Ok, after much thought and practical reasoning i have decided that rather than building my next project from scratch i would modify a piece. Knowing that I am about to order a carvin is a major factor here. My plan is to take a squire afinity p-bass and do a bitt of cutting, shaping, painting, love and care, and eventually come up with a new beast. I posted some pictures of what i plan to do. However, they are just rough sketches. I want to make them more acurate but by turbo cad is really kicking my butt now. Does anyone out there by anychance have a cad drawing of a p-bass? That would be amazing! Anyway, The drawing on teh left is a picture of what is to be cut away from teh original shape and the one on the right is what the final shape will look like. I'm not sure if I'm completely sold on the body contor near the bridge yet though. Please leave coments, opinions, and if anyone has that drawing. Thanks again

Worship, I'm gonna be as gentle with this as I can but you've taken the classic shape and changed it to look exactly like the 1960's Japanese imports we are so fond of mocking. The funny thing is that, in their odd Asian way, they were trying to do what you are - copy and "improve" on the Fender design. Your shape is very close to what they came up with. And, for my money, those designs were clunky, indulgent, and pretty trite.

C'mon, for the cost of a decent meal for two at Red Lobster, you could get a blank and start from scratch and really get into the design. Don't be limited by an outline that restricts anything you want to do. And, if you want, buy the Affinity anyway for the neck and parts.

Do it right or not at all. :D

I completely agree with Hambone. I purchased a light ash blank from PasdaBeer for a very decent price, and the design possibilities are endless. Since I am on hold for planing it and getting it ready for cutting it, I have changed my mind on the design nearly 20 times. It is so great to not be held back by a pre-existing shape and set of limitations, and if the project ends up nice (or if it doesnt) you can tell yourself you made it from scratch and have that satisfaction.

I kind of see some validity to both sides. No doubt that you can get much greater satisfaction by doing the whole thing from scratch, learning some skills, and getting exactly what the design you want. On the other hand I've also thought that one might be able to start with a P and reshape it just a bit by the bridge and lower the treble horn , and come up with something nice. The fact that something would look like a Japanese design does not affect me either way.

Technical notes
- if you go ahead with what you are planning, be sure to check the pickguard screw hole locations. It looks like you could end up with a former screw hole right at the new tip of your treble side horn.
- if you shorten the bass side horn per your sketch, you wil shift the balance in the neck-diving direction. This is compounded by removing material at the bottom, while it is allevited a bit by removing material at the headstock.

As a halfway option, Warmoth is now offering body blanks with the neck pocket, pickup cavities, and control cavity routed, and the rest left square. I imagine they could leave out the control cavity if it didn't work with your own design.

Hmm, I see what you guys are saying.Please don't think that I never built a bass befor though. I feel this is the impression you are getting from me. Actually I'll take some pics and post them tomorow(?) I'll try. But I wasn't aware that warmoth made blanks like that. That would save me SO much time and effort and would be a load off of my mind..hmm. I like that idea better. Oh, hambone, nice use of trite by the way. Difficult word to use correctly in a sentence. haah
Ok guys thanks again and I'll keep you posted.

Not just Warmoth, but several luthiers might make you a body blank with whatever woods youd like, including accent veneres and top/back woods. I know Pete Skjold mentioned that he sometimes makes thing like that for people. You could reach him by PM here. His user name is, well, Pete Skjold hehe.

I think this is what was mentioned... we can add whatever pickup routs you need, too. You decide the body shape and cut it yourself; the neck pocket bridge, control cavity, etc, are already done:
http://www.warmoth.com/showcase/bodies/m197A.jpghttp://www.warmoth.com/showcase/bodies/m197B.jpg
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Hmmm,
That's definately something to think about.I will definately look into a precut body. And I got the pictures developed, as promised. I made this behemoth last year. It's a walnut body, p-pickup wearing pickguard sporting 9 lb. beast. I say behemoth because of the weight of it.

Your approach is beginning to make sense now...

huh?
I don't understand Hambone, What do you mean?

huh?
I don't understand Hambone, What do you mean?

At first, I looked at the pic above and asked "Hmmm, is there something more here?". Then I finally drew the correlation between your screen name and your instrument.

Psalm 98:4

ohh..
haha
yeah, i felt that since I've never seen the Christian fish as a bass I would do it myself.