Bass V Build

Awstin · Post by **Awstin** » Fri Jul 25, 2014 8:53 pm

This is going to be another slow build.

I pretty much have a whole template together. I have all the measurements for the neck and a place lined up for building it. Cooterfinger is currently making a template for everyone on the forum from all my measurements and will be making a physical template and my body.

I'm gonna have Kevin James make the control plate.

As for the pickups... I am going to splice half of a mustang bass pickup and a fender mandolin pickup together. I am going to see how it sounds and decide from there if I want Novak to make me a custom set with the correct 3 poles instead of the 4 poles of the mandolin pup. he already said he would. Going off of all my measurements this is the closest thing I can get to the stock ones. They are completely different than anything that is out there at the moment. The biggest problem is that longer pickup. The mandolin pickup is about the size of two of the mustang bass pickups. So it should work pretty well. The cover is what got me but luckily I was able to find a Mandolin pickup with the cover except it is brown, meaning I will have to paint it. Oh well..

I can easily acquire a pickup cover. The thing I need the most is a bridge cover that will fit the 5 string bridge and is the same size as the original.

I found a place for the headstock logo.

The color I am going for is Ocean Turquoise Metallic. I'll be keep an OTM theme with all my next builds!

Some of you hate this bass but it's whatever, I love them and have always wanted one. So why not build it instead?!? More pictures to come!

Gabriel · Post by **Gabriel** » Fri Jul 25, 2014 10:52 pm

That looks awesome. Is this a shortscale bass?

Awstin · Post by **Awstin** » Sat Jul 26, 2014 12:54 am

Gabriel wrote:That looks awesome. Is this a shortscale bass?

Nope. 34" scale

DGG · Post by **DGG** » Sat Jul 26, 2014 3:27 am

Cool!

Awstin · Post by **Awstin** » Sat Jul 26, 2014 6:42 pm

Cool! I just got measurements from an original pickguard! turns out that the smaller pickup is the same size an an actual mustang pickup but slightly shorter in length (by around 3-4 mm) and the longer pickup is the same length as the fender mando strat pickup but it is slightly fatter (same thickness as a mustang pickup) And.... Here is my template so far! The pickups are for a mustang bass pickup and a mandostrat pickup. The longer pickup is only a tad bit thinner than the mustang pup. It's not that noticeable and it's good enough for me. haha.

Untitled by punkacc9, on Flickr

LizardKing · Post by **LizardKing** » Sat Jul 26, 2014 11:02 pm

Nice project, wanted to see someone build one of these!
Couldn't you use the Swinger template and add back the cut off parts?

Gabriel · Post by **Gabriel** » Sun Jul 27, 2014 10:19 am

Punkacc9 wrote:
Gabriel wrote:That looks awesome. Is this a shortscale bass?
Nope. 34" scale

Awesome, thought the low b would be a bit floppy if it was shortscale.

BearBoy · Post by **BearBoy** » Sun Jul 27, 2014 10:58 am

Didn't these have a high B (or maybe C) rather than a low B like modern 5 string basses? i.e. they covered about the same range as a normal 4 string bass but with fewer frets.

Mo Law-ka · Post by **Mo Law-ka** » Sun Jul 27, 2014 1:36 pm

BearBoy wrote:Didn't these have a high B (or maybe C) rather than a low B like modern 5 string basses? i.e. they covered about the same range as a normal 4 string bass but with fewer frets.

Exactly. 19 frets on the neck + high C = 21 frets + regular G

Awstin · Post by **Awstin** » Sat Aug 09, 2014 4:58 pm

Meanwhile... back here on the Bass V build... Here is the template for the control plate, courtesies of Cooterfinger off my measurements. It was sent to Kevin James who will be making the plate! Stay tuned kiddos.

Untitled by punkacc9, on Flickr

Awstin · Post by **Awstin** » Sun Aug 17, 2014 5:05 pm

Sooooo I got half of the pickup now! Lol. Only problem is it's brown. Black nail polish should fix that though. Progress dudes!

Untitled by punkacc9, on Flickr

Awstin · Post by **Awstin** » Fri Sep 19, 2014 9:56 pm

YES. I am still going through with this crazy project. Just slowly. LATEST UPDATE... I darn messed up... I went to take the pickup cover off the mandolin pickup and the entire pickup was glued in the inside. Needless to say... The pickup is ruined. But.... there could be a plus out of this. The bass V's longer pickup only had three poles (3 strings) instead of the mandolin 4. So what I did was scrap all of the copper wiring, Pulled out the two middle magnetic poles, drilled a center hole and.... WahLaH! Three pole pickup base. Now I need it rewound a a bobbin made for it. I also cut down a black single coil cover and welded it together with a soldering iron. Doesn't look thaaaaat great up close but it will do the temporary part. I have the mandolin cover as well but it is brown.

Anyone wind pickups??????????????? More to come. Stay tuned folks..

Untitled by punkacc9, on Flickr

theshadowofseattle · Post by **theshadowofseattle** » Fri Sep 19, 2014 10:57 pm

that doesn't even look that bad for an hackjob

Awstin · Post by **Awstin** » Sat Sep 20, 2014 2:42 am

Thanks. The soldering iron worked perfectly. I smoothed it out pretty good.

stewart · Post by **stewart** » Sat Sep 20, 2014 7:34 pm

ambitious project, sure it'll be cool when it's done.

Awstin · Post by **Awstin** » Mon Sep 29, 2014 4:53 pm

So, the hell with the mandolin pickup. I got ahold of the measurements and close up pictures of original bass V pickups. SansRegret is winding me a set from scratch and is getting the covers 3D printed for me. Awesome!

theshadowofseattle · Post by **theshadowofseattle** » Mon Sep 29, 2014 6:27 pm

stewart wrote:ambitious project, sure it'll be cool when it's SHUT THE FUCK DOWN.

Bacchus · Post by **Bacchus** » Mon Sep 29, 2014 7:13 pm

Cool as frig.

Awstin · Post by **Awstin** » Tue Sep 30, 2014 2:33 pm

Pickup covers 3D drawings are done. Ready to be printed.

Awstin · Post by **Awstin** » Fri Oct 31, 2014 5:04 am

An update! SansRegret just got the pickup covers from the 3D printing place and he is finishing up the bobbins and then will start the winding. Stoked!!!