Assembling your own basses vs buying production basses vs modding

[Watchootognbout]

I get modifying but why would someone PREFER to mod something vs. buying it the way they like?

Because for some no bass is absolutely perfect straight out of the factory.
The basses I have were close!
But not straight off the wall.

I love Tune TWB63’s
I have two.

But I don’t like the black plastic knobs that they all come with.

So I replace them.

Plus,a fretless version is not available.
So you have to make it fretless.

 

[SactoBass]

Yes, it does! As for the chapstick, my dad taught me about lubing the threads with good old bar soap. It's always worked for me!

Bar soap, eh? Very nice!

 

[Ric5]

I built this Ric Frankenstein bass … But someone else made the body, I tried 2 different necks on it, I tried several different pickup configurations, I made the pickguard for a 4003 pickguard, the electronics are similar to a 4003, the bridge is Schaller,

 

[Ric5]

This bass here is a body from Ebay, a mighty mite neck, Schaller bridge, a 4 band Audere preamp … I tried 3 different necks on it, 1st a rosewood fretboard, then a fretless neck, and then the maple fretboard. The body has a hand rubbed tung oil and mineral spirits finish, The pickups are 4 string pickups but the 8 poles cover the 5 strings no problem.

 

[Brent's Groove]

I like modding production basses because it makes them feel more personal and unique.

I did a Warmoth build once, but I kept changing my mind about what components I wanted to use. Then I really rushed through the assembly. It ended up being more expensive than I would have liked, and it was poorly put together.

It was a learning process. I'd like to try another Warmoth build in the future because their parts are really top notch.

 

[Ric5]

This bass is a 5 string bass based on the 4 string CS-74 played by Chris Squire. The body was made by someone else, The neck is an Eden with a paddle headstock, Schaller bridge, 4 string pickups, a 4 band Audere preamp. The bass is crazy light and has a cool tone, and is easy to play.

here it is wired passive

and the backside

 

[JRA]

Yeah, I didn’t mean to imply there are never reasons to change the hardware. But too often NBD = NH(ardware)D, when the Hardware is perfectly functional

got it!

In my case, I was able to just select from a a variety of pre-built parts and pieces kicking around in my friend's shop. That meant either taking a body that matched the only non-lined non-maple fretless neck he had on hand, or getting in the long queue to have something built. And then I was given some prototype pickups to try with trade back privileges, which is a pretty sweet deal.

i'm sure it's 'grins' to access a friendly luthier's stash and make those selections! you've mentioned that connection before...really sweet arrangement between the two of you.

i have to pay the going rates around here but it's not so bad for the small services i need. i used to have a friend/luthier, but he got too old for the gig and ended up passing more than wind!

i do try to use economy parts but the last one 'demanded' some pricey lightweight machines to balance correctly on a strap ---

 

[SactoBass]

This bass is a 5 string bass based on the 4 string CS-74 played by Chris Squire. The body was made by someone else, The neck is an Eden with a paddle headstock, Schaller bridge, 4 string pickups, a 4 band Audere preamp. The bass is crazy light and has a cool tone, and is easy to play.

View attachment 3648546

View attachment 3648548

here it is wired passive

View attachment 3648549

and the backside

View attachment 3648550

Flippin saWEET! I always loved Jim Mouradian's CS-74 that he made for Chris!

 

[Ric5]

This one here started with an Epiphone eb0 body, they I added in an Eden 30" scale neck with the paddle headstock, 2 wilkenson stingray pickups, a schaller bridge, it is wired volume, volume, tone with Carvin 500k ohm pots. I made a straplok extender to kill the neck dive, and the pick guard came from ebay.

 

[Ric5]

This is my frankensteined Jaguar bass, the body is a squire jag 4 string body, the first neck was mighty mite, it now has a fretless neck with a rosewood fretboard, and I can't find a picture right, now. The first version was wired passive and 3 pickups, a stingray pickup, and 2 Epiphone t-bird pickups,

When I decided to go with 2 pickups I had to make a new pickguard, and I put in a 3 band preamp that I think may be a guitar preamp and not a bass preamp.

 

[Passinwind]

i'm sure it's 'grins' to access a friendly luthier's stash and make those selections! you've mentioned that connection before...really sweet arrangement between the two of you.

It works well for both of us, because mad scientist types typically have a lot of perfectly useful leftover parts and pieces from project swerves. And the barter system has a lot of positives in general.

 

[Ric5]

This one here is another Epiphone body with a 34" Eden neck. I wnated to use the mudbucker pickups but they didn't work with 5 string so I only use the covers, The neck pickup is a Rickenbacker humbucker, and the bridge pickup is a quarter pound jazz pickup. The bridge is a cheap ebay stingray style bridge, and the wiring is passive configured like a Rickenbacker 4003, and my straplok extender. The Epiphone body does not has the nice top that most epiphone basses have, I ruffed it up to have a satin finish, I made the pickguard from 1/8" thick spalted maple

 

[Ric5]

This is an Epiphone plywood body painted black. I used an eden 34" neck and a stingray style bridge.

here is it with a Rickenbacker single coil neck pickup

Here it is with a jazz pickup added

The I switched to humbuckers

then I added stickers

Then I removed the stickers and added a pickguard

 

[JRA]

the barter system has a lot of positives in general.

agreed! i miss that --- i used to trade out studio time, lessons, PA gear, etc., for services in indy, but alas: no such relationships in cincinnati...and no one here appreciates the raw value of my advice or POV!

 

[SactoBass]

no such relationships in cincinnati...and no one here appreciates the raw value of my advice or POV!

It's appreciated here on TB, JRA!

 

[JRA]

It's appreciated here on TB, JRA!

ha! thanks, man! it sort of read like i was fishing, didn't it? and right back atcha!

 

[SactoBass]

ha! thanks, man! it sort of read like i was fishing, didn't it? and right back atcha!

 

[FunkHead]

I voted build from separate components:

This is #101(~) build for me. It's a '58 clone with Pure Vintage '58 Electronics/Hardware and RoadWorn neck &
body.

 

[SactoBass]

I voted build from separate components:

This is #101(~) build for me. It's a '58 clone with Pure Vintage '58 Electronics/Hardware and RoadWorn neck &
body.
View attachment 3648646

Niiiiiiiice!

 

[JRA]

perfect, SactoBass !