Beater Bass
- Peter Wilcox
- Posts: 1317
- Joined: Sun Jan 08, 2012 1:31 am
- Location: Northeastern California
Beater Bass
A couple of months ago I decided to build myself a bass that embodies everything I want in a bass.
1) Fretted - I've been playing double bass and fretless electric for a number of years (not very well) and it takes effort and thought. No problem if just playing, but when I sing also, it's hard to remember or read words while playing. With frets it's a lot easier.
2) Cheap - use free wood I have on hand.
3) 5 string - I've never had one before. I really want that D note, and the C and B are a bonus. Also a lot easier to play in F or B with that 5th string.
4) Durable finish, and not to worry if it gets dinged and dented anyway. Lacquer is too fragile, and a shame to damage after all the trouble to apply it well.
5) Use the 5 tuners I have on hand that are all of the same configuration (L American=R Chinese.)
6) Zero fret so I don't have to worry about nut slot depth.
7) Light weight. I'm old and decrepit, and I have a hard time standing for 45 minutes even without a bass around my neck.
So I drew up a plan.
1) Fretted - I've been playing double bass and fretless electric for a number of years (not very well) and it takes effort and thought. No problem if just playing, but when I sing also, it's hard to remember or read words while playing. With frets it's a lot easier.
2) Cheap - use free wood I have on hand.
3) 5 string - I've never had one before. I really want that D note, and the C and B are a bonus. Also a lot easier to play in F or B with that 5th string.
4) Durable finish, and not to worry if it gets dinged and dented anyway. Lacquer is too fragile, and a shame to damage after all the trouble to apply it well.
5) Use the 5 tuners I have on hand that are all of the same configuration (L American=R Chinese.)
6) Zero fret so I don't have to worry about nut slot depth.
7) Light weight. I'm old and decrepit, and I have a hard time standing for 45 minutes even without a bass around my neck.
So I drew up a plan.
- Attachments
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- beater-bass-plan2.jpg (8.55 KiB) Viewed 18740 times
Maybe I can't fix it, but I can fix it so no one can fix it
- Peter Wilcox
- Posts: 1317
- Joined: Sun Jan 08, 2012 1:31 am
- Location: Northeastern California
Re: Beater Bass
Of course, I had to refine the plan.
I selected some wood - I think the neck/body/wings are Douglas fir. I found a piece with vertical grain for the neck through portion, figuring it would be almost like laminations.
Then I drew out the specs on the wood.
Maybe I can't fix it, but I can fix it so no one can fix it
- Peter Wilcox
- Posts: 1317
- Joined: Sun Jan 08, 2012 1:31 am
- Location: Northeastern California
Re: Beater Bass
Using a J bass pattern, I cut the wings and some spacers from a more flat-sawn piece of wood. I left the upper horn long to make sure there were no balance problems before I cut it to final shape.
The fretboard is osage orange.
More later.
I cut the neck and headstock to shape, routed a truss rod slot and drilled through from the headstock for the adjusting nut.The fretboard is osage orange.
More later.
Maybe I can't fix it, but I can fix it so no one can fix it
- Peter Wilcox
- Posts: 1317
- Joined: Sun Jan 08, 2012 1:31 am
- Location: Northeastern California
Re: Beater Bass
The control cavity and pickup routes.
Control plate.
Control plate.
Maybe I can't fix it, but I can fix it so no one can fix it
- Mark Swanson
- Posts: 1991
- Joined: Thu Jan 05, 2012 11:11 am
- Location: Grand Rapids, Michigan USA
- Contact:
Re: Beater Bass
That's coming out good! I love projects like that, and that plan is classic...maybe you should donate it to Charlie and he can sell copies from our Plans page!
- Mark Swanson, guitarist, MIMForum Staff
- Peter Wilcox
- Posts: 1317
- Joined: Sun Jan 08, 2012 1:31 am
- Location: Northeastern California
Re: Beater Bass
Mockup and ready to glue up.
Glued and strung. I had to put a shim under the saddles - they only have about 1/8" of vertical travel (cheap Chinese), and the action was too low.
