Hell, the moment at 0:03 when you showed what beast you made of that ebay kit I knew there will be badassery. Your craftsmanship is beyond impressive, Dan, cheers.
Dan, I played guitar for a lot of years and only played the bass when our bass player wasn’t using it. This is the first bass guitar I have ever owned, I built it myself after watching your video and I love it! thank you so much for putting out such a great video the only on building but on setting up the bass guitar!
I would really, REALLY love a video series that shows each of these steps in more detail. It would be very useful to see things like the pickup routing being done in its totality.
The last time I checked Humbuckers don't need shielding, but it is great for Single coils. I tried the extra screws on the Neck and it worked great. Now if could just find a good after-market neck for both my Carvel 4 string and LTD 5 stinger. Neither made for Flats that warped both necks. Funny as hell as my cheap Chinese 5 stinger build (Warrick Body/Neck with rouge headstock LOL) has heavy Flats and the neck has warped after 6 years and about 3 sets of things and the last hold tune for a month. I order this one because I didn't want a counterfeit. I only do minor tune-ups for temp changes most of the time. Sustain is ridiculous.
Well my friend, you have done it again. Great video and I love the look you did on this bass. I really like how in-depth you go on your videos. Oh and congratulations on reaching 1,000 subscribers. The subscribers seem to really grow after 1,000. Nice job!
Regarding the bridge ground wire, something I just did with my bass kit is get a super long 1/8 drill bit and went straight toward the neck pocket through the strap button hole into the pickup cvity and then drilled at an angle where the bridge ground comes out to meet the first hole.
As someone who is trying to build a TH-cam channel and figure out my approach, it's great to see how quickly you're growing by just putting out informative, entertaining, and branded content. It's awesome, man. Also, wish I had that bass.
+Going Up? Records just keep at it man, and do every tip TH-cam tells you to do, that's what I'm doing! Oh and do what you love and know, that way if it never gains traction, you're still having fun. Thanks for the compliments!
I really want to have a 5 string bass that has an extended scale length of say 36 inches, but the only options are like dingwalls for example which I can't afford. Any ideas on how to add length to a kit like this?
+Paul Phariss I think that's above my pay grade. It might be possible with a fretless kit, but not with a fretted one, the frets wouldn't be intonated properly.
Guns and Guitars would it be possible by cutting the headstock off and adding some length between the headstock and the nut? That way it would be intonated correctly
+Paul Phariss again, kinda above my pay grade here, but theoretically possible. It would take some real craftsmanship to seamlessly extend the fingerboard, and your fret dots will be off (i.e. the 12th fret would no longer be 12th etc). I don't think I would try it. You might be better off having someone custom build you one, you might be able to find someone that will do it for a lot cheaper than a dingwall. Although, If you're skilled enough to do what you are proposing, then you're probably skilled enough to do the whole thing from scratch as well
Get some neckwood, some fingerboard wood, saw it to shape, route in space for the truss rod(s), Then sand it till you find a comfortable shape and fret radius(You can find radius sanding blocks and fretwire for cheap). Really all you need to build a bass is wood and hardware.
I got a really cheap plywood bass body, that would work great, but i'm worried about the quality, should i buy a new one or is it okay if i use the plywood? Great content by the way, keep it up
Guenther TheGuy it depends. if you buy something from warmoth, the quality will be a hell of alot better. you can also do a good looking transparent finish. warmoth can be pricey though.
you're correct about the resin effecting the tone. you probably wouldn't notice a huge difference in bass or guitar, but it does create a world of difference on violin. this is why stradivarius violins genuinely sound better than others.... nice video by the way
realy cool videos you should do it more often. learn more whatching the videos then in school for the hole year (srry for my shit inglis i m from portugal)
Guns and Guitars the videos are realy intreating and the Chanel is groing realy fast (you win 1000 subs in 1 day) do you ever consider in making videos more often?
That wooden pick guard is absolutely beautiful... I love it. Also, this video was really well made overall. Straight and too the point, well edited, and we'll paced. You did a great job on this one man
I totally agree on the body finish, especially for bass. Whether it affects tone can be argued on guitars (it definitely affects the feel), but on basses a natural finish really seems to make a difference. Loving the Chris Farley air quotes!!!! Also your engraving is incredible! Have you found that certain Ebay kits are more usable than others? This has me interested in trying one out.
Thanks for your compliments! I think all these eBay kits are hit and miss. As long as you don't get a really jacked up crooked neck then a little elbow grease will make it play just fine. The electronics are hit and miss too, but they are meant to just get you going, and you can always upgrade them later
Dan. I just found your channel AWESOME! I'm a Drummer who just started learning bass and I grew up owning, shooting and modifying guns. Keep up the good work GREAT JOB!
+Pete F you're gonna be a great bass player. I also play drums, it's important for a bass player to know how to follow a kick pattern like glue. As a drummer, you'll catch on to this much faster than most!
TEXTGaming Just rewired my squier pbass vintage style. There's a ton of resources out there on rewiring. I used cloth covered wire and followed the schematics for an original pbass. Sounds amazing
5:28 Why would you want your electric guitar to resonate? That means the strings lose energy quicker and therefore less sustain. Ideally you dont want your guitar to resonate at all. With acoustic guitars it is of course totally different.
Yeah I might be wrong too, but the fact that pickups only "record" the oscillation of the strings and not of the guitar itself makes me think that way , great video anyway :)
I have an old 70s P Bass and now after this video I'll re juvinate this old boy...great inspiring vids, love the finish and engraving, not to mention all the pro tips ☠️🎸☠️
+Legion of Weirdos watch my vid on how to make a high end guitar out of a cheap eBay kit. It's basically the same video but for guitar. Totally price was around $150 on that build too
Hi, this is Dan from Isabella Wainright, and I'm so glad you did this video! I bought a jazz bass kit a few years ago and threw a set of solderless EMG's into it, and I've been playing it ever since; used it to record with too... Now I'm in need of a new bass, and after seeing this video, I'm going to make another custom, this time a P-Bass. Got the pickups, nut and waiting on the bass itself and hardware. The pickups came with two standard p-style pickups, but only one volume and one tone, so I may buy a single coil and/or humbucker to add to it. I love how you customized it with the engravings, so I may go that route too... Thanks again Dan, keep making more!!!
