Who are you?

[Nidan]

My name is James , I've been building instruments for 13 years . My latest projects are a neck through swamp ash guitar with curly koa caps , and a deep tenon Alder bass with a curly koa cap . The bass is all hand carved.

I'm a happy grandpa , and have 2 grown kids .
By day I'm a senior Unix consultant.

I've been an avid motorcyclist for over 40 years and have a 103" HD Street Glide and a Yamaha FJR 13000

Also a 2nd degree black belt and have studied martial arts for 17 years

 

[sprocket123]

Nice projects in there Nidan

 

[JohnnyLiBass]

Hey all. New here, long time lurker but I thought it was time to come out of the shadows. I've got a couple basses that i'll be working on renovating in the near future so I'm sure i'll be in and out. I am no luthier, I just wish I was. HA. Name's John btw.

 

[Valdemir]

My name is Valdemir, 35y.o., I'm from Brazil and I've started building basses about 6 years ago. I built some guitars too.
I like to play bass and I finished building my definitive instrument about two months ago. Below is a link that shows it.
Thank you all.

 

[mrz2u]

Jeremy Z, 42
Wife and three kids, 5, 5, 7
Photographer by training but not by trade anymore
Pay the bills slugging it out for a major computer maker in Texas
Former avid cyclist…got married and spawned and fat so perhaps again one day I’ll get back to 10k miles a year when I have time!
AVID DIY’er… I completely enjoy DIY in just about all endeavors. From building my own entertainment center cause no one made one I liked to brewing my own beer… If I can make it myself I prefer it that way.

Played in the jazz band in high school while preferring heavy metal! Not much of a player anymore, just fart around for my own enjoyment. First bass was a cream colored Precision. Got a great deal on it but hated the color. Decided to sand it down and paint it a different color…turned out terrible but I was 14 so what did I know? Pawned it and bought a Aria Pro II ZZB deluxe (blue one here [Invalid or Expired Link Removed] ) Band director hated that thing. I refused to play either the Jazz or very vintage Precision we had at the school. It was something to see in the old pictures and videos from those concerts. Sold it and bought a late 80s Squier 5 string PJ bass, not the precision knock offs, this was the one with the odd head stock and no pick guard made in Japan. Yanked the frets and filled the slots to go fretless. Got tired of the black gloss so I stripped it down (forgot how bad it went in 1984). This went much better and the wood underneath was actually not bad. Shaped it quite a bit removing all hard lines. Every cut and contour flows into the next, like a river stone. Finished with about 10 coats of tung oil and loved the results. Only problem is the neck pocket got real loose and never has been great since.

My oldest son wanted a guitar. Didn’t want to spend a ton of money so I bought a Squire Strat at a pawn shop for $65 with a stand. He took little interest so I decided I wanted to strip, shape and stain it like I did with my bass. HOLY S**T that was a pain in the arse! The finish was so thick that its now almost ½ inch thinner. Looks nice but plays like crap now.

I get a bug in my head about something I want to do and it preoccupies my mind till I eventually act on it or successfully get it into remission. I have always wanted a neck thru bass. Been looking out here a lot and looking at all sorts of builders work! I have a friend that builds beautiful acoustics and have been picking his brain a bunch. He feels very confident in his abilities to build and know my other work and obsessive nature so he is pushing me to get started. I was going to build a new one piece body for that Strat to get my feet wet but decided to just build a new body for my bass instead. This might put this bug into remission but I doubt it. It already seems simpler to me to build the neck thru…this neck pocket thing seems like a real pain. We will see! At the very least it will be a good excuse to buy more tools and that’s always a good thing?

 

[merlinlutherie]

Hi, I am Merlin 21,
I have been interrested in luthery for 3 years and I study it at cegep near Montreal for 2 years. In my free time I work in a workshop I setted up in an appartement. I use a bandsaw, a pressdrill and a router with multiples jigs to do everything In the building process of an electric bass.

