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HELP! I need to build an ULTRA light fender!
- Thread starter YuriPavlinov
- Start date
I also have a bad back and have used quite a few Warmoth bodies. I always get them from the showcase, so I can select the weight. +1 on not using their regular steel reinforced necks with a light body. For me, I find a bass being neck heavy to be almost as bad as overall weight being too high.
Brilliant suggestions on hipshot parts and chambered bodies. This is a good way to go.
I'm not sure if swamp ash is the best wood, though.
Paulownia is a very light and resonant wood. I have used it on a couple of basses, both weigh under eight pounds with standard hardware! This is the one I just finished a couple weeks ago.
The bodies are available from Guitar Fetish. The only downside is that it is a fairly soft wood, so it will show nicks and dings easier.
Bass Bodies and Necks
Basswood is the first thing I thought of when I saw this thread. It's very light. Also, it dings easily but who cares?
Paulownia I'm not familiar with. Isn't that the guy who wrote Fight Club?
This is one of my Moonshine STP Basses:
It is built in the Danelectro/Jerry Jones style; it has masonite for the top & back, The "rim" consists of swamp ash neck & tail/bridge block combined with a pine frame. It is fully hollw with the exception of a pine block where the P pickup will be routed.
This will be fully contoured with arm bevel & belly cut. I also do an early version that has less of a roundover & no contours. The bodies average around 2-3lbs.
Moonshine
Very nice.
I'm sure this is an awesome, well-constructed bass but I'm wondering where it falls in terms of the tone spectrum. I'm guessing it's kind of "echo-y" the way that a lot of hollowbodies are?Brilliant advice folks! I'm thinking an allparts maple neck as my current R.I fender necks have no reinforcement and i see no need as I always have a reasonable amount of relief (don't need a super flat board) And they seem like a good middle ground between Warmoth and mighty mite (which seem a bit cheap) Any experiences?
Also I will be buying the lace aluma-p's and and I'll give one of those guitarfetish bodies a go! I figure that at under $60 if it doesnt work out it's no huge loss...
Thanks everyone for your advice, the response has been awesome!
Also I will be buying the lace aluma-p's and and I'll give one of those guitarfetish bodies a go! I figure that at under $60 if it doesnt work out it's no huge loss...
Thanks everyone for your advice, the response has been awesome!
I went in two different directions to resolve pain caused by the weight of an instrument:
I adapted several of my instruments to be used with an Steinberger electric upright stand. Absolutely no weight on the shoulder. Some I mounted directly on the stand using a countersunk threaded insert. For others I developed an adapter block for the bass/stand interface that can sit on or replace the neck plate. The adapter block uses longer screws to hold the neck on and a threaded insert countersunk into the block to fit the mounting boss on the stand.
Here's a picture of my 10+ lb. fretless on the stand (direct mount):
Link Removed
I also assembled a 34" scale, slab body, single coil Precision style bass that weighs about 5-3/4 lbs. using lightweight Paulownia for the body (exactly 3 lbs), an Allparts maple neck (no added weight from Warmoth style steel stiffening bars), plastic J bass knobs (the metal ones I had weighed about a half pound), Gotoh 350 Res-O-Lite tuners (4 weigh about as much as 3 Hipshot Ultralights), lightweight strap buttons, and a threaded saddle bridge (which was the lightest I could find other than a stick of wood). Lace Alumitone pickups are a very lightweight alternative to standard pickups which shaves off more weight. I didn't chamber the body or swimming pool the area under the guard since it was light enough for me at the time and I didn't want it to be neck heavy.
The 5-3/4 lb slab bass:
Link Removed
I've also assembled a 6-1/4 lb J bass and a 4 lb -13 oz Mustang bass using Paulownia.
I'm currently awaiting delivery on a Warmoth shortscale J body (3 lbs -10 oz) for a shortscale project. That one may get a control cavity in the back and an under 'guard swimming pool to lighten it further.
In any event I always use a wide neoprene strap which makes any bass feel lighter to me.
I adapted several of my instruments to be used with an Steinberger electric upright stand. Absolutely no weight on the shoulder. Some I mounted directly on the stand using a countersunk threaded insert. For others I developed an adapter block for the bass/stand interface that can sit on or replace the neck plate. The adapter block uses longer screws to hold the neck on and a threaded insert countersunk into the block to fit the mounting boss on the stand.
Here's a picture of my 10+ lb. fretless on the stand (direct mount):
Link Removed
I also assembled a 34" scale, slab body, single coil Precision style bass that weighs about 5-3/4 lbs. using lightweight Paulownia for the body (exactly 3 lbs), an Allparts maple neck (no added weight from Warmoth style steel stiffening bars), plastic J bass knobs (the metal ones I had weighed about a half pound), Gotoh 350 Res-O-Lite tuners (4 weigh about as much as 3 Hipshot Ultralights), lightweight strap buttons, and a threaded saddle bridge (which was the lightest I could find other than a stick of wood). Lace Alumitone pickups are a very lightweight alternative to standard pickups which shaves off more weight. I didn't chamber the body or swimming pool the area under the guard since it was light enough for me at the time and I didn't want it to be neck heavy.
