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The bitsa thread


Beedster

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Off the back of this thread......

And also a PM conversation that got me thinking, a snippet of which is below.......

Those three I just sold are better than nearly all Fenders I've played, including Custom Shop, they just didn' t happen to be made in Corona! I'll make a suggestion mate, give it a go, you can make great basses from cheap parts picked up on this forum or on ebay, and if they don't work out, just move it on and try again. I keep saying I'll stop but I never do, in part because it's therapeutic, and in part because my main bass, a 1970's Fender body and Warmoth fretless neck, was the result of years of trial and error. Best way of getting a custom bass is to build your own :)

I thought this, especially the last sentence about best way to get a custom bass, would be a good conversation to take to the broader community, also in the context of this thread about 'Pro' basses and 'Pro price tags 

 

i reckon that given a few weeks looking on eBay/BC/Reverb, I can put together a pro quality bass for usually around £300-£500 depending to a degree on luck. Just amazes me that more people don't :)

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I’m stinky poo with tools/ electronics and like a smooth gloss finish. It’d be a complete waste of my time when I could instead be learning tunes. Whereas I can just pay someone who enjoys doing those things to do it really well.

Edit: didn’t realise you cannot swear on basschat and it swaps out your words. What a pishtake 😂

Edited by OliverBlackman
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Good thread.  For me, making bitsa basses has been one of the most rewarding things about taking up bass, and maybe it was inevitable given my nerdish predilection for putting together Airfix models when I was a kid (I still have a boxed HMS Victory kit in the garage waiting for an idle weekend; bought close on 40 years ago......)

I certainly haven’t made any money on it but usually recoup costs when selling on, and doubt I’ve ever built the “holy grail” of basses, but it’s immensely satisfying - no element of it is particularly hard - and you can put together that dream bass that’s always  been in your head.    

For me, it inevitably starts around a single part that I acquire often for no particular reason (usually on BC) - for the most recent P bass build (pictured) it was the Oly White body, so the plan became a ‘70’s type Dee Dee Ramone / Paul Simonon type bass, fitted with the very nifty Stellartone Tonestyler.    Current build started with a pair of Celinder Jazz p/ups acquired for a mere tenner, so it’ll be a more boutique type J bass (I’m French polishing the body at the moment, whilst watching the rugby.....)

Once you’ve got the bitsa bug you’re hooked......:i-m_so_happy:

edit:  meant to say that apart from Chris’s 3 basses FS that I’d commented on; this one was the most impressive I’ve seen in recent years, you’d be pushed to find a kosher Fender this nice:  

 

31EA7B1E-0CC5-40F2-B502-DDD96DADD8F3.jpeg

766D29E5-082C-4F4A-8787-C8BBE3F3D7D6.jpeg

Edited by Shaggy
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48 minutes ago, Shaggy said:

For me, making bitsa basses has been one of the most rewarding things about taking up bass,

Likewise Greg, and I genuinely believe that some of the best instruments I've owned came out of this. My current main bass below is a case in point, it's tall all intents a worn Tony Franklin, but wow, what a lovely bass to play, lovely pair of PUPs by Jason Lollar, circuit by Kiogon, body by Fender, neck by Warmoth at significantly around 25% what the Tony Franklin would cost new :) 

image.thumb.png.35b9f619953cd4cda632769b4313c80d.png

Think I'm going to be posting a lot of pictures in this thread :)

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4 minutes ago, PunkPonyPrincess said:

*that* black one... Gosh...

Here’s my bitsa pink horror bastard (albeit a MJT custom build) I take when I’m sure I’m gonna need to go nuts...

 

 

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That’s horrible.  I love it. :i-m_so_happy:

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I totally agree! I love putting them together for myself and some clients who want specific stuff. You’re right it doesn’t cost the Earth and there’s lots of spares out there and trial and error is the best way! I’m lucky I can do woodwork and have a big workshop and lots of tools! Electrics and stuff I can fudge and have some very clever luthiers who I can call upon if I’m stumped! Honestly give it a go, it’s very therapeutic.

Oh even though I build them I still bought that magnificent looking P bass off @Beedster

Four of my recent builds below.

9EF568DF-67D1-4171-A99A-494C1F397247.jpeg

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This is my current fretless, just made from cheap (at the time) bits - Cort MIK body, Mighty Mite neck, Duncan Designed pups, Fishman piezo bridge, Bartolini buffer pre, and Wilkinson tuners. Before this I had a beautiful walnut/pau ferro Warmoth jazz build which I bought and sold for ~£350, prices are considerably higher these days!

 

IMG_20180509_001348.jpg&key=bcbc765475d0

IMG_20180509_001515.jpg&key=5adf5d1b0490

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3 hours ago, walshy said:

I totally agree! I love putting them together for myself and some clients who want specific stuff. You’re right it doesn’t cost the Earth and there’s lots of spares out there and trial and error is the best way! I’m lucky I can do woodwork and have a big workshop and lots of tools! Electrics and stuff I can fudge and have some very clever luthiers who I can call upon if I’m stumped! Honestly give it a go, it’s very therapeutic.

Oh even though I build them I still bought that magnificent looking P bass off @Beedster

Four of my recent builds below.

9EF568DF-67D1-4171-A99A-494C1F397247.jpeg

I think it was you built a rather lovely Jazz sold on here with pale blocks ( now I'm writing this, can't remember what is looked like!). Nice work!

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Would love to have a go but anything DIY that I touch turns to disaster. If its all screw together stuff I can do it, and I have soldered in pickups before. I really fancy having a go. Being a lefty we get very little choice in bass designs so a bitsa would be great, especially as I don't mind an upside down neck. However, I already 5 basses which is 1or 2 too many, realistically, so not sure if or when I'd let myself get round to a bitsa. I do love seeing the creations people come up with though, some real lookers in this thread. 

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