Jump to content

Ultra Cheap Bass Build.


Recommended Posts

  • Replies 117
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

I wish i knew, poplar tends to change colors. I noticed it when I built my fretless five and the poplar was white unfinished and turned a light shade of tan with poly. I know all wood will change color some but poplar seems to go all out with it. My best guess for this one is maybe it had something to do with the minerals.

Oh and just for the record the $200 budget was meet with the poly for finish. I still lack buying pots and a jack so Im over about $10.00........So far

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Heres a few more pics with 8 coats of poly and the hardware laid out. The hardware worked wonderfully during mockup. really smooth and intonated great. The neck will get 4 coats of satin poly and I will wetsand the bass and spray another 8 coats when its cured. (A few days) In the meantime I'll set up the electronics. Since budgets low this will be a dual volume/ dual tone setup with stacked tone knobs, a Neutrik locking jack and of course the Led setup for the fiber optics..

Picture038.jpg

another view

tuner view

Edited by scottyd
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I usually use House of Kolor high build poly with a gun, but since this bass is being built on the cheap this particular poly is Minwax spray can. I applied it like this: 4 coats 10 minutes apart, let cure, wet sand flat with 1000grit, 4 more coats 10 minutes apart , cure, wetsand 1000grit. Its currently at this stage, After it cures this time it will get 8 succesive coats (really wet ones;) ), cure, wetsand progressive to 1500 grit, buffed, polished, glaze, wax. The minwax takes a while to cure well enough to sand so that sucks, (House of Kolor is good to go in 24hrs) But on a positive note it seems to recoat good and "burn in" well. Ive done instruments with the minwax before and it seems to hold up nice, takes forever to fully harden though.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I had my doubts about the purple initially, but now that its all together it looks awesome

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...

Here's some more pics of the "Prince bass" as the wife calls it. This thing plays very nice. Im very pleased with the bridge/tuners. The neck still lacks a finish I can't decide if I want to use satin or gloss finish on it (It feels nice just the way it is, too bad I cant leave it:hmm: ). The fiber optic setup still needs done, I might do that tonight. The pictured pups and covers are coming out. I will build some new covers to better match the maple top. Also I Im going to wind my own pups because one of these is dead and the other just doesnt do it for me. Its something Ive been wanting to do forever but have been putting it off. I can't complain about the Bassline pups they are used. They sounded good in an older bass of mine but sat in a box for along time before I decided to use them again. Apparantly when you leave pups in a box you should seperate them from one another....:rollno: Oh well you live and learn. Im considering winding a set of thinner humbuckers. Wonder if this is possible, about the size of a soapbar would be great...Any thoughts are greatly appreciated. :D

Picture059.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v626/sco.../Picture053.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v626/sco.../Picture058.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v626/sco.../Picture056.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Picture059.jpg

The bridge pickup looks slanted in this picture. Was that intentional? Either way, I like it.

Are you going to share your tuner design? I'd love to see the plans, but I understand if you want to keep them to yourself.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The bridge pickup looks slanted in this picture. Was that intentional? Either way, I like it.

Are you going to share your tuner design? I'd love to see the plans, but I understand if you want to keep them to yourself.

Yeah the pickup was intentional, kinda an experiment if you will. I have a thread about the tuners at another forum heres a pictorial. This is just the tuner part. You would need a stand alone bridge to work with these. The ones on this current bass have built in saddles and intonation.

Ok heres goes, any questions just let me know, I think its all in order, the pages are numbered 1-12.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v626/scottyd/1.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v626/scottyd/2.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v626/scottyd/3.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v626/scottyd/4.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v626/scottyd/5.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v626/scottyd/6.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v626/scottyd/7.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v626/scottyd/8.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v626/scottyd/9.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v626/scottyd/10.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v626/scottyd/11.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v626/scottyd/12.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Your welcome Jon I hope that the picturial can help you build some tuners, Ive had alot of requests for some, but I just don't have the time to build them. I also have another picturial I did explaining how I build my trussrods if your interested. :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...