I am thinking about trying to build my own bass. I see that there have been several threads about this already, so I will be looking into those also, but I have a simple question for you guys who make guitars/basses all the time.

Where can I get inexpensive body blanks, neck blanks, finger board blanks, etc... that are ready to use?

I don't have access to a planer, nor can I afford one. I realize that I am going to need to purchase a band saw and some sort of sander (orbital?). Other than that I already have a really good table saw, plunge router w/ table, electric drill (wish I had a press), jig saw, dremel, and a variety of other woodworking tools.

I am currently reading the books "Building Electric Guitars" by Martin Koch, and Hiscock's "Make your own Electric Guitar".

Any other advice you guys could offer would be great, but right now I just want to know where I can get affordable ready to use wood. I'm not too worried about hardware since cheap stuff can be had on ebay any day of the week.

My first bass will be nothing special, more of a learning experience than anything else so I won't be buying any nice wood or hardware. The things I have decided on so far is this...

- 34" scale
- 4 strings
- fretless (simply so I don't have to buy all the fretting tools yet).
- single humbucker w/ vol/tone. I don't really care about the electronics in this one since I already know how to do custom electronics and wiring.

Things I am not sure about...

- Bolt on or Neck Through (which is easier the first time?)
- Single or double cut.
- truss rod (not sure if I care about this since it is just a test project)

Please don't advise me to start with a kit. Not that they aren't fun, but I already know how all the parts go together, I've reconditioned a few guitars in the past stripping them down to just parts and complete re-assembly.

I think that's enough info for now....

Thanks :)

Bolt on. Check out Stewmac.com and Gallery hardwoods. good luck.......tom

Bolt on. Check out Stewmac.com and Gallery hardwoods. good luck.......tom

I said "affordable" ;)

Actually, Gallery has some "not too expensive",,, NORMAL wood body blanks... I'm coming to realize, building your own,,, is NOT cheap...

Just realize, the blanks that Stew Mac sells prolly won't accomodate a bass- sized body. They're more for strats and teles.

As far as "affordable", you get what you pay for. For a normal alder wood blank, expect a 3 piece for @ 70 bucks. Warmoth, USCG and the like offer them pretty much the same prices, or at least in the ballpark... realize they're buying 8 quarter wood, joining it, levelling it, and all that takes labor and time above the cost of the wood...

You can get rough dimensional dried stock cheaper, but you need to run the mating parts thru a joiner...then you have to glue it, and get the thickness setup...

Ron

Actually, Gallery has some "not too expensive",,, NORMAL wood body blanks... I'm coming to realize, building your own,,, is NOT cheap...

I had not expected it to be cheap to build a decent bass, but I would like to keep the budget low on my first since it will good for not much more than fire wood when it's done, haha.

I did take a look at gallery hardwoods, and I think a 2 piece aldur blank will do the job, the price isn't too bad. Still, I think I may use a piece of MDF to prototype the body first.

That is affordable. As already postedbuilding a bass is not cheap! There are some nice gibson/schaller tuners on e-bay all the time. There are also some in-expensive black bridges on e-bay. This bass uses both. Remember you can always use the hardware for the next one too......t

I had not expected it to be cheap to build a decent bass, but I would like to keep the budget low on my first since it will good for not much more than fire wood when it's done, haha.

I did take a look at gallery hardwoods, and I think a 2 piece aldur blank will do the job, the price isn't too bad. Still, I think I may use a piece of MDF to prototype the body first.

LOL, check THIS out... When I'm done with mine, I will have spent more on THIS one,,, than I did my Lakland Deluxe 55-01.

I took the plunge today, & went ahead & added a Translucent finish to my Dinky J... I just don't know enough about finishing, to feel comfortable I won't screw it up & I don't want to resort to an oil finish, because that's all I'm capble of. I'll get some scraps from Larry, & go to town on those!

Nothing wrong with an oil finish. I have had several customers request them. Another easy one is wipe on Polyurathane for the body. Qualasole or Tung oil for the neck.......Tom

i may have a hipshot bridge id be willign to part with for a mid-low price.

pm if ya intereted, for 2 5 string black , 2 4 string golds

Where can I get inexpensive body blanks, neck blanks, finger board blanks, etc... that are ready to use?
Not necessary, it's rather easy to prep planks to good enough quality.

