# "smack my bass up"



## grumpybstrd (Nov 19, 2012)

This is by no means a 'how-to' thread, simply to show what I'm up to and fishing for feed back on how I'm doing (either right or wrong). I don't claim to be a guitar builder, or do I even profess to know what I'm doing. I'm simply a guy with some woodworking/carving experience that 15yrs ago decided to dive headfirst into building a new body for my bass only to give up on it realizing I really didn't know what I was doing. So 15yrs of knowledge later and the resources on this forum I'm attempting to finish what I started. 

This is where I left off, it's a chunk of oak I remember paying over $60 for back in the spring of '98. I doweled and glued it, got the shape cut out and routered for the double humbucker and the neck (the neck has to be tweaked, it's not quite straight) There is a couple small cracks in it from sitting unprotected for so long but they are minor and in locations that wont effect anything so they can be filled.









I routered the edges and roughed out the shape with a sander, still have to smooth everything out by hand blocking.

















Before I get much farther I'll router out the opening for the electronics, add a jazz pickup and drill all my holes.

As I mentioned before I welcome all comments and advice.


----------



## Sneaky (Feb 14, 2006)

I like the shape. I'd round off the points a bit. 

It looks heavy.


----------



## al3d (Oct 3, 2007)

Oak?..man, that will be one heavy sucker.. But I like the shape so far..


----------



## grumpybstrd (Nov 19, 2012)

Also all those years ago I pulled the frets off to make it 'fretless' (does anyone even still do that?) so now I have to refinish the neck too

the way it sat all these years









stripped









fretboard


----------



## grumpybstrd (Nov 19, 2012)

I finished routing out he body and got the holes drilled

















Frets are filled and headstock stained

















Nothing gets you itching more to finish a project like the first time you test fit all the parts


----------



## cocobolo (Dec 28, 2012)

Hey grumpy...do you have anything in mind to take care of the small openings where you joined the body parts?

Keith


----------



## grumpybstrd (Nov 19, 2012)

cocobolo said:


> Hey grumpy...do you have anything in mind to take care of the small openings where you joined the body parts?Keith


I injected some epoxy into them, they still arent perfect but I'm not trying to pass this off as a high quality professionaly built peice. Man I really have to update this thing, I have it ready for final assembly, just with the holidays, a death in the family and some other BS going on right now this has been put on the backburner.


----------



## cocobolo (Dec 28, 2012)

grumpybstrd said:


> I injected some epoxy into them, they still arent perfect but I'm not trying to pass this off as a high quality professionaly built peice. Man I really have to update this thing, I have it ready for final assembly, just with the holidays, a death in the family and some other BS going on right now this has been put on the back burner.


Very sorry to hear of the death in the family...that's never an easy thing.

With the epoxy, if you are going to finish with something clear, the epoxy line will still show, even though it may well be filled right in. If an opaque finish, then no problem, except that it will need a two part product to stick to the epoxy. Two part linear polyurethane, that sort of thing. I don't know if nitro will stick to epoxy as I have no experience with it first hand. Perhaps one of our better educated builders can chime in on that.

I was going to suggest that you might use a router with a small bit - perhaps 1/8" or so - and rout a channel where the join is. Then make a slightly tapered filler piece using the same glue you used to stick the body parts together. But it sounds like you are ahead of that now.

Looking forward to seeing the latest pics.

Keith


----------



## grumpybstrd (Nov 19, 2012)

Oops double post.


----------



## grumpybstrd (Nov 19, 2012)

WOW, it has been a while since I updated this hasen't it?

anyway, here it is with the ebony stain









Hand rubbed with some Poly 









After about 1/2 dozen coats of poly I sanded it down to smooth out some of the grain but didn't have enough built up and cut through. But it's only a 'F-up' if you can't make it better so I wiped on some 'Hot Rod Red' lacquer I had laying around then started again building up the clear again.









So I've got it all reassembled, It's not the best quality built guitar ever but atleast it's playable once more. 









Now I just have to figure out how to play it again, I have found that I have forgotten alot and am basically learning from scratch again.


----------



## bluzfish (Mar 12, 2011)

Very nice! I think your assessment that its "not the best quality built guitar" may partially stem from your intimate knowledge of any warts and imperfections from having worked on it so closely. I admire your hard work and dedication to the project. Now get to some funk n thump!


----------



## Dustman (Apr 1, 2011)

Hey Dan it looks great! Bring her by sometime and we'll plug it into my bass rig, I'd love to hear it! I'm still in Happyrock.


----------



## Rudder Bug (Nov 21, 2011)

Congrats man, that's a very happy ending! Really nice bass. 

And I'll tell you what, you are very likely to throw yourself into another project - read challenge, before too long. Guitar building is highly addictive. 

You can't say you havent's been hinted...:sSig_welcome:

Gilles


----------



## grumpybstrd (Nov 19, 2012)

Dustman said:


> Hey Dan it looks great! Bring her by sometime and we'll plug it into my bass rig, I'd love to hear it! I'm still in Happyrock.


I may take you up on that, all I have for an amp right now is a cheap "personal amp"
that clips on your strap and you plug in headphones. The last time I used it I remember it not working right but not what it was doing and when I plug my bass into it now I have to jiggle the plug to get it to work. So I don't know if I have a lose wire or my amp is pooched


----------



## grumpybstrd (Nov 19, 2012)

thank you all for the encouragement


----------



## Lincoln (Jun 2, 2008)

grumpybstrd said:


> all I have for an amp right now is a cheap "personal amp"
> that clips on your strap and you plug in headphones. The last time I used it I remember it not working right but not what it was doing and when I plug my bass into it now I have to jiggle the plug to get it to work. So I don't know if I have a lose wire or my amp is pooched


Great job man! I'm pretty sure the first body I ever built is sitting around unfinished. (gave up on it & moved on) The oak looks good and I'm sure it's lighter than say northern ash or paduk, purpleheart, etc.

Sounds like you need to build yourself an amp to with that bass


----------



## grumpybstrd (Nov 19, 2012)

Rudder Bug said:


> And I'll tell you what, you are very likely to throw yourself into another project - read challenge, before too long. Guitar building is highly addictive.
> 
> You can't say you havent's been hinted...:sSig_welcome:
> 
> Gilles


You know you where right I've already begun researching how to build an acoustic bass. I've always wanted one but have never found one I liked, so I'm looking into building one 
with the body like a violin.


----------

