i very curious towards those of you who have built finished basses, and your age.

if its a profession or just a hobby. and what experience you had prior to building.

thx.

oh. and pictures of your basses would be cool too.

I was 14 when I started mine. Just turned 15. I haven't had all that much time to get working on it, but I do have the neck laminates glued up and shaped. Now to get the body wings cut out. The neck is a purpleheart/maple/mahogany/maple/purpleheart combination. The body wings are going to be figured maple front and back with a thin (1/8") veneer of mahogany between them.

Edit: I forgot to mention that it has went pretty well so far. I've really had no woodworking experience until now. Just read up on the tools you are using beforehand.

I am soon to be 24. I've been building as a "hobby" for about 4 years or so. I would love to be doing it full time, but living in Northern VA with the high cost of living, that's just not going to happen.

Attached are 2 pictures of my latest, soon to be finished project for a local guy.

I am soon to be 24. I've been building as a "hobby" for about 4 years or so. I would love to be doing it full time, but living in Northern VA with the high cost of living, that's just not going to happen.

Attached are 2 pictures of my latest, soon to be finished project for a local guy.

Beautiful!

I'm 46 and a very serious hobbyist with every intention to move into the commercial field when I'm ready. I'm in my 5th year of building. My woodworking experience was varied but sporadic before this enterprise began - plenty of carpentry, some lathe work, general small projects, etc. My fabrication experience goes a little deeper. I was heavily into auto racing for about 12 years. I built and drove 2 of my own cars on local asphalt short tracks as well as crewed for traveling NASCAR All-Pro and Southern All-Star Late Model teams as well as various SCCA sports car teams. I weld, do sheetmetal work, electrical wiring, rollcage bending, some engine work, general fabrication, and painting. I built the cars in my own shops that I stocked over the years with tools - some of which I made for myself like sheet metal breaks and engine hoists. When I sold the team, I got back into bass and converted the shop from metal and cars to wood and basses. That's where I sit now.

Here's a coupla of my creations...

My Website (http://www.fullservesite.com/mwcguitars/index.html) explains everything and has some pictures.

I'm 48. I built my first guitar in high school and have gotten back into it in the last 4 years or so since a friend asked me to make him a bass. I consider myself a serious hobbyist with a desire to continue to expand my abilities, and sell a few instruments as well :)
Here's a pic of the last two I finished (I have 3 more in progress).

http://www.barbermusic.com/007_008.jpg

I'm 23. I build guitars and basses fulltime/protime/brotime. Most of my prior experience was in design, not much wood working. I went to school to learn the physical side of things.

For some reason guitar players tend to be more interested in my work so that is mostly what I've been dealing with lately. Here is set of basses I built at a custom shop I used to work for.

http://www.scottfrench.com/images/otherpics/sf4pair.jpg

i'm 28, and have been building basses for a year now in my free time. it's a hobby i hope to make a living from someday. right now the basses are on hold while i'm building a shop to build them in. i'm a die hard do-it-yourself-er, with a background in woodworking, construction, CAD/CAM, and (of course) music. i've built two basses, and the third is in progress.

Going up for the finish to the 46th, I have made several attempts over the years, but only one "presentable" item. Being a kitchen table luthier implies some...mistakes...
That said, I have now found low scale methods, and am working up the speed! Shouldn't be too hard, considering that it now takes me 30 months to finish a bass :(
You might say I'm a serious hobbyist, for the time being, with my bread and butter coming from a theoretical mech engineer job. From which also a lot of detail solutions come. And having collected sketches for some 30 years do add up to a lot of ideas and motivations...
Next step would be a workshop. Setting up and tearing down the workplace is now like 50% of the time! :bawl: :D

29 years old.

Amateur building 10-15 basses per year for fun

Peace,
JP

I'm 23. I build guitars and basses fulltime/protime/brotime. Most of my prior experience was in design, not much wood working. I went to school to learn the physical side of things.

For some reason guitar players tend to be more interested in my work so that is mostly what I've been dealing with lately. Here is set of basses I built at a custom shop I used to work for.


You have no idea how jealous I am that you are building an instrument for Spencer from Hella.

JP, this (http://www.jpbasses.com/A558A4/jpbasses.NSF/img/Luc_Plume/$File/lp1.JPG) has to be one of the most gorgeous instruments I've ever seen. Your work truly looks incredible.

If and when I am searching for a new toy, you will no doubt be at or near the top of my wish list!

Merry X-mas everyone.

I'm 41. I've only built two basses from scratch. I've "assembled" a bunch of Warmoth and parts instruments. I used to be an autobody repairman and painter in a former life. I did a lot of restoration work in that biz. Though the tools are different that's basically where I developed the skills. For the past 12 years I've been doing CAD work and design. I've been playing since I was 13. Bass building seems like the perfect culmination of my working life and main interest. Like most hobbiest here I'd really like to make a profession out of it.

I'm 29 years young and started building 2 years ago, I'm a software engineer, so I don't have a LOT of time to build, but I do whenever I can. I have built 2 instruments and I'm half way through #3 and #4. I do it as a hobby. I'm a bass player for 15 years and used to teach jazz harmony privately.

Hi all. I'm 26 and I stated building when I was 20. I took Marine Carpentry in Collage [wooden Boat building and repair] and have a AAS degree in it. I started building instruments in a weekly “hobby” class; basically they me and 12 other use the shop after hours. I have finally got my shop together:hyper: [i,e, power tools] so I hope to be able to built more often at a quicker pace:bassist: . Right now it is a hobby but I may decide otherwise. :)

I'm 18 and just finished my first electric upright and I am working on a second one right now. My only previous experience was with basic carpentry, and i defretted a bass once.

I'm 31 and I'm about to embark on my first home built bass project.

;)

I am 2 weeks from being 32 :(
I am a machinist by day and bass guy by night! :D

I'm 35. I just started building complete basses about 6 months ago. I work in the IT field professionally. I intend to develop my skills and continue building at my convience. My goal is to sell my basses in order to pay for more tools and materials. I wouldn't mind making a little profit as well. :D

I have been building things out of wood since I was a kid. I have a really cool Dad who trusted me to use all his tools at an early age.

I built an ultralight airplane about 4 years ago. I sold it to pay for my first child. (the guy who bought it crashed the thing and completely destroyed it, luckily he was OK)

Last year I built a small row boat for me and my son to take fishing. This got me back into the woodworking thing again. I have built a number of Warmoth basses and I finally decided to take the plunge and build the whole thing myself. I had to sell all my basses to buy tools so I had to get something finished. :(

Here is my latest.

I'm 23 years old, I built my first bass while I was at Roberto-Venn in 2000.

I am trying to do it as a profession, but it is slow going. IMHO building a name for yourself is much harder than building a bass.

Greg

edit: whoops, I forgot to answer the previous exp. question. Before attending Roberto-Venn in the Fall of 2000 I had no building experience, and very little wood working experience, just the desire to learn, and the dedication to do my best. If you want to see pictures of my first bass it is on the Roberto-Venn site under Student's Gallery / Fall, 2000.

I'm sneaking up on 40. I've assembled and modified a few Basses, but have yet to build one from scratch though I would like to try. Nothing too exotic, a 21 or 22 fret 4 string with a passive/active option would suffice.

My prior experience is limited in woodworking. I'm pretty competent when it comes to electrical things, though. And (like Hambone) I have numerous years experience building and racing cars. I not only race my own car, but I helped build and toured with an IHRA Top Sportsman car (that won best engineered at the '02 Empire Natl's), and with a NSCA Top Street car (that finished #1 in points for the '04 season).