mrbacco Posted January 22 Share Posted January 22 (edited) Here I am ... again ... in the safest place for real bass players/builders (not me) and wanna be bass players/builders (like me! 🙂) So, this is what I have been thinking (lots of smoke coming out my ears recently). Body: pine (yes PINE) wood body, topped with 10mm flamed poplar top. The pine (2 Slabs glued together making a total of 40mm thickness) comes from a cheap unused [400x800x20]mm slab that was bought some time ago, for who remembers what project wifey asked me for the house. The big step for me, from the previous projects, is that, I will have to shape the body myself, and to do all the cavities according to standards, and with the very limited tools and equipment is my shed. But this is the challenge for me that I wanna take on ! Also: any suggestion on what type of body to shape in this case, as I have free drawing opportunity here? Love to hear your thoughts. I like slab body, with no contours (like P51 example), but open to any suggestion. Neck: there are 2 options there. Opt A: an unused left handed fretless maple + rosewood neck that could be fun to use and play with: I have 0 experience with fretless so not sure if I have to adopt a different approach when mounting the neck? (I mean: does it have to be higher that fretted necks?) Opt B: maple + maple fretboard, for a 34inches length bass. Pickups: standard P bass split coil pickups: if I do not need to do extra work on the body, I might invest in these one (https://www.iusopickups.com/prodotto/pba5495/). They come from an Italian small builder, so I am (obviously) biased 🙂: they look nice, but I would like more power if possible, but let's see. Still trying to get something lower price online, if I can. Would love chrome pickups as this one might be nice being fully wood color with chrome (maybe?). Hardware: Looking into finding nice and inexpensive tuners for the neck head: I love the butternknife style machine heads, but, needless to say, budget is limited, and they seem to be costly, so they might really be a no go. Bridge is a standard chrome saddled typical of fender P or J basses. Controls: I would like to have a plate in the back for mounting the controls, that I can design myself, and have only the knobs on the fron of the body to make it look very basic. If any of you have something you do not use and resembles the above items, feel free to offer! Edited January 22 by mrbacco 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Si600 Posted January 22 Share Posted January 22 (edited) OSB flooring returns 😉, have you tried to make a bass out of it yet? Make it a weird shape, like an explorer, or a faceted version of something curvy? What's a butterknife style machine head? Edited January 22 by Si600 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrbacco Posted January 22 Author Share Posted January 22 46 minutes ago, Si600 said: OSB flooring returns 😉, have you tried to make a bass out of it yet? Make it a weird shape, like an explorer, or a faceted version of something curvy? What's a butterknife style machine head? hehee ... OSB ... I genuinely thought of it, and putting on a 10mm top made of ash, or maple ... not kidding I thought about it ... 🙂 ... The body yeah it would be lovely to have something iconic and weird at the same time ... I just have to get rid of my OCD for the bottom part of the body itslef, that has to be even (not like jazz basses for example)....I'm working on it ... thanks man! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrbacco Posted January 22 Author Share Posted January 22 (edited) 2 hours ago, Si600 said: What's a butterknife style machine head? I mean something like the above. I thought their called butterknife as they are chubby as the butterknife. I saw them in the last Fender jazz Adam Clayton issue! Apologize if I named them incorrectly! 🙂 Edited January 22 by mrbacco Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpondonBassed Posted January 22 Share Posted January 22 Lollipops! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrbacco Posted January 22 Author Share Posted January 22 12 minutes ago, SpondonBassed said: Lollipops! thanks for the clarification! 🙂 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpondonBassed Posted January 22 Share Posted January 22 10 minutes ago, mrbacco said: thanks for the clarification! Clarification? Oh. I see what you mean. No. I'm just a diabetic with tourette's. 1 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrbacco Posted January 22 Author Share Posted January 22 (edited) I was casually surfing the internet and found this very vintage RICKENBACKER bass body that might be good for my project? The only thing is that my neck, wjatever neck I chose, is not 2+2, so it might be estetically not nice? Any thoughts? Edited January 22 by mrbacco Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LowB_FTW Posted January 22 Share Posted January 22 Dude, make the bass your own. If it's aesthetically pleasing to you, that's all that matters. Given your brief and the available necks, I'd personally do a Thunderbird-style shape body (this may mess with your wanting to have bottom part of the bass be even) and the left-hand neck, that way it'll be reverse headstock. But this is not my build, it's yours. Mark 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrbacco Posted January 23 Author Share Posted January 23 (edited) damn it ... started the whole process this morning, but nothing went to plan. I might use the attached template: modified telecaster bass body for a 1:1 symmetry between right and left. jigsaw table (made over the weekend) broke down; 2 blades broken, and a huge cut in the slab that I am not sure how to repair. tomorrow is another day ... 😞 Edited January 23 by mrbacco 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted January 24 Share Posted January 24 15 hours ago, mrbacco said: and a huge cut in the slab that I am not sure how to repair Whereabouts? Can you spin the orientation round and 'lose' that in, say, a horn cutaway or similar ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrbacco Posted January 24 Author Share Posted January 24 2 hours ago, Andyjr1515 said: Whereabouts? Can you spin the orientation round and 'lose' that in, say, a horn cutaway or similar ? The blade cut sideways the what would have been the neck support and cavity (red circles), making it smaller portion for the neck to sit in so I'm not sure how that would resist once the neck is in place? Cheers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrbacco Posted January 24 Author Share Posted January 24 Also ... Like. ... I'm blaming the blades, but I should blame my poor skills more. Hahahah ... Anyway ... Lesson learnt! