DIY kits?

[BlueTalon]

These sound surprisingly good for being so cheap, but what amp is this guy running them through? I'm currently using an Ibanez soundwave which gets a bit thin on the lower end so I'm not sure it'll produce this array of sounds

That's always going to be the case. Unless you have decent headphones or speakers, you're never going to be quite sure if what you're hearing is the same quality as what was recorded. And unless you have an amp that can make a bass sound good, it won't matter much if the bass in question is a kit bass or a HB or something more expensive.

 

[JW56789]

There's a well-known guitar repairman here in Nashville that advertises, among all his other many pro services, that he can trouble shoot and fix or complete kit builds. He's probably built more Warmoth basses than just about anyone, most of which he didn't buy for himself. . . . .

I really wanted to do a DIY bass from what's out there, and by the time I added everything up and applied my experience . . . . it was WAY cheaper to keep buying regular axes.

 

[lark_z]

If you have serious NTT (need to tinker), as I do, then a kit project or a parts bass is just the thing. Personally, I started with two decent necks and made two bodies from pine 2x4s. Yes - pine. They play fine and I'm very happy.

And yes - the finishing can be a real chore, but it doesn't have to be. On my first one, I just built a small spray booth in the garage (think scrap pvc pipe tie-wrapped to a shelf and some plastic sheeting. Then a can of Hammered look spray paint. Put 2-3 coats on THICK and you're done. Is it commercial quality, no. Does it look good from more than 2 feet away, yes.

 

[LoTone]

No Time To Die edition?

 

[mrperkolator]

If you have serious NTT (need to tinker), as I do, then a kit project or a parts bass is just the thing. Personally, I started with two decent necks and made two bodies from pine 2x4s. Yes - pine. They play fine and I'm very happy.

And yes - the finishing can be a real chore, but it doesn't have to be. On my first one, I just built a small spray booth in the garage (think scrap pvc pipe tie-wrapped to a shelf and some plastic sheeting. Then a can of Hammered look spray paint. Put 2-3 coats on THICK and you're done. Is it commercial quality, no. Does it look good from more than 2 feet away, yes.

I'm going to be doing something similar. I'm going to use a booth like yours, but I"m going to use a box fan attached to it to put a negative air pressure in the booth. (air filter in front of box fan) My version of a "kit bass" is getting on offerup/craigslist and buying a cheap one that already has good bones. I'm gonna sand down and refinish it, then rewire it. I got it cheaper than most kits.

It's a lined fretless yamaha. I'll probably post on here somewhere when I get it done.

 

[NathOBX]

You will be learning how to do fret work if you want it to play well, which means you will also be spending money on tools. Not a bad skillset/toolset to have. Finishing is definitely a laborious process. Mine came out well, I can now also wet sand and buff repairs. I am now working on building a body from scratch and pairing it with a found neck. If you want to get into building its a great first step. If you want a cheap bass there are cheaper easier ways.

 

[MCS4]

I had a lot of fun building a Carvin bass kit back in the day. In addition to saving a few bucks versus buying a similar bass fully built from Carvin, it was a nice step in the process of getting comfortable with modding and otherwise putting together instruments.

 

[scuzzy]

I have done kits to get something I can't buy that I want. Pretty confident Harley Benton doesn't make one like these.

 

[DirtDog]

I just built a Saga kit (not a bass, a Les Paul Jr). It was unfinished so I invested in a guitar specific paint kit (filler, paint, poly, tack cloth, sandpaper, polishing compound, masks). That was an extra $100.

Build was easy, painting a bit more time consuming. I also had to shape the headstock myself.

The guitar’s neck feels great and the tone is what I was looking for. However, I’ve already decided to upgrade the tuners after a week of struggling to keep it in tune (this is after setup and intonation adjustments). The bridge is another potential replacement.

Given that, I’m getting into Epiphone LP Jr retail pricing for my all-in costs not incl my labour. As someone else said, I did this not to save money but to have something that was not available at retail (Arctic white with tort).

At this point, it was still worth it.

I’m thinking my next build will be a T-bird bass kit. Got lots of paint/nitro left so that will likely also be Arctic White!