Hey Dan, you are a good presenter. I enjoyed the video and got pumped about making my own. I'm a woodworker with more than 30 years of experience and couldn't agree with you more about the tung oil. I have no idea about its effect on the sound, but I know about its effect on the wood and it's all positive IMO. Both the strat and the P-Bass look great! Well done, and thanks for sharing. Cheers.
Thanks for your compliments! yeah I'm not sure if it makes a difference in tone or not, but it feels like it does to me so I guess that's all that really matters haha
a trained eye can spot a diffrent tone with diffrent finishes but you can hear a very slight diffrence when seeing it in an a-b test but you don't notice a diffrence when using it like a normal human
I was part of double blind tests and people (trained musicians, music professors etc)who swore they could hear the difference between one Strat of a particular year and new one, swore they could hear the difference between an ebony fretboard and a one piece maple neck failed. You couldn't see the instrument and there was no indication what was A and B. You just hear two parts with a little pause inbetween and you only decide if you can hear a difference. They couldn't tell apart a strat made from an acrylic body from they beloved models AND there were also a pair where you would just hear the same sound bit twice instead of comparing it with something different. Some heard a huge difference (1-10 scale) while hearing the SAME bit twice. Our body and ears fucks with our perception. It's like the picture with the trampoline elephant and you can almost hear the impact because of the shaking picture. The other thing is what you can feel frequency-wise doesn't man you can hear it (let alone the amp with speakers that won't do anything with certain frequencies. If you can't feel a lot of vibration in the guitar body/neck it's a pro cause you want the vibration to run back and forth through the strings but not leak into the body. It will not run through the body and reenter the strings. You just feel it and you might like it but that is all there is. It is the same with wood...just say you like it for the looks (which is the reason it is mostly chosen from apart from structural stability) cause all the flamed wood and the birds-eye is weaker wood. How do they get in? Those are all dead twigs that wanted to grow but died because of the environmental conditions. They get sick and they die off and leave those dots or disfigurations. The part of the body which has the most influence (after the hardware and the pickups and pots and of course your damn playing style with your fingers) is the neck. It's a long hunk of wood that only has a connection to something solid at the body. Less movement in the neck = more movement in the strings This influence is still freakin tiny! BUT this makes more difference at bass guitars due to the deeper frequencies. So if a bass neck isn't stable and moves around you have a lot more problems. The lacquer on the body makes homeopathic differences if at all (if it's not in the neckpocket or very thick under the bridge. On a bass neck it may add a tiny difference and only the strong believers might feel but not hear. (face it our hearing sucks at lower frequencies even more, but feeling it gets easier) What comes into play are psychoacoustics (this is scientifc term, you may want to check it out, interesting stuff) You play your instrument and you like the smooth feel with juuust the right amount of friction of an blank neck and enjoy playability. Brain is happy and adds the information = sounds better (oversimplified). You may also think that an instrument sounds better cause you played it for a long time. That might not be the case but you adjusted your playing so much to that instrument that your ear is trained on that sound. (It's even important how much pause there is between hearing signals and what other frequencies the ear has to handle at that point which might mask some other frequencies at the same time) If your muscle memory say it doesn't feel right, you'll your brain also says that it doesn't sound right (subconcious). This is why some players say they can't play anything different anymore. If you really poke musicians long enough, they'll tell you that they bought a certain instrument because someone they admired played it. What worked for them may not work for you but you play it long enough and you adjust to it...the instrument forms (or even really deforms) your body and you grow together. What you feel while playing is a combination of a lot of things, but if you just take the sound and you have to rely on your ears you often can't tell the difference. Keep in mind that you don't have the same ears as the person besides you, you don't stand in the same room, use the same speakers, one of you got screamed in one ear during childhood, the other has more earwax in his right ear, he may be sick and some of the airways might be blocked in his head....so why would you hear the same? You set your amp to what sounds good to you and you play what feels good to you. What sounds good at home may sound crappy on a stage playing with others. That doesn't mean there is a sound difference that you can tell apart. If more people would just do that without religion-like believes about the sound, people would get along much better and get better products without getting fucked over by the industry giants selling fake capcitors. Noone would dare to sell tonepolish if the people would be more open to scientific research and THEN buy what they just LIKE and stop telling other people what they have to like cause it sounds better to them. There are books called Physics of the Electric Guitar from Prof. Manfred Zollner, a former electro-acoustics professor from gemrany. Sadly the two volumes are only available in german at the moment but articles will be extracted and translated soon.
Ok for you still don't agree: Sound is movement strumming the strings will cause the neck and body to vibrate the vibration of the neck and body will move the pickups and the vibration also goes back into the strings therefore changing the sound if you have a harder finish or a harder wood the vibration will be different thus the vibrations that go back into the pickups and strings will be different thus changing the sound. in the case of the different finishes it is hardly noticeable (but still there) with the wood of the body and the neck and fretboard it changes a bit more.
@onpsxmember like i said the difference is very tiny if you have the same woods but a different model etc. and i never claimed the difference to be huge but it is there
to be honest no i can't hear the difference between paints but i never claimed to i am just saying the difference is there i said that there is a slight difference didn't say it was audible to me and you are right that there is no observable difference and i never claimed there was. Cheers
Years ago, I bought a new SX (brand) 5-string bass from Rondo Music. It's basically a '70's Fender Jazz bass copy. It has a beautiful 3-color sunburst, and it plays and sounds great. It honestly needs nothing. Total cost shipped to my door was just $154.
sorry just pokin fun at you..i do play bass though my band project is called"Floyd MacIntire"its on my chanel..please have a listen if you've got the time.
Just make sure you’re in a gun free zone and try and regulate guns as much as possible and then simply become popular enough on the internet that someone swats you and our highly trained (to view everyone as a threat to their lives in a perpetual hypothalamus to pituitary gland to adrenaline overload relentless til their whiteblood fell count reduces and their norepinephrine is making them experience constant over alertness) military police with all the excessive surplus you can imagine will come to disarm your fictional arms, and then your actual arms will proceed to be blown off as they mistake your writhing and squirming for resistance. The lesson? Don’t be so hairstyle to Americans practicing their rights because when you look at hitched situations where those rights are suspended for the blunders or the feds, you won’t be free til you’re dead. And the only one who can stop a bad guy or a tyrannical entity with guns are those with equal enough power.
