Roundover radius on '63 P-bass

Most larger shops are focused on one thing: churning out as much product as possible. Accommodating specific customer requests are kinda more trouble than it is worth for them.

Doing a roundover ain’t exactly rocket science in the scope of luthiery, but if you’re sketched out by doing it yourself - which is perfectly understandable - I’m sure there’s a local yokel near you who’d be happy to knock it out for you.

 

Finding a local builder might be a good way to go. To answer a couple of questions... Your router can handle a 3/4" bit, but ensure it's a 1/2" collet! To get the roundover, you rout down about 1/8" at a time until you get to the full 3/4". The body is routed around carefully near the neck pocket, or in my case, I rout the body first and then rout the pocket. Different builders have different processes. The forearm bevel is usually carved after the body is routed, and then the edges are blended in with files, sandpaper, belt sander, etc.

You can probably buy a standard alder blank and then provide this to a builder who can plane it down to your 1.6"ish spec, and then make a body. They might also have to located a P-bass template to make it up to spec as well. If you're really set on the lighter weight, but want the p-bass shape, consider having it chambered out with an alder cap on top. Assuming you're painting it, only your back will know.

 

The roundover by the neck pocket is usually a finesse maneuver with a handheld router and then feathered into the contour with a half-round bastard file. There’s a similar procedure with the forearm contour.

Your Porter Cable router should be able to handle a bit that size.

If you go on YouTube, there’s a guy - Fletcher Guitars - he does some really thorough video tutorials of various builds that include both of these operations.

 

Yep. Their production lines are going to be set up to turn out largely the same thing over and over. Changing specs costs money.

As far as the round over on the contours and neck pocket, I normally round over the whole body then do the contours then blend those edges by hand. I have a point where I stop the router at the neck pocket and do that by hand also.

 

Yeah, Warmoth and USACG are pretty big shops. For them running it through a planer entails stopping production, resetting the planer, making the cuts, resetting the planer back to spec - in that time, they would have knocked out 3-4 bodies.

I don’t know where you’re located, but most major cities have several competent luthiers around. But you’ll never know - I live in the middle of a bunch of avocado orchards and it turns out I live two blocks away from a warehouse full of rock star guitar builders.

 

I'm pretty sure Warmoth would be fully CNC and have preset programs to carve their bodies to spec. I don't think it would be super simple on their production line to accommodate those custom specs. In effect, you're asking for some R&D time there as they work out what you need and do their best to get it. Plus then if you're not satisfied, they are out with a custom unit that may be difficult to sell at their regular price point.

What you're asking for (custom body) could easily cost more than Warmoth as well, depending on the builder. Where are you located?

 

This post is a decade old, but maybe you might have some luck?
808 Builders

 

What’s your budget? The Fender custom shop will do whatever you want.

 

OK, so you’re more out in the middle of nowhere than I am!

One of those uke guys could probably help you out or give you some guidance or moral support. I have a buddy who builds jarana jarochas and I’d trust him with a router.

If worst comes to worst, there are those Fletcher videos I mentioned earlier.

You’ll never know - I originally started building guitars ‘cuz I didn’t want to pay Custom Shop price for a Fender J in Metallic Tangerine.

 

Don't think it's good, couse then it will not be a 63 p bass.

 

For accurate vintage correct parts, check with Musikraft! Just got an awesome 58- specs neck lightly roasted maple and that neck is exactly what I was looking... I own many vintages basses and trust me, I did a lot of comparaison. They will do what you want! Roasted parts give a nice tint and made the wood sound's like an old bass...

 

Beej pretty much covers it in post #3. If you are careful you can use your router to thin the body down to the desired thickness by maintaining just enough full thickness material for the router base to rest on. You then handplane what’s left to a uniform thickness.