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What do u think? - Parts build concept!

B

Bass-kid

Nov 10, 2007
18
0
#1
Hey this is my first tread!:bassist:
I want to make my own "custom" bass:help:. I have played for 2 years now and just started playing BEAD tuning and I DIG it!!:D But since Im 15y/o I cant afford gettin all these bass that I dream of:bawl: so I would love to make my dream bass NOW:p that way I use my long saved money on something Im really happy with:D Not wasting them on getting basses where I like part of the bass, like only the sound, or looks...;) Here is the concept: I want real low-end thump(fender P/Warwick) + aggresive growl(Modulus/Spector):p

- An original Tele Bass humbucker by the neck
- A G&L MFD humbucker in the MM sweat-spot
- A custom Status Graphite 36" neck with maple fretboard, zero fret, E.T.S. and Hipshot Xtender
- Warmoth rosewood body (I cant decide witch shape)
- vol/vol/homemade 2band eq/homemade 2band eq

I think these specs will give me the sound I want, o I forgot Im also playing chords... I mostly play fingerstyle, slap, a litle with pick and tapping. I will play BEAD and AEAD on this bass.

Hope u will reply:hyper:

PS: I LOVE TB!!!
 
#2
I love building parts basses but your custom neck would be very costly. A plain J bass neck from Status after you do the currency conversion is $839.00 so I am guessing that your neck would easily be over a $1000.00. Your bass looks like it could easily be $2000 in parts. You could pick up a used Zon or Modulus for less and they come with a Graphite neck.

Of course this will definitely be your bass when you finish :hyper::hyper:

I am on my second parts bass and both went through a few pickup and preamp transitions before I got what I was looking for. I probably could have just bought something and got what I wanted but the pleasure of learning more about my instrument was worth the time and effort....
 
#4
There are less expensive Graphite necks like 'Moses'. Last week there was a precision neck for $267.00 The threads on this forum seem to indicate that they are not of the quality of the Status but still get a good sound. I am thinking of picking one up for my latest project.
 
#5
Not only expensive but it is something Status won't do.
Graphite necks are molded and the mold takes time to make.
Custom neck = custom mold. If you could find somebody to make this for you, I wouldn't expect less than 500 for a neck.
I think you should question the need and function of each part of the project. It doesn't look like graphite serves anything but coolness and bling factor in what you're trying to achieve.
 
#9
as graphite is almost the opposite of a wood product (in reality, wood is nature's composite) you're going to lose that significant midrange hump that wood brings to the tone pallette and instead have a pretty severe midrange valley in its place

as Wilser - he'll tell ya so

all the best,

R
 
#10
Moses will make you a neck. It will not be 36" and neither will it have a maple fretboard. It is also expensive.

However if you MUST have a 36" carbon fiber bass, then getting a 35" fretless with no fret dots from moses should be possible. You'll then need to slot and fret it youself. You should have about 17-18 frets left on the neck, and it'll be a 36". It's still like, 480 bucks just for the neck.
 
#11
I have thougt it over once more and looked at the inspiration basses' wood. I think I will get it like this:

Neck, it has to be at least 35" for that deap A:
ABBBBBBA
ACDDCA

A=Maple
B=Graphite
C=Ebony - Because of the sustain Alembic claim it has. Do you know if this is true?
D=Ovangkol

Body:
50/50: Ovangkol top + Alder back
 
#12
It looks to me like you're day dreaming.
You claim in your first post that you don't have the budget for your dream bass. Building it yourself won't make things any cheaper.
Still, you keep quoting very high end bass specs like they made a huge difference on tone, which they don't.
You basically have 2 options.
- Get a good compromise bass that will serve you well
- Save until you know exactly what you need/desire and can afford it.

If the former, I think something like a 2nd hand G&L or MusicMan will serve you just fine tonewise.
If the latter, you still have a lot of instruments to try and homework to do until you reach a plausible instrument.
 
