Help a Neurotic Dude with a Bass Build!

[BuyMeABurrito]

Hi folks! I figured that I'd start here instead of constantly messaging Brian from Warmoth with questions.

I'm looking to begin my first bass build after Christmas and I'm sure that I'm going to have a bunch of questions because even at 41 the most technical thing I've ever done to a bass is change the strings (and I've been playing since I was 13 -- so yes, I'm totally useless).

Here's what I know that I'm going to do:

I'm currently playing a MIM P Bass and a MIM Deluxe Active Jazz Bass, so I'm wanting something tonally different. The idea that I've come up with is to put a Music Man pickup in the sweet spot on a bass and pair it with an Electrical Guitar Company Aluminum neck. I think that will give me the sort of growl that I'm chasing and set the instrument apart from the P and J basses. Also I've always wanted an aluminum bodied bass and can't rationalize spending three grand on it.

So (and this is where the good folks of the Unofficial Warmoth forum come in) that's my concept: a Music Man Stingray clone with an aluminum neck. What sort of body shape, wood, pickguard shape and all of that should I be looking for? I've picked out a Seymour Duncan pickup with a preamp setup that I'll put inside of the instrument and I'm looking into getting a Babicz Full Contact Bridge.

If anyone can advise, it'd be great. Thanks for reading.

 

[Logrinn]

Hi and welcome to the forum.

I'm not a bass player, but when you said that you wanted something different from your P- and J-bass I first missed the tonally part.
So I looked around at Warmoth's site and saw the G4 which I think looks cool and is different from both a p- and a J-bass. While the Gecko also is differnet - and really, really, cool - it's only available as a 5- or 6-string and got a special neck route.
If I ever get a bass myself I would go for a short scale G4.

G4​

Gecko​

 

[BuyMeABurrito]

Thanks for replying!

I'm okay with the basic Fender clone body styles, although both of those are super nice. I guess I'm looking for advice on which body shape can handle the MM pickup and has options for three knobs for the controls on the pickup. I'm also curious as to what sort of pickguard/scratch plate to get (and if anyone knows if a P Bass style body can accommodate the Music Man oval pickguard.)

Sorry to be so vague, just sort of thinking out loud at work.

 

[Fat Pete]

I'd be inclined to go for a rear-routed P-Bass body. Warmoth can do the routing for a MM pickup and the rear cavity is large enough for whatever controls/pre-amps etc. you could reasonably want - you'd just have to drill the holes yourself if the standard options don't work for you. Not too scary really and plenty of advice here and elsewhere.

The chances of the pickup being in the exact same place as on a Stingray are pretty low, so you'd either have to go custom with the pickguard, or do without. Likewise, I doubt the control plate would work with the P shape, so same again.

Anything's possible with a little work and/or money thrown at it!

 

[drewfx]

Any of the standard body shapes can handle a MM PU. Just make sure the body matches what the neck needs - i.e. I'm assuming those necks are for standard 4 string 34" scale Fender specs. Short scale bodies and 5 or 6 string standards for necks and PU's are messier.

3 controls is no problem, but you should pay attention to the space required for any preamps, assuming you are going to go with a MM-style preamp. A rear routed body and not bothering with the pickguard is something I would consider. You can also then either have or not have a separate battery box (easier access for the rare occasions when replacing batteries and they can't rattle around in the control cavity, but those aren't big problems). With a top route and pickguard you will want a battery box.

 

[BuyMeABurrito]

Thanks. I was looking at a 54 P Bass body with a rear route and a battery box. I can get the pickguard and not have to worry about it (I just don't find the basses without pickguards aesthetically pleasing).

The only thing I'm worrying about are the controls. The custom builder on the Warmoth site gives me options for three holes on the panel a volume, tone and input hole. It also gives me the option for a side jack for plugging up. Is it conceivable to use the input hole for another switch? If so I'm in business with the 54 body!

Like Fat Pete said, it's all a matter of time and money, and I can do a lot of stuff or get help with it. I'm just fretting about the cost a bit more because the aluminum necks are made to order and a bit costly.

 

[DaveT]

Building a bass is nice, but a cheap way to get what you want is to buy a used Kramer aluminium neck bass. They come up on eBay every now and then and they are not expensive.
I'm still waiting for the Kramer 450B I bought new all those years ago to become a rare and expensive sought after must-have!

The Babicz bridge is wonderful, you will like it very much. Has a very different sound to the standard Fender bridge.

 

[BuyMeABurrito]

I'm excited about that bridge. It's a bit pricier than the Fender clones, but I've heard good things.

Also, I thought about the Kramer thing, but I've been drooling over the EGC stuff for a few years now. I figured that since I'm wanting to build a bass like I've always wanted I can spring for that. It's the weird, inexpensive things (knobs, battery box, rear enclosure covers, neck plates, etc) that I've never thought about before that's making me fret about money.

 

[stratamania]

Thanks. I was looking at a 54 P Bass body with a rear route and a battery box. I can get the pickguard and not have to worry about it (I just don't find the basses without pickguards aesthetically pleasing).

The only thing I'm worrying about are the controls. The custom builder on the Warmoth site gives me options for three holes on the panel a volume, tone and input hole. It also gives me the option for a side jack for plugging up. Is it conceivable to use the input hole for another switch? If so I'm in business with the 54 body!

Like Fat Pete said, it's all a matter of time and money, and I can do a lot of stuff or get help with it. I'm just fretting about the cost a bit more because the aluminum necks are made to order and a bit costly.

Welcome to the forum and have a burrito...

Not sure if you have a typo in the first sentence. But if using a pickguard you need a top rout body rather than rear rout.

