Author Topic: Suggested materials for making a Bass VI?  (Read 410 times)

tmoney61092

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Suggested materials for making a Bass VI?
« on: January 12, 2012, 01:36:11 PM »
i'm about to undertake buying some parts to make a Teisco TB-64( http://guitarz.blogspot.com/2009/03/teisco-del-ray-guitar.html ) replica and wanted to know what everyone thought i should use for the woods? i want to to be twangy and dirty sounding so any suggestions on that? i was thinking mahogany for the body or maybe ash. what about the neck material? I'm def using rosewood for the fingerboard.
 
I'm prob going to order the body through Warmoth and get them to do the custom routing for the pickup on/off switches(I'm thinking the exact control for the Fender Bass VI just up top instead of at the bottom) I'll probably get the neck through them also because USACG is a bit more pricey. as I said ANY help on body material, pickups, or just some feedback is much appreciated!!!
 
~Taylor

bigredbass

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Suggested materials for making a Bass VI?
« Reply #1 on: January 12, 2012, 10:45:56 PM »
Of course, these guitars (all of those Teisco-ish axes, Airlines, EKOs, etc.) usually had very average wood and laughable electronics (though not that far off for those days).  Tone is so VERY subjective, but IF you're aiming for that sound neighborhood, I'd stick with the white woods, dead simple:  Alder body and maple neck, with your RW fingerboard.  
 
I wouldn't overthink your recipe . . . I have a recurring daydream to build the perfect PJ Precision Bass from parts, which usually ends with me realizing I don't need a Koa body, an all rosewood neck, and Activators . . . . if I really want to just sound like a really fine PJ bass.  It's a lot easier to build it and then find the tone, then to drive yourself nuts sweating every last little detail when you got the big decisions made correctly.
 
Pickup-wise, I'd aim low, too.  Maybe some Kent Armstrongs, TV Jones, maybe some lipstick pickups, some vintage style Seymours that's aren't very hi-fi.  Other folks would have to clue you in on the proper caps, etc.
 
I like stuff that looks old and works new (to borrow a phrase from Billy Joel).  So I'd shoot for that tone without the accompanying hums and buzzes and the 'drive-time traffic report' from your local AM station !
 
If it were me, I'd pay the difference between USA Custom and Warmoth.  I would in a heartbeat.
 
J o e y

811952

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Suggested materials for making a Bass VI?
« Reply #2 on: January 13, 2012, 10:57:39 AM »
Alder certainly seems to be the tone wood of that era, for sure with the better of the USA instruments.  It's quite likely that the Teisco had a multi-ply body though, as I've seen some of those from that period and they were all very thin as well.  I would be tempted even to laminate a couple of inch-thick marine plywood sheets for the body, since that would be a relatively cheap/easy experiment.
 
As J o e y suggests, cheap pickups are going to give you the twang I'd think..
 
Sounds like a fun and interesting project..
 
John

pace

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Suggested materials for making a Bass VI?
« Reply #3 on: January 13, 2012, 01:18:05 PM »
Do a pine core with masonite top and back.

tmoney61092

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Suggested materials for making a Bass VI?
« Reply #4 on: January 13, 2012, 01:19:16 PM »
loving all this helpful info!!!
 
as of now I'm torn between the alder and mahogany, I'm wanting to leave the body with a gloss finish and like the way mahogany looks, but if i wanted I could always stain the alder dark.  
 
for the pickups I'm considering finding some old Teisco/Silvertone single coil pickups since they used them on almost everything they built haha but will definitely look into some other brands as well.  
 
I emailed Warmoth about this yesterday and attached a picture of the TB-64 along with a description of what I wanted, and got a response similar to all our machines are set to Fender specs so we can't do any other routing. well that was a bummer so I emailed USA Customs with the same email hoping they would be willing to do it since they have custom in their name. I added the little tag Warmoth wouldn't do this so I'm hoping you can and we can form a healthy relationship as a little push to show them I'd be a returning customer.
 
if this doesn't work I'll just try to find a template of a fender Bass VI and make some mods to it to be like the TB-64. keep all the suggestions coming!!!

afrobeat_fool

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Suggested materials for making a Bass VI?
« Reply #5 on: January 13, 2012, 02:07:02 PM »
If all their machines are set to Fender spec's then it should be no problem to rout out a FENDER BASS VI! Duh?
LOL. May be they are all set to Strat.

tmoney61092

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Suggested materials for making a Bass VI?
« Reply #6 on: January 13, 2012, 03:27:13 PM »
Guess I didn't explain that well. They have the fender bass vi specs, they just can't put the switches where I want them or add the monkey grip(see link I posted). I just can't imagine it being that hard to change so very little  
 
~Taylor

jet_powers

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Suggested materials for making a Bass VI?
« Reply #7 on: January 13, 2012, 07:28:54 PM »
Do a pine core with masonite top and back.
 
I once met a dude who glued a few 2x4's together and carved a bass out of it. Masonite would have been a good upgrade for it. I don't remember being impressed by the sound but it may been the player! The things you see in the New England woods!

5sicks

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Suggested materials for making a Bass VI?
« Reply #8 on: January 15, 2012, 05:59:40 AM »
Go down to N.O. for the Jazz Fest in March and you'll see all manner of home made instruments. My great uncle had a cigar box banjo that he serenaded us with for many years.

pace

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Suggested materials for making a Bass VI?
« Reply #9 on: January 15, 2012, 09:57:12 AM »
Taylor,
 
I think that you're going to hit some compromises, and even with the grip and pickguard-hidden control routs, your finished piece may only slightly resemble a Tiesco. I'm just curious if either company is up to the challenge of a 4+2 30 bass VI neck?!? Do you plan on using the Fender style vibrato bridge?  
 
Im being totally serious about a pine core and masonite top/back.... thats how the Dano/Silvertones & Jerry Jones clones were constructed.... HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.....

tmoney61092

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Suggested materials for making a Bass VI?
« Reply #10 on: January 15, 2012, 10:56:23 AM »
Yea I'm starting to realize that it's less of a possibility to get it to look like the real thing. USA customs has a body for A LOT less so I've emailed them about it and to see if they'd be willing to do any custom routing to it. as for the headstock I highly doubt either company will do the 4+2 headstock but I'm fine with the 6 in-line because the body is all I really care about haha. If I really wanted the headstock I could plug the top 2 tuning holes and drill 2 on the other side, glue a piece of wood to the top of the headstock to make it like the hook shape and paint over it to hide all the work. And if I get the body USA custom has then I'll have to use the jazzmaster style tremolo but if I had one built I've thought about going with a bigsby maybe, wanting to have a roller nut and some locking tuners as well.
 
~Taylor

811952

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Suggested materials for making a Bass VI?
« Reply #11 on: January 15, 2012, 04:03:51 PM »
See if they'll sell you a neck with an uncut/undrilled headstock..
 
John

tmoney61092

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Suggested materials for making a Bass VI?
« Reply #12 on: January 16, 2012, 09:02:49 PM »
hmmm i tried to run it through the custom neck generator but didn't see any option for the 30 scale length, I'll email them to see though
 
~Taylor

tmoney61092

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Suggested materials for making a Bass VI?
« Reply #13 on: January 17, 2012, 10:48:23 AM »
I'm sorry but we don't have a program to do that was the reply I got regarding the blank headstock with bass vi length and dimension...warmoth kind of sucks as far as actually getting made how you want....
 
~Taylor

811952

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Suggested materials for making a Bass VI?
« Reply #14 on: January 17, 2012, 12:19:58 PM »
Maybe you should talk to Mica about a custom??