I also enjoy using handtools and I build a spanish classical guitar and a ukulele at school right now. My workshop experience come from 6 years of bike mechanic as a day job.

I have a blog which I update with pictures from my builds and Jigs it is full of tips but is is written in french: Link Removed

And I play bass In a Montreal band called Mangomango! for 3 years, new songs are coming out soon!

 

[Markpotato]

Hello, I'm a luthier from Texas, now hailing from Arkansas. I've run across the talkbass forum many times over the years just searching on google for things, but for some reason I never thought about the fact that there's probably a sub-forum for luthiers. Well what do you know? So here I am.

Currently planning a personal build for myself, using parts from, and intended to replace my Cort Curbow 5 string bass.

 

[Warnelius2008]

Name : Ryan
Age : 28
Occupation : Machinist

I'm married and I have my first child on the way. I've been working with wood for nearly 12 years. I currently have a second job at a local Woodcraft as a sales associate. I did start woodworking with smaller projects such as cribbage boards, chess boards, and cabinets.

I am currently working on building segmented drums, but it's still in the design stage. I've built a total of six basses, averaging a little more than one per year.I work on CNC's for a living, but I like to keep my bass building a little more old school...

 

[ishtar]

New to bass.... and a southpaw. Came across a lefty Vintage® Icon LVJ74MRJP, essentially their Jaco bass attempt. Have a Badass II bridge that needs to be installed with uncut saddles.

I will ask for luthier advice in the luthier section.

Glad to be a member her and wishing you all a great 2013.

 

[Wil_Couch]

Greetings All-

Wil Couch
35yo, married, no kids, 2 dogs
Buffalo, NY
Inside Sales Manager for First build

Have been playing music for 25+ years, and come from a long line of musicians and luthiers. I started building in the mid 90's, but took A LONG time off (life, wife, etc.) and just picked it back up again. Currently working on 2 basses and a uke.

I am fortunate enough to have my grandfather, a professional luthier, as a resource. He and I have built two instruments (linked below) together, and he has provided me with plenty of wood, tools, and information. My great-grandfather was an award winning violin builder, although that's about all I know about him. My earliest memories are of my mother singing and playing guitar. She has also build a couple of acoustic steel strings with my grandfather (her father.) I guess building runs in the family...

I would LOVE to turn this into a "real thing" someday.

Second build
Current build - Pallet Bass
First build

 

[Harry Cahyadi]

Greetings from Australia...,

My name is Harry. Computer programmer is my real job. I've been fiddling around with bass guitars for a little while, around 5 years or so. Mainly just repairing, parts swapping and refinishing.
Started looking at building about a year ago and has been taking it a little bit more professionally now as a part time thing.

My main motivating factor to build is looking at some great musicians who can't really afford a good quality gears due to its price, especially in Australia.
Money is never the main point for me regarding building basses. It is more about passion and having fun at the same time. Nothing is more enjoyable to be able to put smile on other people face.

Feel free to drop me a PM about your dream build. If I can make it happen I definitely will.

Thank you for reading.


Harry

 

[JMorciglio]

Hello,

woodworker, diemaker,millright.

Have been working with composites, fulltime since 07'.

Started building "partscaster" bodies in the 80's.
Built over 20 instruments in the last couple years.
Doing some serious R+D with carbon builds.
Some Work in Progress shots;
Bass VI;

Starcaster inspired

VB-650 and "T-Byrd" lil' sis' builds;

John

 

[Matteo Marziali]

Hi, my nickname is my real name!
I live in Italy, and i'm 37 years old.
I live with my partner and our son Galileo.
I work for Prada, i design female shoes.
I started build instuments 3 years ago, when i was trying to adjust the TR of my bass to play some difficoult Primus songs, and i discover the "luthiery" and Carl Thompson. In the summer of 2010 i saw a couple of time all his videos on YouTube, and I fell in love with him and with his basses!

