DIY Bass Kit- NO NO? YES YES?

[poit57]

I don't have any pictures yet, but I used the same kit as Rano Bass. It being my first attempt to paint a guitar, it didn't turn out very well. I might try to refinish it sometime down the line when I am less frustrated with the process, but I am more concerned with how it sounds than what it looks like.

I didn't set it up as it was designed. I routed out and installed a battery box on the back, then replaced the included pickups with some Seymour Duncan Basslines and the 3-band preamp. The bass had no issue intonating, and it has the most sustain of any bass I've ever owned, which includes some $1000+ instruments.

Other than painting the bass, the aspects of assembly that I found the trickiest were:

1. Correctly positioning the neck. The neck pocket was slightly wider than the neck
2. Correctly positioning the bridge. I used bridge location of my other 34" scale bass as a guideline. When I first tried to measure 17" from the 12th fret, I nearly ended up placing the bridge about 1/2 inch closer to the neck than it needed to be.
3. Correctly positioning the P-bass pickup under the pickguard. I think I might have it slightly off from where it should be, which caused a little difficulty in getting the pick guard aligned once the pickup was installed.

I will try to add pictures when I get a chance.

 

[jallenbass]

Do it. It's fun.

 

[Malak the Mad]

I was seriously considering it for a while, but the equipment, space needed and margin-of-error for a good refinishing made me back away. So instead, I decided to put together a parts-bass. Anything I didn't trust myself to do, or didn't have the equipment for (e.g.: wood router), I handed off to my local Guitar Center's tech (great guy…great work!).

Overall, I'm very happy with the results, even if I scrapped my first attempt. It's all a part of the learning experience.

So my answer would also be "No", unless you're willing to go through a number of potentially costly revisions and trial-and-error goofs. If you're cool with it, then I say "Go for it!"

 

[timobee4]

I have entertained the idea for a while because my best mate is a luthier and he'd spay my bass any color any finish for free. The only problem is the neck! I could never play, respect or love ANY bass with the truss rod nut NOT at the heel of the neck. The pickups, electronics, tuners probably not worth a penny either. So IMO it's better to just buy a Roadworn Jazz Bass for a 1000$ and be done with it

 

[okcrum]

Carvin makes a B40 & B50 kit, but they cost a lot more, and will definitely be much, much nicer basses, however - one TBer posted a thread on building one, and found that it would have been cheaper just to buy the bass already built/finished.

They are $200-300 cheaper than the built ones even after buying the hard case. Carvin will finish the body on kits, but only in black or white.

The TB'er you're talking about completely screwed the pooch on his build, and adds the cost of a professional refinish job onto the cost of the kit. I bought a white body finish for $10 on my kit ($60 finish - $50 option rebate). I figured that would be easiest to paint over if I chose later.