Tribute vintage pbass build advice

[Jmyre70]

Hello everyone!

I'm planning to build a bass, but I need help to make sure I'm actually going to build what I think I'm going to build.  My goal is to have a vintage sounding (late 50s early 60s) p bass, but keeping it light weight.  Can that happen?  Now I'm reading that a lightweight body will make a pbass sound muddy. 

The following is what I'm looking at doing:
* standard pbass body: swamp ash (4 lb, 2 oz), painted black nitro gloss
* jazz neck: roasted maple, rosewood fingerboard, graphite rods, standard profile, tusq nut, 6150 frets
* Seymour Duncan SPB-1 pickups
* Hipshot ultralight tuners
* Fender vintage bridge
* fender neck plate
* schaller strap locks
* celluloid pickguard
* warmoth tele knobs
* warmoth string retainer
* vintage pentometers and caps

I think this would be a bass that's easy on the back, but might sound like garbage due to the lightweight body.  Thoughts?  Advice?

Thanks!
Jason

 

[PhilHill]

The original was made from various woods. Alder, Ash, Basswood, Etc. Usually whatever Leo could get the cheapest. I don't see why using Ash now would make it sound "muddy". I'd say you should be OK. Maple and rosewood were also original materials, although now a days it would probably be a different variety of rosewood, but I don't think that should hurt you either.

 

[Jmyre70]

The original was made from various woods. Alder, Ash, Basswood, Etc. Usually whatever Leo could get the cheapest. I don't see why using Ash now would make it sound "muddy". I'd say you should be OK. Maple and rosewood were also original materials, although now a days it would probably be a different variety of rosewood, but I don't think that should hurt you either.

Thanks for your input Phil!