Custom bass build started!

[Customisbetter]

okay, so the bass is here. i´m kinda on the fence on what i think about it, though.

i think i´ll remove all the hardware some day, and just really go to town on it with a file, so i can sculpt the neck and the neck heel so it´s more comfy. then i´ll round it off even more on the edges on the front. the square lump of a neck volute could do with some smoothing over too.

it needs some serious fine sanding done to it as well, as it´s got a really rough feel to it. this one´s an easy fix, since i´d just have to fine sand it a bit and then oil or wax it.

i´ll have to put foam pads under the pickups so i can raise them, as they´re way far into the body at the moment.

the hand made bridge isn´t adjustable in any way. he´s sorta fixed it in place where he thought it was right. the string spacing at the bridge is a teeny tiny bit off on the highest string, as it´s too close to the fretboard edge on the bottom, and decent at the nut. the action is a bit high too. so i´m thinking i´ll throw that one off, and just buy a proper bridge for this thing.

the string-to-string spacing isn´t quite right either, but nothing a new nut wouldn´t fix.
there´s a couple frets that have a not-so-nice buzz to them, but again this is fixable.

i´m wondering if there´s a bit of truss rod rattle in there, but i don´t know.

the grounding isn´t perfect, leading to some noise that won´t go away no matter how much metal you touch.

so yeah, this really is a Krappy instrument, but it´s not in a "useless" state, it´s in a "not quite there yet" state. it needs sculpting and sanding and maybe a new part here and there to be the way i want it. not really worth the money, but if it was a bit less, it would´ve been okay.

i´ll still use it though, as it sounds good enough plugged in, but i´ll start planning some serious carpentry work here...

the sad part is that it could be seriously kickass if the guy had just spent some time with it.

so yeah... thoughts?

 

[MF_Kitten]

my first tryout was disappointing, but now that i´ve given it time to sink in, i picked it up again, and it actually plays pretty clean. the rattle from (i´m guessing) the truss rod made it sound like there was fret buzz, but there actually isn´t. there´s one fret that has buzz on the bottom 4 strings, but it´s not a bad buzz.

the action isn´t too high, just higher than i´d like it.

the string spacing should be dealt with, but it doesn´t render the instrument unplayable at all.

the roughness and lack of sculpting on the body is kind of annoying, but it´s so easy to fix. the biggest issue is the huge and weird neck heel. that´s not going to be such an easy fix. the neck shape (it´s like a softened V shape) will be a challenge too. both are fixable by just using a file and some sandpaper though.

anyways, i´ll get clips and footage up soon enough. i need to get used to playing this thing first. i might have to add some sort of side markers for the fretboard so i don´t lose track of where i am too.

it´s a resonant and acoustically loud instrument, which is good, and it sounds great plugged in, grounding issues aside.

 

[Customisbetter]

have your tightened that truss rod? My trussrods tend to rattle a bit when there is no tension on them.

 

[MF_Kitten]

i´ll check it out. thanks! i never thought about that

if that solves it, then the most annoying part is gone.

 

[Customisbetter]

did it work?

 

[TemjinStrife]

okay, so the bass is here. i´m kinda on the fence on what i think about it, though.

i think i´ll remove all the hardware some day, and just really go to town on it with a file, so i can sculpt the neck and the neck heel so it´s more comfy. then i´ll round it off even more on the edges on the front. the square lump of a neck volute could do with some smoothing over too.

it needs some serious fine sanding done to it as well, as it´s got a really rough feel to it. this one´s an easy fix, since i´d just have to fine sand it a bit and then oil or wax it.

i´ll have to put foam pads under the pickups so i can raise them, as they´re way far into the body at the moment.

the hand made bridge isn´t adjustable in any way. he´s sorta fixed it in place where he thought it was right. the string spacing at the bridge is a teeny tiny bit off on the highest string, as it´s too close to the fretboard edge on the bottom, and decent at the nut. the action is a bit high too. so i´m thinking i´ll throw that one off, and just buy a proper bridge for this thing.

the string-to-string spacing isn´t quite right either, but nothing a new nut wouldn´t fix.
there´s a couple frets that have a not-so-nice buzz to them, but again this is fixable.

i´m wondering if there´s a bit of truss rod rattle in there, but i don´t know.

the grounding isn´t perfect, leading to some noise that won´t go away no matter how much metal you touch.

so yeah, this really is a Krappy instrument, but it´s not in a "useless" state, it´s in a "not quite there yet" state. it needs sculpting and sanding and maybe a new part here and there to be the way i want it. not really worth the money, but if it was a bit less, it would´ve been okay.

i´ll still use it though, as it sounds good enough plugged in, but i´ll start planning some serious carpentry work here...

the sad part is that it could be seriously kickass if the guy had just spent some time with it.

so yeah... thoughts?

