• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

My first bass project

G

greekorican

Mar 12, 2009
209
0
#1
I am planning on taking a woodworking class at a park this fall. From what I understand, you have go through a basic woodworking class. After that you get to build whatever you want. They have an extremely nice shop according to my dad (he's a carpenter with very high standards for tools). I have been thinking about doing this for a while, but now I'm getting serious about it.

I plan on making a James Jamerson P Bass [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]. I've been GASing for a P bass as I've been getting more and more into motown. I already have a sunburst jazz bass with tortoise shell pickguard, so it may be a little funny owning too almost identical looking basses, but I don't really care. I think you can't beat the look. Its so classy, and I love vintage looking instruments.

I will try to get ahold of some ash or alder for the body, unless there is some other kind of wood you would recommend. I know very little about how wood affects tone, so I think I'm gonna stick to what Fender uses, unless of course you give me other suggestions. Necks are made of maple, with a rosewood fingerboard?

I can't seem to find dimensions of a Precision Bass anywhere, for free atleast. My dad owns a CNC Machine, so thats one option for making the body, but part of me wants to try it the old fashioned way, with a band saw and a router. Either way I need to know the body dimensions, as well as the neck dimesions. I really think I could make this all happen, as long as I know the exact dimensions of everything. I'm also considering buying some cheap pine and making a few practice bodies and necks to get a feel for it. Good idea?

I'd love to get my hands on some block inlays to put on the fretboard. I like the look of the ones on the 70's reissue Jazz/ Pbasses. Where should I be able to find those?

One last thing I'd like to do is put some kind of logo or symbol on the headstock. My dad has these things for burning lettering into wood. I'm thinking of naming the bass and burning its name into the headstock. I like "The Funk Machine" as this is gonna be modeled after Jamerson's Bass. Most people won't realize that I copied the name, but its a bit unoriginal. I've also thought of "Dr. Thump" or "The Thumpasaurous" I'm open to any suggestions, and I have plenty of time to make up my mind. I have to make it before I can name it.

Thanks alot, and I'm open to any suggestions you have.
 
#2
I've been doing some research, and I saw that poplar is often used to build guitars. I could definitely get ahold of poplar no problem, but I'm having a hard time finding ash or alder. Anyone have experience with poplar? My dad has some, though its not the right dimensions, and I think the grain looks really nice. I'm going for a vintage thumpy P bass sound, will poplar make very much of a difference in sound than ash or alder?

I also found some templates online. They are 60 bucks, and the templates look like they are made out of cardboard. I would like to not buy these, because if I knew the dimensions, I could make my own, better quality templates out of some plywood. I thought of finding a picture of a P bass and blowing it up to full scale. I'm just not sure how I can get it printed. My friend bought plans for a strat. Its just a full scale drawing, and he bought them for something like 15 bucks. I'd be willing to buy a set of plans versus the template, but I can't find any plans for a P Bass.
 
#7
Does anyone know if Jamersons 62 precision had the body contours, or was it a slab cut? I guess it doesn't really matter, as I'm not going for an exact replica, just a look-alike. Is there an instrument building forum I could join that anyone knows of? When I got interested in building pedals, I found diy stompboxes to be far more helpful than this forums, which makes sense. It doesn't seem that there are that many people on this site who build instruments.
 
#8
greekorican said:
Does anyone know if Jamersons 62 precision had the body contours, or was it a slab cut? I guess it doesn't really matter, as I'm not going for an exact replica, just a look-alike. Is there an instrument building forum I could join that anyone knows of? When I got interested in building pedals, I found diy stompboxes to be far more helpful than this forums, which makes sense. It doesn't seem that there are that many people on this site who build instruments.
Click to expand...
This forum right here is pretty darn good. There are some big players and very skilled builders lurking in the wings...
 
#9
"The Funk Machine" is described in Standing in the Shadows of Motown this way: "There was nothing extraordinary about it. It was a stock '62 sunburst Fender Precision E. The only part of the instrument that wasn't stock was the heel of the neck, where James had carved the word "Funk" into the wood and filled it in with blue ink."
Click to expand...

If you are doing a 62 sunburst it has to be Ash, the other thing about Jamerson's bass is the really freakin heavy flatwound strings, stuff some foam rubber under the ashtray and you about 1/6th the way there, practice will do the rest.
 
#10
I'm really surprised noones criticised me for being so unoriginal with this build.

I ordered the plans yesterday, today I'm gonna find out how much a nice piece of ash will cost me at a lumber yard. I'm gonna go talk to the guy who runs woodworking classes later on today. This is coming along pretty nicely.

Thanks for the help guys
 
#12
Places like Carvin or Warmoth will sell you a pre-sized ash blank, but they're a bit spendy. eBay is another good source, but you have to be diligent to find a nice piece at a good price. If you have a few extra bucks, availability is not a problem.

