Gee that's a big guitar

[matthew]

I'm a self-taught maker, obsessed by double basses.

At October 2008, I have built one from scratch, restored one from a wreck and started on number two. I'll use whatever wood I can get my hands on, within reason.

I live in Sydney and do repairs and restorations too.

I have a day job and a tolerant family



My website is here

BRESQUE BASSES

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[Bob Connor]

I've just been perusing your blog Matt.

There's some amazing stuff going on in there with shaping that top.

You're not wrong about spending a few hours in there. I'll get through it all eventually.

Very well documented and extremely interesting stuff.

Bob

[Craig]

Man, That's an incredible effort Matt .

What's the deal with the wood ? How thick is the soundboard ,and what's the bracing set up ? .

Thanks for posting your work matt , I know we will all find it very interesting

Must Have a BIG car Huh?

Fantastic work mate

[Craig]

Sorry Matt , didn't notice your links . I'll give them a good coat of looking at.

[Serge]

Very interesting instrument Matthew, your workmanship is neat and so is your shop mate, thanks for sharing the fruit of your work.

[Hesh1956]

Hi Matt and welcome to the ANZLF!!!

[matthew]

number two

[BillyT]

Nice work Matthew!! You use an inner mold like a violin, that's pretty cool!

[Paul B]

What are the timbers on number 2? Looks like tas blackwood back and ribs? could that be right?

What's the top?

And, how on earth did you bend those sides?

[matthew]

Nicely figured Tassy oak ribs (from mitre 10!) bent with a combination of heat blanket and supersize bending iron to touch up the curves. They are about 2.8mm thick and 220 wide.



Above, I'm using the heat blanket when clamping to the neck blocks; spritz the outside of the rib with water, slop on the hot hide glue, clamp in position, give the heat blanket a burst and tighten the wingnuts till the ooze squeezes out all round.

Back will be Tassy oak too.

Western Red Cedar top in the background, jointed and waiting for carving.Its in four pieces; two x 30omm planks and two small wings for the lower bout.

In case no-one's noticed, a cornerless double bass is a very rare beast. I venture this will be the first one in Australia.

[BillyT]

Yea! I noticed! It actually gave me an idea about using a reverse curl for a guitar!

[matthew]

I tend to eschew power tools because I don't like the noise or the dust.

But this means I need some big gouges and a solid worktable ...




The small gouge is a pfeil 30mm #9 on a converted table-leg.



The big mother is just that.

[matthew]

This last pic is a bit ugly but it shows how much wood has to come off.

[Paul B]

That's looking pretty good Matt. Like the new workshop too, looks a bit less breezy than the last one.

That Bass behind you doesn't seem to have that fold in the back like the last bass you built. So what's the go there? Some have a bent back and some have a fold?

[matthew]

There are flatbacks and roundbacks.

Flatbacks have internal braces, usually horizontal but sometimes X braces

Roundbacks are usually carved, have no internal braces.

Both can have the "break" in the back, usually when the ribs are really deep. Helps you lean over the bass to access the upper registers.

The one in the pic is a ply bass, so not carved.

[matthew]

planing the back flat, down to about 6mm:

[matthew]

Top arching progress







Not the "bearclaw" effect on the last pic. pity it will be hidden by the fingerboard!

[matthew]

Bracing style for your critique





the back is now glued on. I think I'll have to thin it a bit towards the edges more cos its quite heavy and stiff. plenty of meat to work with.

[Lillian]

Nice work Matthew. Very impressive.

[Allen]

I know squat about basses, but I know what I like...and I like that.

People are always saying to me, " I don't know how you have the patience and skill to build a guitar". Well Mathew, I understand patience and skill, but building a bass would be a huge leap of faith for me to take.

Looking good mate. I'm looking forward to more progress shots.

[Craig]

G'day Mathew,

In the words of the great late Steve Irwin " Crikey"

That's some beautiful work you've got going there mate . Man , I'm impressed to say the least. Geez !

Cheers , Craig

[Kim]

Very nice Mathew, outstanding work in fact. I would imagine that sanding the top down on one of these beauties could get quite erotic no?

Cheers

Kim

[matthew]

Well Kim ...

The best way to find out if there are irregularities in the arching is to run your hand over the plate. I do this, eyes closed, for several minues at a time, and where I feel a bump or ridge I mark with chalk to hit with the scraper later.

It is a very pleasant process. This is a life-size instrument, more or less!

Its interesting that the fingertips will tell you what the eye won't. Something about what makes a curve beautiful is the rate of change of the curve. Just as braking a car to a stop smoothly is something we sense, not calculate (even rate of change of decceleration), the rate of change of a curve can be felt better than seen. (I am not the author of this analogy, though I would love to take credit for it ...)

[matthew]

People are always saying to me, " I don't know how you have the patience and skill to build a guitar". Well Mathew, I understand patience and skill, but building a bass would be a huge leap of faith for me to take

Allen I am only moderately skilled, somewhat lacking in patience, but I'm as stubborn as a bull!

A bass is just bigger. Not harder. And you don't need 20/20 eyesight or fine motor skills

[ap404]

Matthew, I remember 'wasting' many hours on your blogs late last year.

I found them thru Bob Gollihur's links page shortly after buying my first DB and getting obsessed with the big ol' thing ( an old 40's or 50's german factory basket case ).

Inspiring stuff and yes, your new digs look a lot less 'breezy'

I was also interested to see you bending solky oak so successfully as i have a little stack of it here for parlour sized acoustic sides and backs and wasn't really sure that it was gonna fly.

Cheers A.P.