There's a big old Eucalyptus tree down these parts that apart from being the tallest hardwood tree in the world, and having wood that looks and weighs the same as mahogany, is also very well priced and highly available.
I went and rummaged though the entire stock at the store until I found 18 feet of 12mm x 42mm (1/2" x 1 1/2") that was arrow-straight.
It's called by two names, both of them given foolishly by homesick British folk with big saws way back when. Down south (and in catalogs full of stylish furniture) it's called Victorian Ash; up here it's called Tasmanian Oak.
It's nothing like ash or oak.
Here's my template before the curves were cleaned up. All the straight lines were cut with a top bearing router bit following a straight piece of 12mm MDF.
As you can see this one's going to have continuous grain from the tip of the headstock to the rear strap button. That might be good for a number of reasons like stability, sustain, mojo, and generally raising the dead - or something, depending on who you talk to. I'm doing it here because it suits this build's wackiness. At the moment is looks more like I'm making a rifle with a very blunt bayonet or a cross-bow. I assure you, it's going to be a Telecaster(ish) Bass.
Here's another angle looking back from the headstock.
