Esoterics of building quality musical instruments

[Hodgo]

Scary thought that I might have to build X number of instruments before I get it right, especially as it's more involved than hanging a door haha.

I gotta say that watching a bunch of Aaron's videos have boosted my confidence that I just might be able to do a decent build. Vids like what to do while waiting for your parts to arrive, drilling holes, soldering, etc.. Each successive video has been amping up my confidence. That's 14 weeks of lead time that I can put to use in preparation. Thanks Aaron!

Per these SSB's, I watched videos of a guy who built one but flipped the headstock so as to expand his choices of strings. I guess that the little bit of extra length for the low E string can make a difference? What do y'all think? Necessary or no? I plan to slap on some decent flatwound strings and forget about it.

I used the short scale, medium tension La Bella Deep Talkin Flats on my SSB and called it a day too. Here’s where the wrapped parts line up on a 30” scale.

 

[stollie]

Below are some of the selections I've made at Warmoth's site that are in my wishlist. Both body and neck are to come fully finished.
Please confirm if these are solid choices. Thanks!

Because of the lead time, I'm debating whether to put in the order for the body & neck asap. Then I could go after the rest of the materials in a more leisurely way.

SSB, J-style body, alder
Control Cavity Rear Rout (I want as little as possible on the face of the bass)
Neck Pickup Rout J Bass® Neck 4-String (3-5/8")
Bridge Pickup Rout J Bass® Bridge 4-String (3-3/4")
Controls Volume 1, Volume 2, Tone 1. I did NOT select the the 4th controls check box, Input
Jack Rout 7/8" (22mm) Side Jack Hole
Bridge Rout Gotoh 201
SSB Neck Pocket (there were 2 other choices in the drop down, both concerning no mounting holes)

Short Scale Warhead Bass Neck: Maple with Rosewood fretboard

 

[rockandroller]

Looking good!

 

[stratamania]

Below are some of the selections I've made at Warmoth's site that are in my wishlist. Both body and neck are to come fully finished.
Please confirm if these are solid choices. Thanks!

Because of the lead time, I'm debating whether to put in the order for the body & neck asap. Then I could go after the rest of the materials in a more leisurely way.

SSB, J-style body, alder
Control Cavity Rear Rout (I want as little as possible on the face of the bass)
Neck Pickup Rout J Bass® Neck 4-String (3-5/8")
Bridge Pickup Rout J Bass® Bridge 4-String (3-3/4")
Controls Volume 1, Volume 2, Tone 1. I did NOT select the the 4th controls check box, Input
Jack Rout 7/8" (22mm) Side Jack Hole
Bridge Rout Gotoh 201
SSB Neck Pocket (there were 2 other choices in the drop down, both concerning no mounting holes)

Short Scale Warhead Bass Neck: Maple with Rosewood fretboard

It looks okay to me what is visible, though you might want to order a neck plate, neck screws and neck plate pad and other basic hardware in the same order.

One other thing to consider is if you were to go with EMG Active J pickups, which have solderless cable connections, you would then benefit from a battery box rout. The EMGs would mean you have no soldering to be concerned with, and they will have a good dynamic range with them over and above passives.

Which frets etc for the neck are you thinking of. Also, it is worth considering neck wood such as roasted maple or one of the other exotic woods which do not require a finish for smoother playability.

Summary: refine the final overall requirements and parts list to make sure all the choices are aligned with the intended parts for the overall design. Waiting a little longer to finalise the design and parts choices before placing the order will avoid a possible oversight.

 

[stollie]

Stratamania, I'll follow your & Mitch's advice per parts that fit, adding the neck plate pad as well.

get the body, neck, bridge, neck bolts, neck plate, jack plate and jack from Warmoth. This guarantees that everything will fit together perfectly. Be sure to get the body routed to the specs of the bridge your choose.

I'm going with the Gotoh 201 bridge so I chose the same rout in the specs.

A friend of mine knows a guy who techs for some major New Jersey musicians. He'll let me know if the guy will assemble & tweak the bass. I'll be happy to spend the extra $$ for that. If it's a go, I'll ask the guy about suggestions for pickups.

Neck: roasted maple with rosewood fretboard
Frets: SS6105 - Narrow & Tall (Stainless)
Tuner hole size: Schaller BML Lite 11/16" (17mm) is the only option, tho I prefer cloverleaf tuners. Perhaps I can find 17mm cloverleaf elsewhere, preferably light weight.
Tusq XL nut

 

[stratamania]

@stollie many thanks.

That's a good choice for frets and nut. Of course, the tuner holes only have one option for the SSB neck. And roasted maple, you do not need to have a finish.

 

[TBurst Std]

Check Hipshot for LW tuners. I believe they have a model that will fit that hole. Email (rather than use the web) and ask them.
I'd say go for the battery box (make it a double) route to just decrease weight.

You haven't I recall mentioned if you are going 30 or 32 on the scale length.

 

[stollie]

I spec'd a vintage nitro finish for the neck, figuring that an unfinished neck might get blotchy in spots from the oils in my hands.

I'm going with 30" which should serve me well.

Not sure what's going on with my right shoulder. Very achy when I'm in bed but totally fine during the day. I'm fit for my age and train with barbell weights but don't overtrain. I've held back on training and playing the bass for a couple of weeks but the nightly shoulder pain persists. No medical issues whatsoever so I'm hoping it'll go away just as suddenly as it came.

I'm only bringing this up with you guitar and bass guys just in case someone has had similar issue.

I try to use good posture when playing, use a strap and elevate my leg a bit when sitting and playing.