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted January 24 Share Posted January 24 Looking at your drawing, you probably have enough room to move the whole bridge/neck assembly back to give yourself an adequately long neck pocket in the unaffected area. Functionally, the bridge body can be set even at the very back, as long it's not actually overhanging - the Cort Curbow uses that to great effect to get a full scale bass feeling and balancing like a short scale. They are GREAT to play as a result: 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrbacco Posted January 24 Author Share Posted January 24 9 minutes ago, Andyjr1515 said: Looking at your drawing, you probably have enough room to move the whole bridge/neck assembly back to give yourself an adequately long neck pocket in the unaffected area. Functionally, the bridge body can be set even at the very back, as long it's not actually overhanging - the Cort Curbow uses that to great effect to get a full scale bass feeling and balancing like a short scale. They are GREAT to play as a result: OMG ... Grazie @Andyjr1515! If I got you ok, I just move a bit back the whole neck pocket on the body in order to have 100% grip when mounting it, correct? Thanks! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted January 24 Share Posted January 24 6 minutes ago, mrbacco said: OMG ... Grazie @Andyjr1515! If I got you ok, I just move a bit back the whole neck pocket on the body in order to have 100% grip when mounting it, correct? Thanks! Yes - exactly that. Just make sure that you know the dimensions of the bridge plate and bridge position to make sure you can get the saddles and their intonation range covered. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrbacco Posted January 24 Author Share Posted January 24 4 minutes ago, Andyjr1515 said: Yes - exactly that. Just make sure that you know the dimensions of the bridge plate and bridge position to make sure you can get the saddles and their intonation range covered. I have 2 jazz pickups to mount: it would not be a problem if I just squeeze a wee bit the distance between the 2 on the body? Cheers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted January 24 Share Posted January 24 54 minutes ago, mrbacco said: I have 2 jazz pickups to mount: it would not be a problem if I just squeeze a wee bit the distance between the 2 on the body? Cheers! No problem, but the distance from the bridge to the neck isn't going to change. As such, the pickups, in relation to both/either, will also be unchanged. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulThePlug Posted January 24 Share Posted January 24 1 hour ago, Andyjr1515 said: as long it's not actually overhanging... News to 'you know who'... 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrbacco Posted January 24 Author Share Posted January 24 3 minutes ago, PaulThePlug said: News to 'you know who'... would love to hear the story behind this ! 🙂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted January 24 Share Posted January 24 6 minutes ago, Andyjr1515 said: No problem, but the distance from the bridge to the neck isn't going to change. As such, the pickups, in relation to both/either, will also be unchanged. That is, assuming that the pickup chambers haven't been routed yet. The whole neck/pickup/bridge design just shifts back a few cm's: The thing that will need to be looked at is whether you will need to create a deeper lower horn cutaway to give yourself access to the upper frets that may then be unreachable. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulThePlug Posted January 24 Share Posted January 24 8 minutes ago, mrbacco said: would love to hear the story behind this ! 🙂 This fella is a repeat offender... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrbacco Posted January 24 Author Share Posted January 24 3 hours ago, PaulThePlug said: This fella is a repeat offender... Hilarious .... !!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrbacco Posted January 24 Author Share Posted January 24 (edited) 17 hours ago, Andyjr1515 said: That is, assuming that the pickup chambers haven't been routed yet. The whole neck/pickup/bridge design just shifts back a few cm's: The thing that will need to be looked at is whether you will need to create a deeper lower horn cutaway to give yourself access to the upper frets that may then be unreachable. nothing routed already. but some progress today, I have routed the neck by pushing it down a wee bit, and now I might have found a comfortable place for it. Fortunately, this neck, has a shorter bottom than other necks, and the body cavity has a longer base so it helps in fitting the neck better Edited January 25 by mrbacco 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrbacco Posted January 25 Author Share Posted January 25 (edited) a bit of progress today. While the neck seem to fit like that, I have started the shaping of the back control cavity which is not that easy I would say, but it is started at least. I plan to cover it with a 5mm deep wood cover screwed in (or maybe MDF would do?). I was also pleased that, even if the bridge moved a bit backwards as per previous posts, there is still a bit of room between the brodge and the end of the bas bottom, so that I, hopefully, won't be placed in the category "bass guitar serial offenders" hahahahahahahaha. So I screwed it in and checked the straightness of it and the neck the last and first string. And I put it in position. I will wait to route the pickups when I have them, to make sure I will not screw it up ... again!!! haha ... There is still a bit of work to be done in the shaping of the back cavity, and, obviously, in the overall shape of the body! Edited January 25 by mrbacco 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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