My DIY Electric Bass

[mhjacks]

hi all,

It's been a long time since I visited these forums. Years ago I spent a lot of time here lurking, and visiting these forums inspired me to build my own bass.

I always wanted to post some pics and things about my instrument, but the build period was so long and fraught with complications, I got sidetracked a year or so into the process...

anyway, I recently put up page about it on my website with pictures and such that you can see here http://www.maxopedia.org/?q=DIY_bass

I know I sort of ripped off carl thompson, but I think my design is sexier. The scroll was not something I planned - it just sort of got carved into shape in an organic fashion.

just thought I'd give a little back to the community I found so helpful

some quick specs
~$700 in materials/tools cost
~pre-built carvin neck-thru utilized
~2 years from start to finish (I would work on it for a couple days and then get scared and have to research the next steps - a lot of this bass was improvised)
~a few people have said they would pay me to make them a bass
~if I did it all over again, I would get some real high-end pickups and buy very high quality wood for the body

[higgi]

Looks great! Nicely done.

[()smoke()]

i think it came out well for your first build

i'm sure the experience you gained is worth a great deal as well--do you plan to build another?

[62bass]

Originally Posted by mhjacks

hi all,

It's been a long time since I visited these forums. Years ago I spent a lot of time here lurking, and visiting these forums inspired me to build my own bass.

I always wanted to post some pics and things about my instrument, but the build period was so long and fraught with complications, I got sidetracked a year or so into the process...

anyway, I recently put up page about it on my website with pictures and such that you can see here http://www.maxopedia.org/?q=DIY_bass

I know I sort of ripped off carl thompson, but I think my design is sexier. The scroll was not something I planned - it just sort of got carved into shape in an organic fashion.

just thought I'd give a little back to the community I found so helpful

some quick specs
~$700 in materials/tools cost
~pre-built carvin neck-thru utilized
~2 years from start to finish (I would work on it for a couple days and then get scared and have to research the next steps - a lot of this bass was improvised)
~a few people have said they would pay me to make them a bass
~if I did it all over again, I would get some real high-end pickups and buy very high quality wood for the body

That's a very nice bass for a first job. I wouldn't worry about "high end" pickups. Those Duncans sound great. How do you like the Carvin neck? I'm very impressed with their quality. Great fret work on mine and didn't need any leveling.

[Handyman]

Looks great! You just need to come up with a spiffy logo for your headstock now.

[jazzbo58]

Nice job! I think it came out great.

Cheers,
Jim

[topper]

Way better than my first build! Nice work.

[luzceloffan]

Great bass, I hope mine becomes handomse like yours!

[ThunderLizard]

mhjacks-
A very nice bass. Period!
Good choice on the Carvin neck. I bought a Carvin back in '81 and it's been a very reliable instrument.
Good Luck To You!!

[mhjacks]

thanks for all the kind words everyone!

Originally Posted by ()smoke()

i'm sure the experience you gained is worth a great deal as well--do you plan to build another?

Well, this was something I was thinking about lately. I'm not sure I'd want to build another bass for myself, I'd probably want to sell it. Obviously I'd have to pay a lot more attention to fit'n'finish but it might not be a bad idea. If I made a different design though, I wouldn't want to sell it. It might be advantageous to just keep the design the same, and spend time perfecting it.

Originally Posted by Handyman

Looks great! You just need to come up with a spiffy logo for your headstock now.

I think if I was selling someone a bass like this, I'd want some sort of logo on it, if for nothing else than promotional reasons. I don't know what approach I'd want to take with that either. I'm not knowledgeable about inlay techniques, which is what I see when I think of a logo on the headstock of my bass, but perhaps I'd want to take it in a different direction. However, I am somewhat ignorant of my options.

Originally Posted by 62bass

That's a very nice bass for a first job. I wouldn't worry about "high end" pickups. Those Duncans sound great. How do you like the Carvin neck? I'm very impressed with their quality. Great fret work on mine and didn't need any leveling.

I love the neck, it really makes the bass. I'd probably just go with it again even though I think it's a bit pricey. To be honest though, I'm not a huge fan of the tone of my bass. It's my main instrument and it has a good sound, but it's not what I was looking for when I made it. I'm not sure if this is due to the low-grade mahogany I used, or the pickups. It seems to me that the tone of most electric basses is largely a function of the pickups.

Don't get me wrong though guys, I love my bass. I wouldn't bother taking an insurance policy out on it, because it's priceless.

[62bass]

Originally Posted by mhjacks

To be honest though, I'm not a huge fan of the tone of my bass. It's my main instrument and it has a good sound, but it's not what I was looking for when I made it. I'm not sure if this is due to the low-grade mahogany I used, or the pickups. It seems to me that the tone of most electric basses is largely a function of the pickups.

I like Seymour Duncans myself, but perhaps they're not right for you. They make other models that might be. And don't forget that strings make a big difference too.

[jackson_bass]

looks nice.

[phat5]

That's very good for your first build! I did mine 30 years ago, no where near as nice as yours. Bet you're planning the next one

[mhjacks]

hey guys,

I decided to post in the harmony central bass forum about this same topic, but on a somewhat different level

if you want to check out the thread, here is the link: http://acapella.harmony-central.com/....php?t=1832684

you can see my summary at http://www.maxopedia.org/?q=DIY_bass...fun_and_profit if you'd rather not go through at least 10 replies of totally irrelevant forum goonery including a bad picture of a kind of ugly dude,

[62bass]

Originally Posted by mhjacks

hey guys,

I decided to post in the harmony central bass forum about this same topic, but on a somewhat different level

if you want to check out the thread, here is the link: http://acapella.harmony-central.com/....php?t=1832684

you can see my summary at http://www.maxopedia.org/?q=DIY_bass...fun_and_profit if you'd rather not go through at least 10 replies of totally irrelevant forum goonery including a bad picture of a kind of ugly dude,

They sound like a bunch of losers from what I read. You don't need their opinions. Or anyone else for that matter.

[mhjacks]

thanks for the support 62bass

it's just interesting to me how people will react to things that they don't understand

it's nice to get a wide perspective, sometimes you learn more from others' ignorance than their knowledge

cheers,
max