#13
I second the idea of getting a good compromise bass that will serve you well. You're only 15, and you have a lot of time and not a lot of money. Go out and play more basses that will let you have a better idea of what you want in a bass. Right now, looking at your specs, a EMG-ed warwick might be a good place to start, but a Musicman might be a good choice too.

I only got my first "nice" bass after 2 years of work, and even it doesn't have specs like what you're asking for. Since you want to build it yourself, mine's also about 1/3 the price, guesstimating. I'm still speccing out my dream bass - and the specs are always changing - so (if i were you) i would really sit down and consider everything before taking the plunge.

You need to consider the following: have you found a string spacing you like? a particular sound you would like to emulate? The P bass and spector have VERY different tones, and you can't just put a low hump and a mid hump together - you'd just get a loud bass. Have you found a perfect neck shape? A neck finish you like? Type of frets? Electronics? What kind of action do you like? Strings? All these things come together to affect your sound or your playability, MUCH MUCH more than the types of woods going into the body, which you seem to be paying the most amount of attention to (and even your body wood choice has changed).

IMHO if you can't answer questions like the above, you're not ready to spec out a high end custom bass. If you want to do it for fun, fine. Just don't throw expensive wood/carbon fiber at the equation yet. Look at warmoth or USACG.

FWIW i've been on bass for 7 years.
 
#17
Hey thanks for all the replies. Ill wait, and consider the perfect specs for this bass. Ill be in pratice next week (and only next week, but still), at Celinder basses:hyper: So Ill ask him a lot of Qs, before ordering parts. If I cant decide, I think Ill go for a G&L L-1500 bass. Also I didnt make myself clear about witch tone I wanted, I love Flea's Modulus tone, its near perfect for my taste. But I really dig the old Tele bass sound, so id love to have that sound in my bass too. Not using them together, but one at the time. The Warwick and Spector basses are both IMO great sounds. So a little of their tone would be nice too. Thats why I care so much about the woods, because I can hear a difference.

So Jazz Ad, the graphite-reinforced neck, isnt a bling factor, but a part off, what im trying to achieve: Most importantly a growly Flea graphite stingray-tone. Gabethedestroyr the same goes to you, its not P-tone thats most important to me. Secondly Jazz Ad, I didnt say I couldnt afford this bass, I can. What I did say was, that I couldnt afford to get both, the L-1500, the Tele, the Warwick, etc... Ehque, I may not know exacly what the specs are called, but I can answer most off your Qs: Stringspacing: 19mm, sound: Fleaish, my perfect neckshape: is the Line6 Variaxe-shape, neckfinish: satin, frets: narrow and tall, electronics: Ill make my own preamp, since Im taking an electronic school-path. I like medium-low action, the only thing I dont know, from your list is strings. I havnt found me a favorit string.

Thanks for the debate though!
 
#18
I have a friend who is a retired Navy bassist. Plays both upright and electric. His theory is that the sound is in the fingers. I have seem him take different rigs and for fun come up with just about any sound you want. He once met a frustrated bassist who was trying to get the Jaco sound. He unplugged the collection of pedals. Set his amp flat, tweaked the volume and tone knobs on the bass and started playing a few Jaco favorites and there was the Jaco sound. He then started explaining Jaco's technique was the unique sound and not his gear.
 
#19
I have been chasing tone around for over 10 years and while different basses get you a sound, your touch gives you that you sound. I know this because I can give a whizz my bass and he will make it sound amazing! Then I pick it up and it's me again! I now have a Dingwall AB1-5, a Spector USA BO, and am building a vintage style jazz. I had a USA Lakland, an F-Bass BN5 and a few others, but I think that as you get up there in custom basses, you think they sound better when they don't. You get closer to your sound as you get experience, and it sounds better. I think Billy Sheehan said, something like, "Find a bass you like and stick with it. Develop your own tone with your hands"
 

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