Dan, nice job with this vid! I know, it's over a year old, but it's new to me. Good energy, good speed, showed us what was important. I like oil finishes on instruments because I think they look and feel the best. Keep up the good work!
+xero spacious lots of people are saying this. I'm gonna do a video on it soon with an AB test of the same pickups in two different wood guitars. I personally am dying to know if it's true
If it makes any difference it will be incredibly hard to hear unless you are superhuman. It deffinateley affects the tone of acoustic instruments but the effect is negligible at best on electric.
This is amazing aswell as your channel. I was watching the video thinking this dude has at least 100k but no 9?!? you are so professional and your channel will definitely grow quickly! subbed!
I really like your videos so please keep up the good work! Also, I worked on a similar project a couple of months ago and your videos turn out to be everything I was looking for back in those days. you really inspired me to build my second bass so rock on!
Dan , really inspiring and positive thinking video. I own a 80's Fender JB and an Ibanez Roadstar (an oldie) I was (WAS) going to purchase a Chinese bass for giggles. These DIY guitars that you've worked on sound just great. Looks and "famous" brands are deceiving in blind tests against other cheaper brands.
Could you do a video or something that elaborates on how to build these kits? I.e. measurements used to place things, wiring, adding the 45deg support screws, etc?
I like that p-bass/MM pickup setup. I added a MM humbucker on my frankenfender p-bass with jazz neck. I enjoy it, but I don't think I get as much use out of it as the regular ol split coil p-bass pickup. I like that low end growl more I guess.
+mrDROCK yeah, if you left the p pickup where it was then the mm is probably too close to the bridge and lacks some low end. To get great tone from that pickup it needs to be in its "sweet spot" which over laps the p pickup sweet spot.
Great tip on the 3M spray adhesive for the pickguard backing foil. I got a pickguard with no foil and couldn't decide what kind of glue to use for the foil. Also, I dig the slanted split pup. It really makes the whole set up pop. Otherwise it would be so plain Jane. Or Jim?
I stripped the paint from an electric once and sealed it with tung oil made it a much mellower and not quite as bright tone. Definitely an advocate for natural finishes!
Don't you love when a kit error becomes one of the coolest looking bass pickups ever? Love that slant!! Probably sounds better than standard alignment lol
Fan.Tas.Tic Work. That's some real craftsman talent you're showing. I'll definitely try this. If you ever plan to do this again, I would also enjoy a longer video for further details to follow up better.
Hey man, this was a really great tutorial. I am definitely going to revisit this in a couple months when I actually do this. You really have inspired me, in fact I kind of wish the video was longer, and you went more in depth on the finer aspects, especially because I've never really used a tool before :S Great video! Keep it up, I'll be subscribed to you man
Guns and Guitars good luck, as far as making it a set neck, it should work because the surface area is plenty, but i would recommend finding the best glue you can for it, and making sure there is no finish on that part of the neck or the neck pocket
I built one of these before I had even seen this channel before. When you mentioned the lack of a bridge ground connect hole I threw my head back in frustration as all those terrible memories of trying to ground the bridge rushed back to me
The way I actually got around this problem was ridiculous though. I was actually using a bass tune-o-matic bridge on the bass I built. So I drilled a hole out of the back of the cavity and a small hole out of the bottom of where the tun-o-matic post goes. Then I ran the ground wire out the back of the bass and into the inside of the tune o magic post. I covered up the back wire with the an old Floyd rose back panel I had sitting around. It worked out perfectly
+Tyler Keating genius solution man! I almost drilled out the back from the control cavity, then back in under the bridge. I was gonna feed the wire out the back and back under the bridge, then cover it with wood filler and sand it. Only problem was that was a pretty permanent solution. I'm glad I figured out a different way, in case I ever have to feed a new wire thru that hole haha
I would honest to God expect to find that at my local guitar shop for around £300! Video's great and the bass just looks insanely handsome, can't wait for your trial vid!
The Billy Sheehan, Yamaha Attitude 3 has the 2 screws that go in from the back at a 45° angle. So koodos to you my friend. I am now a loyal follower of you yours.
Hi Dan, I love your videos. It seems to me that the real problem with the string spacing might be the bridge. I would have rolled with a better quality bridge.
you are correct. I was going to replace the bridge, but I liked the spacing of the strings on the neck, I was afraid a wider spacing would push the outer strings too close to the edge
I love all your mods, projects are fun and the finished result feels so much more personal when complete. I have some questions for you, though, for some more ambitious projects I have started. Fully replaced every bit of hardware on an inexpensive p/j bass and routed out a larger control cavity for dropping some fancy electronics in there. My questions are about power, organizing circuits, and overall efficiency.
Great video. I am getting real tempted to order one of those kits off of eBay just to see what I can do. By the way, I am with those people that say the finish is not going to make a difference on the sound of a solid body electric guitar or bass. The body doesn't resonate like it would in an acoustic guitar or bass, but hell, part of building your own is to finish it the way that you like - so great job.
Harley Benton kits from thomann aren’t bad, only complaint was the tuner pilot holes were way off, had to fill them in with toothpicks and glue and redrill them.
The split P pickup at a 45 degree angle looks absolutely amazing. I've got to do that, but since I'm worthless at woodworking I'll have to shell out a bunch of money to make it happen...
Hey! Im building my own custom guitar based on a DIY kit. But im kindda poor, or just kindda cheap ass. BUT what is a good (and cheap) finish, prefferably oil based that is good for both the neck and body, so that i don't have to buy two different finishes. Neck is maple with maple fretboard and the body is ash
I commented on the original bass vid. Your string margins tell you that your neck angle laterally is incorrect, not the pickup route. This is a 3 minute fix by making sure your neck screw holes through your body aren’t interference fit and loosening your neck screws a little and moving your neck laterally until your margins are right and the pole pieces align. That’s why you run outer strings while you install the neck.