I don't have access to a planer, nor can I afford one. I realize that I am going to need to purchase a band saw and some sort of sander (orbital?). Other than that I already have a really good table saw, plunge router w/ table, electric drill (wish I had a press), jig saw, dremel, and a variety of other woodworking tools.
Man, you've got a great start!
Don't bother about band saw and sander! At least not for starters. A DIY jig saw (which you have!) is good enough for the band saw jobs, except for thinning wide planks.
The plunge router will do as planer, and of course do all the other router things, with some clever jigs.
A drill press is gold! "Waste" your money there instead!
I built the LoW with a lot less power tools, but I had to borrow a drill press for some instances...

I am currently reading the books "Building Electric Guitars" by Martin Koch, and Hiscock's "Make your own Electric Guitar".
Perfect start!

Other advice?
- Make templates in MDF or plywood. Simplyfies a lot. I think...
- A neck pocket may be tidious to do with the needed precision. OTOH, the BO neck is much simpler. Your choice.
- Truss rod: simple and cheap does the job. I made my own double rod, single acting, from Koch's instructions. Neat, simple and functioning.
- Just go slow. Low pace, lots of thinking, patience, measure twice or more before cutting, more patience... Get the drift?

Not necessary, it's rather easy to prep planks to good enough quality. The plunge router will do as planer, and of course do all the other router things, with some clever jigs.

With a good straightedge you can use one as a jointer [if you have to], if you can't use a hand plane.

i think you should definitely put in a truss rod, leaving that out is just a bad idea. plus it will give you practice installing one before you do it on your next project.

go to e-bay and type in "body blank"
there is an alder one on there for $40 buy it now, and a mahogany one for $50 buy it now

or you could go even more inexpensive and just go to your local hardware store and get some poplar (or maple if they sell it). if they do sell maple, you could possibly find some nice enough pieces for the neck

as far as an inexpensive fretless board i would suggest lmii.com, they have very reasonable prices, and very nice stuff

and i agree that if you have a jigsaw, you don't need a band saw for your first project. last i heard, jp cuts out all of his body blanks with a jigsaw.

Cool guys, thanks for all of the help and info! I'll keep you guys posted on what I actually end up doing.

and i agree that if you have a jigsaw, you don't need a band saw for your first project. last i heard, jp cuts out all of his body blanks with a jigsaw.

A jigsaw that can take that kind of abuse and be accurate enough for instrument building will cost around the same price as a cheap bandsaw. Personally, excluding bosch, I hate the things. If you already have it, use what you have, if you go tool shopping get a bandsaw, they save a lot of time, and frustration.

watch out on the e-bay body blanks. Sometimes they way over charge on shipping...for that $ you could get a swamp ash from Gallery..Tom

Home depot has a reasonable band saw for $99. My jig saw is OK, but isn't going to be very accurate for cutting a body that's 1 3/4" thick. It will be good for now cutting test shapes out of MDF.

eBay can be deceptive, i know, you always have to watch what people want for shipping.

So, I almost definitely am going to need a bandsaw and a drill press.

Picture yourself cutting out a body and the distance between the saw blade and the saw housing. You will find that the very smallest band saw that will work will be a 12" one.....Tom

Ah, I see your point. I didn't think about that. Is it not possible to cut it with the thick side to the right of the blade instead of the left?

Ah, I see your point. I didn't think about that. Is it not possible to cut it with the thick side to the right of the blade instead of the left?

Yes. For most shapes you have to do this on a 14".

Yes. For most shapes you have to do this on a 14".

Wow, so, you can't just cut it on the other side? And it takes a pretty large band saw to cut out most shapes? 14"! that's huge, no? How much does something like that cost?

Keep in mind, if you want to cut from the other side, you have to get the body off the blade first. Backing it off is pretty hard. You might also not have room to turn and cut away at an angle. Also, the cutouts have curves in them that would be very hard to get to the bottom of if your saw was (Wow, those words form a palindrome. Fun to type.) too small.