Lots of folks have four controls on a J Bass for example along with a side jack so a similar principle is feasible with a P Bass. Possibly you might want to have the pickguard without the jackhole drilled so you can put the hole in the spot you want it but that probably is not needed. I don't have a P Bass sitting around to look at dimensions but it may even be the position of the jack will work fine for a tone pot and knob.

EDIT: I got curious and searched google for some images and found this.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRw4WHV3I90[/youtube]

 

[Fat Pete]

...Not sure if you have a typo in the first sentence. But if using a pickguard you need a top rout body rather than rear rout...

The 54 P-Bass is this one:

No controls mount on the scratchplate so it could be used on a rear-routed body. It does have the little cut-out for the control plate but there are various ways you could address that.

 

[BuyMeABurrito]

Also if you choose the rear route it'll allow for three holes to be drilled into the top in addition to a side input jack. According to Brian at Warmoth thecontrol holes drilled into the face of a rear rout body are all the same size which will accommodate a potentiometer or input jack, so that solves my worries about the pickup and drilling additional holes.

 

[TBurst Std]

Thanks. I was looking at a 54 P Bass body with a rear route and a battery box. I can get the pickguard and not have to worry about it (I just don't find the basses without pickguards aesthetically pleasing).

The only thing I'm worrying about are the controls. The custom builder on the Warmoth site gives me options for three holes on the panel a volume, tone and input hole. It also gives me the option for a side jack for plugging up. Is it conceivable to use the input hole for another switch? If so I'm in business with the 54 body!

Like Fat Pete said, it's all a matter of time and money, and I can do a lot of stuff or get help with it. I'm just fretting about the cost a bit more because the aluminum necks are made to order and a bit costly.

Welcome to the forum and have a burrito...

Not sure if you have a typo in the first sentence. But if using a pickguard you need a top rout body rather than rear rout.

Lots of folks have four controls on a J Bass for example along with a side jack so a similar principle is feasible with a P Bass. Possibly you might want to have the pickguard without the jackhole drilled so you can put the hole in the spot you want it but that probably is not needed. I don't have a P Bass sitting around to look at dimensions but it may even be the position of the jack will work fine for a tone pot and knob.

EDIT: I got curious and searched google for some images and found this.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRw4WHV3I90[/youtube]

I wish there was a clear tone on this.  It’s got some dist on it. Whether intended or not.

 

[TBurst Std]

Also if you choose the rear route it'll allow for three holes to be drilled into the top in addition to a side input jack. According to Brian at Warmoth thecontrol holes drilled into the face of a rear rout body are all the same size which will accommodate a potentiometer or input jack, so that solves my worries about the pickup and drilling additional holes.

I think you arrived at your answer

 

[stratamania]

...Not sure if you have a typo in the first sentence. But if using a pickguard you need a top rout body rather than rear rout...

The 54 P-Bass is this one:

No controls mount on the scratchplate so it could be used on a rear-routed body. It does have the little cut-out for the control plate but there are various ways you could address that.

I stand corrected. I am not a bass player so would not know a 54 P Bass from a 1962 model. So I have learnt something there. I seem to recall seeing Dusty Hill playing something like that 54.

 

[drewfx]

But if using a pickguard you need a top rout body rather than rear rout.

The only problem with using a rear rout with a pickguard is the depth of stuff for controls to go through. But this isn't a problem with a MM pickguard because the pickguard only goes around the PU and the control plate is separate and can be omitted.

 

[stratamania]

But if using a pickguard you need a top rout body rather than rear rout.

The only problem with using a rear rout with a pickguard is the depth of stuff for controls to go through. But this isn't a problem with a MM pickguard because the pickguard only goes around the PU and the control plate is separate and can be omitted.

See the previous posts. I was not aware that the 54 P Bass was different in the fact that it has a control plate and not a full pickguard.

 

[Fat Pete]

...I stand corrected. I am not a bass player so would not know a 54 P Bass from a 1962 model...

I wasn't intending to 'call you out', strat, just assumed you weren't familiar with the '54 P.

Back to the OP - for reference, AFAIK the only difference between rear-routed 54s and standard Ps is the body edge roundover - 3/8", 1/2" respectively. The 51 version is also the same shape but with a 3/16" roundover and no 'comfort contours'.

Whichever you go for, I'd guess that selecting the MM pickup 'sweet spot' option would get you closest to what you're after, but Warmoth sales or maybe someone here should be able to advise more certainly.

If you are planning to use a Stingray style 'guard, the simplest thing might be to buy an aftermarket one and, if it the neck pocket to pickup dimension is wrong, you'll have an easy measurement to give Terrapin or Pickguardian etc. so they can make you a modified one. The neck heel shape looks the same as Fender to me, but check first!

The Babicz FCH-4 looks to be a standard 5 screw mount, so the Gotoh 201 option should work fine.

 

[BuyMeABurrito]

Thanks!

I'm going to slowly start assembling all of the parts for this build starting next week. The body will happen after a Christmas (just switched jobs so money is tight for a few weeks).

I have a friend who owns a Travis Bean bass and an EGC bass. I'm going to his place this weekend to play the Bean so I can be 100% sure that an aluminum neck is what I'm looking for. I've always wanted one of them, but all of the players that use them have a VERY specific sound that they get. I'm not that sort of player.

Someone mentioned Dusty Hill earlier and I love that dude. His bass playing is super underrated. In fact, I chose the Babicz bridge because I heard all of his basses have them. 

 

[ghotiphry]

I've built basses with Babicz bridges.  I liked it.  However, take a look at the Omega bridge (i.e. the old BadAss bridges revisited.)  For the money I like them more (see white bass below, for which I splurged and bought an original BadAss.)  They have longer range of intonation than the Babicz.

 

[BuyMeABurrito]

That's a beautiful bass!

How did you get the black binding option with that body? I can't seem to find it on the builder section of the website.