I'm going to start Luthiering (that is a word, right?)

As I recently said in another thread:


http://www.mimf.com


Geeze, I hope this doesn't look like advertising. MIMF is just the best resource on the net for pursuits like this. I'm not affiliated with them at all.

If its too much, mods, please let me know.

FF

 

Brendan, I've looked around. There doesn't seem to be any specifically about building basses, but thats because the construction techniques are pretty much identical, except for scale of parts.

If anyone else finds any bass-building specific books, I'd love to hear about them.

FF

 

Making instruments usually isn't any cheaper than buying them. If you want cheap stuff, then you're barking up the wrong tree.

You should make instruments because you want something that the music stores can't provide. Or because you like hacking up bits of wood.

Making a living out of it may be a bit difficult. Make one for fun and see how it goes.

 

Who said anything about making a living?

I want a 35" scale fretless neckthru with an emoby fingerboard, walnut body wings and two MM-style pickups with a shelving semi-parametric onboard EQ.

As far as I can tell, such beast does not yet exist, so I'm building it. I'll post pictures when its more than a pile of wood and a spool of wire

FF

 

I'm planning to attempt to make a few basses someday. I probably won't have the resources you have, but I'm going for a more hands-on approach, using nothing more complicated than a power drill, carving and sanding everything by hand, maybe using a template for the routings, but that's all. Good luck, and take some pics when your done, or even of the work in progress!

 

Good luck! Keep us posted and put pics up as you go along so we can see the progress.

 

I have "Make Your Own Electric Guitar" by Melvin Hiscock. It's very good. He goes through making three different types of instruments (one being a neck-thru 8 string bass) and seems to cover about everything from design to wiring. You might check the library and see if they have it so you can "preview" it before you buy.

 

Brendan, On the MIMF they are advertising the latest online bass building course is due to start in January. Go over there and take a look. You should register with the website so that you can see the examples of the previous bass building courses. It sounds like what you want is very similiar to what they teach in the building course.

I've gotten into this in a big way so I have some tips for you:

1. Do a lot of work on your own basses. Improve them, customize them, and make them the best you can. You'll learn tons with them as the basic material.

2. Learn your shop tools. Aside from the safety aspects, you will be able to identify what is needed for a particular job and not waste time with less effective means.

3. Get your own tools. Here's a big one - you'll get as crazy about tools as you are about basses. Especially look into older used tools as a good source for high quality you might not be able to acquire new.

4. Stockpile parts and woods. Use all methods at your disposal for getting the hardware and wood for your instruments. You can do well on ebay - I have -and wood is available there also.

5. Learn your woods. Much of this is just by reading all you can get your hands on. MIMF is perfect.

6. Get a workspace. Can't emphasize this enough. This is a very dirty (dusty) hobby. You should get a place away from the living space of the house just to keep the family friction down. Your mom will go ballistic when all of the heirloom nic nacs are covered in a fine maple dust.

7. Don't assume that power tools are all that is needed. Guitars were built for years without them and learning what's available in the hand tool arena is very helpful. Also get someone to show you how to use things like drawknives, rasps, planes and the like.

8. Use your computer. The PC sitting on your desk can be a very powerful tool for building basses. Get proficient at CorelDraw and you'll be able to make full size patterns, draw prototypes, experiment with colors, etc. You can also make router files for CAD/CAM work and a host of other things.

9. Be patient. Since you are absolutely new, you might be tempted to rush. Don't! Do a little here and there with plenty of thought in between. You'll put in between 80 and 120 hours on a bass of the kind you've described so there's plenty of time.

10. Learn setup. Nothing worse for showing off our creations than having a beautiful instrument that can't be played. The looks will hook'em but your setup will land the occasional commission build.

If you want to discuss the process and possibilties further, by all means get with me by PM or regular email. I've got a lot to share and your enthusiasm would make doing so a pleasure.

 

having played a custom jazz built by the hamboner himself, i can't stress heeding his words enough. he built this sweet jazz fretless and brought it to the atlanta get-together before last...you can check out picks of it on the thread...

oh yeah, hammy...i haven't forgotten about you and your woodpile...most of the stuff in my dad's woodshop i was telling you about was ok for small projects, but really not suited for bass building...i ran across some burls up here in washington if you're interested, though. i think they're redwood...

 

Toon, I've only seen veneers of redwood burls. I also don't know how such a wood would work for a bass - not good or bad just don't know. The veneers are quite awesome!

Don't worry about it at all. You, in your position, have much more to worry about than something as trivial as this. We'll see each other when we see each other. Until then, for God's sake, just be careful.

 

hey, i'm the one standing right next to warhead... yeah, man...i hope to bump into you guys again sometime. i wouldn't mind trying out some more of your basses if you have any more built in the future...that jazz fretless was sweet...

 

Hey Brendan, good luck! Post pics along the way! Have fun and watch your fingers. I always think of that Emo Phillips guy in weird Al's UHF slicing off a finger on a table saw!!! Don't do that.

 

Yea - good luck, and post pictures...

I only have one thing to say: Be careful. As a part-time woodworker it can't be said too often! Some of those machines will take off a part of you body faster than you can realize what happened.

Having said that - check out hand tools. No joke - they are much more fun, safe, and rewarding for small projects like this.

Good luck again, and post some pic's -
K.