I guess if you drew the pattern on both sides you could flip it over. Another very nice not too expensive tool is a oscillating drum sander. These help smooth out the sides after cutting the basic shape. .....t

I guess if you drew the pattern on both sides you could flip it over. Another very nice not too expensive tool is a oscillating drum sander. These help smooth out the sides after cutting the basic shape. .....t

In one of my books they show the guy using a circular attachment on a drill press to sand the edges of the body, obviously this has the disadvantage of not moving up and down but is a very inexpensive solution of you already have a drill press. Does anyone here use one of those?

In one of my books they show the guy using a circular attachment on a drill press to sand the edges of the body, obviously this has the disadvantage of not moving up and down but is a very inexpensive solution of you already have a drill press. Does anyone here use one of those?
I have, with limited success, but for shaping the body edges you are way better off using a template and router table with pattern and flush trim bits. This was recently discussed here: http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=129043 .

"Originally Posted by BassWhore
In one of my books they show the guy using a circular attachment on a drill press to sand the edges of the body, obviously this has the disadvantage of not moving up and down but is a very inexpensive solution of you already have a drill press. Does anyone here use one of those?"

Yes I did I just moved up to the better alternative. The router and template is the mid-step. You cut it out then router with the template then finish off with the sander.....t

Another take for the jigsaw:

For the LoW, I used a simple, very simple and cheap, DIY jigsaw to cut out the rough outlines. I didn't have to consider any horisontal working depth, the room was wide enough.

Then I sanded down to final size using Koch's method. This was quite time consuming, not very accurate, and I still had to do a lot of sanding, because the drums were only 120 grit.
Worked fine, but...

Rounding off the front edges, I used a router. The surface was good enough to go directly to 360 grit for sanding!

Template and router is the shortest way to success. Unless you have tearouts, the spindle sanding is not necessary (or even worthwhile!).

Another take for the jigsaw:

For the LoW, I used a simple, very simple and cheap, DIY jigsaw to cut out the rough outlines. I didn't have to consider any horisontal working depth, the room was wide enough.

Then I sanded down to final size using Koch's method. This was quite time consuming, not very accurate, and I still had to do a lot of sanding, because the drums were only 120 grit.
Worked fine, but...

Rounding off the front edges, I used a router. The surface was good enough to go directly to 360 grit for sanding!

Template and router is the shortest way to success. Unless you have tearouts, the spindle sanding is not necessary (or even worthwhile!).

But it does a nice smoothing the edges and keeping the sides straight after routing, cutting ect. If you do a good job cutting/routing out your shape all you should need it for is to remove saw / router marks. Now, I have used a spindle sander to alter a shape after I cut it, sanders and grinders can give you the option of sculpting the wood.

You can learn a lot here http://www.mimf.com/

at home depot, i saw a rigid 14inch band saw for 379 : /
if ya live in northern cali i split the cost with ya : P

You can learn a lot here http://www.mimf.com/


+1

OK guys, check it out. It's been a while and this weekend I threw down on a band saw and a drill press. The drill press came with a 2" drum sanding kit too. It was all a father's day present to myself, hehe.

Ok, so here's the design I think I'm going to go with. I'll be the first to admit that the body design is a total rip off. I chose this one because It's a Marleaux Consat and I have 2 of the Jackson lawsuit copies of this bass. It's by far one of my favorite designs. I wanted to go with something that I know how it should look when it's done rather than trying to come up with something original, for now ;)

http://www.joshcurry.com/bassproject/bassidea1.jpg

The pickups pictured are EMG 45-xx and the bridge is a Hipshot A-type. Everything is to scale. I'm also going for a 6-string mainly because I already have 2 sets of EMG pickups and pre-amps from 6-string basses. So, it's a cost issue. I've located a place locally (woodcraft) to buy the wood. I'm going to go with Maple for the neck and Alder for the body. The body will probably be from 2 pieces and the neck from 3 just because that's what's going to be cost effective, I think. We'll see when I actually go to buy it.

I'm going to learn how to use my new bandsaw and hopefully post a pic of a MDF cutout sometime during the week.

