Telecaster Bass build - questions

[ack1961]

Hey alll,
First post here.

I'm still in the planning phase (seems like forever) of my first real project: Shortscale Telecaster Bass. The goal is to have this 4-string bass look like a Telecaster guitar.
- 2-piece Alder slab (forming into Telecaster guitar body) Keeping the finish natural.
- Squier Bronco shortscale (30") bass neck (all maple).
- Trimming that headstock to a Telecaster profile.
- Telecaster control plate with vol/tone and a 3-way switch.
- possibly a String-thru bridge.  This is kind of a bummer to me as I haven't been able to find a 4-string bridge that looks anything like the Telecaster guitar bridge.

My main concern is my choice of pickup(s) and position.  I have a chrome-plated humbucker (with its black pickguard) from a Fender Telebass as well as a Gibson Mudbucker available to me.  I could just leave the Fender where it sits in the pg and trim the pg to conform to the Tele look and route the body/cavity for the HB....but this is where I'm looking for suggestions/help:
What is a good idea for a bridge pickup (or if I should omit it)?  The Gibson in the bridge pos would be interesting if it's do-able.

Any helpful suggestions would be welcomed.

Thanks,
Steve

[Dave W]

Hi Steve. Keep you string spacing in mind. The Gibson isn't very tolerant of polepiece misalignment and you might have problems if you put it in a bridge position. The Telebass humbucker has wider polepiece spacing to match the wider neck pocket and bridge spacing of a longscale Fender bass... wider than the narrower Bronco neck/Tele guitar neck pocket. I don't know whether or not the misalignment would cause dropoff.

I've never seen a bass bridge that looks like a Tele guitar bridge. Wilkinson does make a 2-saddle string-thru replacement for the Tele bass/'51 P styles but again you will have narrower string spacing at the bridge. That might cause you problems when you try to angle the saddles for intonation... maybe not.

[Chris P.]

There's this Dutch shop selling very cheap Alden guitars and basses. I can't find anything on the net, but they have those really cheap Beatlebasses, Vox Phantom guitars and also a Telecaster bass! I can't find a pic though...

If I'm right it's a bound sunburst Tele guitar body, with a bigger and smaller pick up, like EB2 and EB3s.

[Chris P.]

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Alden-TV-CRUISER-BASS-4-String-Tele_W0QQitemZ180316247864QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV?hash=item180316247864&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1301%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318

[ack1961]

Hi Steve. Keep you string spacing in mind. The Gibson isn't very tolerant of polepiece misalignment and you might have problems if you put it in a bridge position. The Telebass humbucker has wider polepiece spacing to match the wider neck pocket and bridge spacing of a longscale Fender bass... wider than the narrower Bronco neck/Tele guitar neck pocket. I don't know whether or not the misalignment would cause dropoff.

I've never seen a bass bridge that looks like a Tele guitar bridge. Wilkinson does make a 2-saddle string-thru replacement for the Tele bass/'51 P styles but again you will have narrower string spacing at the bridge. That might cause you problems when you try to angle the saddles for intonation... maybe not.

Hey Dave, Thanks very much for your reply. 
I'm really glad I joined LBO & posted my question here...I never even thought about string spacing.
Using the Bronco bridge will definitely eliminate one problem, so that's an option, too.
I'll do some more research and focus on lining up the strings over the polepieces.

It should be fun.
Thanks again.
Steve

[drbassman]

Man, have you come to the right place.  I did the same thing several years ago as my very first project.  Here's how it shaped up...........



Musicmaster neck and bridge.  Ric Toaster pickups.  What else would you like to know?

[ack1961]

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Alden-TV-CRUISER-BASS-4-String-Tele_W0QQitemZ180316247864QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV?hash=item180316247864&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1301%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318

Chris, thanks for the link.  Conceptually, that's what I'm looking to build, although it doesn't say whether or not the Alden TV Cruiser is shortscale or not...to me, it's a great looking bass.  That bridge mini-bucker looks great on that thing.
Thanks for your thoughtful reply.

Steve

[drbassman]

Hey Dave, Thanks very much for your reply. 
I'm really glad I joined LBO & posted my question here...I never even thought about string spacing.
Using the Bronco bridge will definitely eliminate one problem, so that's an option, too.
I'll do some more research and focus on lining up the strings over the polepieces.

It should be fun.
Thanks again.
Steve

If you use a Mustang bass bridge, you can still do a string thru design.  They are set up that way.  The Musicmaster/Bronco are not.  As for a bridge pickup, I'd be tempted to do it if the string spacing is right.  

If I were going to build this one again, I'd use TV Jones ThunderTrons (more available and cheaper).  He can provide the spacing you'd need with a Fender Musicmaster/Mustang bridge.  A standard telecaster bass pickup will have slightly wider string spacing than the narrower bridges required for a Musicmaster neck width.

[ack1961]

Man, have you come to the right place.  I did the same thing several years ago as my very first project.  Here's how it shaped up...........



Musicmaster neck and bridge.  Ric Toaster pickups.  What else would you like to know?

Wow.  Very nice job.
I noticed that there's no switch...looks very clean. Are both Pups wired to Master Volume?
You made the body?

Steve

[drbassman]

Wow.  Very nice job.
I noticed that there's no switch...looks very clean. Are both Pups wired to Master Volume?
You made the body?

Steve

I went with 2 vol controls, never use tone controls anyway!  The body was custom made and I got it off eBay for a few bucks.  It was a semi-hollow thinline style.  Maple top and mahognay back/sides.  Sounded good, but I sold it to buy a vintage bass.  It was my first project, so I wasn't ready to build a body just then.  Now I do!  Practice makes perfect!

[shadowcastaz]

I would think you could take a tele ashtray bridge,remove the saddles and have a machinist make a plate to cover the saddle hole ( discretely of course) tap the holes  for the 2 saddle  tele bass bridge and do the string thru. "Measure many,many,many times and still cut wrong" 'ol woodwerkin proverb

[Bernardduur]

Wow

A few days ago I was wanting a telecaster bass, a real telecaster bass........ I love my telecaster for guitar but haven't seen a real bass version of it.....

My eyes fell on this Jolana version and I tried to get a hold of but she later went for a rediculous price.



Thx for this idea! I think I need to build one myself

[Dave W]

I can't imagine anyone paying much for any Jolana.

Several Japanese companies made short scale Tele guitar style basses in the 70s. They do pop up occasionally in shops or on eBay.

Hofner also made the Model 186 which was Tele shaped (and short scale) but had an odd pickguard and squared off control plate.

[Chris P.]

I like the G&L and Tribute Tele shaped basses.

[Bernardduur]

I can't imagine anyone paying much for any Jolana.

Several Japanese companies made short scale Tele guitar style basses in the 70s. They do pop up occasionally in shops or on eBay.

Hofner also made the Model 186 which was Tele shaped (and short scale) but had an odd pickguard and squared off control plate.

That Hofner is beautifull........ some sort of that would be my ideal garage bass...........
Link

I also noticed some other tele basses so I keep my eyes open for some..........