Great Video man. I think I just found my next project. For anyone debating the acoustic effects of finish and trying to say it doesn't have an impact, I have one name for you, Antonio Stradivari. Obviously it makes a huge difference in acoustic instruments but it also has a role to play in electric instruments.
be careful, there are a lot of nay sayers out there. I feel like it makes a difference too, even if its in my head. If it sounds better in my head, then that's all that matters right? haha
what exactly were the measurements for how far away the music man pickup was from the bridge? I'm planning on building a similar project, but empty out a ton of the body under the pick guard, replace the pick guard with clear plastic or plexiglass, and fill up the inside with tons of antique looking gears and an led light system around the edges, giving tons of flare and a steampunk aesthetic.
I just searched the internet for "music man sweet spot measurements" I don't remember off the top of my head what they were. That build sounds rad! I'd love to see it when it's done. Post a pic on my Facebook or something
Haha! I was watching this video with the kids playing, so I didn't hear it too well. At the point where you mentioned cancelling out completing noise, I thought it was a wife joke 😁😁. So I went back to rewatch, and you said fluorescent lights. 😁😁 it might only be funny to me, but I got a good laugh anyway.
Alright, so I've got all the parts and I'm starting the build. Can you point out a reference for how to wire all this stuff together, plus adding in a tone nob if you want one? Preferably one that's understandable for a person with no experience, like myself.
Hell, the moment at 0:03 when you showed what beast you made of that ebay kit I knew there will be badassery.
Your craftsmanship is beyond impressive, Dan, cheers.
+Alex Abrikosov wow thanks! Best compliment so far
I have a challenge for you, try and re-create cliff burtons classic rickenbacker with 3 pickups
Kevin Givens I genuinely would love to see this so much
it’s an EB-0 pickup, SD Jazz Hotstack and an SD Strat pickup
Even more complicated is the strat pickup is activated by a push/pull switch rather than a volume knob.
Instructions unclear, got my bad joke stuck in the comment section.
Seriously though, I might need to try this.
+Raymond Davis haha go for it!
What's wrong with your left eye?
i thought it was his other eye
Plot twist, its been two years and its on the top
1. Buy a cheap body
2. Buy a cheap neck
3. Buy some cheap pickups
4. Touch up buy slowly getting better pickups, better strings, modifying the body.
5. Profit
@@holo6883 how
Tell me the ways of the profit
Wow, great looking bass!
+Fabian's Tiny Workshop thank you!
Man you're content is getting great.
+discofudge thank you so much. Means a lot to me
your*
Fabio Ayala Put your erection away. No one wants to see it.
at least you wrote it the right way this time, good job buddy :)
PS: I also agree his content is great
discofudge your*
dont fucking tease me with that beautiful bass in the thumbnail
OMG ITS SO BEAUTIFUL
haha thanks
Great job! You have given me the courage to strip my old bass, and do a custom paint job.
+hurlyherbs when you do I want to see it! Post a pic on my Facebook!
I find mine come out better with flowered boxers....come out better?
As a P-Bass player, some experimentation can change the sound dramatically.
Dan, I played guitar for a lot of years and only played the bass when our bass player wasn’t using it. This is the first bass guitar I have ever owned, I built it myself after watching your video and I love it! thank you so much for putting out such a great video the only on building but on setting up the bass guitar!
That’s awesome Kevin! Congrats on building your first bass!
I was totally digging your channel and then you said fender strings, but you only lose a few points for that.
+EJ Salazar haha personal preference I guess. Not sure why but they just sound great to me.
I always put fender strings on my bass but never my guitar ???
I prefer ernie ball strings
@@CaptainRudy4021 who cares what you prefer
@@yu-gyeonglee489 I do 🤷♂️
Dude your channel is awesome! It'd be cool if you did a video that went more in depth on all the wiring stuff for instruments
+Austin White I will be doing that in the future for sure
I would really, REALLY love a video series that shows each of these steps in more detail. It would be very useful to see things like the pickup routing being done in its totality.
The last time I checked Humbuckers don't need shielding, but it is great for Single coils. I tried the extra screws on the Neck and it worked great. Now if could just find a good after-market neck for both my Carvel 4 string and LTD 5 stinger. Neither made for Flats that warped both necks. Funny as hell as my cheap Chinese 5 stinger build (Warrick Body/Neck with rouge headstock LOL) has heavy Flats and the neck has warped after 6 years and about 3 sets of things and the last hold tune for a month. I order this one because I didn't want a counterfeit. I only do minor tune-ups for temp changes most of the time. Sustain is ridiculous.
I was saying "hell yeah!" before I watched the video, and now I'm sad. I have zero woodworking skills.
don't be sad, get some tools and start tinkering!
Well my friend, you have done it again. Great video and I love the look you did on this bass. I really like how in-depth you go on your videos. Oh and congratulations on reaching 1,000 subscribers. The subscribers seem to really grow after 1,000. Nice job!
+Gene Cavasos thanks man! Not sure why I'm getting so many subscribers now but I welcome it!
Congratulations for the video man! The best here!
Thanks!
Regarding the bridge ground wire, something I just did with my bass kit is get a super long 1/8 drill bit and went straight toward the neck pocket through the strap button hole into the pickup cvity and then drilled at an angle where the bridge ground comes out to meet the first hole.
like the wood pickguards on your builds!
+justrockon426 thanks!
As someone who is trying to build a TH-cam channel and figure out my approach, it's great to see how quickly you're growing by just putting out informative, entertaining, and branded content. It's awesome, man. Also, wish I had that bass.
+Going Up? Records just keep at it man, and do every tip TH-cam tells you to do, that's what I'm doing! Oh and do what you love and know, that way if it never gains traction, you're still having fun. Thanks for the compliments!
I might "pickup" one of those kits! (crickets)
Totally agree about Fender Strings. I use the 7150's pure Nickel bass strings medium 45, 65, 85, 105
That's a great pickup combination!
+SMarkalet thanks!
your channel is probably the only good recommendation youtube has ever given me, really love your content
Thanks!
I really want to have a 5 string bass that has an extended scale length of say 36 inches, but the only options are like dingwalls for example which I can't afford. Any ideas on how to add length to a kit like this?
