I'm trying to buid a 5 string and i need advice

My take is, if you have no clue on what or how to build, then don't (especially if it's something you are planning to play). You can buy a put-together kit from Carvin or Warmoth for next to very cheap now a days if you're really wanting to assemble one.
Believe me, you can buy a good used 5 string for cheaper than it's gonna cost for you to make one.

 

well, if you're looking to have a nice bass for sure at a lower price, then you should just go out and buy a bass, but if you're like me and you want to learn about how a bass is really built and/or just interested in building a bass, then i think you should go for it. There's a lot of good information in this forum, and there's a lot of nice people who'll answer questions (even my stupid ones ). Finding a good book on bass countruction would be a good idea. I'm sure it would help you avoid some of the pitfalls that may be associated with building a bass. If you're unsure about anything, just ask!

 

Good parts here...

Don

 

I have mtd neck for sale brand new...5 string

steve

 

OLP MM3 is a good 5 string. It's a low cost Stingray copy. Musicians Friend might still have some black refurbs for $140(cost me $150 total with shipping). It's a pretty nice bass and the pickup is nice and hot.

 

Mahagony body with a complete macassar ebony top, and a wenge/ebony neck with an ebony fretboard. And macassar ebony pickup covers, control cover, knobs, and headtsock.

 

There are a lot of good threads in the luthier's corner.

It's true that it would be cheaper to buy one than to build one. If you want to learn how to build a bass, that's a totally different thing.

If you are going to build a bass, I would suggest that you use the bassic woods that most basses are made from. I wouldn't start with the figured maples and the other fancy woods.

Good luck.

 

Well if you haven't decided already, you can always use mahogany as a body or whatever wood you like, and get a fancy top for it

 

Run, do not walk to www.mimf.com It is a forum for luthiers. You will find a lot of information there about just how big of a job you have put in front of yourself.

A mahogany body core with zebrano face would look nice, but beware of the allergic reactions that zebra causes. Get Melvyn Hiscock's book, Build Your Own Electric Guitar It will tell you most of what you need to get started.

 

Here are a few things you would want to think about. When you want to choose woods

1) What kind of tonal range/sound would you want?

Each wood will definiately change. The body/neck will probably change the most in your sound. If you want a Neckthrough, the neck is very important, but in your case, I'm guessing you will be building a bolt-on.

2) How much do you want the bass to weigh?

Every wood has their own weight. Especially on the neck/body. Alder/Poplar/Mahogany/Swamp Ash woods seem to be more on the lighter side. If you would want a heavier bass on the body, try something like Northern Ash, Maple. For necks, You could do anyway.

If you ever played a Fender, they usually consist of "Alder" body, "Maple Neck", "Rosewood" or "Maple" fingerboards.

But before you go to the weight part, make sure you figured out what kind of tonal sound you would want from your bass. Choosing the woods are the hardest part. If you have any doubts, call some luthiers up. I'm sure they will give you a general idea of sounds.

D

 

I don't have an exact figure, but depending on the quality of parts you buy, what kind of pickups, etc you can easily spend $500+ for a bass that is more or less up in the air with regards to how it will turn out. I've got roughly $700 in mine so far, and I've been working on it [including design] since August. Research, read, and relax. There's plenty of info available here-you just have to find it. Enjoy though, if you aren't having fun with what you do, do something else.

That's all

 

Trust me, as someone who is currently building a bass, you would be much better off just buying used.

No matter how good you are with wood building a bass is a daunting task, especially for someone who isn't really familiar with the instrument.

Second, price wise you can get a much better bass for the money. Wood will cost you much more than you think and all of the parts add up really quickly too. Not to mention all of the templates and jigs you will probably end up making and only use once.

In conclusion, the only reason you should build your own bass is to gain some knowledge.