 

[Hodgo]

Tuner hole size: Schaller BML Lite 11/16" (17mm) is the only option, tho I prefer cloverleaf tuners. Perhaps I can find 17mm cloverleaf elsewhere, preferably light weight.

If you can find a used set of Fender 006-3547-000 American Deluxe tuners they should be a direct fit.

 

[Hodgo]

Also it’s like $10-15 upcharge to ask Warmoth for an extra light body. Alder, roasted alder, basswood would all be good choices.

 

[TBurst Std]

I spec'd a vintage nitro finish for the neck, figuring that an unfinished neck might get blotchy in spots from the oils in my hands.

I'm going with 30" which should serve me well.

Not sure what's going on with my right shoulder. Very achy when I'm in bed but totally fine during the day. I'm fit for my age and train with barbell weights but don't overtrain. I've held back on training and playing the bass for a couple of weeks but the nightly shoulder pain persists. No medical issues whatsoever so I'm hoping it'll go away just as suddenly as it came.

I'm only bringing this up with you guitar and bass guys just in case someone has had similar issue.

I try to use good posture when playing, use a strap and elevate my leg a bit when sitting and playing.

Well there’s your remedy. Don’t go to bed LOL

 

[Tretgeraet]

I spec'd a vintage nitro finish for the neck, figuring that an unfinished neck might get blotchy in spots from the oils in my hands.

The main advantage that roasted maple has over "regular" maple is that it doesn't need a finish. You can put a finish on roasted maple, if that is what you want, but then you pay a $55 upcharge purely for a (rather small) aesthetic difference. Just saying...

But I gotta say, I tend to get very sweaty, oily hands myself and after over a year with a lot of sweaty playing, my first (unfinished!) Warmoth roasted maple neck still looks and feels as good as new!

Aaron also did a video on "burnishing" necks...

 

[stollie]

My hands are quite the opposite so I'll drop the finish. That $$ can go to better use somewhere else.

 

[Mitch]

My hands are quite the opposite so I'll drop the finish. That $$ can go to better use somewhere else.

Roasted maple does not need to be finished. I have two that I use weekly for practice and gigs. They still look the same as new. Your only problem now is waiting for the wizards at Warmoth to manufacture the parts. My original post says that you need patience. That includes the waiting.

 

[casper100]

This is good advice.

Your first time out, don't drain the bank account on crazy-expensive options throughout. I'm talking things like AAA flame maple neck and body with binding on both, plus expensive inlays, etc. Instead keep those things simple or forego them entirely. Just get a solid color, no binding, no figured woods. Keep the frills to a minimum. Or, if you absolutely want that stuff, buy the parts and let someone with more experience build it.

The truth is, most of the things that make a guitar or bass perfect for you are "invisible". Those are the things to focus on:

All good advice. And advice that I ignored. My first build I got an unfinished Warmoth body, sourced my own lam top and got a Warmoth neck with no frets so I could do my own inlays. I'll say that it was 9 months of humbling frustrations but ultimately I built a guitar like no other. It looks beautiful, plays beautifully and when people step into my music room, its the first guitar they go to. So I am glad I went through the trouble and made something uniquely my own.

 

[Rick]

When playing sitting down ...
Footstool, fits in gig bag

Favorite Strap
Sun strap ... they had a run of the brown ones that were upside down, I suppose in Australia they would've looked right, so I think that's way they are unavailable (currently in 11/2025).

 

[stollie]

Figure I'll get as many parts as I can from Warmoth, but how can I know for sure I'm picking the right stuff? Should I compile a list of SKU numbers and ask a Warmoth customer service rep if these will work together? Suggestions?

I'm going with the Gotoh bridge, and I imagine that stuff like neck bolts, neck plate, jack plate, and jack may be obvious, but perhaps not.

What about the electronic parts, which I know nothing about? What I know about pots is that they cook my food haha.

 

[aarontunes]

Figure I'll get as many parts as I can from Warmoth, but how can I know for sure I'm picking the right stuff? Should I compile a list of SKU numbers and ask a Warmoth customer service rep if these will work together? Suggestions?

I'm going with the Gotoh bridge, and I imagine that stuff like neck bolts, neck plate, jack plate, and jack may be obvious, but perhaps not.

What about the electronic parts, which I know nothing about? What I know about pots is that they cook my food haha.

Yes, you can always call Warmoth and we'll be happy to walk you through.

But.....and hear me out......you can also ask your questions here!!! The communal pool of guitar knowledge here is pretty deep. I'd wager any questions you have will get answered muy pronto. So go ahead: list all the parts you've chosen. The gang here will get you sailing straight.

And there's also this:

 

[Hagwood]

What about the electronic parts, which I know nothing about? What I know about pots is that they cook my food haha.

I think @rockandroller suggestion on going with EMG makes a lot of sense for a first build. I had never used them before until my Meadowhawk build, and it almost felt like cheating..... Super easy, great instructions and sound great too. It will give you a good understanding of how everything works and some hands on experience for when you want to expand on your next build. (And there will be a next build......)

 

[Hagwood]

I think the same way and then folks like @Hagwood go and make my jaw fall to the floor and my solid colors look pedestrian in contrast

LOL, I appreciate that. I do like solid colors too, as I am doing my 'Vintage Fender Colors based on Automobiles' series, but honestly I find painting solid colors more difficult that dyeing figured woods and spraying clear. The easiest to me is an oil or wax finish over raw wood, like I did with the Rosewood Soloist. Obviously you can get them already painted from Warmoth, but I really enjoy the finishing process. Many options available and just depends on how much you want to do yourself and how much you want to spend. The cheapest and simplest is probably a Swamp Ash body with something like Rubio Monocoat over it. They can have some nice grain.