Is creating a frankenbass worth it?

[Malak the Mad]

I'd say that's one of a kind, which is awesome!

I have my own signature edition?! Cool!!
(now if only I could play the damn thing as well as it deserves )

 

[PTS74]

Aww, I just noticed Japanese reissue necks are 3 bolt, and my MIM ash body is 4 bolt. That's usually a major modification, right?

 

[FlatwoundFunk]

Beats me... But I won't take the logo and the serial off my J neck. Fender put it there, not me! ;-)

I feel you. I guess I've grown tired of meeting bassist and the 1st to 3rd question they ask you is "what bass you play?" Or talking to bass players about a show and they are all excited because, "he was killin' that...".

But I'm willing to wager that if we did remove the labels and/or sn#'s, we would learn to be more appreciative and accepting of what we purchase with much less buying, selling and trading. If we're honest with ourselves, most of what we do is simply because we can.
FF

 

[hobosong]

Is creating a frankenbass worth it?

Oh Hell Yes ...

Holy poopie you have cool basses

 

[hsech]

If you have about 60% of the parts already laying around then then a Frankenbass would be a fun project. I wouldn't waste money on building one from scratch. I would want the real deal.

 

[FlatwoundFunk]

Check Uriah Duffy on YouTube with TC Electronics. He loves Frankenstein's. He has a video where he states that he loves to build them and actually tours with them (even though lately he's been rocking Lakland's).
Ff

 

[Ric5]

Sweet birds - the second one ash?

Alder with maple veneer

 

[Malak the Mad]

If you have about 60% of the parts already laying around then then a Frankenbass would be a fun project. I wouldn't waste money on building one from scratch. I would want the real deal.

I'd hardly call my project's results "a waste" or "not real".

 

[DWBass]

Waste money on a from scratch build? No sir! The real deal? Yeah, if they had what I wanted. Not so, so I built my own. To each his own. Please don't impart your ideals to others. The OP asked a simple question and here comes the Moral Majority to focus one one aspect. Typical. Not surprised.

 

[seanm]

The cons are hiring a tech to get everything set up right and troubleshooting possible incompatibilities.

It's a frankenbass... why not use the money you saved to get the tools to do the setup yourself? In the long run this could save you a *lot* of money!

 

[MobileHolmes]

In terms of logos, why is it SOOOO important to have one any way? I love it when I see a logo less bass or guitar. It takes the ego out of the equation. If WE bassist looked less at the logo and name, we could learn a lot more from our hero's and other bassist. Plus we would be more open-minded to instruments that MAY be more suitable and most of all more enjoyable for our goals.
FF

On a fender style bass peg head it just looks naked without. I don't mind so muchon the guitars

 

[placedesjardins]

Interested to know how many people create exactly what they want from parts, or spare themselves the fuss and pay extra for the real thing?

I'm personally pondering how to get a bass that looks like a '75 natural ash Jazz with maple fretboard and white block inlay neck (and not pay crazy vintage USA prices). Which route would you take?

1. Pay close to grand for a Japanese '75 reissue on ebay, which looks perfect and they're generally known to be quality instruments. The pros are I can start playing straight away. The cons are it's a little pricier than a frankenbass, possible customs tax, and if I don't like it I can't send it back.

2. Use a MIM natural ash body I have, buy a maple and white block inlay neck from Allparts, and slap a CUSTOM logo decal (Edit, won't be using Fender branding) on it. The pros are it's a little cheaper than the Japanese option. The cons are hiring a tech to get everything set up right and troubleshooting possible incompatibilities.

Maybe

 

[A-Step-Towards]

If you need J parts hit me up im local and have some decent stuff including a allparts neck with binding/pearl blocks, 4 bolt.

 

[Malak the Mad]

It's a frankenbass... why not use the money you saved to get the tools to do the setup yourself? In the long run this could save you a *lot* of money!

For the most part, I agree. But I won't be saving any money buying and learning my way around bolted-down woodworking equipment. That, along with electrical wiring, is where my local guitar tech steps in.

 

[seanm]

For the most part, I agree. But I won't be saving any money buying and learning my way around bolted-down woodworking equipment. That, along with electrical wiring, is where my local guitar tech steps in.

I agree about the woodworking equipment. But wiring (for a bass) is pretty easy. A soldering iron (*), some solder, some wire, a third hand, and some sort of desoldering tool (either pump or tape). The third hand is not required but very handy. A multimeter is also very handy to check the results. The cheapest one will work just fine, although I like one that can "beep" out continuity.

(*) I use a 35W pencil soldering iron. Nothing special and not a high end soldering station. I would not recommend the 20 or 25W pencils.. they are for electronics not soldering to pots. You need enough heat... but not too much.

 

[hsech]

I'd hardly call my project's results "a waste" or "not real".

I didn't say your projects were a waste or not real. I said "I" wouldn't waste the money and "I" would want the real deal. Read the post.

 

[Malak the Mad]

I didn't say your projects were a waste or not real. I said "I" wouldn't waste the money and "I" would want the real deal. Read the post.

I just love it when people put their feet in their mouths, then try to shield themselves from accountability by hiding behind their pronouns. But, if it wasn't a thinly-veiled slam, then it was thoughtless and rude. I would say "Sorry" for my bluntness, but I won't, because I don't take jibes, sneers and slams leveled at the hard-fought fruit of my labors.

And for the record, I'd just love to see you call a luthier's built-from-the-ground-on-up, custom creation "a waste" or "not real".

 

[PWRL]

I've been planning out a nice Frankenfender for a while, now. One of these days I'll do it.

 

[hsech]

I just love it when people put their feet in their mouths, then try to shield themselves from accountability by hiding behind their pronouns. But, if it wasn't a thinly-veiled slam, then it was thoughtless and rude. I would say "Sorry" for my bluntness, but I won't, because I don't take jibes, sneers and slams leveled at the hard-fought fruit of my labors.

And for the record, I'd just love to see you call a luthier's built-from-the-ground-on-up, custom creation "a waste" or "not real".

I just love it when people try to put words in your mouth. I guess "I" is hard to understand.

 

[MobileHolmes]

It's a frankenbass... why not use the money you saved to get the tools to do the setup yourself? In the long run this could save you a *lot* of money!

I used to take my stuff
To an excellent luthier who would cut a nut, do a set up, and probably fix my wiring mistakes for about 75 bucks. It was worth it