Four basses that I have built

[knarleybass]

I have been working in my garage for about a year or so trying to build basses and winding pickups. I figured now might be a good time to share a photo of my progress

the first bass on the left is a 34" maple neck, pauferro fingerboard, walnut body and maple top, jazz bass pickups wound by me, passive

the second from the left bass is a 32" fretless two piece maple neck, pauferro fingerboard, African mahogany body, single dual coil humbucker, passive (I attempted a spray can laquer finish on this one, and I have to say I am disappointed with the results)

the third from the left is a 32" single cut bass with a maple neck, east indian rosewood fingerboard, sapele body,

and the one to the far right is a 34" maple neck, maple body, ebony fingerboard, padauk top bass, with TV Jones humbuckers


It's been an incredible journey making these basses, I have learned quite a lot.

I have a five string and six string basses in the works now.

anyhow, thanks for looking

 

[bassboy4714]

Looking good so far, knarleybass! I'm digging the thin waist on the 32" fretless. If you have recording equipment, I'm sure I'm not alone in wanting to hear how some of your pickups sound!

 

[knarleybass]

I keep forgetting to do that, make recordings showing how my pickups sound...
I must get on this.

 

[ShiftyShift]

Those are sweet man, I wish you had some progress pics on 'em though. Do you oil finish them or use a lacquer?

 

[kenfxj]

Well from that picture they look beautiful! I'm particularly digging the single cuts.

I'd really like to see some more pictures - the backs, head stocks, some closeups of the upper horns on the double cuts.

Nicely done.

 

[knarleybass]

thanks,
I am using oil finishes, eventually I plan on hiring someone to do laquer finishes for me. Wood work and pickup winding takes up enough hours in my day.

 

[kenfxj]

Lacquer would be real nice on bass one and maybe bass two. Oil finish is just fine for three and four if you ask me.

 

[reverendrally]

Dude, great work.

Love to here some sound clips too. You can join this website and record direct or load up files.

Invalid Link Removed

 

[Matteo Marziali]

Great job man!

 

[Dean N]

Nice basses!

It's impressive that someone with your resume as a musician busted out a bunch of tools and completed building some basses, pups and all. Can you comment on why you decided to build, what specific goals you had in making them, and what you'd go back and redo and/or modify? You already had more than one sick bass in your stable (Wal, Ritter, F Bass, right?). You're probably pretty unique around here in having the playing/touring/etc. experience you have, having a bunch of high end basses, and then building your own. Maybe you didn't post a step-by-step build thread for the basses here, but your comments on your builds in light of your experience will probably make for a really interesting and informative thread.

Thanks for posting!

 

[knarleybass]

Hey there Dean,
I have wanted to make instruments for many many years. I love tools and I love to make stuff, so, it was a natural progression. My goal is to eventually have a little company making instruments and pickups for people.
I will be soon starting another run of basses and I'lll be posting progress pics for this one.
My goal is to only make nice basses that are fun to play and sound good.

 

[kenfxj]

I find myself lusting after the bass on the far right. What are the controls? Volume/volume or master volume/master tone?

 

[Growly Lytes]

Sound brother.

 

[knarleybass]

the one on the right is passive with a volume volume tone configuration, just like a good old jazz bass, the chrome TV Jones pickups are not only good looking, they sound great