Bass Project

[ebozzz]

I picked up this project bass on eBay and I need some ideas as to how I would complete it. It's designed for one pickup and the controls would be volume and tone. I'm trying to decide if I want to let the person that designed it complete it or find someone locally to do it.

I'm still trying to get a lot of the specifics from the builder as to what ideas he had for it's components. It kind of sounds like he would like to see it through completion. I'm not opposed to that but I've yet to get enough information from him for me to purchase adequate parts for this bass. The parts would be my responsibility.

I'm finding it very hard to figure out what I'm going to need to finish this thing. From looking at it I can't tell what size bridge would be appropriate. It looks as if it will need a nut and some fret work will have to be done. Of course I would also need the pickup, controls/potentiometers, tuners and anything else that I may have missed.

Someone on the forum pointed this out and I think that it will be fun to do. Especially if it turns out nice. Here it is. Tell me what you think.

http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI...ndexURL=0&rd=1

I know that it's hard to tell just from the pictures but what potential difficulties do any of you forsee? Also where is a good source for parts? Thanks.

[tufnuts]

Link doesn't work.

[ebozzz]

Originally posted by tufnuts
Link doesn't work.

I went back and fixed it. Try this and thanks.

http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI...ndexURL=0&rd=1

[Hambone]

Yep, that's er...interesting...yeah that's it!

You've got some ambition. I hope that it doesn't drive you away from the attempt. You might need some reserve for a little later.

Here's what I see: A pretty neat design that has had a lot of the more difficult work already done. It looks like the neck will require reshaping (unless I'm reading the pics wrong) and the location of the pup is very much "in the middle" sort of Precision-like. That means that you'll be working hard to get growly brightness unless you select your pickup very well. But, on the brightside, there's plenty of room in there for just about anything you could want. The controls look to be a bit forward of where I would think they would be optimally but, again, the pics are sort of weird. I wish he had taken some straight on shots instead of the "art" snaps he came up with. From the look of the finish on the headstock, I would take the bass down to wood and reconsider what I wanted to do with it after. There appears to be some roughness just ahead of the pup cavity and it looks like the whole bass could use some intelligent shaping to smooth it's contours and faces. If you decide that a solid finish would be better because of cosmetics, you could then fill the electronics cavity and make whatever you want. You might want to try a rear routed cavity.

At any rate there's hours of fun ahead.

[ebozzz]

Hambone,

It may just turn out to be firewood. I couldn't resist the temptation though at $46.00! I think the first thing that I'm going to do is see if someone more skilled and knowledgeable than myself would be willing to lend a hand. I definitely think that it will be in my best interests to go ahead and get the slab here. I'll be able to tell exactly what's needed then. Thanks for the reply with all of your helpful observations.

[Suburban]

That body is cut to be used in an upright position when sitting and playing! Quite interesting!

It seems that somebody put some finish on an incompelete item......routed for a wide humbucker in P-position, approx. With some extension of the route, a J-retro would fit (?).

Well, judging from th pic's, there's some work left to be done. I would have liked to know more about woods..."oak for the neck" must mean for the fretboard, which is a good idea.

To choose hardware and pup and electronics, I'd say you need to see, feel and hear it.

Good luck!