building: homebrew basses - show-off those homemade beauties

[Rodent]

what have all y'all been building lately? here's your opportunity to let the world know what you've been working on out in the shop

all the best,

R

[Rodent]

here's my first nitro finished body



the new owner requested a Tort pickguard instead of the original white Pearloid




Specs:

* Alder select 2-piece body, 1-5/8" thick, finished in Vintage White Nitro
* Maple/Rosewood J-bass style neck (1-1/2" nut width) with single-action trussrod
* Hipshot Vintage bent plate bridge, 19mm spacing
* Hipshot Ultralights and de-tuner
* Nordstrand NP-4 split-coil P-bass pickup
* CTS 250K ohm pots, Orange Drop .047uf cap, Switchcraft jack
* Dunlop straplocks
* full shielding
* Rotosound strings


Simplicity at it's finest - the sound of the is huge, and has all of that hollow grind you'd expect from a classic P-bass. The Ultralights reduce headstock weight so that this balances perfectly

I have a similar bass coming that is near identical in specs, but it will be finished in Dauphine Blue with a white Pearloid pickguard and Maple/Birdseye neck

all the best,

R

[Rodent]

a bass from last year ...





Specs:

* Alder select 2-piece body, 1-5/8" thick, finished in gloss Black Nitro
* Maple/Birdseye 21-fret neck (1-9/16" nut width) with zero-fret, bone nut, and dual-action trussrod
* Leo Quan BAII bridge, 19mm spacing
* Hipshot Ultralights and de-tuner
* Hammon Engineering Darkstar pickup
* CTS 250K ohm pots, Orange Drop .047uf cap, Switchcraft jack
* Dunlop straplocks
* full shielding
* D'Addario strings

Everything you'd expect in a Darkstar loaded P-bass, with the added benefit of having the open strings sound like fretted notes thanks to the zero-fret. This one goes from totally in your face to round and full bottom with the turn of the tone knob

all the best,

R

[Rodent]

a build from 2006 (that seems sooo long ago) ...




Specs:

* Alder select 2-piece body, 1-5/8" thick, extended lower cut-away, finished with TruOil
* Maple/Birdseye 20-fret neck (1-9/16" nut width) with zero-fret, bone nut, and dual-action trussrod
* custom designed pickguard
* Hipshot Vintage bent plate bridge, 18mm spacing
* Hipshot Ultralights and de-tuner
* Hammon Engineering Darkstar pickup
* CTS 250K ohm pots, Orange Drop .047uf cap, Switchcraft jack
* Dunlop straplocks
* full shielding
* D'Addario strings

Vintage vibe combined with the earth shaking rumble of a Darkstar - nice!

all the best,

R

[Rodent]

here's what can be done utilizing pre-finished parts and a little customizing ...





Specs:

* Warmoth Deluxe 5 Ash P-bass body
* Warmoth Deluxe 5 Maple/Maple 22-fret neck
* custom Nordstrand SCPB single-coil pickup (neck) and Big Single (bridge)
* CTS stacked pots (V/T + V/T configuration)
* Hipshot Ultralight tuners
* Hipshot Vintage bent plate bridge
* custom pickguard design

Nordstrand did a stellar job in replicating a SCPB pickup to original specs - but in a 5-string flavor. The sound on this is huge and tight

all the best,

R

[Rodent]

here's one I have in the works, and once the piezo system is finalized I'll have this wrapped up and ready to roll





Specs:

* chambered sandwich body of (top to back) Black Walnut crotch, Spanish Cedar, Walnut veneer, Mahogany, Walnut veneer, Spanish Cedar, and Black Walnut, 1-5/8" thick, clear poly finish
* Maple / Pau Ferro fretless neck, dual-action trussros, and Ebony nut
* Darkstar magnetic pickup
* piezo bridge saddle pickup (exact model TDB)
* pre-amp buffer (exact model TDB)
* Hipshot Ultralight tuners
* Rosewood acoustic style bridge with thru-body stringing (for visual effect of the end pins)
* V/V/T knob configuration
* Dunlop straplocks
* gold hardware

This is one of my new body designs that is in process of becoming a standard model, but note that the headstock design will definitely change on the production model. The bass balances well and has a great "bonk tone" to it, so I'm excited to hear this in its soon to be amplified state. I'll also note that this would have been completed about six months ago, but the original piezo system wasn't wanting to work with the pre-amp buffer so I've had to take a new route.

This bolt-on model already has a 5-string cousin in the works, and will also be my first lefty bass model to enter production. I see this being a flagship model that will utilize highly figured woods and sandwich lay-ups for its construction.

all the best,

R

[Rodent]

getting really, really close on this one. had to take another piezo strategy - hopefully this time it's the ticket

when the L.R. Baggs piezo arrives (same set-up as in the Godin here: http://www.godinguitars.com/godina4p.htm) I'll get it installed in the bridge and connect it to a Cafe Walter preamp/buffer. final controls will be Volume + Blend + Tone (passive)

(wood color is off in the full bass images, closeups have more accurate colors)




all the best,

R

[SubsonicAssault]

here's what can be done utilizing pre-finished parts and a little customizing ...





