Fluke Posted December 28, 2004 Report Share Posted December 28, 2004 Hi. I was wondering about how long the planning phase of a project guitar or bass usually takes. I've currently be planning for at least five months of pain-staking spec research and countless hours upon hours of serching for the right products, and I havent purchased ANYTHING toward it until this morning. Is it a good sign of success when the planning phase takes so long, or is it pretty much wasted time I should be using to work on it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jer7440 Posted December 28, 2004 Report Share Posted December 28, 2004 I think it all depends on how you operate. If you are a person who has to have every detail in order and on paper before you can do anything, then this is time well spent. If you can operate by just knowing what style guitar you want and few details like scale length and bridge type, neck angle etc., by all means start making sawdust! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fluke Posted December 28, 2004 Author Report Share Posted December 28, 2004 I guess I'm the type who has to have everything perfect, because my bass has to be, well... Perfect. But how long does it take you guys? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RGGR Posted December 28, 2004 Report Share Posted December 28, 2004 If you want it to be perfect, it will take forever...........nothing more, nothing less. Thinking your project over carefully is very considerate indeed.......but there simply comes a time when you have to dig in and learn by doing. And doing means making mistakes .....and learning how to cover them up again. At least that's how I see this works....... If you want it perfect with your first crack at it......well......good luck to you. In the mean time, we will keep on building (and screwing up) and building some more.........setting fire to some more screw-ups..........etc. I hope you get my point. Get cracking dude!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fluke Posted December 29, 2004 Author Report Share Posted December 29, 2004 Its not the work itself im worried about, its the parts and body shape/peghead shape that has driven me crazy. I have the ability to buy most of the parts now, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RGGR Posted December 30, 2004 Report Share Posted December 30, 2004 Draw or Cad some ideas onto paper.....glue on some MDF......and cut out some templates......get some cheap wood.....and route or sand ideas out of blank. This will give you some pratice routing or sanding and working with templates. When you're happy with results.....get some good wood and start cracking at real deal. And yes there always be choices..........even when well into the project. Do I take a left, or do I take a right............;-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fryovanni Posted December 30, 2004 Report Share Posted December 30, 2004 It sounds like you are doing a lot of planning. I did not plan well on my first project. I more or less took it step by step, getting information as I went along. I know it was more difficult than it had to be, and the project took at least twice as long as it should have. I did however learn a lot about how to work with tools and make templates. The project I am working on now has gone much smoother. I took the time to make good drawings and get prepaired. I have used the time to allow wood that I have collecting dry, and build router tables and jigs that make things faster and more accurate. I am curious as to what you have put together in your planning stage. Have you created drawings, selected and purchased wood and so forth.... I like to compair my process to others it usually helps me find better ways to get things done. Best of Luck!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fluke Posted January 1, 2005 Author Report Share Posted January 1, 2005 I am curious as to what you have put together in your planning stage. Have you created drawings, selected and purchased wood and so forth.... I like to compair my process to others it usually helps me find better ways to get things done. Well, while unpopular to many instrument builders, I have decided that for my first project I was to build an accurate remake of an RD Artist Bass (1977 model) which was overly complex and thus, wasn't around long (5-7 years) so they are rare expensive as you might guess. After going through a kind of "Nirvanabe" phase and seeing Nirvana's Bassist (Krist Novoselic) using the RD, I kinda "fell in love" with that basses punch and "growl," and when the nirvana phase went away, the love for the bass stayed. All that was kind of a pre-planning time. But anyway, As said before, I've spent many many hours on the the internet looking for pics of RD's at different angles and with different finishes, And I was eventually able to find the body and neck specifications from a blurry picture of a gibson ad on ebay. I finally found the right bridge at www.allparts.com , but it costs $75 so I've been looking for a cheaper one. I bought the original circuit board from ebay (actives the compression/exspansion effect and a bright/lead mode, while the tone pots acts as an eq system and the volume pots act as pickup intensifiers). I have recently made a full size drawing of the body, but I have to go back and fix a few things, but its very close. I'm going to use hard maple for the body and set-neck, ebony fret board. Peg-head inlays (like the original) and lots more info on it that I can't recall on command. It will prove difficult, as just getting info has, but I'm up to the challenge and would like to copy the circuit and begin making and selling copies of this bass as well as the guitar version, and hope for no lawsuites. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fryovanni Posted January 1, 2005 Report Share Posted January 1, 2005 Sounds like a unique project. I can see why it is taking some time to track down enough information and get started. I wish you the best of luck with your Bass!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fluke Posted January 1, 2005 Author Report Share Posted January 1, 2005 Thanks, I'll be sure to post some pics when I get it going. Any one have any info about this bass they'd like to contribute? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RGGR Posted January 1, 2005 Report Share Posted January 1, 2005 So you're building something like this, right??? http://www.murchmusic.com/photo288.jpg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fluke Posted January 2, 2005 Author Report Share Posted January 2, 2005 Yes, except not that finish, unless I make more. It'll have a black finish and probably a natural finish if theres a second one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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