Glued and strung. I had to put a shim under the saddles - they only have about 1/8" of vertical travel (cheap Chinese), and the action was too low.
Maybe I can't fix it, but I can fix it so no one can fix it
- Peter Wilcox
- Posts: 1317
- Joined: Sun Jan 08, 2012 1:31 am
- Location: Northeastern California
Re: Beater Bass
I was going to paint it fluorescent orange, but decided instead to use some old rattle cans I had on the shelf. I googled spray paint art and found some neat stuff some Mexican artists were doing. I tried to copy the technique with moderate success. Practiced on the back.
Then did the front - not much difference.
It's got several coats of rattle can polyurethane, and the neck is Tru-Oil.
Then did the front - not much difference.
It's got several coats of rattle can polyurethane, and the neck is Tru-Oil.
Maybe I can't fix it, but I can fix it so no one can fix it
- Peter Wilcox
- Posts: 1317
- Joined: Sun Jan 08, 2012 1:31 am
- Location: Northeastern California
Re: Beater Bass
A close up of the saddles and pickups/controls. Yes, the knobs are too close together, but the volume is easy to access with my little finger, and I never touch the tone once it is set.
Maybe I can't fix it, but I can fix it so no one can fix it
- Peter Wilcox
- Posts: 1317
- Joined: Sun Jan 08, 2012 1:31 am
- Location: Northeastern California
Re: Beater Bass
Closeups of the headstock. I prophylactically put a #6 x 1 1/2" screw on each side of the first string tuner, because if it falls, that's where it will break.
.
The bass weighs a little under 7#. Gonna take it to a jam tonight and see how it feels/sounds
.
The bass weighs a little under 7#. Gonna take it to a jam tonight and see how it feels/sounds
Maybe I can't fix it, but I can fix it so no one can fix it
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- Posts: 232
- Joined: Thu Feb 02, 2012 7:32 pm
- Location: Tampa Bay area Fl.
Re: Beater Bass
I love that set of plans too. Nice job on an interesting build from stuff you have laying around. Hope you report back after the jam.
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- Posts: 292
- Joined: Wed Jan 23, 2013 12:07 am
- Location: Chicago, Il U.S.A.
Re: Beater Bass
Now thats cool. you really have a unique take on a 5 string
I have a lot of experience on how "not" to do things.
- Peter Wilcox
- Posts: 1317
- Joined: Sun Jan 08, 2012 1:31 am
- Location: Northeastern California
Re: Beater Bass
I played it last night - good news and bad news. The bass plays/sounds fine, but I'm going to need a new amp/speaker to get down to 31Hz without it sounding like a muffled rattle.
Maybe I can't fix it, but I can fix it so no one can fix it
- Peter Wilcox
- Posts: 1317
- Joined: Sun Jan 08, 2012 1:31 am
- Location: Northeastern California
Re: Beater Bass
A guitar player I jam with said his teen daughter thought this bass looked cool, so wanted me to build him one to learn to play bass on. He wanted a 4 string, and I finally got around to building it. Made from Douglas fir lumber, and extra generic stuff lying around (which explains the tuner arrangement and ultra thin maple fret board) - total cost $65 including strings. This one's a bolt on, as I didn't have a long enough clear piece of wood for a neck through.
Side by side.
Side by side.
Maybe I can't fix it, but I can fix it so no one can fix it
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- Posts: 582
- Joined: Wed Jan 11, 2012 6:28 pm
Re: Beater Bass
More nice work Peter!
I like the paint scheme.
I like the paint scheme.
- Beate Ritzert
- Posts: 599
- Joined: Thu Aug 02, 2012 8:20 am
- Location: Germany
Re: Beater Bass
really cool.
- Peter Wilcox
- Posts: 1317
- Joined: Sun Jan 08, 2012 1:31 am
- Location: Northeastern California
Re: Beater Bass
Thanks Beate and Bob - I think his daughter will like it.
Maybe I can't fix it, but I can fix it so no one can fix it