Dumb idea?

[micguy]

My suggestion (I've built quite a few basses at this point):

Start with cheaper parts - Rosser, etc. Build something that you think you'll like. You'll be wrong, but probably not that wrong. Expect to change parts, try things, etc. After a while, when you know what you REALLY like, try Warmoth - their necks and bodies are very well made, and you can get a staggering array of options. Their stuff costs more, but when you know you're making something you'll want to keep, their parts are very much worth it.

 

[Old_Noob]

If you're happy with the wood grain showing, perhaps a simple wipe on poly or oil finish might be the go first time out. If you want a glossy paint finish, maybe buy a finished body, the Eden 'Premier' ones on ebay are quite good quality three piece alder under the paint and of course there's usually a few Squier's about. If you're looking to paint a raw body, perhaps consider alder, or poplar as body woods, they require little or no gain filling to get a smooth surface to paint over. Nothing ruins an attempted smooth glossy paint finish like deep wood gain pores showing though all over and filling woods such as ash to perfectly smooth is a pita if you aren't used to it. (Even if you are it's still a pita!)

Good luck and keep asking questions.

Thanks. Yeah, I am ok with wood grain showing. As no one is going to be playing it but me, I think for my first one, I want it as simple as possible and am fine with it being a little "rustic" looking. Basically, something I can do in the garage without a whole ton of specialized equipment. And preferably a "low odor" solution, as that will keep things happy on the marital front. (When we first got married I did some DIY woodworking projects--bookshelf, hallway bench, etc....my woodworking skills were a lot better than my staining skills, and my wife hated the odor)

I am still a little confused on the oil/poly/woodfiller steps, as the internets seem to have conflicting info (imagine that!)

My tentative plan is to do the Rosser Jag replica body with simple Geezer pickups, and a jazz neck from somewhere....are the "mighty mite" necks from stewmac any good?

 

[dbsfgyd1]

When I get into a new hobby, I tend to get obsessive and read/watch/learn everything I can. I am also a hard-knocks tinkerer. When I got into my other hobby 20 years ago (bicycles), I knew nothing of how they worked. So I bought a frame, and cobbled together parts for a rudimentary single speed...over those 20 years I have probably assembled 15 parts bikes of varying complexities for myself and friends/family members. I have a garage filled with mediocre builds.

So, you see where this is going.....I have the urge to do a parts bass. I fully understand this will be more expensive than buying something off the shelf and that I will probably screw things up or buy the wrong parts. Willing to accept that risk.

I am trying to do as much of a “plug and play” as I can....looking at using a p-bass body from rosser (sp??) on ebay, with a squire jazz neck and the emg solderless passive pickups.

I understand there is a lot of work to do for final sanding/finishing the body.

So, my question to this learned group is...am I embarking on a foolhardy mission designed to fail? Can a complete noob realistically do this and wind up with a semi-decent looking instrument that is playable?

Thanks in advance for your thoughts and advice.

Well being honest, if you listen to what’s in my media cabinet, you might find a whole lot of mediocre “bicycles”.

 

[bass theory]

yeah...maybe a pure parts is the way to go for the first one......anyone know of other brands that use a jaguar style body, or p bass style with the horns filled in partially?...like a bronco or mustang...but 34 scale

if you are going to use a Jaguar style body I would suggest you try the "Hot Rail" humbucker pickups sized to fit in place of a single coil. Can give an entirely different sound. I did this to convert a six string 30"scale to a five string short scale bass.(with the low B) the guitar on my profile is the one. pics taken before the conversion.

 

[Old_Noob]

So something like this is what I had in mind but with the geezer P. Also considering the 35HC passive soapbar, but people seem to think they sound dull and muddy.


Or, could do a single thunderbird style EMG at the neck position.

 

[Durham52]

I haven't handled a Mighty Mite neck for a few years, but they were always decent quality and reliable in my experience, (people often commented that they were/are made in the same Korean factory that made the upper scale Squier necks, but I can't confirm that) over around 15 years I've used numerous Strat, Tele and P bass necks from them as they were a reasonably priced option down here in Australia, never had a bad one.

Allparts as someone else mentioned are very reliable, Warmoth are good too, with more options that you could want, though like upping specs and options on a new car, it can get pricey.

 

[Old_Noob]

Go big or go home, right ,? Wife is gonna kill me and has given me 100 reasons why this is a bad idea. At the top of that list is...'shouldn't you learn how to play one before you build one"? I said...let me tell you of a man named Leo.

When I presented her the alternative of hacking up an existing body, she said that was even dumber.....so a Rosser build it is then.

There are 100 reasons why this is a dumb idea..but darn it, its my dumb idea and I want to create.

Wives just don't understand why a man wants to climb a mountain, ride 200 miles in 2 days on a loaded touring bike, or try and build something new.

 

[Bent77]

Go big or go home, right ,? Wife is gonna kill me and has given me 100 reasons why this is a bad idea. At the top of that list is...'shouldn't you learn how to play one before you build one"? I said...let me tell you of a man named Leo.

When I presented her the alternative of hacking up an existing body, she said that was even dumber.....so a Rosser build it is then.

There are 100 reasons why this is a dumb idea..but darn it, its my dumb idea and I want to create.

Wives just don't understand why a man wants to climb a mountain, ride 200 miles in 2 days on a loaded touring bike, or try and build something new.

Ladies collect dolls, make doilies, or whatever. Just make sure you encourage her on her projects and she’ll leave you to be (we hope!)

Mrs Bent said it was dumb when I tore apart a perfectly good bass to refinish it. But she was more upset when I sold it

 

[MustangWally]

Mrs Bent said it was dumb when I tore apart a perfectly good bass to refinish it.

Mrs Wally watched me tear up a perfectly good Mustang PJ and rebuild it the way I wanted without comment. Now she says that it sounds better! She's a keeper for sure!

 

[lark_z]

LOL. A few months after I started playing again I find a nice Yamaha with upgraded bridge and pickup on CL for $150. Seller didn't know or really seem to care what they had. Talk to the boss and it's not no, but hell no. Let it drop.

Then a month or so later, I talk to her about buying a neck and building a body for it. She just rolls her eyes. I'm easily >$300 and while I love it, it's not the quality of anything coming out of the Yamaha factory. I guess since the $$ went out a bit here, a bit there it wasn't that noticeable.

 

[Old_Noob]

LOL. A few months after I started playing again I find a nice Yamaha with upgraded bridge and pickup on CL for $150. Seller didn't know or really seem to care what they had. Talk to the boss and it's not no, but hell no. Let it drop.

Then a month or so later, I talk to her about buying a neck and building a body for it. She just rolls her eyes. I'm easily >$300 and while I love it, it's not the quality of anything coming out of the Yamaha factory. I guess since the $$ went out a bit here, a bit there it wasn't that noticeable.

Well that's just it. $80 here; $30 another month, etc. is much easier to get away with rather than a $600 purchase.

 

[Old_Noob]

So after much hemming and hawing, negotiation with the misses, and a realistic assessment of my free time away from a computer, as well as the incoming Wisconsin winter and lack of a warm work space, and inexperience staining.....I have decided to place my plans for a unfinished build on hold for now (I know everyone was waiting on baited breath for me to announce that Instead, I decided to do a parts bass after finding a good deal on a CV 70s P-bass body on here. For now, I am just going to focus on learning to set it up and likely switch the PUs/Pots to EMG GZRs and maybe a high-mass bridge. Maybe if I feel adventurous I might route out a HB slot near the neck.
-I figured I can't go wrong with a P-bass.