:hmm:

Take a couple of hours more and come up with your own body design man!! Trust me, you'll be much more proud of yourseflf if you do so.

Have you emailed Tilman and Gerald at Marleaux to ask if you could borrow the shape for a one off?


Peace,
JP

:hmm:

Take a couple of hours more and come up with your own body design man!! Trust me, you'll be much more proud of yourseflf if you do so.

Have you emailed Tilman and Gerald at Marleaux to ask if you could borrow the shape for a one off?


Peace,
JP

I may take the time to come up with something original. I am just so anxious to get building that I went with something I am familiar with.

Obviously I haven't talked to the guys at Marleaux about this. I have no intention on selling it so I don't see the harm. If you guys think it's a big deal then I guess I'll take the time to come up with something else. It's really difficult to come up with something 100% original nowadays though with all the designs out there.

Obviously I haven't talked to the guys at Marleaux about this. I have no intention on selling it so I don't see the harm. If

No harm indeed. But if you really like the design and respect the Marleaux team, just ask before.

Peace,
JP

I agree. I'm sure they would like to hear about your plans, even if they wouldn't be upset if you just used the design without permission.

one advantage of making your own design is that if your execution is a little off, no one knows but you! on the other hand, that's why we do mdf mockups... to work out the execution of the idea.

on the body cutout, my preference is on bandsaw the rough shape and clean it up on the spindle sander. 15 minutes tops, and you don't have to get out a router. the main difference i've noticed between oscilating and non-oscilating spindles is that the oscilating variety seem to be a little more aggressive, requiring a lighter hand to avoid ripples.

one advantage of making your own design is that if your execution is a little off, no one knows but you! on the other hand, that's why we do mdf mockups... to work out the execution of the idea.

on the body cutout, my preference is on bandsaw the rough shape and clean it up on the spindle sander. 15 minutes tops, and you don't have to get out a router. the main difference i've noticed between oscilating and non-oscilating spindles is that the oscilating variety seem to be a little more aggressive, requiring a lighter hand to avoid ripples.

Hey Sky, long time no talk :) Make any cool new basses lately? I understand what you guys are talking about, and I am definitely going to come up with a more original design. yeah, even if I screw it up, nobody will know the difference right? hehe. I also plan on making 1 or 2 MDF mockups. Do you guys just do it to get the body shape? Or do you actually glue 2 pieces of it together to get the right thickness? Does it matter? or is it just a visual thing and using 3/4" is good enough to get the job done? I was going to try it both ways. MDF is cheap, may as well. I plan on using the Band saw 100% to cut out the shape and I have a 2" drum sander attachment for the drill press. I'll post some more design ideas for you guys maybe tonight.

i do a mock up in 3/4" mdf... if i need a thick piece to experiment on, i usually grab the ugliest hunk of wood i have around of the requisite thickness. here're my reasons for doing a mock up:

visual check for aesthetics -- shapes always seem to look different to me when they're on paper.
test for cutting/sanding difficulties -- if i have a radius in my design that can't be accomodated by the equipment at hand, it becomes obvious real quick.
balance check -- a mock up sitting in my lap or screwed to an old strap gives some indication of how the instrument will feel when i play it. again, if the waist is not positioned well, it becomes obvious, as the body will want to sit too far left or right.
hard template for archival purposes -- i haven't repeated a body shape yet, but one day it will be nice to have the template if i should want to. mdf is pretty dimensionally stable, so it won't warp or get shredded by the cat. and since it's 3/4" thick, i can use it for a router template if i need to.

i'm designing a five string at the moment to replace my musicman... but it's going slowly. i'll start a thread when i get it truly underway. i'm also getting ready to build a shop in my backyard, so that's taking a lot (too much) of my time and money. but the shop will allow me to work even when the weather's bad. :p

i do a mock up in 3/4" mdf... if i need a thick piece to experiment on, i usually grab the ugliest hunk of wood i have around of the requisite thickness. here're my reasons for doing a mock up:

visual check for aesthetics -- shapes always seem to look different to me when they're on paper.
test for cutting/sanding difficulties -- if i have a radius in my design that can't be accomodated by the equipment at hand, it becomes obvious real quick.
balance check -- a mock up sitting in my lap or screwed to an old strap gives some indication of how the instrument will feel when i play it. again, if the waist is not positioned well, it becomes obvious, as the body will want to sit too far left or right.
hard template for archival purposes -- i haven't repeated a body shape yet, but one day it will be nice to have the template if i should want to. mdf is pretty dimensionally stable, so it won't warp or get shredded by the cat. and since it's 3/4" thick, i can use it for a router template if i need to.

