The feature bass this week is a modded Ibanez. The modder of this bass, Matt, writes: I heavily modified an Ibanez bass. I bought a cheap used bass on craigslist, stripped the paint, filled the old pickup holes, routed a new single pickup hole, re-painted, custom pickguard, refinished neck and headstock, varitone switch. I basically … Read more
While there is the option to buy a nut that has pre-cut string slots, cutting the slots yourself ensures that the spacing (and depth) will be absolutely what you want. How to determine what spacing to use is done by using math. But don’t worry, it is math you can handle. While there are other … Read more
Below: This is what will be used for this build step. The neck itself, a circle template, mechanical pencil, mahogany veneer blanks, calculator, ruler, woodworking/machinist square and radius gauge. Below: The current state of the nut in the slot before work is started. Below: The square has been used to mark the proposed ends of … Read more
See the business listing for this bass builder here The feature bass this week was made with a concentration on symmetry, and the end result was amazing. Builder John Tinsley writes: I was looking to build a neck thru bass (the others that I built were bolt on necks). I did not want the neck … Read more
One of the best options of the NP4 pickup is that it is available with alnico III magnets. Alnico is not a company but rather a combination of three words that make up the magnet materials, ALuminum, NIckel, CObalt. For modern bass tones, many players prefer the alnico V. But for “warmer” bass tones where … Read more
This is a contiuation from part 1. Below: The file is now being used to smooth the nut channel. All rough edges left behind from the chisel will be smoothed out. Below: The finished nut channel Below: The current blank is oversized, which in this case is good because it can be cut down to … Read more
See the business listing for this bass builder here The feature bass this week is a custom 33″ headless build. Builder Adam Falkner writes: Earlier this year, I decided to make my first attempt at building a bass. With no real training, I looked to the internet machine to guide me and found tons of … Read more
The Lindy Fralin P 4 pickup you will hear below is intended to be a replacement for a Fender Precision Bass style pickup, with a few advantages. Namely, a very loud and clear tone thanks to its alnico 5 magnets and heavy 42 gauge formvar wire. These pickups are hand wound to vintage specs (10 … Read more
Below: The tools used for this step. Shown is a radius block, two F clamps, pull saw (sometimes called a japanese saw), strips of mahogany veneer, cow bone nut blank, pre-made acoustic guitar saddle, micro-chisel (about 1/8″ wide), 1/8″ nut seating file (the tool with orange handle), two utility blades, digital vernier caliper, sticky-back 150-grit … Read more
See the business listing for this bass builder here The feature bass this week proves you can have fun with just 1 string. Builder Tracy La Rue writes: I build cigar box guitars. This is a one string fretless low E string. It is a full 34 inch scale. The body is Acid brand cigar … Read more
