Kit Basses - Comments & Advice

[Basslice]

Hey Y'all:

My Covid-GAS is crazy. I recently bought a Fender Jazz. Great bass. I have two other PJ-type basses. Now I want a Fender P bass. The thing is, I really don't need one. I just want to round out the picture and put one in my studio and record with it.

So my thoughts have veered towards building a kit bass. I've been reading up on it all. I think I may ask for a kit for Christmas (I am in my 50's, so I am not actually trying to find Santa to sit on his lap). My wife always struggles to buy me presents because I rarely want anything.

I've thought about just buying a cheapo P-Bass copy for a couple hundred and upgrading it as well. Here are my thoughts for comment:

• Buy cheap bass and upgrade hardware vs building a kit
• In either case I will likely throw in some passive EMGs and replace the tuners
• I am not really worried about my technical skills, although the painting and fret board leveling work will be new and challenging
• For those that have built, which are the decent kit companies?

 

[scuzzy]

I have built 3 kits from the fretwire. Not bad. Hardware is pretty crummy, had to re-drill holes on the two basses. It's fun for the experience and for the idea of getting something unique, but you won't save money for the quality you get.

You could spend less, and get a finished instrument of similar quality of the standard kit material with a glarry or other budget precision. Then upgrade that.

I get joy from building and tinkering, so that's a nod towards the kit.

That's my opinion on the matter.

 

[CallMeAl]

Following. I was thinking the same thing.

I have a feeling picking up a used Affinity would lead to a better bass in the end, but a kit build sounds more fun!

 

[mongo2]

I tried a kit bass and was very disappointed in the quality of the neck.

I went back to buying parts I want from various sources and assembling them.

 

[Killing Floor]

Maruszczyk Instruments | Public Peace
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Everything you want from a kit. No tools required.

 

[ZedLepp]

I would say it would depend on how interested you are in doing your own repairs.
If you just want to be a player, then get a cheap bass and modify it.
If you want to learn how to be your own repairman, then get the kit and start learning.

"If you give a man a fish......"

 

[Volker Kirstein]

... Now I want a Fender P bass. The thing is, I really don't need one. I just want to round out the picture and put one in my studio...

• Buy cheap bass and upgrade hardware vs building a kit
• ...

In this day and age, it's hard for a manufacturer to make an unplayable P bass. Conversely, it's easy to build an unplayable kit.

I guess the big question is, are you buying an instrument to play, or a textbook to learn?

For the price of a kit, you can get a perfectly fine, finished, and assembled Glarry (USA) or Harley Benton (Europe) to upgrade. Or a used Squier, if the name on the headstock matters to you. My main (long scale) player cost €67, with another €40 or so in accessories.

With a kit, you will learn a lot more, but you may not be happy with the end result.

Finishing a body is a tedious process. I have several projects stopped at the finishing stage, because I just can't "get into it". They're playable, but they look like poop on a stick.

 

[JimmyThunder]

There is no substitute for the bond you get with an instrument you built yourself (even if you just assembled parts).
I say start with a kit, build out the kit, and then replace the parts you think could be improved
It's not the cheapest way, or the easiest way, but could be the most fulfilling way

 

[Basslice]

I appreciate the replies. I have been thinking about this for a week or so before I posted.

I really don't need a P bass. For $1600 I could get what I really want to look at and play, but that is silly, isn't it? Maybe I should just continue to use my Yamaha BB1100S in neck pickup mode. It is basically a P neck with a PJ setup, but it is active which I find tedious.

I'll ask Santa for a pedal.

I will keep a kit in mind for a project with my son..

 

[UNICORN BASS]

I paid $69 for my Jazz Bass kit. Miserable quality Basswood aside, the thing turned out pretty good, about $120 total, after finishing materials, strings, screws, veneer ply, etc. I think that there is cheap, say up to 3-4 hundred Dollars, and then there are the Stew Mac's and Carvins (Kiesel) of the world which up the ante quite a bit. Either way mine has become regular in my rotation, worth every penny! Since i took these pictures i have replaced the screws with black ones and put tapes on.

 

[Deleted member 365158]

Kit bass! Or cheap bass modded!
Both are fun to do and a great way to learn more about your instrument. Painting sucks but staining is ok.
My kit bass is my player now.
My modded cheapie is an ongoing project that started as a jazz and became a double humbucker that is going to be fretless soon.

