New build starting

[thebassbuilder]

Here I got the wings cut out as close to the line as needed. Next it is time to attach to template to route to final shape. After this I can get started on the neck. The fingerboard is an old busted up Wenge board I have but this is the wood type I will be using for this build.

 

[redboy1975]

Looks great , can't wait to see it finished .

 

[thebassbuilder]

I got the wings rounded over along with the forearm and belly cutout done. Just need to clean it all up.

 

[thebassbuilder]

Another angle

 

[thebassbuilder]

Got my Wenge fingerboard in yesterday from LMI and it is beautiful!

 

[jp8848]

WOW! Killer looking bass you are building! Live just up the hill from ya by about 40 minutes! From your hometown originally!

 

[thebassbuilder]

WOW! Killer looking bass you are building! Live just up the hill from ya by about 40 minutes! From your hometown originally!

Thanks and when it is finished you can check it out if you like.

 

[yoshi]

Looking really good. I love the pickup placement, very keen to hear all the different tones you'll get out of it. What are the pickups? And will you be having a preamp?

 

[jp8848]

Thanks and when it is finished you can check it out if you like.

Good deal. I will be home in November on leave from over here in Afghanistan. Would like to try it out! I will PM you in advance!

 

[thebassbuilder]

Looking really good. I love the pickup placement, very keen to hear all the different tones you'll get out of it. What are the pickups? And will you be having a preamp?

I have not completely decided on the brand of pickups but I am leaning toward Epic Custom. He has 2 designs one more traditional, that I want in the neck position and a model similar to a quarter pound in the bridge. I am thinking this could give a better tone option. I am thinking of going with a pre but it has to have the option of a passive tone option. I am excited about doing this build and hope tone wise it will achieve my goals.

 

[thebassbuilder]

Crazy week! Had my 5 year old Son start school but found a little time to work this bass.

I got the main part of the headstock glued on this week and the headstock faceplate is a book matched piece, that I got glued together as well. I just need to plane down the headstock joint level with the neck and add the headstock wings. Then I can plain down the face plate level and get it glued to the headstock. I hope to get all this done this week and maybe get the neck profiled as well. I also got the body wings shaped and sanded a little more but nothing that stands out to add pictures.

Never enough time and not to mention my shop is not at my house which always adds delays!

 

[Means2nEnd]

Looking awesome!! I love the shape of the body! Nice work too...

 

[thebassbuilder]

I got a little more work completed on the bass. I was able to get the scarf joint head stock leveled out with the neck and then I cut the head stock wings. Like the goofball I am I forgot to check the side that will be glued to the side of the head stock for squareness. So when I got time to glue them on I noticed they were in an angle. The problem for me at the moment is my shop is not at my house currently and time is not on my side to drive 30 minutes 1 way to work when I want. So I laid a peace of 80 grit sand paper under a block of wood and put the wing peaces against it and started sanding till I could get them squared up to the head stock. So I got those glued on and then got the head stock top plate glued on as well. Now I have to level that up with the fingerboard side of the neck before I route for the truss rod channel. I also had to add some wood to the body side of the neck to give it the thickness needed to at the bridge end. It was going to be a little too close for comfort. So hopefully this week I get over to the shop and get to work.

 

[thebassbuilder]

Here are the pics

 

[thebassbuilder]

I got some work done today. Truss rod channel routed, basic head stock shape cut out and the basic width of the neck cut from nut to bridge.

 

[thebassbuilder]

Now I have a question for all the builders. I am having builders remorse on one thing. I would like to make it a 5 string. Tell me if this will be possible and worth it. Could I go ahead and profile the neck as a 4 string, width wise from nut to tail and then add wood to the side of the neck to make it a 5 string? At this point the only things I would have to really plan out is the head stock to fit an extra tuner and a new fingerboard. So tell me to go for it or just finish it as originally planned.

 

[Will_White]

Now I have a question for all the builders. I am having builders remorse on one thing. I would like to make it a 5 string. Tell me if this will be possible and worth it. Could I go ahead and profile the neck as a 4 string, width wise from nut to tail and then add wood to the side of the neck to make it a 5 string? At this point the only things I would have to really plan out is the head stock to fit an extra tuner and a new fingerboard. So tell me to go for it or just finish it as originally planned.

is a standard 4 string spacing now? If it was me I would just space the nut and bridge for 5 strings instead of 4, but you could add wood to either side for a wider spacing.

 

[JustForSport]

Check out some of the conversions by TB'er 'Ric5'. The biggest thing is whether you like 19mm/20mm spacing, or can go with 16mm or so.

 

[thebassbuilder]

I want 18-19mm spacing. Those 4 to 5 string conversions are just way too narrow for me and not to mention this is a build from scratch, I want it to be built to what is needed and not compromised.

 

[thebassbuilder]

Does anyone happen to know the string spacing on the new LTD and Ibanez 5 string basses? The LTD seem a mm wider and I liked it better but the Ibanez spacing was not too bad. All the web sites do not give this measurement.