 

[Eilif]

As folks have generally said, kit basses are for those who like to do things themselves, enjoy the build process and perhaps favor customization. Once the cost of supplies, paint, and usually some upgraded parts are figured in, they are not really a bargain option for getting a better bass at a lower price.

There used to be an exception to this and that was Carvin/Kiesel kits whereby you really could get great quality USA made parts with tight tolerances and build a quality instrument for around $500 bucks. However, they've discontinued their kits and parts sales, so that's no longer an option.

All that said, I'd never discourage someone from building a kit if you enjoy making things. When you can get a Guitar Fetish kit for about $100-200 that's still a bargain for what you get and the cost-to-hours-of-fun ratio for those who enjoy building things represents quite a value. Further, if you're ok, with a non-spray finish (oil, hand rubbed poly, etc) the investment in cost is even less.

 

[logdrum]

I do not know if Kiesel is still doing it but their build kit was cheaper than their P or J bass offerings

 

[Root 5]

@Volker Kirstein
How do you achieve a matte orange peel finish?

By sucking at finishing & sanding

 

[40Hz]

If you do decide to go with a kit, Precision Guitar makes some of the best out there. Not cheap. But the quality is definitely there. Enough to build something that’s at least equal to a mid-priced name instrument. And with things like Squiers, Harley-Bentons, and Yamaha and Ibanez’s entry level basses, buying a cheap kit sorta makes no sense unless you have no woodworking or setup skills and you need a first kit to learn and possibly screw up on. But either way you’ll end up spending more money building your own.

 

[UNICORN BASS]

In my experience the quality of cheaper kits is a bummer. Mine was Bass wood as most are but it was awful to work with. That said i am happy with the result, about $110 all in, plus some tape wounds. P.S. If you do a kit you need to get comfortable with sanding, a lot!

 

[Basslice]

I almost went down this rabbit hole. I am a Rabbit Hole Expert. I can turn a curiosity into an expensive, long, tedious process. That being said, I actually enjoy doing that. I like to learn. I like to build something with my own hands and I like to see, feel, hear the results.

I never did a bass because for me to do it to my standards would mean having to buy a lot of tools and paint shop stuff. I don't do half-ass, and I would never be happy with a shaker can. I do shaker cans on my son's pinewood derby cars.

 

[fhm555]

I'd probably need a jeweler's loupe and a patience pill.

I’ve built a few of those type kits for other people. Not something I’d do for fun, but they wanted it done and had green paper to entice me. It’s not much different than building an R/C airplane from a laser cur kit. Most (but not all) of them had very good instructions.

 

[matty1039]

I got a P bass kit a few years ago. It was fun to put together. And I can tinker with it all I want without messing up any resale value. I was on a 60s kick when I got it so I painted it a light blue. Then I decided I did not like that anymore so I repainted it matte black and got a $20 red pearloid pick guard off Amazon. No biggie. If I want to strip it, and do something else with it, again no biggie.

The hardware is the weak point in the kits. So if you go that route you will need to upgrade the tuners, and electronics.

If you want an instrument to play you'd be better off getting a cheap one off the shelf. If you are just looking to tinker and mess around with something a kit is a good option.

 

[Pirate Captain]

I'd be more inclined to go this route for a custom if the kit came with a pre-routed body "blank" like this one from Potvin Guitars. Paddle headstock and body to bandsaw out your own unique shapes. View attachment 4426246

pictured "your own unique shape" (wink wink)

 

[edencab]

love my kit bass...the fun was building/finishing/pup modding..put Fender Flats on it and it sounds fantastic, band loves it...was it cheaper, I guess in a way...but add in buying paint, finish coat, various sandpapers I didn't have and the pickup I didn't really need as the kit pup was fine, maybe not, but my '57 Chev P-bass is a keeper for me

 

[groovepump]

Kits really got overpriced over the last few years. YouTubers doing videos+bored people during the pandemic really pushed them from "fun cheap project" to something that cost more than many decent finished basses.

Buting a "cheap" bass and modding it can also be fun and less expansive in the long-run, depending on what gets modded.