Official Luthiers Forum!

hello all, this is my first post on here, and this is my question. i am outfitting a band this summer with 2 solid body guitars and a bass. Although i have built numerous solid body guitars i have never built a bass before and i am curious if there is anything apart from the obvious longer scale length and such that i should be made aware of. the bass is going to be neck-through 4 string with a buckeye burl top and a fretless ebony fretboard. i have done neck-through guitars and assume that there will be similar obstacles and things to watch out for with a neck-through bass. has anyone ever done a fretless bass? anything i should be aware of with that? im just looking for any general tips or things to watch out for so i can avoid making the process harder than it needs to be. thanks

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~shad peters

http://www.flickr.com/photos/petersinstruments/
http://petersinstruments.blogspot.com/
http://petersinstruments.com/

If you've built neck-thru guitars, then you're already familiar with the importance of selecting the bridge first and foremost (and not changing your mind in the middle of the build!), and the neck angle / no neck angle situation. For solidbody instruments, it's really not that different from a guitar.

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The member formerly known as erikbojerik....

Only thing you need to be aware of is that a bass has much higher string tension than a guitar (especially if it's a 5 or 6 string bass) so you will want to reinforce the neck accordingly. You can use graphite or perhaps steel if weight is not a concern. Most 5 or six string bass necks I have seen are 5 piece laminates, with bubinga or other really dense and hard wood in between. I don't think quartersawn is a must (my Warmoth bass neck is flatsawn maple) but good reinforcement and truss rod (use a double rod not a compression rod) is a must. Just about all vintage Fender bass necks are unplayable from what I read...

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Cat-gut strings are made from kitten guts, stretched out to near breaking point and then hardened with grue saliva. As a result these give a feeling of Pain and anguish whenever played, and often end up playing themselves backwards as part of satanic rituals.

Typhoon Guitars
http://www.typhoon-guitars.com

Balance is a very important factor in the body design.
The rule of thumb is you want the upper strap button to be located in line with the 12th fret to avoid the bass being neck heavy.

Careful planning of neck angle for the bridge to give adequate height adjustment without bottoming out.

thanks for the advice guys, its all going to come in handy. i wouldn't have known about the balance thing Jeff so i appreciate that. I'm planning on making it a three piece laminate neck from either three strips of maple or two strips of maple and a strip of was walnut to match the body wings, with one of the hotrod truss rods from stewmac. do you think that will be adequate? I would assume that if its just a 4 string that should should be pretty sturdy, would you agree?

_________________
~shad peters

http://www.flickr.com/photos/petersinstruments/
http://petersinstruments.blogspot.com/
http://petersinstruments.com/

You might want to look into Hipshot ultralite tuners.
Consider the break angle at the nut as there will not be the additional height of the fretwire.
Fretboard prep is critical as you won't have the fret level to fine tune things.
Good luck

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How long is that in luthyears?

4-string bass has about the same string tension (within ~10%) as 6-string guitar, your neck construction should be fine.

That said, the last bass I made had a 3-piece laminated rock maple neck, double-action rod from Allied Lutherie, and 3/8" deep carbon fiber inserts running the length of the neck on either side of the truss rod. With a 1/4" wenge board the total neck thickness was 0.77" and it was a dream to play.

To get the neck that thin, I needed the CF and also the Allied rod which is thinner than the Hotrod.

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The member formerly known as erikbojerik....

That said, the last bass I made had a 3-piece laminated rock maple neck, double-action rod from Allied Lutherie, and 3/8" deep carbon fiber inserts running the length of the neck on either side of the truss rod. With a 1/4" wenge board the total neck thickness was 0.77" and it was a dream to play.

To get the neck that thin, I needed the CF and also the Allied rod which is thinner than the Hotrod.[/quote]

i would really like to try using the CF inserts, in order to get it that thin and just for the experience of using them, but i have to keep budget in mind for this guy, he doesn't have a ton of money to spend and i'm giving him a steel on it as it is so i think i will refrain.
how much meat do you suppose i ought to leave on the neck? is it safe to go very thin in a bass neck without having the CF?

_________________
~shad peters

http://www.flickr.com/photos/petersinstruments/
http://petersinstruments.blogspot.com/
http://petersinstruments.com/

i had never heard of the allied truss rod before, and i just went and looked at them and i haven't seen that design style either, but after looking at it looks like it would be a lot nicer rod to use than the stewmac variety

_________________
~shad peters

http://www.flickr.com/photos/petersinstruments/
http://petersinstruments.blogspot.com/
http://petersinstruments.com/