# New MaKo building thread: 7 strings fretless bass adventure.



## MaKo´s Tethan (Aug 26, 2010)

I have been living months with a bass design in my head, associate to the word Magritte.






this, mix with my incontrolale GAS for a six strings bass and a fretless have become a nice idea o build.

I choose two woods for this projects, Cancharana, a local semi-exotic wood, straight grain, hard but not a hev rock, just hard, with a nice red colour, this ill used for the neck. the another wood is watambu, tropical wood with a really bright timber in instruments, like maple, but better. also straight grain, no knots.

These both woods are used along al Argentina for many many luthiers, so, I think will be ok to me.

Specs at this moment: 7 strings (BEADGBE) FRETLESS, 35"SCALE.
DOUBLE TRUSSROD.

please recommend me strings gauges!!! I don`t know how to use those programs made for that.























First day of work:













































It has 2 single rods. and yes, its deeper at the middle. I put woods fillers and all the shit, just what the pics and shut up.

Wish me luck!


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## jymellis (Aug 27, 2010)

fook yeah maing \m/


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## SD83 (Aug 27, 2010)

Looks cool so far, nice woods. Self-made trussrod? Looks interesting, I hope you don't mind if I copy/steal that idea 
Magritte... I am curious about that. Body-shape inspired by his art? Or body decal/painting? He made some extremely cool paintings... more info, please!
Sorry, but I can't help with the string gauge, I yet have to find a fitting set for my own six string


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## Winspear (Aug 27, 2010)

Looking forward to this 

Strings...as it's fretless, are you going to use flatwounds?
I'm thinking it's going to be _actually_ impossible to find flatwounds for that scale length and tuning (unless you mean an octave down from normal 7 string, basically like a bass??)
Why so incredibly long?


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## anthonyferguson (Aug 27, 2010)

Sweet! Really looking forward to this


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## sk3ks1s (Aug 27, 2010)

I see another epic build thread.


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## Customisbetter (Aug 27, 2010)

I LOVE Mako threads.


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## vansinn (Aug 27, 2010)

Very cool, another epic Mako picstory coming up  wondering which sorts of ingenuity will see the dawn of light this time 

Watambu wood is new to me; a very short search on it didn't reveal anything.
I'm getting curious.. would you have any references to it? (Portuguise/Spanish will do too)
If it's hardness is sorta like maple (which you compare it to), I'm worried it may be too soft for a long-lasting fretless board.


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## Konfyouzd (Aug 27, 2010)




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## MaKo´s Tethan (Aug 27, 2010)

> Strings...as it's fretless, are you going to use flatwounds?
> I'm thinking it's going to be actually impossible to find flatwounds for that scale length and tuning (unless you mean an octave down from normal 7 string, basically like a bass??)
> Why so incredibly long?



is a bass, yea, sow, like a seven strings an octave lower. I don`t like flatwounds...just want to try with normal strings, at least at the beginning.



> Watambu wood is new to me; a very short search on it didn't reveal anything. I'm getting curious.. would you have any references to it? (Portuguise/Spanish will do too) If it's hardness is sorta like maple (which you compare it to), I'm worried it may be too soft for a long-lasting fretless board.



_Balfourodendron riedelianum._

<spanish>
Es una madera semidura, con un peso específico de 0.81. De color blanco - amarillo muy claro y parejo de vetas suaves. Es una madera de muy buenas prestaciones con destacada flexibilidad. Se la utiliza para enchapados, placas, tornería, piezas curvadas, etc. No resiste mucho a la intemperie
</spanish>

Is the Argentinian maple, but can not use it in outdoors constructions, is very fragile to the whether, flexible, semi hard, when you knock it with a pencil or the nails, it produce a very bright sound.