Good luck! I do think you should do a practice body on something cheap, like poplar or basswood. In fact, if you want to spend the time, you could "dry-run" build the entire instrument out of inexpensive lumber, then perhaps give it to some kid who wants to get into playing. There's no substitute for experience, and your very first build will almost certainly contain a few flaws. Other people might not notice these flaws, but you will - each and every time you pick it up to play it!
 
#13
ctmullins said:
Places like Carvin or Warmoth will sell you a pre-sized ash blank, but they're a bit spendy. eBay is another good source, but you have to be diligent to find a nice piece at a good price. If you have a few extra bucks, availability is not a problem.

Good luck! I do think you should do a practice body on something cheap, like poplar or basswood. In fact, if you want to spend the time, you could "dry-run" build the entire instrument out of inexpensive lumber, then perhaps give it to some kid who wants to get into playing. There's no substitute for experience, and your very first build will almost certainly contain a few flaws. Other people might not notice these flaws, but you will - each and every time you pick it up to play it!
Click to expand...

Thats exactly what I'm worried about. When I build this, I plan to play it everyday. I'm afraid that everyday when I pick it up, I'm gonna notice every flaw, and it will haunt me. The fact that its the funk machine that I want to build makes me feel it HAS to be perfect, for some reason.

I don't want to buy a premade body. I'm taking a woodworking class so I can do this myself. A premade body would take all the fun out of it.
 
#15
greekorican said:
Thats exactly what I'm worried about. When I build this, I plan to play it everyday. I'm afraid that everyday when I pick it up, I'm gonna notice every flaw, and it will haunt me. The fact that its the funk machine that I want to build makes me feel it HAS to be perfect, for some reason.
Click to expand...

I don't want to discourage you at all. I think that everyone who has the inclination should give building a try, even if they're unsure of their own abilities (I was, and still am). Just remember that it takes practice. Maybe you could carve and shape a few practice bodies before tackling the real one. Will you be making the neck also, or purchasing a pre-made neck (there are many good ones available for reasonable prices)?

I don't want to buy a premade body. I'm taking a woodworking class so I can do this myself. A premade body would take all the fun out of it.
Click to expand...

I wasn't referring to pre-made bodies. Those companies (and others) will sell you a blank of wood, already thicknessed and surfaced, from which you cut out the body shape, radius it, route the necessary cavities, and finish it.
 
#16
plopswagon said:
If you are doing a 62 sunburst it has to be Ash, the other thing about Jamerson's bass is the really freakin heavy flatwound strings, stuff some foam rubber under the ashtray and you about 1/6th the way there, practice will do the rest.
Click to expand...

Fender used Ash in the 50's then switched to Alder thru most, if not all of the 60's. Then used both Ash(northern 76/78) and Alder thru the 70's.
All P-basses after 55/56 were contoured. Back in the 60's bass strings came in one length and one thickness. I'd guess medium gage 50/70/90/110 or around there.
 
#17
ctmullins said:
I don't want to discourage you at all. I think that everyone who has the inclination should give building a try, even if they're unsure of their own abilities (I was, and still am). Just remember that it takes practice. Maybe you could carve and shape a few practice bodies before tackling the real one. Will you be making the neck also, or purchasing a pre-made neck (there are many good ones available for reasonable prices)?



I wasn't referring to pre-made bodies. Those companies (and others) will sell you a blank of wood, already thicknessed and surfaced, from which you cut out the body shape, radius it, route the necessary cavities, and finish it.
Click to expand...


I would really like to make a neck myself too, but this is the part I am most worried about. I'm almost positive I could tackle the body, but the neck will be a big challenge. I'm thinking that I should buy a pre slotted fretboard blank from stewmac, just because this is something that needs to be accurate, or the instrument will have bad intonation. How many of you have made your fretboard from scratch? I'm still curious as to whether or not I should give it a shot.
 
#19
You know, the cool thing about building a "standard" bass (like a Precision) is that there are gobs of ready-made replacement parts available. So you can really choose how much fabrication you wish to do yourself, and how much to purchase pre-made. You can make every bit of it yourself, or you could just buy all the parts and bolt them together, or anything in-between.

This might be a good conversation to have with your instructor. He/she should have a good feel for how much you'll be able to accomplish within the time constraints of the class, as well as any limitations of the shop equipment, etc.
 
#20
I was looking at supplies for building a neck, and its honestly cheaper to just buy one, with all the tools I would need to build one. Not to mention, a well playing neck is probably a longshot, atleast on my first attempt. I was looking online for necks, and the cheapest I've seen is warmoth. Anyone buy a neck from them? What do you think about it? Anywhere else I could look.

I also do have a squier jazz bass that I could steal the neck off of, atleast temporarily. I might actually do that, because this is getting pricey really quick.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back