i'm designing a five string at the moment to replace my musicman... but it's going slowly. i'll start a thread when i get it truly underway. i'm also getting ready to build a shop in my backyard, so that's taking a lot (too much) of my time and money. but the shop will allow me to work even when the weather's bad. :p

I hadn't really considered using the MDF mockup as a template, but that's a really good idea. Once the MDF piece is perfect I can trace it onto good wood, rough it out on the band saw, and use a template bit on the router to make it perfect. A few more minutes on the drum sander and TADA, done. Is that kinda close to reality?

Yep! :cool: :)

I use MDF versions to check for access and the balance related things that have been addressed. On the current basses that i have in the works, the MDF step was a very crucial one. In the first body shape i had, there was virtually no access to the frets past the neck joint. Now-there's complete acces so i can get my hand in there. Little snippet into my own projects-should be gettin the routing done within 2 weeks. Then they start to come to gether a bit more. :) That's all

exactly the idea, basswhore! i just skip the router stage, and go through 120, 180, and 220 grits on the spindle. when i'm done, i don't have much left to do to the sides except carving, roundover, and the final hand sanding.

(I'm not a luthier, but I've been building furniture, cabinetry and sculpture for several years. I am also thinking about building my first bass.)

Some thoughts:
Rather than spending a lot of money on mediocre tools, you might check around local furniture/cabinet shops and see if you can rent some shop time. A bandsaw is one of those tools that is a dream to use if it is of good quality and set up correctly (kind of like basses) with the proper blade, etc.; conversly, it can be a nightmare if not. I have a Laguna 18" that is really sweet. (It was also about $1800!). A professional shop would probably also have an ocillating spindle sander, depending on the type of work that they do.
I would check around for a smaller shop rather than a big production type factory (might be more open to the idea).

I hadn't really considered using the MDF mockup as a template, but that's a really good idea. Once the MDF piece is perfect I can trace it onto good wood, rough it out on the band saw, and use a template bit on the router to make it perfect.

Template routing is great, but a word of caution regarding routing curves: You need to be aware of the possibility (probability) of tear out. If you have a round blank with the grain running in the 12 to 6 o'clock direction, you are most likely to get tear out in the 10 and 4 o'clock areas. One way to minimize this is to take very light passes while "climb-cutting". This is a technique where the router is pulled towards you. It is a dangerous technique if you don't know what you're doing and don't know what to expect--the router wants to race along the edge (toward you!) so BE CAREFUL.

A much safer (and quieter) method of shaping is doing it by hand. The shaping is much more gradual, but you can check your work as you go; and the risk of amputation or other injury is nil. A well tuned spokeshave is a wonderful tool. Flat bottomed for convex forms, curved bottom for concave forms. It must be sharp! Also a good Nicholson 50 rasp comes in handy (although they are about half the price of your HD bandsaw). Personally, when time ($) isn't an issue, I love working by hand.

Wear eye and hearing protection and always know where your hands are. If something seems dangerous, don't do it. Better safe than sorry.

I've been looking at bandsaws and other tools for months, and this is what I've found in my reserch. I realized early that I would be better off waiting for the right tool than compromising and getting a poor one.

Bandsaws: I decided to get the Delta (I forget the model # but it sells for about $850.) It's got great reviews and I'd never have to get another one ever again. On the other hand, Grizzly sells a bandsaw they call "The Ultimate Bandsaw". It's reviews have been favorable. It's reviews compared to the Delta usually state that although it is not as good as the Delta, it's by far a better value coming in at about $375. I believe that price includes a fence and shipping as well!

