5 String Bass Build

[Gordon Bellerose]

In another thread, we were talking about building a bass. We shared some information and one of the other members was also starting a bass.
I promised to take pics along the way and post them. So here goes.

For me, it all starts with a drawing.



Then I have to build templates. In this picture the body template is finished, but the neck template is just drawn on the plywood.

[Gordon Bellerose]

In this picture I have the back of the body being glued up.



And here is the top being glued after jointing.

[Gordon Bellerose]

Here's what the back of the body looks like.



I have the two halves glued and clamped.



And the top after glue up to the back.

[Gordon Bellerose]

Here's a shot of the front after rough shaping.



And the rear.

[David King]

Gordon,
That looks very tight. Did you do any chambering under that top? I take it that the body is alder so it's probably pretty light.

[Gordon Bellerose]

The rear of the body is composed of hard maple down the center, wenge strips, with cherry on either side.
The larger portions are again cherry.
The top is obviously flamed, or curly maple.
I am planning some body carves, so the weight will come down some.

[Gordon Bellerose]

I used double sided tape to stick the template back on, and used the Whiteside pattern bit to shape the body.
There is some sanding to do, but the sides are pretty smooth.



I now have the neck template done, and the truss rod and carbon fiber rod slots are cut.

[Gordon Bellerose]

Time now to cut the neck profile while the blank is still square.



I then clamp the template to the blank, and draw the shape of the neck on the blank.



Here it is after rough cutting.



Now it's on to gluing on the headstock wings.

[Gordon Bellerose]

Because this is my first bass build, I am still struggling a bit with the geometry.
I decided to move the bridge a bit closer to the bottom of the body because this is a 35 inch scale, and I don't want the guitar to be too long.
The player would have to be 8 ft. 10 in. tall, with 5 ft. arms!!

Of course, this changes the neck pocket measurements, and I have had to cut a small amount off the body in that area also.

I could have just done it, and not said anything, but as this is a learning moment for me, I want anyone reading the thread to know what's going on.

[Brian Evans]

All I know is, for the first time ever I want to build a bass!

[Alexander Higgins]

Very nice, clean work, hard to believe that's your first bass!

[Gordon Bellerose]

Thanks fellas! It is fun.

I finally got back into the shop today, so I taped the neck template onto the blank, and routed the edges getting the neck into it's final shape.
Other than the back of the neck of course!!
I'm still working on a neck pocket routing template.

This is all I did on the bass, as I am finishing up another guitar also.

[Chris Richards]

Looking really nice, I'll be following the build. I'm afraid that my plans are just that...Plans! I still have to gather the materials, too much other work and lack of funds at the moment.

Thanks for posting, looking forward to seeing the progress.

Chris

[Alexander Higgins]

Is that one of those new "compression" flushcut spiral bits? I've been looking for something that won't tearout like a straight bit. How do you like it?

[Gordon Bellerose]

I can't say for sure this is a "compression" spiral cut bit. It is made by a company called Whiteside.
There was a whole thread about this bit in the tools section, by Todd Stock.

I can say it was pricey.
I can say it works like a dream. Even with grainy, chippy wood like wenge, it worked very well.
The bearings are interchangeable, for lack of a better word. Either one can come off depending on which way you want to use it.
In this case, the bit cutting edge is long enough to get the whole cut at once, so I didn't have to remove either one.

[Jason Rodgers]

Just got this bit, and it's pretty awesome. Yes, it's a compression type bit, with both up- and down-cut flutes.

[Gordon Bellerose]

I found some time today to get out into the shop, and take another step in the bass build.
I use a 3/4 round over bit with just enough bit exposed to get to the wenge layer.



I do this so that the wenge is exposed enough to look like binding from the top.



It also begins the carve at the horns.

[Gordon Bellerose]

I also got the finger board cut into its' rough shape. Still need to run it through the sander, and cut it to the final width.
It is a piece of Macassar ebony.



And, I also got the neck pocket template finished.

[Gordon Bellerose]

I have not had much time to get into the shop as I am working a refinery shutdown, so lots of hours.
Today I had an hour so I hogged out the neck pocket and the control cavity with a forstner bit.

[Gordon Bellerose]

This build has been going very slowly as I have been working overtime this last while. Longer hours daily, and some weekends too.
I'm still finishing another build too, and that has taken some time. Pics of that will be coming soon.

I did find a bit of time so I routed the control cavity.



And the neck pocket.