Putting together my dream bass! ...Help?...

[devinp17]

Hey TB! I think I'm going to have a series of threads on this same topic over the next little while, but first I need help with some general things about putting together my dream bass. I'd really appreciate it if you guys could help me in any way.

So I want to put together my Fender Duff McKagan sig neck, and (I'm hoping to get) a Roger Waters sig P body... I obviously don't have the body yet, but I will when I have the money.

I've never put together a bass before, nor have I even taken one apart (which I'll have to do to my Jag that has the Duff neck on it. I want to sell the Jag body... it's just not for me). I've also never done a full bass setup, such as adjusting the truss rod, setting the action, etc., I've just had other people do it for me.

I think the reason I've never done any of this is because I'm afraid that I might mess something up or cause damage that I'll have to pay for to get fixed.

So basically my questions are these:
Would I be able to put this bass together (with the help of TB) myself, or should I go to a professional and pay for an assembley? Is anything gonna go terribly wrong or will I cause damage to the instrument if I try to do it myself?

I'm think if I follow the instructions of the highly experienced TBers here, I shouldn't have any problems... But what would you guys recommend for a newbie like me?

Any and all help is highly appreciated! Thanks!

 

[bachlover]

It's easy to get intimidated when faced with the decision to alter/work on instruments. I took the plunge around a year ago in doing complete set ups on my guitars (6) and have found it both rewarding and satisfying. One huge benefit we have is not only the good people on TB, but a seemingly inexhaustible supply of info on the net. Having said that, I'm having a custom built, but that's only because it's from "scratch." I don't have the woodworking skills, tools, or space to try something like that. Here's what we have so far:
http://www.talkbass.com/threads/rozitis-custom-6-fretless-build.1082651/
I've often thought that I would like to attempt a Warmoth type build where I would buy the hardware and use the body/neck from Warmoth. That might be next! I think that what you'll find once you start is an exiting new past time that will not only be fun, but rewarding as YOU shape what you decide will be your dream bass. Hope you take the plunge, and good luck if you do so!

 

[devinp17]

It's easy to get intimidated when faced with the decision to alter/work on instruments. I took the plunge around a year ago in doing complete set ups on my guitars (6) and have found it both rewarding and satisfying. One huge benefit we have is not only the good people on TB, but a seemingly inexhaustible supply of info on the net. Having said that, I'm having a custom built, but that's only because it's from "scratch." I don't have the woodworking skills, tools, or space to try something like that. Here's what we have so far:
http://www.talkbass.com/threads/rozitis-custom-6-fretless-build.1082651/
I've often thought that I would like to attempt a Warmoth type build where I would buy the hardware and use the body/neck from Warmoth. That might be next! I think that what you'll find once you start is an exiting new past time that will not only be fun, but rewarding as YOU shape what you decide will be your dream bass. Hope you take the plunge, and good luck if you do so!

Thanks for the help! Anyone else?

 

[Hank Scorpio]

I'm in a similar boat, and what I've found works for me is to designate a bass to practice on - my MIA P gets pro set ups, and my spare Squier I work on. I compare the two, get an idea for what needs changing on the Squier, and work on it with help from online sources.

For me, it's worth paying for someone to do it, while self-learning. The Fender is a great reference point for the work on the Squier, and I'm now comfortable doing smaller jobs on my main bass.

I've also swapped necks etc on Squier basses, and found it to be very straightforward.

 

[devinp17]

I've also swapped necks etc on Squier basses, and found it to be very straightforward.

Good. I would expect it to be... I'm guessing that you just slide the neck in the pocket and then screw in the neck plate. I just wasn't sure if there were some tips that anyone could give me for doing that. Basically what I wanna do is just a neck swap and a setup. But, like I said, I'm just looking for tips. Thanks!

 

[KohanMike]

I started learning bass a little over a month ago. After buying a Gold Tone GT MicroBass and ordering a custom u-bass, I read a thread here on TB in the sub-short scale group of converting an electric solid body guitar to a bass so I decided I wanted a solid body short bass and will give it a try. (I've also been playing ukulele for a little over a year and have added preamps to some of them myself, the first one was very intimidating, but I had enough confidence to give it a try, and came out very well.)

I found an Epiphone Less Paul Express 22" scale guitar and following the guidance of TB members, I bought a bass bridge, nut, strings (and a few parts I ended up not using) then went for it. At first my thinking was to do no "construction", just swap out parts, but I soon realized I would have to drill string-through holes to fit the 30" strings on a 22" scale bass. My biggest problem was not centering the bridge properly, two times (it's still not perfect).

The best advice I can give is "measure twice and cut (drill) once." I do have to say, in the end it came out pretty well.

 

[devinp17]

Thanks everyone! I'm starting to see now that it's intimidating at first, but once I take the plunge I'll be glad that I did.
Also, swapping out a neck doesn't seem too hard.... after that all I have to do is a setup. Which there's already tons of threads about.
Thanks again!

 

[Down_Low]

There's really not that much to a Fender-style bass guitar. I had no experience previously, but have now assembled two parts basses with practically no problems, and changed out pickups on some more. It's all a learning experience really, and making sure you have the right tools. Practice your soldering (mine's still not great, but adequate), read up on everything, take a guitar apart and see what goes where, and take your time with it. Really though, you've got a neck with tuners, that screws onto a body, with pickups/electronics and a bridge.

Same goes for doing a set-up - once you get your head around how it all works, it's really not rocket science. I found this guide to be good.

These are the two parts bass I've put together - the Jag I only finished yesterday. Most parts have come from The Stratosphere on Ebay, Invalid Link Removed and Best Bass Gear.

 

[Hank Scorpio]

There's really not that much to a Fender-style bass guitar. I had no experience previously, but have now assembled two parts basses with practically no problems, and changed out pickups on some more. It's all a learning experience really, and making sure you have the right tools. Practice your soldering (mine's still not great, but adequate), read up on everything, take a guitar apart and see what goes where, and take your time with it. Really though, you've got a neck with tuners, that screws onto a body, with pickups/electronics and a bridge.

Same goes for doing a set-up - once you get your head around how it all works, it's really not rocket science. I found this guide to be good.

These are the two parts bass I've put together - the Jag I only finished yesterday. Most parts have come from The Stratosphere on Ebay, Invalid Link Removed and Best Bass Gear.

Wow, that Jag looks great! Is there a thread with more info/pictures? Would like to find out more. Good work!

 

[Down_Low]

Wow, that Jag looks great! Is there a thread with more info/pictures? Would like to find out more. Good work!

Thanks man! There's a little bit more in the Fender Jaguar Club. Feel free to ask away there if you want to know more though, no point taking this thread off track.

 

[devinp17]

There's really not that much to a Fender-style bass guitar. I had no experience previously, but have now assembled two parts basses with practically no problems, and changed out pickups on some more. It's all a learning experience really, and making sure you have the right tools. Practice your soldering (mine's still not great, but adequate), read up on everything, take a guitar apart and see what goes where, and take your time with it. Really though, you've got a neck with tuners, that screws onto a body, with pickups/electronics and a bridge.

Same goes for doing a set-up - once you get your head around how it all works, it's really not rocket science. I found this guide to be good.

These are the two parts bass I've put together - the Jag I only finished yesterday. Most parts have come from The Stratosphere on Ebay, Invalid Link Removed and Best Bass Gear.

Thanks bro! I'll be getting the Roger Waters P body through the STRATosphere. I'm sure that it'll work out fine when I get there... Like you said, I'll just have to take my time and read up on everything. Thanks for the setup link.