Self build kits. Anybody done one?

[Newfoundfreedom]

I've been looking at some of the self build threads on here and the workmanship is absolutely superb. Unfortunately I'm not that talented (or at all talented ) when it comes to woodworking. So I've been looking at a couple of the self build kits on eBay and I was wondering if anyone had bought / built one. Now obviously I'm not expecting it to turn out like a top of the range custom. The hardware and pups are obviously going to leave a lot to be desired. But I figured it's a good way of learning how to put a bass together and how everything works without worrying about cocking it up because they're dirt cheap. 

Any thoughts? 

This is the kind of thing I'm looking at, but they do several different styles.

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.de%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F312030024212

 

 

[Andytre]

heres the one i got as a gift 

 

https://www.gear4music.com/Guitar-and-Bass/LA-Electric-Bass-Guitar-DIY-Kit/PZY?origin=product-ads&campaign=PLA+Shop+-+GENERIC&adgroup=GENERIC&medium=vertical_search&network=google&merchant_id=1279443&product_id=33694d1&product_country=GB&product_partition_id=147054415958&gclid=CjwKCAjw2rjcBRBuEiwAheKeL3fLXk1DI-ZNCbP6ocMwkbdCQiBEqOShXh30hO4fyE8cqJmSRQkenBoCEVoQAvD_BwE 

 

easy to build and quite enjoyable really, the hardware needs upgrading if anything, but i like PUP thats comes with so used it. biggest pain to me was painting and finishing but it turned out well. i'll upload a picture when i find one

[Newfoundfreedom]

3 minutes ago, Andytre said:

heres the one i got as a gift 

 

https://www.gear4music.com/Guitar-and-Bass/LA-Electric-Bass-Guitar-DIY-Kit/PZY?origin=product-ads&campaign=PLA+Shop+-+GENERIC&adgroup=GENERIC&medium=vertical_search&network=google&merchant_id=1279443&product_id=33694d1&product_country=GB&product_partition_id=147054415958&gclid=CjwKCAjw2rjcBRBuEiwAheKeL3fLXk1DI-ZNCbP6ocMwkbdCQiBEqOShXh30hO4fyE8cqJmSRQkenBoCEVoQAvD_BwE 

 

easy to build and quite enjoyable really, the hardware needs upgrading if anything, but i like PUP thats comes with so used it. biggest pain to me was painting and finishing but it turned out well. i'll upload a picture when i find one

Yeah I'd love to see a picture of the finished article. Cheers. 

[EliasMooseblaster]

I've been playing a kit-build Precision since 2001 - for several years it was my only bass! Bought mine from Brandoni Guitars in North London, and it turned out to be a really good instrument. I refurbished it a couple of years ago - details and some pictures at https://ralphbeeby.wordpress.com/2015/07/22/precision-bass-refurb/ if you're interested! As Andytre says, you may want to upgrade some of the components, but when you consider how much money you save on the kit, it doesn't seem like such a shame to splash out on a nicer pickup, for example.

If I were to do it again, I would also invest some of that saved money in getting it professionally set up. I really didn't know what I was doing when I built mine, and the neck is slightly bowed after years of stupidly high action and no truss rod adjustments. Still a great instrument, though, and still getting extensive use (I used in on Cherry White's last single, if you wanted to hear it in action... https://cherrywhite.bandcamp.com/track/broken-land)

[DarkHeart]

I`m still waiting for mine to clear customs, it took less time to get from Australia to the UK than it`s taking to get from the South to the North East!

[Newfoundfreedom]

23 minutes ago, DarkHeart said:

I`m still waiting for mine to clear customs, it took less time to get from Australia to the UK than it`s taking to get from the South to the North East!

Yeah that's a good point. I was looking at UK based ones but they're more expensive. Probably just the same Chinese ones imported with the middle man's cut tacked on. 

The one I posted the link to is in Germany and I'm based in Bulgaria so that's probably the best bet. Getting anything through customs here from China can be an absolute nightmare. 

[Newfoundfreedom]

37 minutes ago, EliasMooseblaster said:

I've been playing a kit-build Precision since 2001 - for several years it was my only bass! Bought mine from Brandoni Guitars in North London, and it turned out to be a really good instrument. I refurbished it a couple of years ago - details and some pictures at https://ralphbeeby.wordpress.com/2015/07/22/precision-bass-refurb/ if you're interested! As Andytre says, you may want to upgrade some of the components, but when you consider how much money you save on the kit, it doesn't seem like such a shame to splash out on a nicer pickup, for example.

If I were to do it again, I would also invest some of that saved money in getting it professionally set up. I really didn't know what I was doing when I built mine, and the neck is slightly bowed after years of stupidly high action and no truss rod adjustments. Still a great instrument, though, and still getting extensive use (I used in on Cherry White's last single, if you wanted to hear it in action... https://cherrywhite.bandcamp.com/track/broken-land)

Great write up. Thanks. Love the single too. 

[Geek99]

1 hour ago, Newfoundfreedom said:

I've been looking at some of the self build threads on here and the workmanship is absolutely superb. Unfortunately I'm not that talented (or at all talented ) when it comes to woodworking. So I've been looking at a couple of the self build kits on eBay and I was wondering if anyone had bought / built one. Now obviously I'm not expecting it to turn out like a top of the range custom. The hardware and pups are obviously going to leave a lot to be desired. But I figured it's a good way of learning how to put a bass together and how everything works without worrying about cocking it up because they're dirt cheap. 

Any thoughts? 

