Whamola Plans (advice needed)

[o b s]

I'm currently working on building myself a Whamola. I've searched and trawled through every bass forum I can find and from pictures and what little info I can find i've drawn up a design I think would work; I'm not very experianced in DIY or instrument making though so i've come here to get feedback on my design.

Heres the best reference picture of the original i can find:
http://img166.imageshack.us/my.php?image=whamolalgct1.jpg

And heres my design:
http://img407.imageshack.us/my.php?image=whamplanvz5.png

I'm building mine to a 35'' scale rather than the 42'' of claypools (I believe thats what his is) so I can use standard electric bass strings, I plan to either string it with a D like claypools or an A tuned down to G (because I play frequently with a melodeon player whos instrument is tuned to G or D). I want to build the main body out of aluminium and the fretboard out of some hard wood so it wont get too damaged from the abuse it'll take, the bridge and nut will be made from pulley wheels, it'll be strung through the body.

Heres the specific information/opinion i'm looking for:

1. I'll need to cut quite a few holes in the aluminiom body (for the lever, the electronics etc.), How should I do this and what tools will I need?

2. I'm going to tune the instrument with the lever in the tightest possible position (unless someone tells me not to and why anything else is better), I want a way of locking it in this position so I can play on the fretboard without it reverting to the loosest angle, I'd like to do this with a thumb button or catch for my lever hand, anyone got any advice on how to do this?

3. I have an old Squier P-Bass that I'll take the pickups, tuning key, electrics and anything else that I might need off, other than these what tools or specific parts might I need? What would be a good hard (cheap DIY store sold) wood for the fretboard and what should I make the lever out of.

4. Whats the best way to set the lever up? Currently I'm planning to put a pulley ring in the body and just run the string over that to attach to the tuning key on the lever with the lever running off the same axel as the ring, the body will be cut in such a way to let the string pass through and restrict the levers movement to the desired level. Is this ok or is it flawed? (or is there a better way)?

5. Whats the best way to secure the bridge? I was just going to weld some pieces of metal to the sides of the body and run a pulley rung on an axel between them, this sound ok?

I also welcome any advice/suggestions or ideas that anyone wants to give me, especially from anyone whos build a Whamola as your advice is obviously highly regarded on this subject :).

Thanks.

edit: forgot to add, when I'm finished I'll post soundclips and the exact specifications/parts I used to build it, since there seems to be no decent guides or information on building them at the moment.

[CCR90]

This is all I can help with. Now you make me want to build one in welding class next week.

1. A drill press. I reckon to cut stuff out you can use a die grinder. Not sure how well it works on aluminum.

3. A soldering iron.

[FireItUp]

i was going to make one too,i was going to draw a diagram today...your diagram is really good. a really good site....go on yahoo and type in yessy whamola. theyve got really good picture but they make theirs out of wood like im gonna do. even if you are sure you are using metal check their site, they have really good closeups of the lever.
im not much of a help sorry

[Peg Dizzler]

It'd be best if the bridge was adjustable for intonation. So maybe you should drill holes in the body and screw the pulley bridge onto the body, unless the pulley has some adjuster to slightly change the scale length.

It'd probably be a good idea to make fret markers, unless you consider yourself an awesome fretless player.

As for cheap woods for the fretboard, personally I'd recommend rosewood... it's not that cheap and it's not usually available at local stores, but it's probably your best bet. I suppose you could get oak or red oak at home depot or any other local hardware store, but I have no experience with using that for a fretless fingerboard!

[CCR90]

Now I want to build one. I could do most of this in school, minus the fretboard. How wide does the fretboard need to be? I can get 1 inch steel tube in welding at my school and construct stuff.

Is the pully attached to the handle?

[PsychoTronn]

cool project, it would be cool if you show pix when you're done

[o b s]

Now I want to build one. I could do most of this in school, minus the fretboard. How wide does the fretboard need to be? I can get 1 inch steel tube in welding at my school and construct stuff.

Is the pully attached to the handle?

i'm going to have the fretboard about as wide as the body, but it doesnt matter much, theres no right or wrong way to make this thing really
i'm probally going to have the pulley wheel on the same axel as the pulley and the handle will be able to reach 90 degrees at the loosest angle and 30-45 at the tightest

[rh15951]

It'd be best if the bridge was adjustable for intonation.

Why would he need to intonate a 1 string fretless?

[AG]

Because relying on your ear constantly might be a little hard to do?

Having accurate fret markers = good thing.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v86/lalalalalalalala/Whamola.jpg


You can see on this Whamola that the tention lever is 'locked back' agains the back of the body. This will give you a standard to tune to.

Think of a stratocasters vibrato bridge, when it's resting it's locked back against the body of the guitar. I would advise that sort of mechanism for your Whamola.

[o b s]

I'll probally (almost certianly) not have fret markers, maybe a mark where 12th fret would be but otherwise if I have markers on a fretless I end up playing it with my eyes instead of with my ears; resulting in worse playing overall.

I think I'll definately tune to the loosest position (90 degrees off the body) now too, though obviously I can experiment with different tunings and stuff when I've finished, I have a some used strings I can use to test stuff on it without breaking new ones.

[PsychoTronn]

you gotta make a vid like this with your whamola

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4_H4T2lj-4