I'm gonna build a double neck.

VOLVO))) · January 10, 2011, 10:34:00 PM

I can't afford one, and I have an influx of instruments that I don't care about, a full wood shop, a camera, and a hard-on for modifications. I'm going to make a bass/guitar double neck. I don't know how long it'll take, or what work is involved. I'm lookin' for input, and suggestions. This will be fun as shit, and soon as I get started, I'll pop up the pictures of the process.

Base questions:

What models of guitar/basses would fit well together with the least amount of sawing? I'm trying to avoid losing TOO much of either instrument. I've been laying body style over body style in photoshop... Tele/Pbasses make nice hook-ups.

What would you guys like to see for a finish? The first one I do is definitely going to be painted, since I'll probably end up using a plywood guitar or something else ugly like that. Wicked colors? Normal colors?

Anything else you guys can raise a question about, post it here...

spookstrickland · January 11, 2011, 07:13:38 AM

Very cool! I have always thought about doing that very thing but I don't have the wood shop. A fender Strat and a Jazz bass would be an awesome combo.

Jor el · January 11, 2011, 09:12:09 AM

Rots of Ruck

Hemisaurus · January 11, 2011, 10:20:13 AM

I've always like the look of Julian Cope's Firebird/Thunderbird combo, and it sounds pretty awesome too.

VOLVO))) · January 11, 2011, 11:45:36 AM

Man, that think looks fucking awesome! It really won't be all that hard to do, just gotta instruments with an abundance of wood. Gotta measure my arm length, and really, all you have to do is join them properly. A real good glue joint with plates every 4-6 inches, it'll never come undone.

db3jed · January 11, 2011, 01:34:21 PM

http://www.warmoth.com/Guitar/Bodies/DoubleNecks/DoublePrecisionStrat.aspx

VOLVO))) · January 11, 2011, 02:16:28 PM

Awww that defeats the purpose! Good to know it's out there, though. Shit, I could probably dump three grand into building one of these if I wanted to. I'm trying to do the first one cheaply, most likely rondo instruments, or pawn shop prizes if I can find a cheapo squire tele, and a Pbass knockoff...

Hemisaurus · January 11, 2011, 02:38:47 PM

Quote from: SunnO))) on January 11, 2011, 11:45:36 AM
Man, that think looks fucking awesome! It really won't be all that hard to do, just gotta instruments with an abundance of wood. Gotta measure my arm length, and really, all you have to do is join them properly. A real good glue joint with plates every 4-6 inches, it'll never come undone.

Click the pic, the article (final page) has some detail on how they think it was done.

The decision you need to make is which goes on top and which goes on the bottom.

db3jed · January 11, 2011, 03:11:16 PM

Well I wasn't necessarily suggesting you build it with Warmoth parts but I thought that it might help as a visual aid in determining the offset of the bodies and what not.
I really wasn't sure what instruments you had to work with but this and the Firebird/Thunderbird pics would give you a good jumping off place in your design.

Volume · January 12, 2011, 05:16:01 AM

and

VOLVO))) · January 12, 2011, 12:14:03 PM

It'll be fun as shit, bass needs to go on the bottom for me, since I play bass low, and guitar higher.

justinhedrick · January 12, 2011, 12:47:14 PM

yeah, i think it would be fun as hell to get a guitar and bass from rondo and put them together. assuming that the bodies are of the same thickness, it shouldn't be too hard. cut, drill some holes to putt some dowels in, glue and clamp. then get your pickguard,electronics installed, and prepare for the onslaught of sluts throwing themeselves at you!

VOLVO))) · January 12, 2011, 01:46:23 PM

You know, the body thinkness isn't really an issue, I wouldn't mind a rounded lap on the back, long as it's not sharp, it isn't an issue. The fronts are the only things that have to be flush, for purely cosmetic purposes. If I could Tung and groove a guitar into a bass, and not have it look like dildos, I'd do it. hahaha.

Hemisaurus · January 12, 2011, 03:35:35 PM

Well if you're jointing two bodies together, rather than making a new body and bolting the hardware, necks and electronics from two instruments, I can think of the following issues.

For the joint you'll need to be sure and remove any body contouring on the jointing faces, ie. if the bass is on the bottom and has a body contour on it's top side, that'll need to go.

If you're wanting to make it pretty you can always put on a laminate sheet like a maple cap or something.

I can actually see a strat / p-bass design requiring you to put an extra bit of wood in the middle, too keep the necks far enough apart, with the amount you will have to cut off each instrument to get a smooth mating face, but this is in my head, where things aren't always accurate.

VOLVO))) · January 12, 2011, 08:35:08 PM

That's why I was lookin' for instruments in the slightly-larger body style area. I'm not averse to adding wood, frankly, I kind of wanted to do a walnut skunk-stripe between the two, and a burst if the woods under the paint weren't too ugly. I posted an ad on craigslist about people selling me their rarely-used instruments, and I got a bunch of hits. It won't be hard to do, and it's something that is seldom done by anybody I've seen. I know I'll certainly own the only one of it's kind.

Strat doesn't have enough wood, truly, but a tele does. I planned on moving the control cavities anyway, on the upper instrument. There is a fair chance the bass HAS to go on top though, for balance reasons. I've just been doing sketches and tinkering with what I want to do. Someone is selling me a 5 banger SX JB copy tomorrow for 80 bucks...

http://www.rondomusic.com/ursa2cmnnaash.html

I really wanted a p-bass, but I can make this work, I'm pretty sure. It'll all buff out, y'know? The details will come as I build.

Ranbat · January 12, 2011, 10:03:20 PM

There was an article in Vintage Guitar recently on making a double neck from two guitars. I think it was the School of Hard Knocks feature they have each month. In that article the guy took 2 Tele's and made a six/twelve. Not the same as your doing, but there might be a few tips you can use. I always wanted a Tele/lapsteel like Junior Brown has. That thing is sweet.

Hemisaurus · January 12, 2011, 11:00:53 PM

Quote from: SunnO))) on January 12, 2011, 08:35:08 PM
There is a fair chance the bass HAS to go on top though, for balance reasons. I've just been doing sketches and tinkering with what I want to do.

don't forget you can put lead weight into it as a counterbalance, gibson or fender used to do that, or some company did. the only way my sg bass balances is with hidden lead weight. you though can actually bury it in the wood itself, and make it solid.

HeavyEar · January 13, 2011, 12:03:03 AM

.

Hemisaurus · August 26, 2011, 09:43:54 PM

Do you have a spare $30,000?

Jake · August 26, 2011, 10:01:32 PM

I've got a stripped down and (mostly sanded) Eastwood Stormbird body I'd sell you for cheap. It's got an assload of wood and would be pretty ideal for a project like that.

VOLVO))) · August 26, 2011, 11:19:57 PM

Is it a bolty or a set neck? Id probably end up playing it hahahah.

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Corey Y · August 26, 2011, 11:33:22 PM

Rondo makes a double neck. The Agile Valkyrie version of that Gibson type. I know the point is you want to make something, just sayin.

Hemisaurus · August 26, 2011, 11:38:56 PM

I see Carvin make neck thru blanks for guitar and bass

Hemisaurus · August 26, 2011, 11:45:58 PM

Ooh, 12 string and bass, and it's a rick. Make it metallic fleck green and I'm in

clockwork green · August 26, 2011, 11:53:21 PM

I saw a Ric like that but with an 8-string bass...if I had the credit card room I would have made a bad decision since I actually don't like Ric necks (mainly the guitar necks).