Hey I am still realitively new here, but I am interested in possibly building a bass. I know there are some tutorials and I could easily Google this stuff. But where is a good place to buy body blanks from? What type of tools will I need I know I will need quite a bit of stuff but I think my grandpa should have most of it. Is there anybody who does rendering(I think that is what it is called; like a basic layout of where pickups and the bridge go. I would be buying a neck that is already made though what do I need to make sure lines up so that it intonates correctly. If this is stupid feel free to delete but please send me a link that this stuff has already been answered before because I am sure it has been. It would be a Jagstang shaped bass BTW.
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May want to build a bass.
- Thread starter NewtoBass33
- Start date
headlikeahole
Commercial User
If you were just looking to shape a body blank and buy a neck. You would need a band saw a router a drill doesn't even really need to be a press just a hand drill would work and a fairly small assortment of shaping tools. If you are going to buy a neck I would do that first and then do all planning for the body around the neck you have.
maybe get a kit from someplace like carvin. see if you can first ASSEMBLE a bass before you try to BUILD one. The carvin kit has a pre-routed body, a neck, hardware, and electronics.
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I would say that putting this together and getting it adjusted to the point that it is playable would still be quite an accomplishment if you have never attempted to build a bass before. As you assembled it you could take note of how various components went together-- especially the neck joint. Good luck!
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I would say that putting this together and getting it adjusted to the point that it is playable would still be quite an accomplishment if you have never attempted to build a bass before. As you assembled it you could take note of how various components went together-- especially the neck joint. Good luck!
The carvin would be a good choice. They have good necks. All the hardware is included. Other choice would be
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Here's a site that has templates you could use for your body and to route the pickups, etc.
<style type="text/css"> </style> <script language="Javascript"> </script> <META NAME="Title" CONTENT="Guitar Building Templates"><META NAME="Description" CONTENT="Templates for building your own electric guitar. Many popular styles. We also carry gui
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Here's a site that has templates you could use for your body and to route the pickups, etc.
<style type="text/css"> </style> <script language="Javascript"> </script> <META NAME="Title" CONTENT="Guitar Building Templates"><META NAME="Description" CONTENT="Templates for building your own electric guitar. Many popular styles. We also carry gui
Ric5
Inactive
- Jan 29, 2008
- 29,772
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- I like 5, 8, 10, and 12 string basses
You could start with one of these.
Alston Bass Guitar PB Style Custom Electric DIY Builder Unfinished Kit | eBay
Alston Bass Guitar PB Style Custom Electric DIY Builder Unfinished Kit | eBay
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If I was to build it I have sketched this out as how I want it. There is some stuff on here that does not line up correctly but it can be fixed. It is just a quick 15-30 minute sketch of what I would want to do. I do not know where the end of the fretboard would be so I just did'nt sketch it in yet. Here is the basic idea. I took 2 of Kurt Cobains custom guitars one by Ferrington one by Fender and mixed certain aspects of each, Body style of the Jagstang with the Ferrington pickgaurd and fret inlays (which will be stickers not actual inlays as I would not want to mess with building a neck. I am quite far away from doing this but I am trying to get ideas swirling in my head.
What do you guys think. Also I have changed Pots and stuff on my guitars before, it can not be that much different right?
What do you guys think. Also I have changed Pots and stuff on my guitars before, it can not be that much different right?
^^ Very near to a VM-Jaguar shape that I used too, and just added the Ibanez molding/detail to it and it turned out fair I think::
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Why three pots/knobs for a single split P?
And be careful if you're planning to use what looks like a football jack plate. They don't just fit anywhere - been there, done it.
My first home built was a pre-shaped body from the Bass Fetish division of GFS, and although it turned out well in the end - it was a tooth-pull to get it to work at all with their sloppy routing and the choice of wood.
LINK to album:: [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
Why three pots/knobs for a single split P?
And be careful if you're planning to use what looks like a football jack plate. They don't just fit anywhere - been there, done it.
My first home built was a pre-shaped body from the Bass Fetish division of GFS, and although it turned out well in the end - it was a tooth-pull to get it to work at all with their sloppy routing and the choice of wood.
I thought about the 3 knob thing, I am not sure really why I put 3 knobs but could I use a 3 way toggle switch if I was to put a single coil pickup in the neck position a little higher than it shows on my sketch to switch between the Split P and the Neck pick ups with the middle set for both of them right (Split P/Both/Neck)? The input/output jack would either be the oval shaped one on the side of the body or the strat style on the body, but I think the Oval would work the best on the side.
Nice suggestion, Ric5,
he could mod(shape) the body of the kit bass to suit his needs. And all the routing is already done.
Shoot, I might get me one of these for fun
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I can't believe this thread is a dozen posts in and no one has yet mentioned the Stickies!
Read the stickies (threads stuck to the top of the forum) first, as they would have answered every single one of your questions plus a whole bunch of other questions that will come up as you start answering your first questions.
No disrespect intended, we all have to start somewhere and this is the best forum I've found yet for support. Those sticky threads are there to help that process. Good luck and have fun...
Read the stickies (threads stuck to the top of the forum) first, as they would have answered every single one of your questions plus a whole bunch of other questions that will come up as you start answering your first questions.
No disrespect intended, we all have to start somewhere and this is the best forum I've found yet for support. Those sticky threads are there to help that process. Good luck and have fun...
I looked through some of the stickies. I understand why you would want me to check, if every person who wanted to build a bass posted a new thread there would be a ton of clutter on the site. I just want to get ideas and such so that I can start buying parts a little at a time then build the "Jagington" Thats just the working name combination of Ferrington/Jagstang. I have to figure out who has the tools and where I can get a Jagstang template at. I will probably have someone on the Jagstang messege boards trace theirs if I can get them to do it.
Warmoth make a Jagstang body. The only way to get it is pre routed and I dont think it will work for mking a bass. Does anyone know if they will do it different if I was to call or is it something that they will not change for any reason.
I agree with the stickies comment, everything you ask for is right there. All the tools required are also posted in there from minimum tools to CNC.
Or you could be original and make your own design.
That would be my vote.
Good luck,
Dirk
Or you could be original and make your own design.
That would be my vote.
Good luck,
Dirk
Call them. They're nice. Or email. The usually respond quickly. I checked, and it looks like you can order one with no bridge route. Assuming you use a pickguard, I can't see how that wouldn't work.
