Thinking about building an RD?

[Lightyear]

I have one of the maple Ripper necks from Greatdealz and have been wondering what to build with it and I think I've settled on an RD.  Right now I'm thinking on a chambered mahogany body or chambered mahogany with a maple cap with a rosewood board in a solid color.  I'm going with a Warwick bridge and ultra light tuners.  I'm very much in the air about pickups ( brand, type, chrome/plastic ) and what color to paint the beast  - I love the white one from Japan you see pics of but I'm tired of white basses as I have two already.

This will have to be spring/summer project as I'm commited to furniture projects for a while.  Any thoughts or ideas?

[drbassman]

Very cool!  I think a chambered body would be great for tone and weight.  A solid color might be cool as they tended to be natural or black mostly.

I have two of those necks.  I'm thinking of a hollow body LP or NR TB for one of them.

[Highlander]

John has posted an idea about a "reverse" RD... that would assist in the "diver" properties of a hollowbody, and would certainly be different...

[Barklessdog]

I have been down this road-the ideas I had were-

Mahogany body the thickness of a Ric, about 1 1/2", maybe a koa or walnut cap?

Electronics-what could be done today in the same vein as the Artist?
Never did figure that out.

Pickups-I was thinking Les Paul TB's .

Definitely a Kahler.

[Basshappi]

John has posted an idea about a "reverse" RD... that would assist in the "diver" properties of a hollowbody, and would certainly be different...

I play lefthanded, my first quality bass was an Ebony RD Artist which I played upside down. While it may help with possible neckdive, let's face it the RD is a "face only a mother could love" to begin with turning it upside down just makes it ugly!


Cheers!

[Highlander]

let's face it the RD is a "face only a mother could love" to begin with turning it upside down just makes it ugly!

I presume I can count you out for a ticket to the RD Convention then...? 

[Barklessdog]

[Lightyear]

So how thick is a production RD anyway?  1.5"? 1.75"?

The base will be mahogany but I'm still open on the cap wood.

Anyone ever tried the Norstrand humbucking jazz pickups?  Would it make my RD sound too modern - even with the Mahogany?

I'm thinking of an ebony veneer faceplate - maybe holly?  Got to think about some kind of inlay too?

[Highlander]

Their are some parts of my RD that are a bit slimmer than your standard shop item... 

Mine's 1 5/8" by the neck - stock dimensions...

[Lightyear]

So some part of your RD escaped the hand of "The Butcher"?

[Highlander]

Several bits did...

... and I am now honour-bound to do a decent refin... 

[Barklessdog]

Don't forget about the stock wing contours-

[Highlander]

err... 

[exiledarchangel]

Thats what I call "weight relief".

[Highlander]

Easier on the arm...