This is the kind of thing I'm looking at, but they do several different styles.

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.de%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F312030024212

 

 

this come sup quite often, I suggest you do a forum search for old posts 

[dlloyd]

1 hour ago, EliasMooseblaster said:

I've been playing a kit-build Precision since 2001 - for several years it was my only bass! Bought mine from Brandoni Guitars in North London, and it turned out to be a really good instrument. I refurbished it a couple of years ago - details and some pictures at https://ralphbeeby.wordpress.com/2015/07/22/precision-bass-refurb/ if you're interested! As Andytre says, you may want to upgrade some of the components, but when you consider how much money you save on the kit, it doesn't seem like such a shame to splash out on a nicer pickup, for example.

If I were to do it again, I would also invest some of that saved money in getting it professionally set up. I really didn't know what I was doing when I built mine, and the neck is slightly bowed after years of stupidly high action and no truss rod adjustments. Still a great instrument, though, and still getting extensive use (I used in on Cherry White's last single, if you wanted to hear it in action... https://cherrywhite.bandcamp.com/track/broken-land)

If you're going to the effort of self building, another good investment would be to buy this book and learn how to do the tinkering yourself... I have an earlier edition and it has pretty much all the information you need to do a decent setup. 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Make-Your-Electric-Guitar-Great/dp/0879309989

[Newfoundfreedom]

14 minutes ago, Geek99 said:

this come sup quite often, I suggest you do a forum search for old posts 

I'm sure you're right. But as any search on here inevitably brings up about sixty thirteen bubzillion hits then getting the info you want is not always easy. 

Anyhow, I'm sure pretty much every subject under the sun has been covered on here at one time or another. If people don't post just because a subject may have been covered before it wouldn't be much of an active forum now would it? 

 

[Twincam]

Ive built a few kits from various places. 

Normally easy and straight forward. It does help if you can set up a instrument properly. On some there were high frets, nuts cut incorrectly normally high which is better than too low. Easy for me to sort out but might cause issues for others. There were sometimes other minor issues. With cheaper kits sometimes you can find a part missing or screw holes not as they should be. 

If you want a cheap one but with good after sales Thomann have them and when I got a body that screw holes were not fully aligned for the bridge making the bridge off by a few degrees (nothing really) they kindly sent me a new body. There pretty good at sorting things quickly if your polite.

Of course any cheap kit don't expect to much. But you should end up with a actual playable instrument that you can upgrade. Tuners are normally not great but serviceable and same with the bridge, cheapo pick guards, cheap control knobs. Electrics are simple and normally reliable but using the cheapest pots etc so probably won't stand up to a world tour lol. Lack of control cavity shielding so extra shielding recommended shielding paint is imo easier to apply than shielding tape, kitchen foil. Pickups are again cheap and cheerful some have slight microphonics but are a easy and simple first upgrade. Some are part finished so you can paint over them without much prep work. I recommend maybe just oiling the body and neck for a first time build tru oil etc keeping it simple. And of course you need to cut the headstock to shape, for simplicity you could just cut and round the corners if you don't fancy really getting into shaping it. 

I know I've said everything is cheap but it's actually surprising how decent they can sound, p basses and simpler designs turn out better than more ambitious ones. Unless you are paying more. Oh to add some p bass kits come with cricket bat necks, jazz ones are a better bet if your prefer a thinner neck. 

[Newfoundfreedom]

17 minutes ago, Twincam said:

Ive built a few kits from various places. 

Normally easy and straight forward. It does help if you can set up a instrument properly. On some there were high frets, nuts cut incorrectly normally high which is better than too low. Easy for me to sort out but might cause issues for others. There were sometimes other minor issues. With cheaper kits sometimes you can find a part missing or screw holes not as they should be. 

If you want a cheap one but with good after sales Thomann have them and when I got a body that screw holes were not fully aligned for the bridge making the bridge off by a few degrees (nothing really) they kindly sent me a new body. There pretty good at sorting things quickly if your polite.

Of course any cheap kit don't expect to much. But you should end up with a actual playable instrument that you can upgrade. Tuners are normally not great but serviceable and same with the bridge, cheapo pick guards, cheap control knobs. Electrics are simple and normally reliable but using the cheapest pots etc so probably won't stand up to a world tour lol. Lack of control cavity shielding so extra shielding recommended shielding paint is imo easier to apply than shielding tape, kitchen foil. Pickups are again cheap and cheerful some have slight microphonics but are a easy and simple first upgrade. Some are part finished so you can paint over them without much prep work. I recommend maybe just oiling the body and neck for a first time build tru oil etc keeping it simple. And of course you need to cut the headstock to shape, for simplicity you could just cut and round the corners if you don't fancy really getting into shaping it. 

I know I've said everything is cheap but it's actually surprising how decent they can sound, p basses and simpler designs turn out better than more ambitious ones. Unless you are paying more. Oh to add some p bass kits come with cricket bat necks, jazz ones are a better bet if your prefer a thinner neck. 

Great. Thanks for the comprehensive answer. I never thought of buying one from Thomann. That would be ideal. 

Edited September 4, 2018 by Newfoundfreedom

[Geek99]

19 hours ago, Newfoundfreedom said:

I'm sure you're right. But as any search on here inevitably brings up about sixty thirteen bubzillion hits then getting the info you want is not always easy. 

Anyhow, I'm sure pretty much every subject under the sun has been covered on here at one time or another. If people don't post just because a subject may have been covered before it wouldn't be much of an active forum now would it? 

 

This quite helpful amongst other results