+Paul Phariss I think that's above my pay grade. It might be possible with a fretless kit, but not with a fretted one, the frets wouldn't be intonated properly.
Guns and Guitars would it be possible by cutting the headstock off and adding some length between the headstock and the nut? That way it would be intonated correctly
+Paul Phariss again, kinda above my pay grade here, but theoretically possible. It would take some real craftsmanship to seamlessly extend the fingerboard, and your fret dots will be off (i.e. the 12th fret would no longer be 12th etc). I don't think I would try it. You might be better off having someone custom build you one, you might be able to find someone that will do it for a lot cheaper than a dingwall. Although, If you're skilled enough to do what you are proposing, then you're probably skilled enough to do the whole thing from scratch as well
Buy a 36" scale neck ( from Carvin or Warmoth )and build your own body. Be creative and go for it!
Get some neckwood, some fingerboard wood, saw it to shape, route in space for the truss rod(s), Then sand it till you find a comfortable shape and fret radius(You can find radius sanding blocks and fretwire for cheap). Really all you need to build a bass is wood and hardware.
You can also use a sharpened bicycle spoke to drill a long hole. There are no flutes so you have to back out often and take it slow.
I got a really cheap plywood bass body, that would work great, but i'm worried about the quality, should i buy a new one or is it okay if i use the plywood? Great content by the way, keep it up
A*Jack But i'm worried that the quality isn't good, you shure about this?
Guenther TheGuy I'd get a basswood body
The Ghost of the Flying Dutchman How much would that cost, and how much better is it? nice name tho
Guenther TheGuy it depends. if you buy something from warmoth, the quality will be a hell of alot better. you can also do a good looking transparent finish. warmoth can be pricey though.
The Ghost of the Flying Dutchman Yeah, i've conaidered warmoth too, but the price just kills it, are there alterntives, you seem to know your shit.
you're correct about the resin effecting the tone. you probably wouldn't notice a huge difference in bass or guitar, but it does create a world of difference on violin. this is why stradivarius violins genuinely sound better than others.... nice video by the way
Great vid-j-yo buddy.
I wouldn't mind if they got longer and more detailed.
+Bad Juju thanks for the input!
You know your stuff man. I'm looking forward to coming back to these videos for a summer project.
+Evan Goodmanson go for it! So much fun
realy cool videos you should do it more often.
learn more whatching the videos then in school for the hole year (srry for my shit inglis i m from portugal)
It's not bad, just keep improving. *whole
onpsxmember thanks
+frizz D thanks for the compliment!
Guns and Guitars the videos are realy intreating and the Chanel is groing realy fast (you win 1000 subs in 1 day) do you ever consider in making videos more often?
dani my groing realy fast 2!
That wooden pick guard is absolutely beautiful... I love it. Also, this video was really well made overall. Straight and too the point, well edited, and we'll paced. You did a great job on this one man
+mike twohy thank you that it great feedback. Thanks!
Guns and Guitars no problem!
Great video. I guess all of the ebay sellers saw it as well because all of the kits have jumped in price.
I know, sucks, these kits were $65 when I bought mine. now they are double :(
I ordered one last week for $65. They put them on sale for Christmas.
I totally agree on the body finish, especially for bass. Whether it affects tone can be argued on guitars (it definitely affects the feel), but on basses a natural finish really seems to make a difference. Loving the Chris Farley air quotes!!!! Also your engraving is incredible! Have you found that certain Ebay kits are more usable than others? This has me interested in trying one out.
Thanks for your compliments! I think all these eBay kits are hit and miss. As long as you don't get a really jacked up crooked neck then a little elbow grease will make it play just fine. The electronics are hit and miss too, but they are meant to just get you going, and you can always upgrade them later
Looks awesome with thosd pickups.
+Dave thanks!
Dan. I just found your channel AWESOME! I'm a Drummer who just started learning bass and I grew up owning, shooting and modifying guns. Keep up the good work GREAT JOB!
+Pete F you're gonna be a great bass player. I also play drums, it's important for a bass player to know how to follow a kick pattern like glue. As a drummer, you'll catch on to this much faster than most!
Frikkin' great video man!
Hey bro just finished my first build and your videos helped me a lot thanks 🤙
I have a fender tornado with some wiring problems and I need to rewire the hole thing.
any tips
TEXTGaming Just rewired my squier pbass vintage style. There's a ton of resources out there on rewiring. I used cloth covered wire and followed the schematics for an original pbass. Sounds amazing
TEXTGaming look up a wiring diagram
should be easy enough, just make sure you ground everything properly
+TEXTGaming I'm going to be doing more wiring videos in the future
5:28
Why would you want your electric guitar to resonate? That means the strings lose energy quicker and therefore less sustain.
Ideally you dont want your guitar to resonate at all.
With acoustic guitars it is of course totally different.
Interesting. In my experience, guitars that sound good acoustically sound better amplified, but my head might be playing tricks on my ears
Yeah I might be wrong too, but the fact that pickups only "record" the oscillation of the strings and not of the guitar itself makes me think that way , great video anyway :)
Have I just heard him say, "One trick pony" at 1:13?
Yes
Paul Simon - One-Trick Pony -- It's a pony who knows only one magic trick.
@@The..Butterfly..Effect Dude, I commented 3 years ago xD
@@tonyblox : )
@@tonybloxnow it’s 3 years after that
I have an old 70s P Bass and now after this video I'll re juvinate this old boy...great inspiring vids, love the finish and engraving, not to mention all the pro tips ☠️🎸☠️
Same for a guitar please? :)
+Legion of Weirdos watch my vid on how to make a high end guitar out of a cheap eBay kit. It's basically the same video but for guitar. Totally price was around $150 on that build too
I think I missed what the electronics were in that one... I'll re-watch it though.
I have refinished a bass. originally had a painted finish but put on an oil stain finish. huge tonal difference.
+Jonathan Mathey careful, you might be asking for an argument here talking like that haha. But seriously, I agree.
You should do a Guitar give away once you hit 15k!
+Lachlan Mac haha, maybe when I hit 50k. How about a t shirt first? Find me on facebook, I'll be doing a giveaway as soon as they are printed up!
