bea
AmBASSador of the F Clef
Well, i "need" a third ABG. Fretted and as loud as my fretles Harley Benton B30. Bought a 2nd fretless B30. Thought it was medium scale like "all" of these, but it turned out to be a long scale monster. Well that will lead to a bit more effort and creative tinkering - but i hope to succeed anyway. Here the 1st step(s):
Plaining the fingerboard. It was a bit uneven. Well the B30 is a 150-€ cheapy with a good sound, and that probably means that You have to make compromises in such details.<
First: proof of concept. How do i place the fretting on the fingerboard? Will a 2nd bridge shortening the scale work? Is the stability of the top sufficient?
Short answer: yes. There are bars under the feet of the bridge carrying the load. And the sound is as strong as i hoped. Quite intrresting: the sound is different from my medium scale B30. Brighter, less bassy. The bracing of the top is stronger (higher braces), and i think that might be the cause of the different tone.
And what next? Well, obviously i need to make a new bridge from different wood. Then i need to mark the fret slots (scales 78/76 cm , same as Sharkfin bass) and cur them. Which means the new saddle will be roughly between fret 1 and 2 of a standard long scale fingerboard. Beyond the new saddle ther must be some decoration to make it look right. I need to figure out wether to shift the new Bridge/Saddle closer to the old bridge or closer to the old saddle. 1st impression: both ergonomically as well as soundwise it coud be better to put the system relatively close to the bridge.
Plaining the fingerboard. It was a bit uneven. Well the B30 is a 150-€ cheapy with a good sound, and that probably means that You have to make compromises in such details.<
First: proof of concept. How do i place the fretting on the fingerboard? Will a 2nd bridge shortening the scale work? Is the stability of the top sufficient?
Short answer: yes. There are bars under the feet of the bridge carrying the load. And the sound is as strong as i hoped. Quite intrresting: the sound is different from my medium scale B30. Brighter, less bassy. The bracing of the top is stronger (higher braces), and i think that might be the cause of the different tone.
And what next? Well, obviously i need to make a new bridge from different wood. Then i need to mark the fret slots (scales 78/76 cm , same as Sharkfin bass) and cur them. Which means the new saddle will be roughly between fret 1 and 2 of a standard long scale fingerboard. Beyond the new saddle ther must be some decoration to make it look right. I need to figure out wether to shift the new Bridge/Saddle closer to the old bridge or closer to the old saddle. 1st impression: both ergonomically as well as soundwise it coud be better to put the system relatively close to the bridge.