I'm probably not going to buy a bandsaw for another 6-8 months, but that Grizzly is tops on my list.

Before you buy any tool, do your investigations properly on line. You may want to check out mimf.com. There is a wealth of info on tools, instrument making, hardware, etc...

Good luck and have fun!

i have the grizzly "ultimate" bandsaw. i got it back in december, and i absolutely love using it. i also bought the riser block with it for doing re-saws as they were having a package deal at the time.

i have the grizzly "ultimate" bandsaw. i got it back in december, and i absolutely love using it. i also bought the riser block with it for doing re-saws as they were having a package deal at the time.
It pays to be patient and do your home work.

Well, I bought a Delta band saw and a Craftsman Drill press. I've already done a test cut with the band saw on a full size MDF body without any problems. I understand the need for having a really nice one maybe if you make guitars all day long but I didn't have any problems with the one I got. I admit that cutting out the lower horn was a bit tricky but having a little patience it better than having to shell out a ton of money on a huge saw. Time will tell if I'm just being ignorant.

After much debate and criticism I've come up with what I believe to be a 100% original design. Here it is...

Please give me your thoughts....

http://www.joshcurry.com/bassproject/bassidea2.jpg

I like it. You'll have good access to the upper frets. Make sure you get plenty of weight in the body though, it looks like it could be very prone to neck dive otherwise.

I like it. You'll have good access to the upper frets. Make sure you get plenty of weight in the body though, it looks like it could be very prone to neck dive otherwise.

Good point. I plan on using the Hipshot ultralite tuners to help with that. Also, a solid bridge. The battery for the electronics should help too. If nothing else, I've heard of guys using lead weights in the cavity to help when it's REALLY bad. we'll see though.

Check this out. I got bored today...

http://www.joshcurry.com/bassproject/bassmockup.jpg

Nice....Since i'm on a drastically reduced income than you guys [i make a whole 5.15 an hour post taxes] i'm going on the cheaper end for my tools. Don't plan on getting resaw capabilities for awhile but here it goes. Craftsman 9inch. drill press, band saw....edit is to put-is under further research, already got a Craftsman 2hp max router. I think attempting and planning the build phases are thus far some of the most enjoyable things i've ever done bass related that isn't actually playing them. :D That's all

10inch band saw unfortuantly isnt gonna get ya very far less you put your body design drawn out on both sides.

a dense wood for the body and light woods in the neck will help balance the works out. sixes are harder to balance, just from the extra material on the neck. maybe bubinga or goncalo alves for the body? mahogany for the neck?

Get the upper strap lug up around the 10th or 11th fret that will help the balance along with the light tuners. What scale are you building in? 35"? This is the 5 I built. http://www.s98473082.onlinehome.us/tb/images/18/18.htm
My first and only 5 so far. Not for everybody I know. But I did get a few things right. I did it as a 35" scale and I have had several people comment on hownice and tight the B string is. If I was to build a 6 string I would build it with 2 or 3 tuners on top and 3 or 4 on the bottom. Not quite as sharp an angle from the nut to the "b" tuner as a 4 top 2 bottom. Not sure this is real important just my opinion.........t Cool CAD work by the way...............

nice bass dude. Especially for a first. I hope mine turns out as nice. It's 34" scale, but that will prob change to 35". The strap button is prettu much right at the 12th. I didn't want the top horn to extend too far in. I've also taken some people's advice and made the back rounder. WOW, it sure is cool now. I'm very happy with the design. Maybe I'll post another sketch and color mockup tomorrow.

I've started working on a single-cut set neck design, but I'm not quite ready to post drawings, it can be better, and it needs a different headstock design.

On a slightly different note, does anyone know where to get cost effective quality hardware like bridges and tuners? I would REALLY like a Hipshot 'A' style bridge with ultralite tuners, but (is it just me?) that stuff is SOOOOOOO expensive. There has to be a place to get it at decent prices. I saw your bridges for sale PasdaBear, but I really want 6'ers.

