1st build - hybrid

[ack1961]

Hey all,

I responded to a contest over on TB, where the idea is to build a bass using whatever spare parts you have lying around.
I decided to set aside my woodworking shortcomings and give it a try.  Shortcomings is an exaggeration - I'm much worse than that.

Here's my rough plan:
- 2-piece Alder billet - I'll cut/shape it to look like a Telecaster guitar
- Nutless, tunerless maple/rosewood/blocked neck (I got it from Rondo for like $29 bucks a couple years ago)
- Fender Telebass Neck pickup
- Gibson EB-3 Bridge pickup
- Telecaster control plate w/ 3-way switch
- an old pickguard from a Jazz bass - will trim it to cover the neck pickup rout and part of the control plate.
- chrome tuners, bridge, neck plate, buttons, etc.
- Tusq nut

Cutting the slot for the Nut is what scares me the most.

I started it this weekend.  Got the billet cut using a jigsaw and shaped it using a drum sander.  Cut the neck pocket yesterday (In hindsight, I should have cut the neck pocket before I cut the billet)...more surface area to clamp router templates to.
Routing out the neck pickup cavity tonight.

Still unsure about whether or not to drill wiring holes or rout a wiring path (I'd rather drill, but it's a scary venture).
I wanted to make this shortscale (to limit neck dive, but I didn't plan it well enough and screwed up the neck pocket - the only choice I had was to re-rout the pocket to fit a Jazz neck.

If this goes well, I hope this will spawn new projects where I make the neck.

Here's a link to theproject pics, if anyone's interested:
http://s814.photobucket.com/albums/zz62/ack1961/Telecaster%20Bass%20build/


Steve

[Pilgrim]

Hey Steve - I wish you the best on that project.  Looks like it's shaping up OK!

Go for it!!   

[Highlander]

Seconded...

[Bionic-Joe]

UH...That looks kinda way cool. I personally would make that headstock more rounder-Fenderish. Looks very cool. Why didn't Fender ever make a Tele bass like a Tele???

[dadagoboi]

Why didn't Fender ever make a Tele bass like a Tele???

Until the Jaguar bass Fender had a thing about not making basses with major neck dive.  G&L has been making an ASAT bass for a longtime that is the Tele body shape, so I guess technically (Leo) Fender did.

[Dr. Aquafresh]

I had to slowly warm up to a Tele guitar body with bass appointments. Now I can say that I like them quite a bit.

Though I think that a Tele with a more rounded butt... like a Les Paul would be way cool too.

Anyway, it looks great so far.

[dadagoboi]

It's looking great especially for a first build.  Shaping the neck pocket area before routing the neck pocket is a common mistake but you'll only make it once.  I've got a bass in that build "competition", everyone seems to be having fun...how'd your hair shot go?

[ack1961]

It's looking great especially for a first build.  Shaping the neck pocket area before routing the neck pocket is a common mistake but you'll only make it once.  I've got a bass in that build "competition", everyone seems to be having fun...how'd your hair shot go?

Thanks, it's been fun so far...haven't taken a hair shot yet - waiting for the correct lighting/mood. 
I just hand chiseled (just for fun) the bridge pup chamber. I've owned chisels all my life, and this was the first time I've ever used one.

The body has turned out far better than I ever expected - I'm trying to not ruin it with my ape hands and power tools.

[dadagoboi]

Only thing better than building your own bass is playing it.

[ack1961]

Thanks to all for the well wishes and comments.

I have a pickup orientation question that will probably seem silly to most.

The Telebass (neck position) pickup was oriented (in its pickguard) in a way that the pickup wires exited the pickup from the bottom "lower left-hand corner" (the corner closest to the players right thumb - as opposed to the corner closer to the control cavity).  This seemed strange to me - why have pickup wires needlessly run under the pickup itself and then through whatever wiring channel you create (towards the control cavity)?

Along the same line of questioning:  Do pickups (like the Gibson humbucker going into the Bridge pos) have an "E-string side" and a G-string side"?
Would I orient that pickup so the wires left the pickup in the "lower left-hand" orientation? or does it not matter at all?
Initially, my feelings were that since the pickup was rectangular in shape and not a specific shape like the '51 p-bass for example, then it wouldn't matter which way it was oriented in its cavity.

I may be totally wrong, but it would be good to know.

