I want to make a bass

JebSmells · #1 07-23-2007, 11:38 AM

Hi! I've been interested in guitar Luthiery for a while but never mustered up the guts to actually go through with it and make one.Now I have a hankering to go for it and build a 4 string bass.
I have several books on guitar making ("guitar making" "make your own electric guitar" "Making an Archtop" (Bob B.) and the "the luthiers handbook"). I have a "vague to reasonably good" understanding of this trade (from reading through large portions of these books and making notes) and was wondering, amongst other things, how difficult it would be to transfer the information from a guitar making book to a 4 string bass project?

I would like to produce a fretted bass with a neck thru design (using laminates) do you think this would be feasible?I would also like to include active electronics with a music man bridge pickup (I like a treble rich attacking, powerfull sound) and add a figured top into the mix (with an oil finish).

I have a few chisels, a 16pt tenon saw, access to an electric router, set square, electric drill (and hand powered drill) mallet and access to a few clamps, although I understand I will need A LOT of clamps. I can get access to a bandsaw (a friend of mine's dad uses one at his work and I’m sure he'd cut a few things for me).

Are there any sites or tutorials for basses you can recommend? (I've noticed a few people on here building their own). I’d appreciate any thought you may have.

Thank you for reading.

spudmaster34 · #2 07-23-2007, 11:44 AM

In addition to the tools you have listed, you will probably want a drill press, although it is not necessary.

Next, decided on all the specs. What woods do you want? Do you want the top to go over the neck lams, or just the wings? what scale? how many frets? how many laminets in the neck? How much do you want to buy prebuilt? What shape do you want it?

Once you decide some of that it will get easier to help you, but most of what you have read will be applicable to bass construction as well as guitars

JebSmells · #3 07-23-2007, 11:56 AM

Hi, ok, drill press has been noted down as not necessary but possible quite helpful. Thanks spudmaster34.

I haven't decided on woods as yet, but will do soon. I would like a standard 34" scale, 21 frets (MM stingray), I was thinking of a double cutaway, maybe (not the same) but of a similar school to the peavey cirrus (still working on the design though, tougher than I thought, then I can look at woods too). The top would only go over the wings, as I like what the look of neck laminates add to a neck-thru guitar.

How much can you get pre-built I suppose would be a good question to ask?

Anyone know of any good stores for materials of the nature of this project in the UK or other stores that can ship for reasonable prices?

wilser · #4 07-23-2007, 12:42 PM

Hyscock's book has a list of UK sources on the back.

spudmaster34 · #5 07-23-2007, 01:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JebSmells

How much can you get pre-built I suppose would be a good question to ask?

Depending on what you want, pretty much everything can. You said neck through, if you skipped the laminates, you could get it at www.carvin.com (I don't know if they could ship to you though) but most premade stuff ends up requiring some compromise, so you need to decide where to draw the line

JebSmells · #6 07-24-2007, 06:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wilser

Hyscock's book has a list of UK sources on the back.

Thanks, i never really noticed that, a lot of ones i was already aware of a but a few i wasn't.

Quote:

Originally Posted by spudmaster34

Depending on what you want, pretty much everything can. You said neck through, if you skipped the laminates, you could get it at www.carvin.com (I don't know if they could ship to you though) but most premade stuff ends up requiring some compromise, so you need to decide where to draw the line

hmmm, would be a shame to lose the look of the neck, i think i'll stick to making it all then.

But i have had an idea. if i were to Glue all the neck lam's and cut out the wings would a better luthier than i (with more tools) be able to shape the neck for me would you imagine? or would this seem to be a very hefty costing excersise for the sake of worrying a bit too much about my level of skill?

I guess what i'm asking is would you say that an in-expierienced woodworker with only books for guidance would be able to turn out a good quality neck with the tools i had listed before? and if possibly not would you imagine a good luthier would do it for me for a reasonable price?

spudmaster34 · #7 07-24-2007, 10:57 AM

if you took your time, you could carve a good neck with just sandpaper. Unless you have alot of time and the forearms of Popeye, you would probably want to get something like this, http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Tools/Fi...cut_Rasps.html

JebSmells · #8 07-24-2007, 11:29 AM

To be honest, it is the neck i'm worried about the most.

I know how particular it can be, a neck is eiter right or it isn't. Is getting a good neck shape as difficult as it seems or is it quite acheivable?

(working on my bass design at the moment still, it's looking quite nice) just out of interest, what are the pro's and con's of having/making a S/C body shape, wilser i have seen some of these that you have made to very high standards on your site, is there anything that you can say about them and the process of making them/how they play?

Gone · #9 07-24-2007, 11:54 AM

I've successfully used a surform and sandpaper to shape a neck. If you take it slow (which you will likely do if you use hand tools) it's hard to go wrong, IMO. Use your hands to feel how the neck is progressing and make small adjustments as you feel it's needed.

When do we get to see the design?

JebSmells · #10 07-24-2007, 11:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gone

When do we get to see the design?

Give me a little more time.

It's a cross between about 3 of my favourite bass designs at the moment with a few tweaks here and there, looks pretty nice though.

Fingers crossed, should be finished tonight

JebSmells · #11 07-24-2007, 01:45 PM

it's not uploading properly...

here goes...

coolrunner989 · #12 07-24-2007, 01:48 PM

Thats an awesome design!
Just adjust the headstock from side to side to adjust the tuner postion and you'll be set.

Not my choice of wood colors, but thats very subjective.

keep it up!

JebSmells · #13 07-24-2007, 01:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by coolrunner989

Thats an awesome design!
Just adjust the headstock from side to side to adjust the tuner postion and you'll be set.

Not my choice of wood colors, but thats very subjective.

keep it up!

Thanks very much coolrunner989, really nice of you to say.

(was having difficulty with image hosting so now appears as a thumbnail with a link to the fullsize picture).

But yea, there's the jist of it, headstock needs re-doing to get the strings to lie more in line with the tuners properly, and string spacing looks a little bit on the wide side, Could definately do with some more work.

It's based on a regular singlecut shape (made a little bit curvier), a 'wick Dolphin lower bout and an wick' fortress lower horn (both horn and lower bout made a bit curvier also).

tell me what you think, positive or otherwise, like i said earlier, still not really sure whether a S/C is practical yet, for me to make or play, but it sure looks nice to me anyway.

Gone · #14 07-24-2007, 04:33 PM

Looks awesome boet!
Good Job...

spudmaster34 · #15 07-24-2007, 04:49 PM

I like the design alot, but would like to point out one thing: it appears as though the bridge would be going off the side of the roundover. You might want to alter some things to change that. but otherwise it looks good

JebSmells · #16 07-24-2007, 06:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spudmaster34

I like the design alot, but would like to point out one thing: it appears as though the bridge would be going off the side of the roundover. You might want to alter some things to change that. but otherwise it looks good

Oh dear, hadn't noticed that. Thanks for the heads-up. I will fix that.

And thanks, nice to see people seem to like the shape.