The 5-3/4 lb slab bass:
Link Removed
I've also assembled a 6-1/4 lb J bass and a 4 lb -13 oz Mustang bass using Paulownia.
I'm currently awaiting delivery on a Warmoth shortscale J body (3 lbs -10 oz) for a shortscale project. That one may get a control cavity in the back and an under 'guard swimming pool to lighten it further.
In any event I always use a wide neoprene strap which makes any bass feel lighter to me.
I strongly suggest that you give Tony a call at USA custom guitars.
He can build you a Jazz body or Jazz Jr. out of swamp ash and with a little extra he can build it from ultralite swampash....
They also build some of the best neck in the business IME
they are single truss rod equipped, the rods are welded and super strong. Their neck are lighter than double action truss rod equipped neck and they sound better too! IMO
You can build one with a rear route, without pickguard and control plate, or a standard one..
You can finish it yourself to save money...
I've build an alder/RW jazz once at 7,6 lbs...
not too bad with a good 4'' strap it will will like you are playing on a 5 lbs bass...
He can build you a Jazz body or Jazz Jr. out of swamp ash and with a little extra he can build it from ultralite swampash....
They also build some of the best neck in the business IME
they are single truss rod equipped, the rods are welded and super strong. Their neck are lighter than double action truss rod equipped neck and they sound better too! IMO
You can build one with a rear route, without pickguard and control plate, or a standard one..
You can finish it yourself to save money...
I've build an alder/RW jazz once at 7,6 lbs...
not too bad with a good 4'' strap it will will like you are playing on a 5 lbs bass...
This is one of my Moonshine STP Basses:
It is built in the Danelectro/Jerry Jones style; it has masonite for the top & back, The "rim" consists of swamp ash neck & tail/bridge block combined with a pine frame. It is fully hollw with the exception of a pine block where the P pickup will be routed.
This will be fully contoured with arm bevel & belly cut. I also do an early version that has less of a roundover & no contours. The bodies average around 2-3lbs.
Moonshine
I like this idea for him. You could make a bass weighing less than 6 pounds I think...
With such a light body though, how does that affect balance? All these weight loss ideas are good, but it's play ability should be heavily considered, considering the OP would be building this as a special project and likely having it for a long time.
I apologize in advance for not doing the research for you (I'm at work right now) but back in the day, Tim Commorford from Rage Against the Machine used a special extra-wide strap to better balance weight when he broke his shoulder or collarbone or something. I've also seen guitar straps that have some dual-strapping mechanism, where they go over BOTH shoulders and evenly distribute the weight, while keeping the bass in standard position. I would think having an even strap balance would benefit you more than dropping 3 ounces off the total weight of the bass.
Can I suggest trying an Ibanez SR. My 370m is super light with amazing tone and has a neck that blows away any jazz I have played. My fave though is the SR 500, something about that Bubinga neck that is just excellent, best neck I played in a long time. I have the 5 string version and it is the only 5ver I have found with a neck that I can play due to arthritis and hand injuries.
Seroiusly you owe it to yourself to try and SR 300 and up, I find the 500 to be the best bang for the buck [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
Seroiusly you owe it to yourself to try and SR 300 and up, I find the 500 to be the best bang for the buck [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
It goes against your "standard body shape" Fender, but I have a Precision Lyte Deluxe that is very light weight. I don't have a scale to weigh it, but it is by far the lightest bass I've ever owned. Pretty nice tone out of the P pickup too. You should be able to find them used in the $400-600 range. Make sure it's the Lyte Deluxe model though, I believe the regular Lytes were not as light weight.
I guess it would be easier to find something off the shelf than build something. You could spend a bunch on parts and still not have it sound they way you want. I'd look at used:
Precision Lyte Deluxe
Beatle Basses
Rob Allen
Dano Longhorn RI
Precision Lyte Deluxe
Beatle Basses
Rob Allen
Dano Longhorn RI
Last year i took one of the older VM squire Jazz's with the satin finish neck and took that baby from 12lbs to 6.5 with the Guitar Fetish Jazz body. It took a little file and sanding work to get the neck in but worth every penny and every moment of effort... and now to do a UL p-bass....
I also wanted to build an ultralight to help with sore back issues, and I ordered one of those paulownia bodies from Guitar Fetish. Be warned: they're that cheap because not much care/detail goes into the production, especially the paintjob. My first one shipped with terrible pitting and scratches and gouges in it, they took it back for exchange and sent me another that was almost as bad saying "this is about as good as it gets". They also both would have required significant sanding to get a neck to fit in the pocket and the bridge pickup cavity was not routed for wiring. With me having to eat the shipping both ways it was cheaper for me to resell it at a deep discount with an HONEST listing than to return it.
I recently bought one of those "Slinger Straps" that puts much of the weight on a hip-belt, and am even happier with the results than I expected. I recommend!
I recently bought one of those "Slinger Straps" that puts much of the weight on a hip-belt, and am even happier with the results than I expected. I recommend!
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