I built 3 basses, and a couple of guitar. I'm now finishing my fourth bass

The first one, (i finished it for Carl Thompson birthday)

A Claypool replica and another 32"
my fourth bass

 

[whodatpat]

I am an amature luthier and I have been making tele style guitard for a few years. This is just a hoby and I am not really lookng to sell any. I am prety much booked for life keeping up with "close friends" requests. I have acumulated a significant Wood Shop over the years and truely love making renditions of these early Fender guitars. This year I am making a copy of a 68 Yelecaster Bass in the TDPRI Build challenge. I run into this forum all the time looking up Bass related details so I figured it was time to sign up and ask the right folks the right questions.

Specifically if anyone can tell me how deep the rout is on a single coil Pickup in the 68 Tele Bass i would be appriciative. In fact, havent found a devent detail picture of how the thing is even attached. I think it screws into the body through some foam cushion. But I am often wrong when i guess at this stuff.

Patrick

 

[HaMMerHeD]

Mark Warner, total amateur
Single father of 1 brilliant and beautiful daughter, in sunny Norman, Oklahoma.

I've made 4 complete instruments so far (and scrapped about 6 attempts). There are 3 basses and 1 baritone guitar. I'm presently working on a few other projects.

#1 (4-string fretless bass): Wenge neck, ebony fingerboard, maple and wenge body. Bartolini pickups, hipshot hardware, passive controls.

#2 (7-string baritone): Wenge and maple neck, ebony fingerboard, wenge and maple body. DiMarzio Petrucci pickups, Gotoh tuners and Ibanez bridge, passive controls

#5 (4-string fretted bass): Maple and purpleheart neck, cocobolo fretboard. Maple, purpleheart, and padauk body. Bartolini pickups with coil switches, active Nordstrand 3b pre-amp. Gotoh hardware.

#10 (5-string fretted bass): Maple, mahogany, and walnut neck and body, rosewood fretboard. Carvin tuners and bridge. EMG 40HZ pickups, passive controls. Circle-K strings.

 

[RqmStrings]

I'm Paul Kincaid.
I am the live sound technician at a local theatre, as well as for independently involved in concert and festival sound. I am the guitar tech at Gracewinds music in Corvallis. I have been teaching electric guitar and bass building at Oregon State University for the last five years. I have been building instruments professionally for nearly fourteen years.
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In the last five years, I have really been increasing production.
This one is a guitar, but I do carvings on basses sometimes, too.
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[JIO]

I've been on tb for awhile and just decided to see what this thread was (!) I read through all of the entries and so now I'll post my own. (what a diverse and international sub-set we have here!) I have high respect for the variety of ground-up builds I've seen here - amazing skills and creativity! I would love to hear all of them played in person!

I go by Geo, (short for George) and am an artist from birth (1/1/53) and a bass player since I was 13. I have a BFA (KCAI-printmaking) and an MFA (SAIC-painting), and taught in both institutions. I also raced road bicycles (amateur-USCF) for over 25 yrs. I pay the bills working as a decorative painter, and I've started a new business (coming up on 1 year since my website launch) Giildaxe which offers unique gilded art finishes on instruments. I live w/Beth in Pacifica CA, just south of SF on the coast. (1/2 block from the ocean) I'm originally from the midwest and lived in Chicago for 10 years where I played w/Mississippi delta born blues icon Eddie Taylor before his passing in '85. I've played w/a number of bands/musicians over the years, but I wouldn't consider myself a professional/full time musician. Non the less, music is a huge part of my life and I play every day. I love many flavors of music and am always open to figuring out how to play bass to as many styles as possible. I'm self taught and still can't sight read but have a good ear. Currently working on my first "collected involvements" CD and playing in an original song-driven quartet called "Go South".

The thing besides being a dyed in the wool bass player that got me into this thread was my ingrained urge to customize. I'm rarely satisfied w/stock anything, and have modified many things including basses over the years. I'm more of a creative concept person at my core and not really a woodworker, although I've learned much along the way w/friends help and know my way around a shop.