For review, I already have 2 sets of 6-string EMG pickups and pre-amps. Hence the need for a 6-string bridge, otherwise I would probably make it a 5'er. I've considered getting it all from Carvin, they have a 6-string bridge for like $65 and tuners for $30/4 which isn't bad. I guess if it's the same gear they use on their basses it should be good right? I will probably re-use this hardware until I make a bass worth keeping, but I still don't want to fork out a lot of money. Any ideas?

Basswhore, i have 1 six string B style..in gold....which i was saving for my 6 string, ill take a look and see if i can score another, but it would be a B style : / i have a bunch of 5s in A style if you reconsider though.

on a side note, you selling a set of those 6 string pups/pre amp : ) i need a set.

you may wanna look into monorail bridges......that way you can sorta peice togather them if you see good deals here and there ( and whatever string spacing you like )

you may wanna look into monorail bridges......that way you can sorta peice togather them if you see good deals here and there ( and whatever string spacing you like )

I've been looking for those, who carries them?

Basswhore, i have 1 six string B style..in gold....which i was saving for my 6 string, ill take a look and see if i can score another, but it would be a B style : / i have a bunch of 5s in A style if you reconsider though.

on a side note, you selling a set of those 6 string pups/pre amp : ) i need a set.

Too bad that 6-string bridge you have isn't 'A' style. I would take it for sure.

I have 2 sets, 1 set is generic but EMG 45-xx sized with a vol/vol/blend/tone setup. I'll let that go for $100. The other set is EMG-HZ with an active EMG pre-amp. The controls are vol/vol/blend/bass/treble. This set same straight out of my brand new Spector Legend-6, I played it maybe for an hour before pulling out the system and replacing it with EMG 45-DC's and a Spector Tone Pump pre. I'm not sure what I would sell that for since it's what I intend to use for my project. But I'll sell the other set.

to be honest......i havent seen anyone that does hehe

RMC i think makes them, but there all peizo bridges.

hrmm....wonder if they would sound to bright with a ironwood/maple neck and wenge body.

may have to scoop em up anyways though for a diff bass : P

hrmm....wonder if they would sound to bright with a ironwood/maple neck and wenge body.

may have to scoop em up anyways though for a diff bass : P

they are humbucker sized. 1.5 x 4.5 I think.

to be honest......i havent seen anyone that does hehe

RMC i think makes them, but there all peizo bridges.

I found their site. I don't think they make it anymore. I do see piezo saddle replacements though. I've found monorail style bridges on eBay, but they look like junk. Someone must make them, I've seen them on Schecter and Ibanez basses. of course, they might make their own hardware.

ive seen a few on some high end basses, probly custom built sadly.

call up ibanez customer service, could probly score some from them

call up ibanez customer service, could probly score some from them

check it out, I found them on their parts pages.

http://www.ibanez.com/parts/2004_PARTS/el_bass/index/index_parts.html

I've been looking for those, who carries them?
http://mailboxmusic.zoovy.com/

http://www.allparts.com (not cheap)

http://mailboxmusic.zoovy.com/

http://www.allparts.com (not cheap)

Right on man, much thanks! :)

hey basswhore, what kinda dementions you using for the fretboard on that bass...

i think ima built a 6 string for my first from scratch bass, but really have NO idea what kinda sized fretboard im gonna need.

I would have to suggest reading some books. The size of your fretboard is going to have a lot to do with what size nut you are going to use and of course the string spacing of the bridge. Of course, if you go with individual saddles and a blank nut, you can make it whatever size you want.

My first design was based on a hipshot 'A' style bridge. But I used the neck width at the body measurement from my Spector Legend-6. When I took a line from the B-string on the bridge to the B-slot on the nut I saw the error of my ways. The neck wasn't wide enough at the 24th fret. OOPS! Luckily this was done in the CAD stage and not the WOOD stage.

i got one ive been reading....not showing much more then i already knew though...never shows you how to get the mesuments, just gives you templates.......grr....

guess ill figure it out like everything else...screw it up a few times: P

i got one ive been reading....not showing much more then i already knew though...never shows you how to get the mesuments, just gives you templates.......grr....

guess ill figure it out like everything else...screw it up a few times: P

I'll scan the part from my book that shows you how to measure it.

sweet, thank you much.