Trying to build an SG Bass

[videodromo]

Hi all, I've always loved the SG shaped and I've been wating to build a bass for so long (I have experience working with wood and access to honduran mahogany)
The body seems simple enough for me but the neck is not something I'd try as my first attempt to be honest so I thought maybe I could buy an used neck but I cant seem to find any thing

My question is, can I build the body exactly as SG Bass and use this neck
Bass Guitar Neck 20 Fret 30 inch Maple Rosewood Fretboard Short Scale Paddle Head | eBay

It has the same ammount of frets and is just 0.5 inch shorter, about the sound I really dont care, I just want something cheap so I can start playing and no, I cant afford a more expensive bass, I'm from a third country where we DIY most of our things

 

[bholder]

You might have to move the bridge up slightly to account for the shorter scale, or the bass won't intonate properly.

 

[Will_White]

Hi all, I've always loved the SG shaped and I've been wating to build a bass for so long (I have experience working with wood and access to honduran mahogany)
The body seems simple enough for me but the neck is not something I'd try as my first attempt to be honest so I thought maybe I could buy an used neck but I cant seem to find any thing

My question is, can I build the body exactly as SG Bass and use this neck
Bass Guitar Neck 20 Fret 30 inch Maple Rosewood Fretboard Short Scale Paddle Head | eBay

It has the same ammount of frets and is just 0.5 inch shorter, about the sound I really dont care, I just want something cheap so I can start playing and no, I cant afford a more expensive bass, I'm from a third country where we DIY most of our things

You might want to look for a different neck, if it's the one pictured that's a 24 fret neck and the mudbucker goes at the 24th "fret" on an sg bass.

 

[HaphAsSard]

You might have to move the bridge up slightly to account for the shorter scale, or the bass won't intonate properly.

Good advice in general: scale length determines bridge positioning.
In our case, the same proportion between scales (30.5 : 30) exists between the distances between 20th fret and (nominal, un-intonated) saddle (9.606898005448407 : 9.449407874211548).
In other words, assuming a similar amount of compensation (which should be the case with same string set and string action), the difference in saddle positioning between a 30.5" and a 30" scale neck (both with 20 frets and a similarly-shaped neck heel = distance between last fret and end of heel) will be about 0.15749" = 4mm, which, depending on the bridge design, may well be within the adjustment range of the bridge saddles alone.

You might want to look for a different neck, if it's the one pictured that's a 24 fret neck and the mudbucker goes at the 24th "fret" on an sg bass.

Also true. @videodromo: if you can, contact the seller and make sure the neck you will receive is really a 20-fret neck.

 

[bholder]

Good advice in general: scale length determines bridge positioning.
In our case, the same proportion between scales (30.5 : 30) exists between the distances between 20th fret and (nominal, un-intonated) saddle (9.606898005448407 : 9.449407874211548).
In other words, assuming a similar amount of compensation (which should be the case with same string set and string action), the difference in saddle positioning between a 30.5" and a 30" scale neck (both with 20 frets and a similarly-shaped neck heel = distance between last fret and end of heel) will be about 0.15749" = 4mm, which, depending on the bridge design, may well be within the adjustment range of the bridge saddles alone.

Also true. @videodromo: if you can, contact the seller and make sure the neck you will receive is really a 20-fret neck.

True, but if OP is building the SG body from scratch, may as well just put the bridge in the right spot to start.

 

[HaphAsSard]

True, but if OP is building the SG body from scratch, may as well just put the bridge in the right spot to start.

Which means there's no "moving", is there? The OP simply needs to know how* to place a bridge after installing a neck.


* [so that the G-string saddle, set all the way towards the neck, is at X distance from the nut, where X=scale of the neck; the G string is the least stiff, hence the one that needs the least compensation, whereas the E may need a lot of it, especially in case a very stiff set like the La Bella 0760M-S is installed later.]

 

[Ric5]

Hi all, I've always loved the SG shaped and I've been wating to build a bass for so long (I have experience working with wood and access to honduran mahogany)
The body seems simple enough for me but the neck is not something I'd try as my first attempt to be honest so I thought maybe I could buy an used neck but I cant seem to find any thing

My question is, can I build the body exactly as SG Bass and use this neck
Bass Guitar Neck 20 Fret 30 inch Maple Rosewood Fretboard Short Scale Paddle Head | eBay

It has the same ammount of frets and is just 0.5 inch shorter, about the sound I really dont care, I just want something cheap so I can start playing and no, I cant afford a more expensive bass, I'm from a third country where we DIY most of our things

I bought a 24 fret version of a neck similar to that, and an Epiphone EB0 body and built a frankenstein bass

 

[bolophonic]

I have built parts basses with ~1/2” difference in neck length and all I did was move the bridge. I can’t speak to the pickup placement, but the scale issue is easy to fix.

 

[Bass V]

consider your first to be the sacrificial learning lamb, do everything and benefit from your successes and mistakes, the next one might be better than your dreams. I've wanted a long scale SG style.

 

[micguy]

Warmoth makes a "Diamondback" bass body, which is an SG-ish shape.

 

[Ric5]

Pit Bull Guitars AGB-30 Bass Guitar Kit (Short Scale - 30.5") - Pit Bull Guitars

 

[Bill Whitehurst]

I think Ric has found the answer. ^

 

[Ric5]

Hi all, I've always loved the SG shaped and I've been wating to build a bass for so long (I have experience working with wood and access to honduran mahogany)
The body seems simple enough for me but the neck is not something I'd try as my first attempt to be honest so I thought maybe I could buy an used neck but I cant seem to find any thing

My question is, can I build the body exactly as SG Bass and use this neck
Bass Guitar Neck 20 Fret 30 inch Maple Rosewood Fretboard Short Scale Paddle Head | eBay

It has the same ammount of frets and is just 0.5 inch shorter, about the sound I really dont care, I just want something cheap so I can start playing and no, I cant afford a more expensive bass, I'm from a third country where we DIY most of our things

I like building frankensteined SG basses