'51P influenced Deluxe 5

[SkuttleFunk]

Here's a project I completed for a client in Columbia, MO

* Warmoth '51 Deluxe 5 body ordered with just a neck pocket, and finished in semi-transparent Butterscotch Blonde
* Warmoth Deluxe 5 Maple/Maple neck with black dots, finished in gloss
* Nordstrand Big Single (bridge) and custom 5-string SCPB pickups
* Hipshot Ultralight tuners with clover keys
* Hipshot Vintage bent plate bridge with thru-body stringing option
* Custom design .090" black matte ppickguard with a very heavy '51P influence
* CTS 500K stacked pots for a V/T + V/T control configuration
* Steel threaded inserts in the neck for better attachment to the body (see my thread in the User Tips forum)
* All cavities shielded with shielding paint, and connected together to a common ground
* Dunlop Strap-locks

all the best,

R

 

[selowitch]

:kewlpics: Gorgeous. I love it. Especially the maple fingerboard. Sometimes regular maple without birdseyes is the way to go aesthetically, IMO. In this case, it creates a pleasing contrast with the grain on the body (is that swamp ash?). Oh, and man -- what a great-looking bridge. Must sound great. Nice work!

 

[Tweed]

That is easily the best looking Fender style 5 string I've ever seen. And I put "Fender style" in the topper position, which means this is right around the top of my faves for looks!

 

[Vennegaard]

I also like this bass very much. Incredible build.

The bass I’m building at the moment is highly influenced by this. However, it’s a little more classic with only 4 strings, 1 pickup and so on.


Regards Vennegaard

 

[SkuttleFunk]

thanks for the comments! this was definitely a fun project to plan and execute

the client I built this for lives in the Columbia, MO area. anyone who happens to be in the area just might see this bass being played one night - the client is a regular four or five nights a week

all the best,

R

 

[guitlouie]

Yeowsers Skuttle!  That is one classy looking five string.  So classic yet modern.  Love it, man.

 

[SkuttleFunk]

I should point out something that might not be too obvious ... the pickguard is one I custom made, and is not the same as the guard Warmoth sells for this body style. you can sort of catch the difference on the upper horn (this guard is wider than the Warmoth offering), but it should be really obvious when you see how the control plate fits with the guard ... I have my control plate facing the correct direction (skinny end towards the neck) whereas the Warmoth offering mates the rounded end to the guard and the skinny end just kinda trails off)

all the best,

R

 

[JR]

hehehe cool scenary photo. That has ended up looking really good. real classic look!

 

[SlingBass]

I'm really late to this party......but a perfect marriage of form, function, and esthetics! Great vision, planning and execution!

 

[kreig]

Must . . . . . revive . . . . . . . . . . Thread

WOW ,

Who is responsible for the concept here? or break it down per you vs. client , please .

and whats the story behind the 5 in line tuners vs. a 4 +1 , and the placement of the string trees ?

I think I would have done it differently .

and I've thought about making the contol plate w/o the pointy end and just mirroring the rounded end , instead .

Btw - this bass makes my body "quiver" ! It's my all time favorite bass , and then you kick it in uber-space.

 

[SkuttleFunk]

I had worked several customizations for a customer in Missouri, and conversations lead to him inquiring if I could do a custom 5 based on a '51 Tele P. We tossed the idea of me making a custom body from rough materials, but found that the W Deluxe 5 body was close enough to grab the vibe even though he would have preferred to have a full 19mm string spacing. For a neck, we were limited to what W could do for a D5, and he preferred the 5 in-line as more traditional looking than a 4+1 (and the 4+1 would look really bad with that Tele style headstock - another thing he wanted to keep)

Once we had the body and neck solidified, we spent time working with Nordstrand to have a custom SCPB pickup made to the original specs but in a 5-string flavor. For a bridge pickup we discussed several options but ended up on having a custom wound rwrp Big Single to match the SCPB 5. I designed the pickguard to capture the original Tele P (and correct W's take on reversing the control plate so that the round end meets the pickguard) and to follow the contours of the D5 body.

All in all, I'd say the original idea came from my client but that we each contributed 50/50 on this project as we each had specific ares of design/fit/function/sound that we were looking to capture. One place we differed was in the control configuration ... I preferred a V/V + T set-up for its ease of use, but he preferred a V/T + V/T set-up for that early J-bass vibe. Within a few months the controls did get modified, and it now sports a V/V + T control configuration.

The string retainers were located to provide the most even break angle across the nut. Future builds will utilize a different retainer design and location


Look to see a very close version of this bass in my standard model offerings when I re-open my shop. I'll have a couple of options for pickups and hardware, plus it will also sport my custom headstock design. I will also be offering this in a lefty version

all the best,

R

 

[SlingBass]

Again, my compliments on that build! I look forward to seeing some of your other ideas when you reopen your shop 

 

[Mor Paul]

Forgot to say it earlier...
AWESOME. I like it.

 

[SkuttleFunk]

thanks for the props guys!

R

 

[ZGOZZ]

That is a sweet bass :headbang1:

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

That is a sweet bass :headbang1:

I always come back to admire this one.  The root of it's design is unmistakeable, yet it's nothing like that and truely unique.  It is a one of a kind, and apparently more custom than meets the eye.  Fantastic build.

 

[selowitch]

That pickguard is a really nice job. I love how it dovetails to the control plate so elegantly. How did you do that? Would it be costly to have you do something like that for one of my basses? Also, I notice that Warmoth doesn't drill holes for pickguards. Does one drill the pilot holes for the pickguard screws prior to applying the finish, or afterward?

 

[SkuttleFunk]

I had a whole lot of hours into that pickguard design, and then another few hours into detailing the routing template. to get the control plate cut-out right, I simply traced the plate in its position onto the paper template I designed to make the routing template

my routing template also contains locations for all of the screw holes, but these are not pre-drilled into the body until I locate the pickguard onto the body during final assembly, long after the body is returned from the finishing shop

all the best,

R

 

[selowitch]

I guess that means that one destroys a few small rounds spots in the beautiful new finish when you drill for pickguard screws, eh?
I assume most people just dig straight into the wood. Me, I'd want threaded inserts so I don't chew up the wood every time I remove the pickguard. That would be especially important in a top-routed design, but since my dream bass is a 5-string Warmoth, I'll be rear-rout only.

 

[guitlouie]

Threaded inserts for pickguard screws? You win,  you are way more anal than me.