It sounds like what a lot of people say about Wishbasses. If I buy an instrument from someone, unless I specifically order it unfinished, I'd prefer to have all of the work done on it.

That said, good luck on getting it up to a truly playable state!

 

[MF_Kitten]

i actually remembered wish basses too. so i´m taking this as a challenge: i´ve received an unpolished diamond in the form of an almost-finished instrument. in order to make it awesome, all i have to do is finish the job.

it´s not exactly an ideal situation, but i´m kinda excited that i can mold the contours however i want now that there aren´t any

i tightened the truss rod a wee bit, and that fixed it right up. then i adjusted the action (turns out i can do that after all) a teeny bit, and now it plays really well. i plugged it in and played a bit, and tried some settings, and goddamn it sounds awesome!

so this is really a matter of comfort and detail rather than functionality being the missing element. it does it´s job, it´s just not as comfortable as i´d want it.

 

[Customisbetter]

Im glad its not a total disaster then!

 

[Cheesebuiscut]

Vid-e-o? *sniff*

 

[MF_Kitten]

not for a while, i'm home for the holidays, will be back after new year's. still haven't mastered this thing, i'm thinking about where to get the tools to fix it up. it needs serious sculpting and sanding in some places. it's playable, but not that comfy. it sounds awesome though, which is great. i gotta figure out the whole EQ thing properly, so it mixes with the guitars sonically.

 

[MF_Kitten]

i´ve been playing this some more, and i´ve been thinking about all the stuff that needs doing to make it awesome, and i really don´t have the budget or time for it. i´m getting ready for a wedding, and i don´t have the cash or skills to do the adjustments and sculpting and all the other stuff it needs to have done to it.

so i´m wondering if anyone wants to buy it for a nice and low price, and finish it? if you think about it, it´s really just a semi-finished bass that has had the hardware put on to try it out. it needs a couple things to be done to it:

-new nut
-sculpting on neck heel and neck shape, plus general smoothing out and sanding
-some work on the truss rod (i have no idea about these things, so i´m just putting it out there)
-new bridge

and that´s about it, really. it´s a nice starting point, but it´s rough and (IMO) unfinished.

to sum it up: 40" scale, Q-tuner pickups, looks like in the pictures on the former pages. ash body with walnut top and back, cherry fretboard (with flat radius), which looks surprisingly awesome.

so, any takers? i´m thinking someone who likes project guitars and stuff, or who likes to build stuff like this, can take this and finish it up so it can be as awesome as it´s supposed to be.

PM me, and we´ll work out the price.

 

[AxeGuru]

I cant say I'm interested in buying it, though you've helped me out in knowing not to go with krappy if I want me a 40'' bass or any custom guitar/bass for that matter!

I'm just interested in what bridge that is picturted. It looks like theres a base plate or is it the ABM single's?. Actually, screw that question!
Lets see this footage you said would be up soon enough

 

[MF_Kitten]

i don´t think i´ll bother with the footage, honestly. it´s not playable enough for me to even start.

the bridge is a homemade one. i think it´s aluminum blocks with screws in them which are cut and made into saddles. so the saddles are screws. also, it´s glued on, so it´d have to be heated with a hairdryer or heat gun or something to remove it.

if anyone is interested, i´m selling this for the price of the wood and the hardware/electronics. conider it a bass build that was started for you, and you only have to finish it.

 

[AxeGuru]

Can you at least put up a pic of the bass in your arms?
I sooo (and I'm sure whoever is interested in buying would) want to see how greater the stretch to the lowest note looks like.

 

[knuckle_head]

 

[MF_Kitten]

yeah, i know right? kind of a kick in the groin after all the excitement.

don´t worry though. i´m still in love with the scale length and the low tunings, so you haven´t lost a customer just yet

i just don´t have the time or the tools to complete it myself, much less the cash.

should anyone be interested, i´d be willing to sell it without any electronics if you want it as cheap as possible. again, PM me and we´ll talk. i just wanna get rid of this thing so i can start saving up for something finished.

 

[Andrew_B]

this is horrible

if you were closer i would offer to attempt to fix it up for you/buld you a new one withwhat parts are salvagable,
but it would probably cost alot to get the damn thing to me and back

i would be damanding a full refund plus some if i recieved that

 

[phaeded0ut]

Morten,

Sorry to read that you're unhappy with this beastie. Will you try to do something similiar with a local (or more local) manufacturer?

 

[MF_Kitten]

Morten,

Sorry to read that you're unhappy with this beastie. Will you try to do something similiar with a local (or more local) manufacturer?

i´m thinking about asking Roter some day. i need to get actual money in order to do that though

i´m not very picky about my basses. a good sturdy construction with good wood selections, a comfy layout and design, and it should preferrably look ok too.

i´m also thinking ibanez BTB 5 string if a roter bass would be too much for my wallet.

 

[8string]

did you sell this yet? Kinda looking for a project...