Thanks,

Steve

[dadagoboi]

I think setting the Tele pick up either way is going to give you the same response because it is symmetrical.  On a 'bucker theoretically you'll get different response depending where the string sensing screws are.  Closer to the bridge more treble, closer to the neck more bass.  Notice how they orient a pair on LP guitars to get as much difference in sound as possible.

[ack1961]

Thanks for the info -

Looking for tips/ideas here...
Anyone have advice for drilling out the wiring channels between the pickup cavities and the control cavity?
I really don't want to rout a channel as there is probably going to be some neck-dive to begin with and I'd like to leave as much wood as possible.  Also, there is no pickguard/cover for the bridge pup, so I can't channel there.

I can't get a drill head & bit parallel to the bottom of the cavity and drill horizontally to the control cavity.
I guess I can look into an angle-head drill (or use my 3/8" drive angled air impact wrench with a compressor), but the cavities are not that big. In fact, I've reached the width limit (where the pickguard is going to cover the rout) for the neck pup.

I have a Dremel tool, but I'm like an axe-murderer with that thing.

Thanks,

Steve

[dadagoboi]

Thanks for the info -

Looking for tips/ideas here...
Anyone have advice for drilling out the wiring channels between the pickup cavities and the control cavity?
I really don't want to rout a channel as there is probably going to be some neck-dive to begin with and I'd like to leave as much wood as possible.  Also, there is no pickguard/cover for the bridge pup, so I can't channel there.

I can't get a drill head & bit parallel to the bottom of the cavity and drill horizontally to the control cavity.
I guess I can look into an angle-head drill (or use my 3/8" drive angled air impact wrench with a compressor), but the cavities are not that big. In fact, I've reached the width limit (where the pickguard is going to cover the rout) for the neck pup.

I have a Dremel tool, but I'm like an axe-murderer with that thing.

Thanks,

Steve

Easiest way is to get a long 1/4 inch drill bit. If you're using a side jack go thru that hole into the control cavity and into a pup cavity.  That's what I'm doing on my Ergo/5 lb bass build.  You can see here where the drill bit will go from endpin jack thru pup cavity to control cav (faint circle, it's in the top horn)...In theory.  It was a bridge too far, bit got off track and started poking thru the body halfway between the pup and control cavs  So I drilled thru the top horn thru control cav into pup cav.  That line is also drawn on the body. Filled the horn hole with a dowel, it's barely noticeable and when finished, invisible.  I used my shopsmith as a horizontal boring machine but my Fenderbird was done with a corded hand drill as is StratoBaster when the bass bridge was installed and needed a ground wire.

Re the Dremeel and any other tool.  Practice, practice, practice!

[ack1961]

Easiest way is to get a long 1/4 inch drill bit. If you're using a side jack go thru that hole into the control cavity and into a pup cavity.  That's what I'm doing on my Ergo/5 lb bass build.  You can see here where the drill bit will go from endpin jack thru pup cavity to control cav (faint circle, it's in the top horn)...In theory.  It was a bridge too far, bit got off track and started poking thru the body halfway between the pup and control cavs  So I drilled thru the top horn thru control cav into pup cav.  That line is also drawn on the body. Filled the horn hole with a dowel, it's barely noticeable and when finished, invisible.  I used my shopsmith as a horizontal boring machine but my Fenderbird was done with a corded hand drill as is StratoBaster when the bass bridge was installed and needed a ground wire.

Re the Dremeel and any other tool.  Practice, practice, practice!

Interesting, thanks.
I may be able to drill a wiring channel from the output jack location through the control cavity and into the neck pup cavity.
Just need a real long bit - shouldn't be a problem.

BTW, I like the location of the control cavity on your project...and that headstock shape is an awesome match for that body.

[dadagoboi]

You can do it.  Gibson has for years. 

My 12" long 1/4" came from the electrical department at a Hardware store eons ago.  Electricians/handy men use them in rehabs.  They sell them at harbor freight for pretty cheap now, 3/8" diameter maybe.  I got a 4' one with a screw tip and cut it down to 2 feet.  $10

Thanks for the compliments.  I'm pretty happy with the headstock shape, to me it's a little more refined than Alembic's or Gibson's.  But it was all I could get out of the TR headstock.  Won't really work with a larger body.

I'm gotta run out and buy a DremEel.