Official Luthiers Forum!

I was directed to this forum becouse a dude said you were pros at this kind of thing.

Quote "The other forum i was directed from"
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Hallo!

I got so much insperation from a bass, that i must build my own if the price is right.

My plan is to build a bass that is fretless and passive and mine!. I have some useful tools in my dads private workshop thingy not all i need, but the most, but the question is the money and how. I know the prices on pick ups and the whole electronic things but how do i start? Any good tutorials for fretless, passive basses?

Scetch: (yes i know its very like a wishbass that i have just quoted but its so beautiful).


-Neck wood: Bocote and Brazilian Rosewood.
-Body: Wenge

Yes i know it will be one heavy bass but its for sitting down with..
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Love & Peace Linkert.

Linkert - Sounds like an interesting project. See if you can find a copy of Melvyn Hiscock's "Make your own electric guitar". (Amazon's price is very good.) This has a wealth of information for building solid body instruments.

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Jim Kirby
kirby@udel.edu

Linkert...Like Jim said...Melvyn's book is pretty good. I used the book to get me pointed in the right direction. Years ago I put several basses together both fretted and fretless. I would say if money is an issue then making your own bass may not be as cheap as you think. There are many hidden costs besides just the hardware and wood. If you need to buy supplies to finishing, special tools, router bits it will start to add up. HOWEVER, if you are interested in the whole process I have found that basses I built were excellent for the money spent. I have found the best place to start is to make a full size sketch of the bass. Get the shape worked out...it can be a challange to take a concept to full scale. This should help you understand how much wood you will need and the general size of the instrument. The sketch can also serve as a template for cutting out the body. It looks like you are planning a neck through body design? 4 or 5 string? If you are interested I may have some hardware that I would be willing to part with fairly inexpensively. Let me know what you are looking for.

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Brad
Avon, OH

Roger that!
I will check if that book is available on the librairy. if not then i will try to get it from some were else (i live in sweden so amazon is not to good)

Linkert: remember Amazon.co.uk. Or email Melvyn directly (a google should turn up) to see if he knows of any places in Sweden that stock the book. Defitienly buy it, though.

Brad's right, though; don't build instruments because you want to save money. Also, bocote and brazillian rosewood? First of all, yikes, heavy, and secondly, brazilian's absurdly decadent for a bass neck, IMO. With a singlecut design with a headstock you also have to be very careful about balance; bass necks are long, tuning machines not that light, the woods you want to use are downright heavy, very, very, very heavy, so the body join should be at least around 12th fret, I'd wager.

Personally, I'd cap something a bit lighter (limba, walnut, ash) with Wenge rather than going solid wenge on the body.

I would perhaps start on something just to work out bugs! There can be complications in new designs. You don't mention if you have any experience.

     The first electrics I worked on were real klunkers! Rather than go with the nice woods first maybe go mahogany or ash.

     I will say I really like your design and hope it turn out exceptional!

Wishbasses are the Best!!!!

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Billy Dean Thomas
Covina, CA

"Multi famam, conscientiam, pauci verentur."
(Many fear their reputation, few their conscience)

kinda looks like this one a friend and I built in the early 90's .. ripped off a Fodera Anthony Kackson model

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Tony Karol
www.karol-guitars.com
"let my passion .. fulfill yours"