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## leandroab (Aug 27, 2010)

AAAA PORRA CARALHO !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## MaxOfMetal (Aug 27, 2010)

For BEADGbe (bass) tuning I'd go for something like .130, .105, .085, .065, .040, .032, .028. Though, I'd PM the user here named Knuckle Head as he's a bass string maker and could probably help you out better than I can. 

As for the fretboard, if the wood is soft like vansinn is saying, then put a few coats of epoxy on the fretboard. 

Epoxied boards are :






















HG Thor Epoxy Fretless


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## MaKo´s Tethan (Aug 27, 2010)

oh my god!!!<bonner> thanks a lot max, you have change a lot of things in my mind.


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## MaxOfMetal (Aug 27, 2010)

Glad to inspire Mako. 

If you do choose to go the epoxy route, be sure to find one that dries clear, unless you want a slight yellow tinge. I've noticed some marine epoxies tend to "yellow" as they dry. Also, epoxy coating has some advantages, namely it's a very hard finish, so you can use roundwound or even stainless steel roundwounds without permanently damaging the fretboard. If the epoxy scuffs (it will) just polish it, kinda like a giant fret. It also imparts a certain sound to the notes, imagine the fretless "muwah" sound but more vocal. Players like Jaco Pastorius used epoxied fretboards.


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## Sebastian (Aug 28, 2010)

Another Mako built thread = 

I can't wait to see more pics man ! Your pictories are always epic !

Helleyah !


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## TheSilentWater (Aug 28, 2010)

Nomnomnom.


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## theo (Aug 31, 2010)

... ^what is this? ^ 

that epoxied fretboard!!! so sexy


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## MaKo´s Tethan (Sep 2, 2010)

Hi dudes, work, girlfriend, and bureaucracy are taken all my time, so, the bass is goin slow.
I pay with a pack of this



 to cut the damn fretboard to the size needed. today I cut the head, and start with the back of the neck.


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## MaxOfMetal (Sep 2, 2010)

The headstock is reminding me of a cross between a Yamaha and an Ibanez.

Great work man!


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## MaKo´s Tethan (Sep 2, 2010)

Thats the idea! good eye. I have in mind some effect like this (the carved thing)


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## MaxOfMetal (Sep 2, 2010)

Instead of carving the face of the headstock down (you want to keep a nice amount of wood there for strength) have you considered caving a raised part out of some "scrap" wood left over from cutting the neck? Making a headstock "overlay" will give you that 3D carved look while keeping the meat in the headstock/nut area.


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## MaKo´s Tethan (Sep 2, 2010)

you won`t believe me max, but that idea is rounding in my mind since I post that side pic of the yamaha head...will be tried.


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## BrainArt (Sep 3, 2010)

This is looking really good, Mako!  Can't wait to see the finished project.


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## MaKo´s Tethan (Sep 20, 2010)

But you can see my horrible draws to get an idea of where I`m going with this.
most of these draws were made at work, in an entire day each one (line by line, in every second free of work, which is difficult to get)


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## MaxOfMetal (Sep 20, 2010)

Awesome planning! 

Have you considered going neck-thru since it's going to be a single cut?


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## MaKo´s Tethan (Sep 20, 2010)

I want to try bolt on, I have to learn to do a decent bolt on neck, and I have a router now, so I hope I will be fine, also, bolt on its easier to correct the angle to the body, I always has problems in that with my neck thrus...
shitti english day, I`m sorry.


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## MaxOfMetal (Sep 21, 2010)

That makes a lot of sense. Personally, I highly prefer bolt-ons. 

I recommend, for your bolt pattern, to move it along the neck into the upper bout. 

Like this:









The increased coupling of the body and neck will lead to more stability, as well as more transfer of energy.

I apologize if I'm suggesting too much, let me know when to shut up.  I don't want to take away from your design.


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## Sebastian (Sep 21, 2010)

Updates 

Nice drawings man


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## Rashputin (Sep 21, 2010)

This is awsome. Good luck Mako, I'm gonna follow this build. I recently bought the "Make your own electric guitar" book by Melvyn Hiscock. Very interesting read. Following the build threads on this forum and reading a lot of building stuff online has made me appreciate the amount of work that goes into making these things.


