working with Honduras is a joy.

Not what I'm usually into but this is pretty cool IMO.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=260716980773&ssPageName=ADME:B:SS:US:1123

Flateric's Peter Cook interview is very inspiring so far, really looking forward to the evolution of the Fenderbird in the next part.  This 'bird was probably a next step, hopefully he'll go into more detail about it.


Here was my take on it begun around '83 and finished this year



After Jim's suggestion that a deeper cutaway might be a good thing I pulled out my abandoned 1st prototype and mocked this up going back to the basic JAEbird.  I'm not a fan of the shape of the bottom horn on Peter Cook's or the pickguard which for some reason reminds me of clenched fists.  I'm leaning toward modifying the JAEbird guard.



anyway, here we go again...