Hi, this is Dan from Isabella Wainright, and I'm so glad you did this video! I bought a jazz bass kit a few years ago and threw a set of solderless EMG's into it, and I've been playing it ever since; used it to record with too... Now I'm in need of a new bass, and after seeing this video, I'm going to make another custom, this time a P-Bass. Got the pickups, nut and waiting on the bass itself and hardware. The pickups came with two standard p-style pickups, but only one volume and one tone, so I may buy a single coil and/or humbucker to add to it. I love how you customized it with the engravings, so I may go that route too... Thanks again Dan, keep making more!!!
sounds awesome!
I want to have one in coated gold that aint gonna cost a 165
everyone's dream bass is different. why settle for coated when you can dream of solid gold?
Guns and Guitars I like the way ya think.
Guns and Guitars
Chambered please!
Hey Dan, you are a good presenter. I enjoyed the video and got pumped about making my own. I'm a woodworker with more than 30 years of experience and couldn't agree with you more about the tung oil. I have no idea about its effect on the sound, but I know about its effect on the wood and it's all positive IMO. Both the strat and the P-Bass look great! Well done, and thanks for sharing. Cheers.
Thanks for your compliments! yeah I'm not sure if it makes a difference in tone or not, but it feels like it does to me so I guess that's all that really matters haha
a trained eye can spot a diffrent tone with diffrent finishes but you can hear a very slight diffrence when seeing it in an a-b test but you don't notice a diffrence when using it like a normal human
+Reinier van zwieten yeah thanks for the input. I'm still gonna do a video on this someday soon because I really want to hear the difference myself
I was part of double blind tests and people (trained musicians, music professors etc)who swore they could hear the difference between one Strat of a particular year and new one, swore they could hear the difference between an ebony fretboard and a one piece maple neck failed.
You couldn't see the instrument and there was no indication what was A and B. You just hear two parts with a little pause inbetween and you only decide if you can hear a difference.
They couldn't tell apart a strat made from an acrylic body from they beloved models AND there were also a pair where you would just hear the same sound bit twice instead of comparing it with something different. Some heard a huge difference (1-10 scale) while hearing the SAME bit twice.
Our body and ears fucks with our perception. It's like the picture with the trampoline elephant and you can almost hear the impact because of the shaking picture. The other thing is what you can feel frequency-wise doesn't man you can hear it (let alone the amp with speakers that won't do anything with certain frequencies. If you can't feel a lot of vibration in the guitar body/neck it's a pro cause you want the vibration to run back and forth through the strings but not leak into the body. It will not run through the body and reenter the strings. You just feel it and you might like it but that is all there is. It is the same with wood...just say you like it for the looks (which is the reason it is mostly chosen from apart from structural stability) cause all the flamed wood and the birds-eye is weaker wood. How do they get in? Those are all dead twigs that wanted to grow but died because of the environmental conditions. They get sick and they die off and leave those dots or disfigurations.
The part of the body which has the most influence (after the hardware and the pickups and pots and of course your damn playing style with your fingers) is the neck. It's a long hunk of wood that only has a connection to something solid at the body. Less movement in the neck = more movement in the strings
This influence is still freakin tiny! BUT this makes more difference at bass guitars due to the deeper frequencies. So if a bass neck isn't stable and moves around you have a lot more problems.
The lacquer on the body makes homeopathic differences if at all (if it's not in the neckpocket or very thick under the bridge.
On a bass neck it may add a tiny difference and only the strong believers might feel but not hear. (face it our hearing sucks at lower frequencies even more, but feeling it gets easier)
What comes into play are psychoacoustics (this is scientifc term, you may want to check it out, interesting stuff)
You play your instrument and you like the smooth feel with juuust the right amount of friction of an blank neck and enjoy playability. Brain is happy and adds the information = sounds better (oversimplified). You may also think that an instrument sounds better cause you played it for a long time. That might not be the case but you adjusted your playing so much to that instrument that your ear is trained on that sound. (It's even important how much pause there is between hearing signals and what other frequencies the ear has to handle at that point which might mask some other frequencies at the same time) If your muscle memory say it doesn't feel right, you'll your brain also says that it doesn't sound right (subconcious). This is why some players say they can't play anything different anymore. If you really poke musicians long enough, they'll tell you that they bought a certain instrument because someone they admired played it. What worked for them may not work for you but you play it long enough and you adjust to it...the instrument forms (or even really deforms) your body and you grow together.
What you feel while playing is a combination of a lot of things, but if you just take the sound and you have to rely on your ears you often can't tell the difference. Keep in mind that you don't have the same ears as the person besides you, you don't stand in the same room, use the same speakers, one of you got screamed in one ear during childhood, the other has more earwax in his right ear, he may be sick and some of the airways might be blocked in his head....so why would you hear the same? You set your amp to what sounds good to you and you play what feels good to you. What sounds good at home may sound crappy on a stage playing with others. That doesn't mean there is a sound difference that you can tell apart. If more people would just do that without religion-like believes about the sound, people would get along much better and get better products without getting fucked over by the industry giants selling fake capcitors. Noone would dare to sell tonepolish if the people would be more open to scientific research and THEN buy what they just LIKE and stop telling other people what they have to like cause it sounds better to them.
There are books called Physics of the Electric Guitar from Prof. Manfred Zollner, a former electro-acoustics professor from gemrany. Sadly the two volumes are only available in german at the moment but articles will be extracted and translated soon.
Ok for you still don't agree: Sound is movement strumming the strings will cause the neck and body to vibrate the vibration of the neck and body will move the pickups and the vibration also goes back into the strings therefore changing the sound if you have a harder finish or a harder wood the vibration will be different thus the vibrations that go back into the pickups and strings will be different thus changing the sound. in the case of the different finishes it is hardly noticeable (but still there) with the wood of the body and the neck and fretboard it changes a bit more.
@onpsxmember like i said the difference is very tiny if you have the same woods but a different model etc. and i never claimed the difference to be huge but it is there
to be honest no i can't hear the difference between paints but i never claimed to i am just saying the difference is there i said that there is a slight difference didn't say it was audible to me and you are right that there is no observable difference and i never claimed there was.
