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Bass dis-assembly questions

DBFIU

DBFIU

Guest
Jun 29, 2014
199
37
42
south florida
#1
Hey guys I am going to start to disassemble my bass. I have never done this before. I understand basic things about the bass like the tension on the strings puts a compressive load on the neck it at the same time wants to bend it upward. And there is a truss rod in there to counter these forces once the string are in tension. So at some point I will have to remove the neck to paint the body.

My bass is a two piece bass, its a Rogue 5 string cheapo bass that has 4 bolts holding the neck to the body. I just to know how to disassemble the bass without doing damage to it, I know there is an order to removing things and stuff 'not to do', please point me in the right direction. Am I overcomplicating things?

I want to paint the body separate and I want to remove the neck so the whole body gets a nice paint job.
Thanks
 
#3
spaz21387 said:
you are over thinking it in screw the neck screws paint it and slap it back togather!
Click to expand...

Are you serious? With the way guys play and talk about their basses its like they are like glass. This special coating here, special voodoo glue there, titanium screws help the tone, like they can hear the difference etc... I don't know, I've heard some really unrealistic stuff, it's kinda creepy lol So I actually dont know whats true, Im calibrated to thinking this freaking bass is going to explode any second...

:)
 
#4
There is no special order for taking a bass apart, unless you intend to start with the neck and work your way to the strings, that is wrong.

If you intend to leave the neck off for a week or more I would back the tension off the truss rod. Personally, I back the tension off if the neck is going off for a day or more. Better safe than sorry.
 
#5
DiabolusInMusic said:
There is no special order for taking a bass apart, unless you intend to start with the neck and work your way to the strings, that is wrong.

If you intend to leave the neck off for a week or more I would back the tension off the truss rod. Personally, I back the tension off if the neck is going off for a day or more. Better safe than sorry.
Click to expand...

Ok if I back it off, how do I get it back to where it was? I would need to know this right?
 
#7
You will want to completely set the bass up after reassembly. You could count the number of turns
needed to relax the truss rod tension, and then add the same number of turns back on it afterward.
But there is no guarantee that the neck will return to the same exact relief. If the relief is presently
good, measure the relief now if you haven't already started disassebly and then set the relief back to
the same value when setting it up.

Pickguards can sometimes fit very tight against the side of the neck. You have to remove the pickguard
anyway, so remove it first. Then remove the neck.

-
 
#8
All you need to know is when replacing screws be careful to thread them back into the existing thread cuts in the wood. Do not cut new threads; it will turn the wood in the hole to mush and it will strip out.

To be sure, place the screws in the hole, turn it backward until it drops into the thread cuts, turn in with your fingers until you are positive it is threading in correctly and finish with the screwdriver.

Learn how to set it up by reading Jerzy and have at it.
 
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#9
DBFIU said:
Are you serious? With the way guys play and talk about their basses its like they are like glass. This special coating here, special voodoo glue there, titanium screws help the tone, like they can hear the difference etc... I don't know, I've heard some really unrealistic stuff, it's kinda creepy lol So I actually dont know whats true, Im calibrated to thinking this freaking bass is going to explode any second...

:)
Click to expand...

IMHO & IME You're way over thinking this.:help: Disassembling your bolt neck bass is as easy as 1 - 2 - 3
To start with TAKE YOUR TIME DON'T RUSH THE JOB.
  1. take the strings off before your unscrew the neck or remove anything else.
  2. since this sounds like your first job -- take photos of every detail inside the control cavity or make drawings. (You're going to need to unsolder stuff before your paint and you will eventually need to put it all back together, knowing what it looked like to start with is a good thing.)
  3. take everything off / out of the body.*** Be sure to put all removed parts in a safe place, (label them if it makes you more comfortable) you'll need them when it's time to reassemble the bass and searching through the trash or under the desk to find that one critical missing part is very frustrating (been there done that).
From this point on it's: sanding, painting, waiting for the paint to dry, sanding, painting, waiting for the paint to dry, sanding, painting, waiting for the paint to dry, sanding, painting, waiting for the paint to dry, etc. etc. Once you're happy with how the body looks, then reassemble reversing steps 3 - 1), set intonation and action, then enjoy you handy work.

Relax and have fun.
 
#11
What is your budget outlay for paint and parts? If it's over $100, you might be better off saving money for a different bass, unless this is a learning experience to see how it goes, or you just really want the new color on your bass, and the neck feels and plays great for you.
 
#12
This bass is my first and only bass I've ever played. I don't know what another plays like. I don't even know what a 4 string plays like because this is a 5 string.... it feels fine to me. The supplies is already costing me close to 200. I just spent 90 dollars on pots and caps. Also got strings and shielding. Now I want to paint it. This thing is getting a complete rebuild and I'm going to prove that I don't need a 900 dollar bass to sound and look good.

