Making your own bass?

[Thunderbird91]

ok first off i am not telling you to teach me how to make a bass.

I want to know what courses/ where i would learn how to make my own bass. I am in high school right now and I am wondering (well assuming) that taking woodshop would help greatly. Is there any other ways to learn? I don't know anyone that can teach me either.

[Chris A]

Let's try the set up forum for this question.


Chris A.

[BassMan257]

Originally Posted by Thunderbird91

ok first off i am not telling you to teach me how to make a bass.

I want to know what courses/ where i would learn how to make my own bass. I am in high school right now and I am wondering (well assuming) that taking woodshop would help greatly. Is there any other ways to learn? I don't know anyone that can teach me either.

lets get one thing streight first... do you mean, buying wood, cutting a body shape, drilling pickup holes and places for mounting hardware, cutting the neck joint, cutting a neck, gluing on a fingerboard, and nut, cutting fret slots, installing frets, installing pickups, installing tuners and installing the elctronics?

or do you mean, buying a pre cut body, and a premade neck, and all other nessisary components and putting them together?

or, buying a kit? and puting together a kit?

i cant help you much on any of them... just wanted to get people knowing what question to ask

in my opinon, i would buy pre made stuff, and putting it together... more of a "custom" job... not exactly building... but a heck of a lot easyer...

but, if your the crafty kinda guy... and can get someone to help you learn what to do, go for building one...

[Thunderbird91]

I never really thought about it but since I never have made one probably start out with a kit then work my way up. I am still interested on how you learn. Trial and error? or is that a no no?

[PilbaraBass]

a good cheap kit to learn from are made by Saga....

http://www.guitarpartsusa.com/item--...r-Kit--PROD319


Carvin guitars makes a better quality instrument kit....

http://www.carvin.com/products/singl...r=BK4&CID=BKBN


these are good places to start for gaining skills in building...



you could also order high-quality parts from somewhere like Warmoth.com

but that will cost at least twice as much as the carvin kit.


depends on your woodworking skills, your budget, your goals, and your inspiration.

[snake]

First of all, I've never made a bass. I have contemplated it, but not yet. I would buy a blank from one of the guitar catalogs there are. I would buy a pre-made neck. I think the main feature I would want is a body style that would be my own. I think it would be fun to design my own. I also think one of the hardest thing to do would be to align the neck for good finger play and alignment with the bridge.

[Thunderbird91]

Originally Posted by PilbaraBass

a good cheap kit to learn from are made by Saga....

http://www.guitarpartsusa.com/item--...r-Kit--PROD319


Carvin guitars makes a better quality instrument kit....

http://www.carvin.com/products/singl...r=BK4&CID=BKBN


these are good places to start for gaining skills in building...



you could also order high-quality parts from somewhere like Warmoth.com

but that will cost at least twice as much as the carvin kit.


depends on your woodworking skills, your budget, your goals, and your inspiration.

Thanks! both are bookmarked for a time where I got some cash!

[Mon Rominee]

How is this not a "luthier's forum" question again?

Ditto Chris A.

[Rodent]

definitely Luthier's forum material ...

if the Mod doesn't move this, try asking your building questions over there ... you'll get a better cross section of responses from those of us who have done this multiple times before.

and for neck alignment with the body and bridge ... it's all about marking a centerline and keeping accurate to it. there isn't anything you do on a neck or body that doesn't somehow directly/indirectly reference the centerline

All the best,

R

[ii7-V7]

Buy Melvin Hiscock's book, "Make your own Electric Guitar."

Chad

[PilbaraBass]

Originally Posted by chaddukes

Buy Melvin Hiscock's book, "Make your own Electric Guitar."

Chad

+1 great book...I read it before I put together my own "kit" bass (I selected the parts myself)...

it was extremely helpful in things like locating the bridge, setting the intonation, etc...

I left the book behind in America...one more thing I need to retrieve (that and my BASS!!! )

[Volk]

Bah, I had woodshop in highschool and it was a joke, I spent more time waiting in line to use machines than actually using them!
I'm working on my first bass now, and I'm in highschool as well, however I'm fortunate in the fact that my dad builds cabinets and I've had a few summers experience working in his shop. Tools are probably the biggest problem for you, if you don't have access to the right tools it'll make your job a lot tougher, and tools are expensive...

Also, if you really want to build a bass, I wouldn't buy a ready made kit, assembling and building are two seperate things, and if you want the full experience and pride in your work then go all the way and build it from scratch...that is unless the afformentioned problem of lack of tools comes up, then you can cheat all you want!

[grindliner]

also look to projectguitar.com and mimf.com, both great resources.

Hiscocks book gets thumbs up from me as well, I would say getting this book should be mandatory.