Specs:

* Warmoth Deluxe 5 Ash P-bass body
* Warmoth Deluxe 5 Maple/Maple 22-fret neck
* custom Nordstrand SCPB single-coil pickup (neck) and Big Single (bridge)
* CTS stacked pots (V/T + V/T configuration)
* Hipshot Ultralight tuners
* Hipshot Vintage bent plate bridge
* custom pickguard design

Nordstrand did a stellar job in replicating a SCPB pickup to original specs - but in a 5-string flavor. The sound on this is huge and tight

all the best,

R

THIS IS KILLER! I LOVE IT! AWESOME JOB!

[danomite64]

Nice stuff; too bad they're all righties! I especially like your original design. I've put together a few myself, and one time even cut and routed my own body, but never have I made a neck.

[Rodent]

thanks D

I believe the righty only problem is being resolved, but not soon enough IMO

for the original design above - I really, really need a better headstock design for it ... something a little Smith-esque, in that I'd like it to have an angled 2+2 headstock (or 2+3 for the 5-string version) that is more 'rectangular'. I've worked on this headstock design for over a year now, but I haven't come up with one that really excites me. and I'll admit what most builders say only in private - it's significantly easier to design a nicely flowing body ... but designing a killer headstock is really, really tough due to all of the physical and mechanical contraints in such a small size

all the best,

R

[andrew]

I personally think headstock shape is really important to the overall look of the bass too. There are lots of basses that sour me on them by having an ugly shaped headstock.

If you have any headstock shapes in mind Rod post them on the board if you're interested in getting others opinions on the designs.

[Rodent]

just getting back from a business trip to Philly. I'll start a new topic on this ...

all the best,

R

[pjmuck]

I personally think headstock shape is really important to the overall look of the bass too. There are lots of basses that sour me on them by having an ugly shaped headstock.

I agree. I think that's the only thing keeping me from getting a G&L.

[andrew]

While it was a bit plain looking, I definitely preferred the look of the original G+L headstock.
The little dippity-doo on the bottom of the current headstock looks out of place.

[Rodent]

had time to work on this one today, and have most everything ready to roll. I still need to wire-up the Cafe Walter pre and the Baggs piezo, and then cut the nut

here's what it looks like with everything all together






the chambered body really allows this fretless to sing acoustically - definitely no need for a practice amp when playing this one late at night after the family has all gone to bed

all the best,

R

[Rodent]

I got the nut cut for this one late this afternoon. still a little tweaking, but progress none the less

earlier this afternoon I was about 75% completed with roughing the nut when I took this image. all of the slots are properly spaced and fine tuned for depth so that fingering the first position note requires the same pressure as fingering a third or fifth position note



I like to leave excess material on the edges so that I have additional reinforcement that aids in keeping the edge from chipping off while filing the string slots

I still needed to remove a little height so that the strings aren't buried so deep, and then trim the edges and work them smooth with the neck ... then it's time to finish sand this and give it a bit of finish before gluing it in place

fast forward to early this evening after returning from a COSTCO run ...

here's the nut as it stands tonight - 99% completed.





I could feel a little fatigue setting in, so learning from past mistakes ... I quit for the night. too many times I felt fatigue and forced myself to push through it, only to find myself stopping for the night when I snapped end ear off the nut (or worse!)

the treble side still needs a little attention to round it a tad more, and this needs a coats of oil and CA in the bottom of the slots

all the best,

R

[0vid]

One of my main go to basses. Spalted top and back, sapele core. Alembic MXY pickups, alembic filter circuit, Neutrik locking socket. Graphite neck, Ebay steal - a used Status Graphite neck. ABM hardware,

[0vid]

My fly bass. Sapele core, flamed maple top and back. Maple fretted neck, stained black. Pic shows bass just after it was finished, one pickup, It now has two. Pickups are Alembic J activators. Preamp was one of mine, but it now has Alembic filters in it. Neutrik locking socket.

Very light, very articulate sound.

[0vid]

My tele bass! Neck dives but I play this sitting down. My most versatile bass tone wise..... Maple neck. Maple top and back, Ash core. Pickups are Bartolini MMCs, preamp is a Bartolini NTBT. Each pickup switches from Series/Single/parallel. Had Kent Armstrong pickups first, but the Barts are better, the single coil sounds more like a J bass, and the MM sounds like a Stingray. No Neutrik socket on this one. hmmmm. I should put one on. Strings go through body but frankly there is no gain in this sonically.

[andrew]

Man, that tele bass looks killer ovid, and welcome to the board!