A bass

[James]

Thinking of building a bass. Just to look awesome.

I think this looks awesome:


Anyone got wood? I was thinking spruce and cedar.

[sleepyhead]

spruce is really delicate and cracks easily. i wouldn't reccomend it for a solid body guitar.

[James]

The actual body of Parker basses is made of spruce, with, uh, maple(?) on the top and bottom.

[James]

Do I really need a truss rod? Instruments were used before truss rods were made, weren't they?

I was thinking of a rosewood fingerboard, but does anyone know of some other, um, interesting fingerboards?

Ya, so if anyone has any crap that can be used donations would be appreciated.

OMG I found bass temelos!!! Feck, $300

[Forrest]

Carvin necks use ebony fretboards. Many Fenders have maple fretboards. I think the maple looks ugly, I like my ebony fretboard. You can buy necks with blank headstocks (I think they have 8"x8" blanks on the ends), but I forget where from. I thought I wanted one for a while, and I still sort of do, but not as much as I thought I did. Anyway, the bass looks swet. Should be awesome.

[James]

Different fretboards have different tones. I played an old epiphone that had a really nice warm sound to it but I don't remember what kind of fretboard it had.

Carvin has maple necks with blank headstocks but I don't feel like spending $150 for one.

[Schmitt Industries Inc.]

I still say cedar for the body, that way it smells nice and looks cool, and you can just pick up some driftwood for it.

[sleepyhead]

because looking and smelling cool is all that matters when it comes to instuments.

have any of you guys been to the emp in seattle? did you see that guitar that still had moss on it? that was awesome.

[James]

andrew said:

because looking and smelling cool is all that matters when it comes to instuments.

You mean there's something else?

What mossy guitar? Do tell.

[Schmitt Industries Inc.]

andrew said:

because looking and smelling cool is all that matters when it comes to instuments.

It's the body, that doesn't matter.

[Forrest]

Yes it does, Andy. It has a great impact on the sound. Don't talk about things of which you posess little knowledge, please.

[Schmitt Industries Inc.]

You're quite well-versed in detecting a joke Mr. Moderator.

[YETI]

Forrest said:

Don't talk about things of which you posess little knowledge, please.

hahaha

[Justin Leedy]

James, you need a truss rod. There were never electric bass guitars without truss rods. The force exerted by those strings over that neck is way too much for it to handle. I definitely recommend buying the neck.

[cifirrekcuT]

ah, let him try it. when he's done, he'll know more about it than you

[James]

I know I need a truss rod. But I'm not going to buy a neck. That would be lame.

[Justin Leedy]

I suggest making it a fretless bass. That way, all you have to do is make a good, level fingerboard and not have to worry about fret placement, fret dressing, fret installation and all that crap. Fretless basses are pretty cool, too. The guy from Death uses a fretless and so did Jaco Pastorius. And, if you make it with an ebony finger board, black hardware, and black paint and use tape wound strings, it will look like the bass is just one big, black beast.

[James]

Ya, it's gonna be fretless. I really don't feel like picking out fret sizes or fretting my fingerboard. Still not sure what I'm going to use for my fingerboard. Maybe indian rosewood. Just got to figure out where to get it...

[Justin Leedy]

Indian rosewood is the cheap kind. And if you want a fretless, it pretty much has to be either really hard rosewood or ebony.

[James]

Justin said:

cheap

That's why.