Cheers
Years ago, I bought a new SX (brand) 5-string bass from Rondo Music. It's basically a '70's Fender Jazz bass copy. It has a beautiful 3-color sunburst, and it plays and sounds great. It honestly needs nothing. Total cost shipped to my door was just $154.
+OddTimeMan great!
But does it djent?
where has this channel been my entire life, this is bloody great content.
+Konrad Jackson Bass thanks!
why do you have a gun on your shirt?are you going to shoot me?
+ecnaurps really?
sorry just pokin fun at you..i do play bass though my band project is called"Floyd MacIntire"its on my chanel..please have a listen if you've got the time.
Yes, he will.
I’d say yeah probably, if you don’t hit the “Like” button and “Subscribe.” That’s just what I heard.
Could be wrong.lol.
Just make sure you’re in a gun free zone and try and regulate guns as much as possible and then simply become popular enough on the internet that someone swats you and our highly trained (to view everyone as a threat to their lives in a perpetual hypothalamus to pituitary gland to adrenaline overload relentless til their whiteblood fell count reduces and their norepinephrine is making them experience constant over alertness) military police with all the excessive surplus you can imagine will come to disarm your fictional arms, and then your actual arms will proceed to be blown off as they mistake your writhing and squirming for resistance. The lesson? Don’t be so hairstyle to Americans practicing their rights because when you look at hitched situations where those rights are suspended for the blunders or the feds, you won’t be free til you’re dead. And the only one who can stop a bad guy or a tyrannical entity with guns are those with equal enough power.
Dan, nice job with this vid! I know, it's over a year old, but it's new to me. Good energy, good speed, showed us what was important. I like oil finishes on instruments because I think they look and feel the best. Keep up the good work!
Would you by any chance have the wiring diagram for this build? Love the knobs. Homemade or bought?
This is very very good!!
Loved that relic finish
+Nahual thanks!
Yes it makes it sound different SLIGHTLY. but only unplugged. wood tone does not change the electronic signal sent down the pickups AT ALL.
+xero spacious lots of people are saying this. I'm gonna do a video on it soon with an AB test of the same pickups in two different wood guitars. I personally am dying to know if it's true
If it makes any difference it will be incredibly hard to hear unless you are superhuman. It deffinateley affects the tone of acoustic instruments but the effect is negligible at best on electric.
Looks wonderful. Waiting for the sound test.
+carl baula thanks for waiting, hopefully tonight!
This is amazing aswell as your channel. I was watching the video thinking this dude has at least 100k but no 9?!? you are so professional and your channel will definitely grow quickly! subbed!
+Conan Byrne my channel is still new and it is growing quickly, thanks for your compliments!
No cringey stuff,much better video than the strat one! Subbed!! Keep it up:)
Thanks glad you liked this one better, I'm starting to find my groove here
I really like your videos so please keep up the good work! Also, I worked on a similar project a couple of months ago and your videos turn out to be everything I was looking for back in those days. you really inspired me to build my second bass so rock on!
by the way, for great value pickups you could try Wilkinson or Warman pickups!
+Vincent Koster I agree I love wilkenson pickups, haven't tried the other but I'll look into it. Glad you're inspired!
Dude I would watch a 20 minute video of you doing this stuff, keep it up! Awesome channel
+mateo bozzini thanks! My average watch time from viewers is around 3-4min so I'm trying not to make epically long vids. Glad you like them!
Dan , really inspiring and positive thinking video. I own a 80's Fender JB and an Ibanez Roadstar (an oldie) I was (WAS) going to purchase a Chinese bass for giggles. These DIY guitars that you've worked on sound just great. Looks and "famous" brands are deceiving in blind tests against other cheaper brands.
+Stu Art thanks I'm glad you're inspired. Go for it!!!
Could you do a video or something that elaborates on how to build these kits? I.e. measurements used to place things, wiring, adding the 45deg support screws, etc?
+CK's channel. Yes I'll be doing more in depth videos on each of those things you mentioned. Subscribe and stay tuned!
I am incredibly happy those up in my suggestions. What a great video!
+Mariano Aguirre thank you!
you really deserve more subs! im loving your guitar content
+Shua thanks! Getting more subs everyday!
great help. I bought all the goodie, and now I'll try it. Thanks
+Andy Pandy good luck! Let me know if you have questions
These builds are stellar! I have a CNC machine and have been toying with the idea of building my own guitar. You just might have convinced me.
I wish I have a cnc machine
never really thought too much about diy kits.....but now..yeah buddy..its on and poppin
I can't believe you only have 9k subs, this is some quality content right here, if I had the money I'd def do this.
+Angel Alonso thanks! Subs are picking up, I'll get there eventually. My channel is pretty new still
I like that p-bass/MM pickup setup. I added a MM humbucker on my frankenfender p-bass with jazz neck. I enjoy it, but I don't think I get as much use out of it as the regular ol split coil p-bass pickup. I like that low end growl more I guess.
+mrDROCK yeah, if you left the p pickup where it was then the mm is probably too close to the bridge and lacks some low end. To get great tone from that pickup it needs to be in its "sweet spot" which over laps the p pickup sweet spot.
Great tip on the 3M spray adhesive for the pickguard backing foil. I got a pickguard with no foil and couldn't decide what kind of glue to use for the foil. Also, I dig the slanted split pup. It really makes the whole set up pop. Otherwise it would be so plain Jane. Or Jim?
haha it does add a little flare doesn't it?
I stripped the paint from an electric once and sealed it with tung oil made it a much mellower and not quite as bright tone. Definitely an advocate for natural finishes!
+Brian Locke right on!
Don't you love when a kit error becomes one of the coolest looking bass pickups ever? Love that slant!! Probably sounds better than standard alignment lol
That pickup idea is great, I'm trying something like that on my next build!
+larrybass123 go for it!
Fan.Tas.Tic Work. That's some real craftsman talent you're showing. I'll definitely try this. If you ever plan to do this again, I would also enjoy a longer video for further details to follow up better.
Oh and btw: Subbed.
Thanks for your sub! I'll be doing separate videos that go more in depth on each of these steps, trying to keep them short and entertaining.