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## MaKo´s Tethan (Sep 22, 2010)

MaxOfMetal said:


> That makes a lot of sense. Personally, I highly prefer bolt-ons.
> 
> I recommend, for your bolt pattern, to move it along the neck into the upper bout.
> 
> ...


 stop reading my mind please 
it`s ok, I accept suggest, but yours are exactly my though, so, I take them like a big DO IT.



well, heres is the new shit, more another day.

first, I need a body, so I went with my girl and on my bike to buy some more _cancharana_ use the imagination I find the way I ride 5km from the store to my home trough the city.












portnoy in the tv.





















@custom is better:
now is flat


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## MaxOfMetal (Sep 22, 2010)

That neck is looking GREAT Mako.


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## ralphy1976 (Sep 22, 2010)

your work is great Mauricio, awesome stuff!!!


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## Sebastian (Sep 22, 2010)

Great work man ! You sure got better


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## MaKo´s Tethan (Sep 22, 2010)

thanks guys!


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## scherzo1928 (Sep 22, 2010)

"La conocia de un sueño, pero ayer Magritte entró en mi cabeza"
Are you thinking of making a 2nd bass? with 3 trussrods? and individual bridge saddles? because that would be super cool.
Btw, the neck looks amazazing now.


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## Fred the Shred (Sep 22, 2010)

Ah, looking forward to see how this one ends up!  Go for it, dude!


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## Semi-pro (Sep 22, 2010)

Looking good! Nice work with the neck


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## SD83 (Sep 22, 2010)

Nice to see some progress, looks good


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## sk3ks1s (Sep 22, 2010)

MaKo´s Tethan;2150157 said:


>


 
He's givin' us the finger!!!



Very nice contours on the neck by the way...


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## MaKo´s Tethan (Sep 23, 2010)

just a lil update, cutting the blank for the body.


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## Sebastian (Sep 24, 2010)

Always great to see your updates 

Now I want to build a guitar ...


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## Customisbetter (Sep 24, 2010)

Looks great man. I'm happy to hear that you got a router. Serious business.


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## Semi-pro (Sep 24, 2010)

That red stuff in the top of the picture isn't blood i hope? 



Anyway, at first i wasn't that much into the body design but now that i've had some time to digest the idea, it seems actually kinda cool


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## MaKo´s Tethan (Sep 24, 2010)

this is just a try, not the 
definitive shit.





this piece is from the body of my last guitar.




my lovely new tool

















be patience...will be better soon.


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## Customisbetter (Sep 24, 2010)

Mako I love ya buddy, but those routes needs some work.

I can see you are taking about a half inch out at a time. Bad news. Routers HATE taking large bites. Go slow and make a million passes at a quarter inch depth. Also don't let the router pull itself along or else you don't get straight lines. Hold it down and move it very slowly on your own terms.

The build is lookin great. 

As an example... Here is an entirely free hand route job...


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## MaKo´s Tethan (Sep 25, 2010)

thanks, I`m workin on that, (this was my first try ever on a router!) also, I need a (don`t know the name, the point, the piece wich is in the contact with the wood) the one with the ball bearing in the bottom, shit my english suck, this:








I lil more today, is not a fine work, just the big pieces takem off,


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## anthonyferguson (Sep 25, 2010)

The other thing you can do to get straight routes is clamp a piece of straight wood parallel to the cut you're making and at the correct distance, so the flat edge of the router base runs along it, making a nice straight channel.


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## scherzo1928 (Sep 25, 2010)

tonywozere said:


> The other thing you can do to get straight routes is clamp a piece of straight wood parallel to the cut you're making and at the correct distance, so the flat edge of the router base runs along it, making a nice straight channel.


