A guitar player thinking of making a short scale bass

[rauchman]

Greetings!

I've built a few Warmoth guitars now, and have been contemplating a bass build. I have a later 2000's Fender MIM Precision bass using a P/J pickup set, and like it, but would like to experiment with some flavor of SSB.

The post isn't really about regular length vs SSB length, but more of ....I've never built a bass before, and I'm not as nearly versed in the in's/out's of a bass specific build info vs guitar specific build info.

A long winded way of asking.....

Any watch outs in building a bass vs a guitar?
I'm looking for a relatively easy build, using passive pups. Not looking for pickup wizardry, just regular Vol / Ton and maybe a pickup blender....kind of the same control arrangement as the Fender bass I have.
Is there a recommended bridge layout to use?
Any other recommendations?

Greatly appreciated

 

[rockandroller]

For bass, I like V,V,T controls rather than a blend pot. You will likely need some larger nut files to fine tune the nut! Use a bridge that allows 'quick release' of ball ends for easy string changes ( doesn't require threading thru)... Change of strings = whole new bass!! Rounds vs. flats vs. tapewounds

 

[aarontunes]

When it comes to passive J and P pickups, I've found I much prefer sticking with vintage output versions, as opposed to the "hot". Probably a taste thing, but the hot version always sound too saturated to me.

100% agree about V, V, T, as opposed to a blender pot.

Gotoh 201 or the Badass are perfectly fine bridge options. No need to get more exotic than that.

A lot of basses have the output jack on the pickguard or control plate. I would avoid that and stick with a7/8" side jack hole the body. Again, YMMV. I'm just not a fan of the cord sticking out of the pickguard.

 

[Hodgo]

The build itself is straightforward, biggest difference being that more bass pickups tend to be direct mounted while guitars tend to lean ring/pickguard mounted.

For a SSB do think about string selection. IMHO you want to get a bigger gauge AND a short scale specific string. For my purposes the LaBella Deep Talkin Bass mediums were perfect on my SSB.

Also, just a preference thing, but I think basses are better with the smallest frets possible for intonation, unlike guitars where I like a lot more fret for bending and vibrato.

The Gotoh 201 is nice, a little more mass in the plate than a Fender bent plate without being a full on HiMass/BadAss bridge.

 

[aarontunes]

The build itself is straightforward, biggest difference being that more bass pickups tend to be direct mounted while guitars tend to lean ring/pickguard mounted.

Ah, good point.

You'll likely forget to buy the foam you need for under the pickups, and then have to wait another week for it to arrive before you can start the build.

At least I do.

Every.

Single.

Time.