Hey man, this was a really great tutorial. I am definitely going to revisit this in a couple months when I actually do this. You really have inspired me, in fact I kind of wish the video was longer, and you went more in depth on the finer aspects, especially because I've never really used a tool before :S
Great video! Keep it up, I'll be subscribed to you man
Thanks for your sub! Check out my other build videos in the meantime. I usually add a few tricks into each video. Good luck on the project!
you sir, are a legend! wish i could get the DIY kits so cheap in the UK
I already made a strat style kit a few years ago but these vids are really making me want to do another
You are an excellent VideoInfoMercial SpokesPerson and producer....also love your humor!
+Brian Kaplan thanks!
You should try converting the bolt on to a set neck, and then working on the back of the neck pocket to make it similar to an ultra access set neck.
that's a great idea, never thought of that. I may try this and see what happens!
Guns and Guitars good luck, as far as making it a set neck, it should work because the surface area is plenty, but i would recommend finding the best glue you can for it, and making sure there is no finish on that part of the neck or the neck pocket
I built one of these before I had even seen this channel before. When you mentioned the lack of a bridge ground connect hole I threw my head back in frustration as all those terrible memories of trying to ground the bridge rushed back to me
The way I actually got around this problem was ridiculous though. I was actually using a bass tune-o-matic bridge on the bass I built. So I drilled a hole out of the back of the cavity and a small hole out of the bottom of where the tun-o-matic post goes. Then I ran the ground wire out the back of the bass and into the inside of the tune o magic post. I covered up the back wire with the an old Floyd rose back panel I had sitting around. It worked out perfectly
+Tyler Keating genius solution man! I almost drilled out the back from the control cavity, then back in under the bridge. I was gonna feed the wire out the back and back under the bridge, then cover it with wood filler and sand it. Only problem was that was a pretty permanent solution. I'm glad I figured out a different way, in case I ever have to feed a new wire thru that hole haha
I would honest to God expect to find that at my local guitar shop for around £300!
Video's great and the bass just looks insanely handsome, can't wait for your trial vid!
Thanks! sound test vid should be up tonight hopefully!
The Billy Sheehan, Yamaha Attitude 3 has the 2 screws that go in from the back at a 45° angle. So koodos to you my friend. I am now a loyal follower of you yours.
Awesome content, pretty entertaining, not really any complains or things i think u can improve, you seem to have it all covered. Cheers bud!
+Viggo Forsberg thanks!!!
Hi Dan,
I love your videos. It seems to me that the real problem with the string spacing might be the bridge. I would have rolled with a better quality bridge.
you are correct. I was going to replace the bridge, but I liked the spacing of the strings on the neck, I was afraid a wider spacing would push the outer strings too close to the edge
I love all your mods, projects are fun and the finished result feels so much more personal when complete. I have some questions for you, though, for some more ambitious projects I have started. Fully replaced every bit of hardware on an inexpensive p/j bass and routed out a larger control cavity for dropping some fancy electronics in there. My questions are about power, organizing circuits, and overall efficiency.
Great video. I am getting real tempted to order one of those kits off of eBay just to see what I can do. By the way, I am with those people that say the finish is not going to make a difference on the sound of a solid body electric guitar or bass. The body doesn't resonate like it would in an acoustic guitar or bass, but hell, part of building your own is to finish it the way that you like - so great job.
+Jay Curtis exactly. Thanks!
Harley Benton kits from thomann aren’t bad, only complaint was the tuner pilot holes were way off, had to fill them in with toothpicks and glue and redrill them.
A lot better than the previous videos comedy wise in my opinion. Although they've all been very informative. Great work! :)
+George Armstrong thanks for the input and compliment :)
The split P pickup at a 45 degree angle looks absolutely amazing. I've got to do that, but since I'm worthless at woodworking I'll have to shell out a bunch of money to make it happen...
+Patrick M. Haha, these cheap kits make great practice! If you screw it up, just hang it on the wall and call it art!
Hey! Im building my own custom guitar based on a DIY kit. But im kindda poor, or just kindda cheap ass. BUT what is a good (and cheap) finish, prefferably oil based that is good for both the neck and body, so that i don't have to buy two different finishes. Neck is maple with maple fretboard and the body is ash
+Markus Laursen I've had great results with tung oil. I've heard gun stock oil is great too.
I commented on the original bass vid. Your string margins tell you that your neck angle laterally is incorrect, not the pickup route. This is a 3 minute fix by making sure your neck screw holes through your body aren’t interference fit and loosening your neck screws a little and moving your neck laterally until your margins are right and the pole pieces align. That’s why you run outer strings while you install the neck.
Man, that 12th fret slant-leveling trick amazing! Goodbye fret buzz on low action :D
Great Video man. I think I just found my next project.
For anyone debating the acoustic effects of finish and trying to say it doesn't have an impact, I have one name for you,
Antonio Stradivari. Obviously it makes a huge difference in acoustic instruments but it also has a role to play in electric instruments.
be careful, there are a lot of nay sayers out there. I feel like it makes a difference too, even if its in my head. If it sounds better in my head, then that's all that matters right? haha
I have all the pick ups just waiting to get the money for the kit and I will be following your guidance.
you listened to the comments on the last vid and your content is even better and ur jokes arent cringy more ironic i like it keep up the good work
+Adam AMD thanks for noticing!
what exactly were the measurements for how far away the music man pickup was from the bridge? I'm planning on building a similar project, but empty out a ton of the body under the pick guard, replace the pick guard with clear plastic or plexiglass, and fill up the inside with tons of antique looking gears and an led light system around the edges, giving tons of flare and a steampunk aesthetic.
I just searched the internet for "music man sweet spot measurements" I don't remember off the top of my head what they were. That build sounds rad! I'd love to see it when it's done. Post a pic on my Facebook or something
yeah totally!
Haha! I was watching this video with the kids playing, so I didn't hear it too well. At the point where you mentioned cancelling out completing noise, I thought it was a wife joke 😁😁. So I went back to rewatch, and you said fluorescent lights. 😁😁 it might only be funny to me, but I got a good laugh anyway.
Alright, so I've got all the parts and I'm starting the build. Can you point out a reference for how to wire all this stuff together, plus adding in a tone nob if you want one? Preferably one that's understandable for a person with no experience, like myself.
message me on facebook, I'll send you a diagram