My first fretted build!!!

[Rip Topaz]

This will make my fifth build, but the first one that I've done the fretwork. I've built three fretless basses, and my fourth build I used a Carvin neck-through blank. It came out great, but I felt like I was cheating.

So, I spent some time (and ALOT of money) studying and gathering tools so I could do my own fretwork from now on. Nothing against Carvin, their fretwork is immaculate. But I plan on continuing to make guitars and basses for quite some time, and figured it was time to learn to do it right.

So here we go. Here's the specs.
3 piece Birdseye maple neck through, 24 frets. 14 degree headstock angle
Purpleheart fretboard,
African mahogany back, spalted maple top. Basically half and half, the spalted is the same thickness and the mahogany.

I was going to plane the spalted down to around 1/4", but as I got it close to 3/4", the planer really started to chew it up, so I quit before disaster happened.

I forgot to grab any pix of the neck coming together, so here's where I'm at now. The wings are glued and drying in the clamps.

When I cut the wings out, I was a little paranoid of the whole thing exploding on me, so I put a layer of CA glue on her to hopefully hold things together. Turned out to not be necessary, but better safe than sorry. Anyway, thats why the wings look like they do. It'll be sanded plenty before it's done, so any ugliness will be gone in time.

Since this is essentially my first fretted build, I figured I'd document it here. If anyone has any thoughts or opinions, feel free to share.

Btw, I know some things are being done bass-ackwards, gimme a break I'm still figuring out the process. Every build has been a little different, and since I'm still new to this, I accept any and all advice.

Thanks for hanging out, and hopefully we'll all get to see a really cool bass when I'm done.

[KingRazor]

This one looks like it might actually turn out to be a shape I like. A rare thing in this forum since people seem to love really weird shaped basses (no offense guys).

Subbed.

[Rip Topaz]

My thought was to create something that I will be able to play without issues. I've had alot of back problems and am trying to make it lightweight and comfortable to play. My last two builds were T-birds. This ones gonna be a little more conventional. I modeled it (sort of) off a Yamaha RBX. Very loosely.

[KingRazor]

Originally Posted by Rip Topaz

My thought was to create something that I will be able to play without issues. I've had alot of back problems and am trying to make it lightweight and comfortable to play. My last two builds were T-birds. This ones gonna be a little more conventional. I modeled it (sort of) off a Yamaha RBX. Very loosely.

Reminds me (loosely) of the Ibanez SR shape, which IMO is the most comfortable to play and most aesthetically pleasing of any bass shape out there. I'm surprised more people don't use it.

[Rip Topaz]

Yeah. The bass I modeled it after might actually be an Ibanez. It was a body I had laying around. An old plywood thing I'd never waste my time with.

[Rip Topaz]

Got the clamps off, and I gotta say, it doesn't look bad. My only concern so far is whether the spalted will hold the screws for the bridge. I'm figuring on drilling, then filling the holes with CA before mounting the bridge. Any thoughts? Will this work ok?

[cocobass]

You can predrill larger holes and put in hardwood dowlings, then drill for bridge mount screws after that. That's what I do and it works well.

OR

Filling with CA isn't bad, but I'd say epoxy would be better- you get a definite cure plus it's more workable (experience from building when I worked at Sadowsky).

Bryant

[Rip Topaz]

Thanks for the dowel idea. That's probably what I'll end up doing.

Will the same idea work for the control cavity? Is there a good way to reinforce the spalted where the pots go through?

Today, I route the cavities and start carving the body.

Here's where I'm at now.

[devo_stevo]

Looking good man. I'm digging the shape of the body.

[Rip Topaz]

Thanks man. The body shape is kind of a standard these days. It's like a cross between a Yamaha and an Ibanez. Nothing special, but I'm still looking for that shape that I can call my own. Until I find it, this one works for now.

[DanSwain]

Really nice work, Rip! You've got some great grains showing there from the Spalted top, and it looks like it's coming together quite easily for you too. I guess that's the benefit of this being your 5th production, where all of that experience helps!

Until I scrolled down to see the outline for the precision-style pickup, I thought you were going with a visually 'chunkier' design, like a MM with open poles. Then again, it depends on what bridge you're using, so I'm looking forward to seeing your progress on how that all lays out. Are you particularly aiming for a P-Bass sound with this one?

Again, great stuff, and really nice work on the neck too!

[Rip Topaz]

With this bass, I'm going mostly for simplicity. Simple P-bass pickup, volume and tone control. Nothing crazy or complicated for this one. Saving all my outlandish ideas for the next build.

[KingRazor]

Originally Posted by Rip Topaz

With this bass, I'm going mostly for simplicity. Simple P-bass pickup, volume and tone control. Nothing crazy or complicated for this one. Saving all my outlandish ideas for the next build.

Wow, I'm suddenly more interested in this build.

An Ibanez style body with a P pickup = my dream bass.

[cocobass]

Spalted maple can be soft and fussy. If you want to reinforce the control cavity, one idea would be to:

1) Route out the control cavity (Rear I assume)

2) Cut out a piece of 3/32 lite ply that will fit the routed cavity area

3) Glue the lite ply "reinforcing plate" to the inside of the cavity wall so your pots & jack have a good laminate to mount to/through

4) Do the necessary shielding, drill and mount your pots and voila! You've reduced your chances of accidentaly ripping out a pot!

Do ya follow me? That additional "plate" should be sufficient to give you the strength you need.

Bryant

[Rip Topaz]

That's awesome. I was thinking about doing exactly that, though I wasn't sure if I should use plywood or sheet metal.

[Rip Topaz]

Today's status report.

Cavities routes, the rear control cavity needs a little work still. The pickup cavity was tough to route, Murphy's Law placed a weak spot right where the pickup is going, so I'll be using a pickup ring around it to cover the little spot that crumbled out when I routed it.

The neck/body join is today's project. Keep in mind I started this bass without a plan. The whole point of this build is to practice my fretwork, so I built the neck blank first, without a concrete plan for the bass as a whole. While working, I remembered that I had a plywood body in my basement, so I dug it out, made a tracing, and there's my body shape!! Professional luthiers would probably beat my @ss for being so unorganized!!!
So here's the neck/body join.

As you can see, since I was too lazy to make a plan before starting, I now have alot of carving to do. It means a bit more work that could have been avoided with some planning, but nothing disastrous.

I'm actually really enjoying this build, and can't wait to see how my fretwork worked out. This one is a 34" scale, 24 fretter. The neck is already done, but since I didn't decide to do a build thread until I started the body, I don't have any progress pix of the neck carving process.

[KingRazor]

Do want.

[etoncrow]

Good looking project. Might I be brazen enough to recommend Bill Lawrence P-46 pups?

I have a set on a parts P-bass I assembled and I love them. Lots of good opinions expressed about them on TB.

[Rip Topaz]

Today's progress.

Rounded over the edges with the router, then files, chisels and rasps in some areas for additional contouring. Worked alot on the neck/body join. I think I've got something I like.




Enough for one day. My back hurts.

[Rip Topaz]

Didn't get a whole lot done today. My band practices on Monday nights and I spent the day setting up the bandroom so we can record a few songs.

Spent some quality time with the sander, but nothing worth taking a picture of.