The Custom Shop Flying V bass that we discussed over at the Gibson corner got me thinking.
How would I do it, if I would build one?
I don't do carbon copies. So I wanted to think of some hybrid.
Let's make a Flying V mixed with a Thunderbird.
So I came up with this idea:
Short scale (30")
Neck through. Nine ply neck
Korina / Limba wings
Sixties Repro Thunderbird humbuckers (EY)
I posted it on Facebook. Asked Jay or Nay.
And one guy commented: "if you make it a long scale, I'd like to order one".
Making it long scale (34") turns out to be a bit of a challenge.
The bridge can't move much further to the back of the body. The bass would be 130cm long and neck dive would be quite certain. Even with Hipshot Ultralite tuners.
John Gallagher singer/bass player of Raven chimed in. He showed me pics of his bass. That one has a body with the V much shallower, allowing the bridge to sit further back.
I'm not really convinced by the looks of that body. But it did put me on a new track:
I'd make that extra part of the body black to match with the ebony faceplate of the headstock.
It sort of echoes the brass tailpiece of the 50s flying V guitar.
And I'd make that part of the body about 4 mm lower, so the original outline of the body is still most eye-catching.
The guy who commented has now asked me to build it for him.
Let's go!