al heeley Posted March 16, 2008 Report Share Posted March 16, 2008 As my son, aged 7, is starting to take more of an interest in music, I thought I'd use some of my various project offcuts to put together a mini precision bass for him. This is going to be 3/4 size, about 25" scale length. Mahogany neck and body, body with Zebrano cap. Maple fretboard (probably - depending on a mate lending a hand with the offcuts bin... ) Neck/head shape cut and channel routed for carbon fibre stiffening bar - no truss rod on this. Here's the zebrano cap on the body after a little countoring: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
low end fuzz Posted March 17, 2008 Report Share Posted March 17, 2008 cool i personally would put a rod in there, just for the sake of having a rod in there; i like offcut builds, it forces you into ideas that arnt always the norm, but can be applied Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xanthus Posted March 17, 2008 Report Share Posted March 17, 2008 Cool! What gauge strings will you have to use to tune it like a bass? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheIRS Posted March 17, 2008 Report Share Posted March 17, 2008 Just curious, why did you decide to forgo the truss rod? Anyway, that should be one fine beginner instrument! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al heeley Posted March 17, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 17, 2008 Not sure about the string gauges yet - I guess i'll strat with an old set of 40-100's tuned in conventional bass fashion and see how it sounds/feels. No truss rod - simply cos i wanted to put one together using offcuts and spares from other projects without spending or ordering anything more. I didn't have a short truss rod to put in there so I'm taking a gamble with a sturdy neck and a CF bar it will be playable enough to get my son started. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RGman Posted March 17, 2008 Report Share Posted March 17, 2008 Cool project! Sounds like a fun thing to build, i have always wanted a travel / 3/4 guitar and i have a whole lot of scrap...Might be a little side project to get rid of some of the stuff. Looking forward to updates Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bassisgreat Posted March 17, 2008 Report Share Posted March 17, 2008 Man, I'd love to have as many instruments finished by the end of the year as you've done so far in the last 2 months!! looks great, and a great idea. I really doubt your son will be saying "Dad, I have a little bit of an action problem on my bass" before he grows out of the small scale. Hopefully it will get him more into music as well as an early appreciation for the instruments themselves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
low end fuzz Posted March 17, 2008 Report Share Posted March 17, 2008 someone send the man a truss rod! (insert picture of me beating dead horse) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr_Buttman Posted March 18, 2008 Report Share Posted March 18, 2008 I think you can buy this one http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Truss_rods/Adj...es.html#details just cut it and make a thread. Realy nice project. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LPboco Posted March 18, 2008 Report Share Posted March 18, 2008 great project cool idea! keep us posted!!! connor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marksound Posted March 18, 2008 Report Share Posted March 18, 2008 Cool project. That's something I've thought about since I saw Fender's Strat sized mini-P a few years ago. I don't think they make them any more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al heeley Posted March 18, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 18, 2008 Thanks guys Here's the neck shape being roughed out, via sanding disk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bygde Posted March 20, 2008 Report Share Posted March 20, 2008 Thanks guys Here's the neck shape being roughed out, via sanding disk Nice and thick headstock Nice work Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uk chris Posted March 20, 2008 Report Share Posted March 20, 2008 looking good Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al heeley Posted March 21, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 21, 2008 A little progress, fingerboard radiussed, slotted and dotted and glued to the neck. Frets here just being cut to size. Sorry we've run out of eggs, and at Easter too - how embarassing! And thanks a lot for the maple, Chris, it's come up really nicely! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al heeley Posted March 24, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 24, 2008 Some progress on the Billybass. Frets done, neck pocket and ctrl cavity routed, just ordered some gold tuners and a black 3-ply scratchplate blank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LPboco Posted March 24, 2008 Report Share Posted March 24, 2008 beautiful work!!Love it!!!! Connor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xanthus Posted March 24, 2008 Report Share Posted March 24, 2008 I Dig it I'm really interested to see this one unfold, how the strings will feel under the shortscale, how the pickups will react to it, everything, really. And what a nice looking top! You should make the bridge plate removable/interchangable with a Strat hardtail, and another pickguard routed for a single humbucker. Then when he outgrows the bass, you can convert it into a guitar hahaha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WAK Guitars Posted March 25, 2008 Report Share Posted March 25, 2008 Yeah thats a great top! Good Job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al heeley Posted March 29, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 29, 2008 Got the mini P-bass finished this weekend - apart from a bit of a setup and a fret level. Here Billy is finishing the bridge installation. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v609/al_heeley/b1.jpg I've just put a standard set of discarded 40 - 100 strings on. They do sound a bit 'tubby' but there's a nice deep P-bass punch to them too! This is his first bass lesson. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattharris75 Posted March 29, 2008 Report Share Posted March 29, 2008 That's awesome! Can't wait to build one for my future kid(s)! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LPboco Posted March 29, 2008 Report Share Posted March 29, 2008 congrats man!! great work Connor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geo Posted March 29, 2008 Report Share Posted March 29, 2008 Fabulous work man. That is really special, building an instrument for your son! Even when he outgrows it, I bet he'll use it as a travel guitar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andronico Posted March 29, 2008 Report Share Posted March 29, 2008 Fantastic work ! It must be very special to build a guitar for your son and he looks happy too ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xanthus Posted March 31, 2008 Report Share Posted March 31, 2008 :D You are like.... the best dad.... ever. Looks awesome! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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