Precision Build Guide

[Powertripper]

Hi. I've got a whole bunch of basses and have been playing for 13-odd years now, and I'm frustrated about how little I reliably know about everything technical beyond the basics of my instruments - I can do a very basic setup and external maintenance, but have little confidence with everything else. I usually ended up posting questions on here or other sites if I can't find clear explanation elsewhere, but now I want to dive in and just build a f*cking bass myself to really start the understand it somewhat better. I can't see the point in paying for a build kit when there's so many cheapo P-basses always popping up, so I'm just gonna acquire a broken or cheap P and then harvest the remaining required parts from elsewhere and crack on. I'm gonna Frankenstein it and not consider it a working bass, so am gonna have fun with it and not too precious.

Anyway, I've seen a lot of the build diaries on the 'Tube and here, but can anyone recommend a build guide for me? A book, video, or anything, that goes through it in an at-least-vaguely-understandable way?

Danke

[Paul S]

Doesn't cover building but I find this very useful.

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[SpondonBassed]

20 minutes ago, Powertripper said:

Anyway, I've seen a lot of the build diaries on the 'Tube and here, but can anyone recommend a build guide for me? A book, video, or anything, that goes through it in an at-least-vaguely-understandable way?

Even if you aren't buying one of their kits I can recommend you look at PitBull Guitars' clips.

They have a number of useful short videos using methods and tooling that are easy to pick-up.  My own kit build is linked from my signature file (below, unless you're on a mobile thingy).

[Reggaebass]

You will have great fun stripping down a P bass and upgrading it , I’ve done it and it was a really good learning curve, I used google and YouTube mainly, I had upgraded a few jazzes but really enjoyed the P,       my only suggestion would be to buy a fender, that way it makes it easier to source the parts. This is my one I’ve nearly finished, it’s a 22 year old body, my favourite old jazz neck, tonerider pickups , vintage bridge, and a kiogon loom , I love it .    I’m sure  @Cuzzie can offer some good advice, he’s more experienced than myself and he has done some nice builds 🙂

[Paul S]

Ki0gon loom is a great call as the screw terminal mean lightening quick pickup changes and, for shaky old hands like mine, no soldering!  I had a bitsa and tried out all manner of pups until I got the one that sounded right for me.

[Reggaebass]

13 minutes ago, Paul S said:

Ki0gon loom is a great call as the screw terminal mean lightening quick pickup changes and, for shaky old hands like mine, no soldering!  I had a bitsa and tried out all manner of pups until I got the one that sounded right for me.

Yeah definitely Paul, I also got John to rewire my stack knob controls for my jazz with screw terminals , while I was trying out different pickups, it’s so easy now.

[Cuzzie]

Cheers @Reggaebass

@Powertripper where are you based? There may be some kindly folk near you who will either have a build going to watch or can help with a build.

My first build I went massively in the deep end and just did it, and that was a graphite neck on a nice USA alder body!

Honestly I sat in wait for a body on eBay, gumtree, Facebook that spoke to me, got it in and started to work!

I’ve refurbed cracked bodies (got one for postage only!) refinished others. What can be good are people who have tried to take on a project and got bored, then you can jump in and finish their work off.

Kiogon is good, but I wanted to solder, you can practice on any old thing just soldering to see what works to get skills up so that when you really need to do it, it’s a breeze - I like the smell of solder.

I think just have a clear goal in mind - if you want a P, do a P and pop things together, that’s what I did a couple of.

Then I routed a jazz bass to fit Rickenbacker pick ups in once I got more confident.

Tried wood staining and refinishing and relicing, I now have a blank P body bass where I can decide my own pick up placement, and will eventually make my own shape from wood.

Good tools are a must and can be bought second hand some of them.

I recommend a Pillar drill decent ones for about £100 can be got, it’s a godsend especially for drilling holes in a neck, FET some callipers for measuring, helps with neck pocket work. A dremel is not a bad tool for various things.

Inhave sold a couple bitsa’s for cost price (not including my time) but most things I did as I wanted a specific sound, electronics hardware combo, but scour adverts for bits and bobs and it will come.

for example on eBay there is a decent Fender Jap Jazz body for about 165, pop a neck - very good bass. There are also cheaper bodies to do more messing about with.

 

 

There are mine, the graphite neck bitsa was my first, honestly it’s not meant as a self promotion pat on my back, but I am happy to talk about any part of what I did, you can pm me, or talk on here no bother.

The Build thread is invaluable for tips and you have guys like @Jabba_the_gut and @Andyjr1515who are phenomenal actual builders

[Owen]

On 24/02/2020 at 18:15, Powertripper said:

but now I want to dive in and just build 

Do it for all of us who wish we could!!!!