white bass

[NicholasF]

I've seen white violins, do they make white basses? I want to make my own, but I don't have nearly enough tools, what I do have is tools for finishing, and basic tools. Please post websites, I would perfer if there are, something out of europe.

[RCWilliams]

yes you can buy white basses. check out Gliga and other romanian makers also some check possible polish and who knows what else.

[james condino]

Of all the skills I use daily to work on and build instruments, finishing is the most challenging and took the longest to learn how to do well.

If you want to build a bass, build a bass; don't buy a cheap bass shaped object with no finish on it thinking it will help you.

I built a very nice bass using a few hand tools that would fit in a shoe box and paying for about 2 hours of shop time for a couple of larger machines ( big re-saw sized bandsaw, jointer, and a huge thickness sander) from a local cabinet shop. For about $100 and a case of beer after work, I was able to stand next to one of the fellows in the shop, tell him what I needed in terms of dimensions and layout while he made the cuts for me using about $75k worth of big machinery. I use a couple of folks like that probably three times a year; it keeps my overhead low and allows me to maintain a nice simple shop for 99% of the things needed.

j.

[Jake deVilliers]

Originally Posted by james condino

Of all the skills I use daily to work on and build instruments, finishing is the most challenging and took the longest to learn how to do well.

If you want to build a bass, build a bass; don't buy a cheap bass shaped object with no finish on it thinking it will help you.

I built a very nice bass using a few hand tools that would fit in a shoe box and paying for about 2 hours of shop time for a couple of larger machines ( big re-saw sized bandsaw, jointer, and a huge thickness sander) from a local cabinet shop. For about $100 and a case of beer after work, I was able to stand next to one of the fellows in the shop, tell him what I needed in terms of dimensions and layout while he made the cuts for me using about $75k worth of big machinery. I use a couple of folks like that probably three times a year; it keeps my overhead low and allows me to maintain a nice simple shop for 99% of the things needed.

j.

Great post James. Guys get all hung up on the 'sheenery' when that's not the hard part at all!

[NicholasF]

Originally Posted by james condino

Of all the skills I use daily to work on and build instruments, finishing is the most challenging and took the longest to learn how to do well.

If you want to build a bass, build a bass; don't buy a cheap bass shaped object with no finish on it thinking it will help you.

I built a very nice bass using a few hand tools that would fit in a shoe box and paying for about 2 hours of shop time for a couple of larger machines ( big re-saw sized bandsaw, jointer, and a huge thickness sander) from a local cabinet shop. For about $100 and a case of beer after work, I was able to stand next to one of the fellows in the shop, tell him what I needed in terms of dimensions and layout while he made the cuts for me using about $75k worth of big machinery. I use a couple of folks like that probably three times a year; it keeps my overhead low and allows me to maintain a nice simple shop for 99% of the things needed.

j.

I inhereted similar tools a while back, so I have a full working workshop, I would want to know what kind of woods and how to cut them, I know how to use most of the tools, but would probibly need some guidance. Finishing to me isn't hard because I've done guitar finishes, I would probibly just clear coat it in gloss except for around the feet of the bridge and neck, which I would oil, so the bridge won't stick, and my thumb won't squeek.