I'm going to really make this an interesting exploration on how far I can take this simple instrument.
 
#14
Dave W said:
What? You may want to return those. Pots and caps are cheap. There is no way you need to spend that much on them unless you're buying vintage period correct stuff.
Click to expand...

I got two or three of each pot type plus dozens of caps and new jacks and some other stuff. I got relatively cheap parts but just lots of it because I plan on rebuilding my other guitars.
 
#15
DBFIU said:
This bass is my first and only bass I've ever played. I don't know what another plays like. I don't even know what a 4 string plays like because this is a 5 string.... it feels fine to me. The supplies is already costing me close to 200. I just spent 90 dollars on pots and caps. Also got strings and shielding. Now I want to paint it. This thing is getting a complete rebuild and I'm going to prove that I don't need a 900 dollar bass to sound and look good.

I'm going to really make this an interesting exploration on how far I can take this simple instrument.
Click to expand...

So you're going to spend $200 in parts on a $200 bass (and probably 20-30 man hours) yet somehow this is saving money from just buying a decent $900 bass? If you don't know how other basses even play, why bother making this one perfect? What if you prefer something else? In the end your bass will still be a Rogue and worth no more than $200, even that will be a hard sell should you ever try to part with it.

At the end of the day, it is your time and money. Whatever you do, we are here to help. Personally, I don't think this is a good investment of money or time. You will need a second bass in the meantime, especially when painting. That process takes more than an afternoon.

Mind if I ask what kind of electronics parts you bought for $90? My bill's get nowhere near that, even when I buy a $40 can of shielding paint with my parts.
 
#16
DiabolusInMusic said:
So you're going to spend $200 in parts on a $200 bass (and probably 20-30 man hours) yet somehow this is saving money from just buying a decent $900 bass? If you don't know how other basses even play, why bother making this one perfect? What if you prefer something else? In the end your bass will still be a Rogue and worth no more than $200, even that will be a hard sell should you ever try to part with it.

At the end of the day, it is your time and money. Whatever you do, we are here to help. Personally, I don't think this is a good investment of money or time. You will need a second bass in the meantime, especially when painting. That process takes more than an afternoon.

Mind if I ask what kind of electronics parts you bought for $90? My bill's get nowhere near that, even when I buy a $40 can of shielding paint with my parts.
Click to expand...

Its not just about the money. Its about the concept. Im going to turn a mediocre sounding bass into something that sounds great. People think you need to spend thousands of dollars to get a good sounding bass, when a good rebuild and some time invested can get you there.

Heres a picture of just some of the parts, I added a few more before I finished the order, plus shipping came out to like 90.

Another benefit is I get to learn something. So when I do get the 900 dollar bass and decide to wire it up custom, I will not destroy it. This for me is also a learning process and that is priceless.
 

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#17
Be forewarned that refinishing is also probably going to cost more than you anticipated, especially if you buy all the proper supplies and paint. I've refinished a few inexpensive basses, and while the learning experience was great, I know I'll never get back the money I spent on all the finishing products.
 
#18
DBFIU said:
Are you serious? With the way guys play and talk about their basses its like they are like glass. This special coating here, special voodoo glue there, titanium screws help the tone, like they can hear the difference etc... I don't know, I've heard some really unrealistic stuff, it's kinda creepy lol So I actually dont know whats true, Im calibrated to thinking this freaking bass is going to explode any second...

:)
Click to expand...


People believe a lot of misinformation and myths about guitars and basses, and pass them along as though they are stone cold facts. Basses and guitars are not delicate, fragile things. They are built to handle being taken on the road, where they get banged around day in and day out, and are exposed to different climate and humidity changes. They have built in adjustments for these purposes. All you need to do is to back the truss rod off about a turn and remove the neck.

The best advice I can give you is to put your parts, and screws in a coffee can, or some other type of container that has a lid, so you don't loose anything.
 
#20
96tbird said:
Did I miss something? He wants to make this bass sound and play great by replacing caps pots and painting it?

Pickups would have been a more effective mod. Adjust the nut, file and dress frets, complete setup and investigate strings.
Click to expand...

My bass has a broken pot in it. So one of the knobs doesnt work. The other pots are old and crusty, they need to get replaced. I already bought new strings. Im going to shield the pickups while im in there. That will help it sound better. While the bass is apart I'm going to adjust any other part of it that I can to help the sound. Right now it needs pots, caps, shielding and strings.

The paint adds to the tone, its special whale blubber oil based paint that creates a warm tone with good mids and ear piercing highs. Dont under estimate the paint.
 
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