Warwick Thumb style 5 string fretless bass

Started this build last summer, but life (graduation, marriage, moving and f*cking up my hand with a circular saw) got in the way of finishing it. All is settled and mostly healed by now, so I'm restarting the build.

I've always loved Warwick basses, especially the Thumb models. Not having the money and not being a bass player in the first place, I've never got to own one, so now I'm building my take on this model myself.

I am shooting to glue the fingerboard and the body pieces next week, might start on roughing in the neck shape.
Don't know yet if I'm going to put a swamp ash headplate on, I like the pau ferro as it is. One of the inlays is a little crooked, might fix this if it keeps bugging me. Opinions?

Specs - 5 string fretless bass

Body: 3pc swamp ash, lightly flamed
Neck: 1pc pau ferro, scarfjointed headstock
Fingerboard: rosewood 34 inch scale, bolt-on
Pickups: probably 2 soapbar humbuckers
Bridge: hardtail, black
Tuners: ?

 

Thanks. I'll most likely fix the inlay beforbefore glueing the board to the neck. The ash is quite heavy, we'll see if it's enough to counter balance the neck.

 

Update:

- Glued the fingerboard to the neck and routed the neckblack flush with the fingerboard.
- Roughed out most of the neckshape, overall it's about 1 mm thicker than what I'm aiming for in the end.
- Glued the bodypieces

Next week I'll complete the bodytemplate, flatten the body and route bodyshape and the neckpocket. I also might start shaping the body.

 

Update:

- Routed the bodyshape and did some rough shaping
- Routed the neckpocket and drilled the screwholes/insert recesses
- Routed the recess for the cavity cover and hoged out most of the control cavity

I have to do 2 small repairs on the body:
1. When routing, I discovered a knot on the upper horn. Most of it was removed when shaping the body, I will fill the rest of it with epoxy and maybe some turqoise or something.
2. When routing the neckpocket, the routed somehow slipped a bit. On the bass side of the pocket there is a smal patial gap (0,5mm) which I'll fill with a ash veneer. Nothing too bad.

Next week I'll finalize the neck and body shapes, make the controlcavity cover and decide what pickup(s) and tuners I'll use.

 

Update:

Only managed to route the pickupcavities and the controlcavity. Decided on 2 soapbar humbuckers. Controls wil just be 1 volume and a threeway switch, as I like simplicity in my electronics.

 

I had this one laying around, so I figured I would just use it.
I'm still not sure about the finish. It will be Danish oil, but do I leave it natural or do I stain it trans black... all the hardware will be black.