 
If you can't find the piece(I believe It's a flush trim touter bit) do what Tony says, you will get perfectly staright edges that way.

I got a Bosch catalog in here, and it says It's called a "Fresa para enrasar y biselar" Number part is 2 608 628 635 for a 1/4" bit. Hope that helped.


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## MaKo´s Tethan (Sep 27, 2010)




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## Konfyouzd (Sep 27, 2010)

q bueno trabajo viejo! you're a guitar buildin' fool!


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## MaKo´s Tethan (Oct 4, 2010)




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## Customisbetter (Oct 5, 2010)




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## aleXander (Oct 5, 2010)

That is bloody cool lookin'


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## heavy7-665 (Oct 10, 2010)

Bump for progress?


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## MaKo´s Tethan (Oct 18, 2010)

well, I don`t know what to do with this, I put some veneer on it just to see what happen, but I`m not convinced yet.






head





ramps?






freehand route...

























the bass is in the "damn, I fuck it up" moment, I will drink a couple of beers and make some furious art, trust me.


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## Customisbetter (Oct 18, 2010)

Those routes look much better bro.


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## MaKo´s Tethan (Oct 18, 2010)

thanks, the outside line will be route again once I build the cavity cover.


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## possumkiller (Oct 18, 2010)

That body shape kicks ass dude. You are gonna wind up being a killer luthier I bet.


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## MaKo´s Tethan (Oct 24, 2010)




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## JamesM (Oct 25, 2010)

What is... I... 

Mmmmmmmm.


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## MaKo´s Tethan (Oct 25, 2010)

I don`t know, is a "distressed flamed top" the finish was made with coffee (using oil instead water) the wood work is unfinished (I mean, needs a lot of sand work yet, but I leave it this way, looks like an old piece of trash and I love that.


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## jymellis (Oct 25, 2010)

i FOOKING love the top!!! i mean that is AWESOME as it GETS \mmmmmmm/ dont sand it or do a fooking thing!!!!!!


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## JamesM (Oct 25, 2010)

^Agreed. Don't touch it! I just... Uh...


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## MaKo´s Tethan (Oct 25, 2010)

ok. also...I use some old engine oil from my motorcycle in the mix 
and over all this crap, wax.
now I have to build a bridge


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## Customisbetter (Oct 25, 2010)

Dayum.

Nice job broski!


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## BlackMastodon (Oct 25, 2010)

Damn, that body looks significantly better than I would have anticipated. Very well done.


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## Mordacain (Oct 26, 2010)

MaKo´s Tethan;2189609 said:


> ok. also...I use some old engine oil from my motorcycle in the mix
> and over all this crap, wax.
> now I have to build a bridge



Looks awesome man...but beware of the carcinogens in the used motor oil...probably best not to use that if you can avoid it.


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## fripper (Nov 17, 2010)

imprecionante

me gusto mucho su trabajo


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## MaKo´s Tethan (Dec 21, 2010)

Well...I almost finish the bass, but wanted to make it secret until it`s debut. 
This is an old friend (a really cool bass player, pretty progressive) here playing with one of their projects, reggae a little bit technical.
(was a very small pub, 40-50 humans)




















more pics when I finish some minor details like the back covers, electronics and stuff.


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## Customisbetter (Dec 21, 2010)

Where have you been bro?

That Bass looks fantastic. Great job!


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## scherzo1928 (Dec 21, 2010)

It's like a conklin secret research project gone bad.... the good way!


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## youheardme (Dec 22, 2010)

This is really cool man. good job.

makes me wanna build a guitar


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## Sebastian (Dec 22, 2010)

Looks really cool so far.... definitely original


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## Daiephir (Dec 22, 2010)

:O AWESOME!!!!


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## highlordmugfug (Dec 22, 2010)

Holy.
Shit.


Mako, I  you.


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## airpanos (Dec 22, 2010)

damn dude that's the ugliest bass i've ever seen sick job!


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