Well heres how it went:
I started of with a 1/8th size bass. (about 80cm i think?).
Its my feeling that at least for me qualitatively, a half size string length is the absolute minimum. So 97 cm. In order to achieve this with the same neck heel note, I had to extend the string length in both directions. I have a D extension on my Romanian 1/2 size with 97cm string length so this bass was made to match. BTW the D extension with the open A and D is great. The notes reinforce and actually swell when in tune.
Extra long fingerboard. Normal width tapered in the back to the neck width. With one tuner turned around and most of the bottom curve to the pegbox taken away, the two extra notes can be fingered in one easy motion.
Since moving the bridge down sets the bridge on a stiffer part of the top, some internal mods were done, and a lot of tension was taken off with a very high French style tailpiece. This is a low tension system. Sound post is above the bridge.
To bring out the upper bass resonance peak when playing acoustically a hole was made in the shoulder to compensate for the small cavity (and top and string length) that is expected to reproduce the same tuning as a normal instrument. In a smaller system dealing with the same low tuning, the alignment changes and the bass is much more critical and sensitive to small changes. The bass was made to amplify, but has a well balanced sound acoustically if not as loud. The goal was to make the bass work correctly "mechanically". I found that by only amplifying just the missing parts of the lowest octave it can sound like a well balanced normal sized instrument played acoustically. Mostly I play fully amplified though. As far as comfort, It balances well and the feel of the board and the string spacing are even better than my 1/2 size.
Oh, one last note. Its now tuned a d g c with a g extension. so I only lose 3 half steps. Evah pirazzi c was the only string I could find that wasn't thin and twangy. Same thickness as the spirocore G. A pleasure to play. The bass is now antiqued black like the bass I bought from Ken in 84. It was immediately taken more seriously as people tend to hear with their eyes.
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