Full custom/design and modified basses are my speciality. Here's a sampling (updated 1/18) Projects are ongoing and can be visited on my Gildaxe Facebook page. Gildaxe gilded examples can also be seen at my website. (link below) Thanks for checking it all out!

Supersonic - 1-piece alder string-thru body, 24 fret Gibson style set-back headstock maple/ebony neck, EMG JAX pu's/preamp,

Factorbird fretless - 3 piece Koa body, Kubicki Factor neck, G&L L-2000 pu's/preamp

T2K (Tele 2000) - '06 CIJ Fender '51 RI P w/G&L L-2000 pu's/preamp, custom-cut pg & finish

…and the T2K Mk II (recent refinish) - back is a similar trans-brown w/creme binding

Tele fretless - maple Tele guitar body w/de-fretted maple P/Tele bass neck, Bill Lawrence P/Wilkinson bucker, custom-cut pg & finish

...and it's second past at modification - fully gold-leafed and side position LED dots

Gildaxe Teardrop fretless - 1 piece spalted maple body, modified headstock J ebony fretless neck, Bartolini pu/John East Stingray preamp, gold-leaf "Shatterburst" art finish under classic sunburst

Steinbacker fretless - Korina body, Steinberger lined fretless neck/DB tuner-bridge, Bartolini pu's, OP-2 preamp

early '66 Oly wht/tort Jazz replica -

and last but not least, the Bass King - origin unknown (short scale ugly-duckling rock machine)

Gildaxe SuperB 5'r -

SuperB II -

Super SLX prototype with 80's fretless Westone neck

EUB - 32" scale

retro Burns-Weill inspired "Gilaxis" - 34" scale

2 retro Teisco Del Rey inspired 34"scale basses: TeiscoT45bird and Teiscobird

 

[Deacon 7]

I wanted to use a 12 string and a 7 string but nothing on the market really did what I wanted it to do so I started building. I have had a hand in building many guitars. I did the bolt on neck thing many times but now I have gone to neck through construction and I have made 3 prototypes. I started as Jewelry model maker making stuff for the rich and I was also an assistant repair man of guitars in my spare time so I sculpt in wood now.

My personal goal is to make a double neck 12 (Bass) and 6 (Bass) but I haven't figured out how to keep the weight reasonable. To that goal I have made a single 12 string and and single 7 string to find out what the logistics are. They both weigh about as much as an LP Standard. Ouch.

A lot of the reason for doing this is I just got sick of change batteries. If you use good pickups you don't need them.

I have been using Bartolini's and Delanos.

Thanx for listening

 

[tothemax]

Music is my passion, and guitar work is a dedicated hobby. Arriving in Hollywood in the 70's and finding work as roadie for a couple of name bands - I was forced to face the reality that as a player my skills would not take me to the level I had hoped for - but I still play and enjoy it very much. Over the years I've worked as a diesel mechanic, welder/fabricator, commercial fisherman, and for the last 18 years as an IT systems engineer. Playing in bands in my 20's I did most of my basic guitar upgrades and as a roadie learned basic repairs as well. About 5 years ago I got serious about learning how to do repairs and upgrades properly and have been reading and have assembled a number of guitars since then - the you-tubes available are amazing. I've done some basic fret work and have been assembling proper tools and decent work area. It has been most enjoyable and I really enjoy learning and look forward to making a body in the near future. The last band I was in, I found out after auditioning on guitar that I was to be the bass player - since then bass has become a second love.

This looks like a great site...

 

[Luthier Atlanta]

Hello all, I have been building custom furniture for many years and started building guitars about three years ago. I will post some pictures up later today when I get home. I just bought my first bass the other day, Squier Precision Standard.
It was a basket case for sure.
After pulling it apart, cleaning it, fix the cracked neck and other quirks...
Anyways pic's to come of some bodies and builds, the P Bass...

Here to learn and teach what I now, knowledge is power.