Seeking step by step instructions. More inside

[CCCorlew]

I have a finished Warmoth bass body and 32 inch neck. I’ve purchased tuners, pickups (PJ with pots and solderless connections), bridge, and everything I need.
But I’ve never done anything like assembling a bass.
I know nothing and don’t want to screw up.
I was told it was easy, but that’s for people who know what they’re doing.
Is there any source for step by step directions?

I had planned to start by installing the pick ups. But I realized I’m not sure how the screw goes in, or, if I need to put some foam or something under the pick ups. See, even the first step is worrying.

Why am I doing this? Because I want a left handed PJ medium scale bass with no pick guard and the off the rack options are about zero. Plus, this Warmoth body is freakin’ beautiful.

BTW, if you live anywhere near Ithaca NY, are good at this stuff, and want to make a few bucks let me know.

Thanks

 

[Rick]

Have you checked out the Aaron's warmoth youtube videos where he puts together a git? Do you have a book like Dan Erlwines Guitar repair book or his how to make your guitar play great? Have you checked out some build threads on this site? Welcome aboard! You'll be fine. If the soldering is too complicated for me I take it to a wizard. Given that Cornell is down there, and ithica is supposed to be a hipster place, there must be a bunch of guitar techs. Just use Google. Relax and enjoy the journey.

 

[CCCorlew]

Have you checked out the Aaron's warmoth youtube videos where he puts together a git? Do you have a book like Dan Erlwines Guitar repair book or his how to make your guitar play great? Have you checked out some build threads on this site? Welcome aboard! You'll be fine. If the soldering is too complicated for me I take it to a wizard. Given that Cornell is down there, and ithica is supposed to be a hipster place, there must be a bunch of guitar techs. Just use Google. Relax and enjoy the journey.

Thanks for the pointers to these resources. I’ll be checking them out, as well as scouring Ithaca for a guitar tech.

 

[NedRyerson]

Darrel Braun is on YT and he did a video on assembling a kit guitar (supplied by Solo Guitars in Toronto). Same source that started me down this journey. In effect, you have a kit guitar right now, since you have all the parts in hand. Since you bought solderless electronics, your chances of screwing this up are probably 0.254%.

Specifics related to your post (bold phrases to help with any search terms you're curious about):

• Since you're skipping the pickguard, you need to consider options to wood-mount the pickups. That means either drilling into the body to install threaded inserts so that the pickups' screws have something to mount to ORdrill out the screw holes in the pickup ears where the machine screws normally go which widens them to accommodate thin wood screws that can bite into the body wood directly. For your first time, and on a $xxx WM body, I do not recommend this second option.
  • If you use the threaded inserts, you can use the springs that come with the pickups. If you go with wood screws, a piece of foam under the pickup will provide the stand-off. Search this forum, as I believe Aaron and some others have talked about ways to wood-mount pickups several years ago. Obviously, the inserts will need to match the diameter and thread pitch of the screws that came with your pickups.
  • The reason to drill out the screw holes in the pickup ears if using wood screws to directly mount the pickups is because the shank diameter of the wood screw and the thread pitch will rarely -- if ever at all -- actually match those of the machine screws. This is why I discourage this option as a first-timer effort, because drilling out the screw holes in the pickups means you're committing to this and it effectively slashes any resale value of the pickups (if you decide to part it out in the future) by limiting its market to other lefties who want to wood-mount the pickups.
• Get a scrap piece of wood. Even if it's just a 2' length of 2×4 from Home Depot, if you can't find any artisan or construction-grade scrap lying around for free (don't use fallen branches or firewood or anything from outside). Use this scrap to practice any and all drilling and cutting before applying it to your finished instrument.
• Get a roll of painter's tape, maybe even at the same time as the 2×4 if you happen to be at HD. You'll need this to mark the placement and alignment of your bridge. There are likely videos on "mounting a bass bridge" in steady supply. (disregard if your body was already drilled and routed for a bridge and you bought the matching one)
• Before screwing anything into plain wood, drill pilot holes. Always. Especially when mounting the tuners.
• Use a straight edge to align your tuners. It can be a ruler, a piece of wood, a CD jewel case (if you're old enough to still have any ), etc. Tighten them up with the bushings and nuts, mark placement of the alignment screws, remove them, then drill the pilot holes for the tiny screws.
• Test the fit of the neck bolts (a misnomer, as they're actually screws, not bolts -- much like a "tremolo bridge" is really vibrato, and "rout" is the method to cut wood while "route" is the path one takes to get from place to place ), both through the body and into the neck. It's likely the existing holes in the neck will be too narrow (and possibly the body as well). Test with a hand screwdriver. If it starts to get too tight to turn by hand, you need to widen those holes.
• If drilling though anything, use a sacrificial backer board to minimize tear-out on the other side (another use for your scrap 2×4).
• Use a piece of painter's tape around drill bits to act as visual depth stops, if you don't have a drill press with a depth stop built in.
• Don't forget the ground wire from your bridge to your control cavity.
• Finally, when it doubt, post questions. We're here to help. Attach clear, in-focus photos of the question areas so we can see what you're talking about and not make assumptions.

 

[CCCorlew]

Thanks so much for the detailed reply. After reading it I accepted that I don't want to learn on my expensive parts. There's just too muck risk for someone who knows nothing. So you were really helpful and have likely saved me a lot of heartache. I'm having a somewhat nearby well respected shop do the work for me. It won't be cheap, but it's won't be as expensive as trashing my beautiful neck and body. Thanks again!

 

[Rick]

I'm curious ... who are using down there?

 

[CCCorlew]

Ithaca Guitar Works