 

[21DaHoagie12]

I'd say build a kit, it's fun, and no one else will have the same bass you have.
I bought my DIY project J-bass from Solo guitars based in Toronto and I must say I was quite impressed with how well the neck fit snug with the body. So much so, I bought a second kit and the same result. I used some parts I got from StewMac and paint I procured from Gracey's Vintage Finishes and ended up going for a Classic 60's color vibe but I upgraded the pickups that came with the kit to Aguilar AG-4J-HC pickups and I literally have friends now who come over to jam and they only play my DIY bass because it's everyone's favorite.

 

[Spidey2112]

Saga kit for a Classic 5 knockoff. Learned a ton putting it together, painting/finishing it... the wiring harness was fabricated incorrectly, so had to troubleshoot that, as well.

Upgraded the bridge and tuners to Hipshots. Actually, doesn't sound half bad! String tree was added to guide the G string into a more natural position. Otherwise, I'd be replacing nuts on a weekly basis.

 

[Peteyboy]

View attachment 4058201 View attachment 4058202 I'd say build a kit, it's fun, and no one else will have the same bass you have.
I bought my DIY project J-bass from Solo guitars based in Toronto and I must say I was quite impressed with how well the neck fit snug with the body. So much so, I bought a second kit and the same result. I used some parts I got from StewMac and paint I procured from Gracey's Vintage Finishes and ended up going for a Classic 60's color vibe but I upgraded the pickups that came with the kit to Aguilar AG-4J-HC pickups and I literally have friends now who come over to jam and they only play my DIY bass because it's everyone's favorite.

I love how its everyone's favorite across different species as well!

 

[Fender_Bender]

The available kits have a reputation anywhere from terrible to fair. You can get a Glarry instrument for the price of most kits.

 

[80jazz]

View attachment 4058201 View attachment 4058202 I'd say build a kit, it's fun, and no one else will have the same bass you have.
I bought my DIY project J-bass from Solo guitars based in Toronto and I must say I was quite impressed with how well the neck fit snug with the body. So much so, I bought a second kit and the same result. I used some parts I got from StewMac and paint I procured from Gracey's Vintage Finishes and ended up going for a Classic 60's color vibe but I upgraded the pickups that came with the kit to Aguilar AG-4J-HC pickups and I literally have friends now who come over to jam and they only play my DIY bass because it's everyone's favorite.

If that was an attempt at replicating Geddy Lee's surf green bass, nice job!

 

[21DaHoagie12]

I love how its everyone's favorite across different species as well!
View attachment 4058272

If that was an attempt at replicating Geddy Lee's surf green bass, nice job!

Yes it is haha, good eye, when I saw them live that color combo really looked nice and I really wanted one like that so I decided to make one! And since my cat has been forced to listen to Rush nonstop for the last twelve years, naturally he gravitates towards the Geddy Lee inspired bass

 

[RBrownBass]

• Buy cheap bass and upgrade hardware vs building a kit
• In either case I will likely throw in some passive EMGs and replace the tuners
• I am not really worried about my technical skills, although the painting and fret board leveling work will be new and challenging
• For those that have built, which are the decent kit companies?

IMO, buying a cheap bass and upgrading the hardware is a waste of money. The chances are very good that the stock hardware on just about any bass made these days will work just fine. That said, your preferred pickup choice is a good one for a cheap bass- EMGs sound like EMGs pretty much regardless of what they're in, so any "tonewood" arguments are pretty much rendered moot.

EDIT: I see now that you specified passive EMGs. I can't comment on those. Is there a reason you'd want passive EMGs over this or that other passive brand?

If you want a top-level platform to start with, you could go with Warmoth. That would be worthy of whatever hardware and electronics are available, period. My advice there is to choose a bass that you'd always keep, because Warmoth, for all their quality, is not a known enough brand for decent resale to the masses.

 

[-Asdfgh-]

I tried a kit bass and was very disappointed in the quality of the neck.

I went back to buying parts I want from various sources and assembling them.

I bought a guitar kit. I will be learning how to put frets in as the fretwork was appalling and I have removed the frets. Maybe time for a fretless guitar .

I bought a replacement neck for my Strat copy. That I would need to pull the frets out of, reshape the neck, then put frets in!

I haven't tried a bass kit...

 

[Old_Noob]

I have been looking at kit basses and it has become readily apparent that it is cheaper to just buy something and mod it.....or if the goal truly is to build, I would just source parts separately, which obv. will increase cost, but i wouldnt want to use the kit components....If kits were still $65 bucks, i'd take a gander....but paying close to $200 and needing to work the headstock, wire, and finish.....personally i'd just as soon buy a bronco and tear the guts out/repaint.