Thinline Flying V bass VII

wellREDman · October 27, 2016, 11:34:37 AM

So, 3 years from idea to playable prototype.
30 inch neck from an epiphone ET80
Kerua central spar, marine ply hollow wings, Duncan guitar pickup in bridge , Entwistle 5 srtring bass pickup in neck

Dave W · October 27, 2016, 02:20:14 PM

Very nice and different. I've never heard of kerua.

Tuned E to A?

BTL · October 27, 2016, 08:37:43 PM

That's cool!

Why VII?

wellREDman · October 28, 2016, 09:34:16 PM

Quote from: BeeTL on October 27, 2016, 08:37:43 PM
Why VII?

Quote from: Dave W on October 27, 2016, 02:20:14 PM
Tuned E to A?

because i had a go on a fender BassVI and fell in love, but cant afford to buy one
and like a BassVI its E to E

Quote from: Dave W on October 27, 2016, 02:20:14 PM
Very nice and different. I've never heard of kerua.

No i don't think anyone in musical circles would have done. I went into my local wood reclamation yard and asked if they had anything I could use to carve a guitar from, the guy said " I dont know from guitars, but we got some wood which if you hit it wi hammer rings like a bell, would that do you?" i took a bit home and put a neck and bridge on it and the sustain was amazing!
so I went back for more and chatted to a different guy, it turns out its offcuts from when they restored Brighton pier; they use this wood called Kerua for the decking because it has so much silica in it it resists the seawater without needing treatment so its basically half rock half wood. its very heavy though and blunts tools like you wouldn't believe. I also wouldnt use it for anything other than a spar as it cracks easily too. but it does sound nice.

Dave W · October 28, 2016, 10:55:10 PM

Oops, I saw the six tuners but it looked like only five strings. Didn't see the high E.

Kerua sounds like it could be similar to Ipe.

godofthunder · October 29, 2016, 08:04:21 AM

Man that came out great! Is this a one of or are you going into production?

wellREDman · October 31, 2016, 02:45:28 PM

Quote from: godofthunder on October 29, 2016, 08:04:21 AM
Is this a one of or are you going into production?

good Lord no, definitely a one off.
I get two or three days building per school holiday, maybe a week in the summer if i'm lucky, and the odd hour at weekends here and there, plus I have 3 projects on the go, that's why it's taken this long
it may look good in the photos but its a long way from finished, the brick red is just primer and the headstock just has a brush of paint to hide the carnage, it's gone from 2x2 to 3x2 to 2x4 so its more dowel than headstock, will definitely need a veneer before it's done.
I'll use and abuse it for the next year or so and maybe have a go at a finish next summer.
plus it plays like shit now so needs a lot of tinkering, I know it can work cos I had it playing sweet when it was just a neck and a pickup on a 2by4