● Cutting the Layer Panel

Top Surface:
As I mentioned previously I was planning on building tracing templates from MDF so I could build more than one body down the road. This would also allow me the luxury of test fitting the parts together and having a better visualization of the final body, not to mention the ability to make adjustments to the design before committing to a final build. After tracing my design on to the 1/8" MDF panel (the top surface of the body) I cut this out with a band saw and got the shape in place. You can get equally good results using a scroll saw or a jig saw. If you are really hard-pressed and want to do it by hand you can get excellent results using a coping saw. I made allowances for the letting-in of the neck on this layer. If you cut your wood slightly beyond the pencil line and shape the rest of the way with files and sandpaper you will get an exact final product.

F-Hole:
When I was comfortable with the shape (test fit in my hands and along side my body), I proceeded to lay out the F-hole shape. For this I started by drilling a 1/4" hole in the largest area of the F-hole and used a jigsaw, (or coping 8" saw) to cut out the rest of the hole taking care to approach the pencil line leaving about 1/16". When I've removed the bulk of the F-hole I will remove everything else up to the pencil line carefuly using half-round files for the bulk of the work and needle files at the tips. To keep the tips from forming splits downs the grain later, we will drill a 1/16" hole at the tips.

Cutting Slab Layers:
Now in order for me to create my templates for each layer I have to repeat the shape on all layer panels which there are four in total. (bottom, mid-bottom, mid-top, top). Here I am showing the general shape for the panels. The left image represents the shapes for the bottom two layers and the right image represents the top two layers. (notice the area for the neck to key into).

After cutting out the design onto the MDF panels with a bandsaw, (again, you can use a jigsaw or coping saw following the same proceedure as the top panel you just finished), I went to the next step of fastening them together with wood screws to make for easy alignment when cutting the chambers out. You do not want to do this because the purpose of using screws was for to assemble the prototype and be able to take it apart and analyze the work.

The alignment is critical as the letting-in for the neck is already established with the top two layers as well as pickup positioning. I proceeded to lay out the chambering for the middle two layers. Make a note here that the chambers are different on both panels. They can be treated as the same internal shapes until you get to the center of the body that the neck-line follows. The chambering must be open here to allow the passage of air between the left and right side of the body yet be rigid enough to support the stress of string tension and not warp.

Also I took into consideration the contour on the lower back body that would allow me to have the bass body contour around my hip. Not all bass designs have this feature but I wanted it for comfort. proceeded to prepared the slightly over sized cutout for the pickup. The top layer (surface) would have a very precise cutout for the pickup. I also decided to keep the cavity for the electronics separate from the chambering areas as I would need to shield this later as well as allowing access to the circuitry. I had to design this cavity shape around the contents that would go into it. Here I am showing the panels from (1) Bottom, (2) mid-bottom, (3) mid-top, (4) top.

Note: I should point out that I've already taken a router bit to the edges of this design. This step won't happen for you here but I had to explain this because some of the pictures show the radius. Remember I'm designing some aesthetic components on the fly and need to do this to test things like wall thickness at the edge radius which in many cases gives us 1/4" of wood.

These images better show the effect of the chambering with the circuit and pickup cavity, I think the F-hole looks cool and certainly not traditional. Note the countersunk holes for wood screws on the surface. This really served its purpose well for dry-fitting parts together. I don't think I would ever suggest using screws to hold the body parts together on the final build. I could imagine some manufacturers in foreign countries might try something dumb like that to make things cheap, (cheaper than this bass even).

A couple of things I want to bring to your attention include the contour on the back of the bass for hip comfort. When I created the initial design I wanted to include this feature. Because the body is relatively small I wanted the contour at the bottom of the bass (I prefer to sit to play) and this is somewhat experimental. You can choose to add this feature in or not. Realizing the small space I have to work with I must contour around the circuit cavity and the inner walls of the chamber. The hip contour doesn't have to be very large but pronounced enough to make a noticeable difference over not having any contour at all. So while you study the next image you can get the idea behind my methodology.

The back panel has the defined line I'm going to follow for the contour and the inner chambers give some indication as to the amount of room I have to work with. When the whole body is assembled I'll take this contour out using a belt sander although it can be done just as well with a semi-round aggressive rasp without spending too much time on the job. Afterward the edges will be smoothed out and should perform the task eloquently.

So far these panels took 6 hours to prepare and cut which brings us to a total of 16.5 hours in all.

● Hardware Considerations

I knew some time ago what hardware I would want to see on a bass of this kind so my research was focused on particular hardware. Firstly all components are going to be black, including all fasteners. I really like the look of high-contrasting items. I had a custom built Michael Tobias bass so many years ago and it was a natural alder body with maple neck and fretboard with black hardware so I'm kinda partial to this look.

When I designed this bass body I was critical about the components and layout so I had component dimensions and fastener sizes on hand before construction. I don't have the components on hand, however I have the manufacturers specifications for them so I can go ahead and precisely place these as required. I know that I'm working to a "swappable" Fender Precision neck so I have a leg-up on the design and parts restrictions. So here are the components I'm planning around.
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Pickup:
Bartolini BC4C Bass Soapbar. Size: 32mm x 101mm. Characteristics: bright, smooth humbucker strong lows and low mids .List Price: $134USD/ea.

Note: Bartolini is a name you can trust in high-end bass pickups. I have had several basses with various Bartolinis and I've had excellent tone and color. You can easily swap out whatever pickup you like so long as you make allowances for the manufacturer's specifications for size and fit.

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Circuitry:
Presently I am doing some research on the acoustic pickup but initially I wanted the functionality of blending this pickup with the Bartolini. The circuit will more than likely be passive with allowance for a volume and blend control. If I need to add other potentiometers into the mix it will most likely become an active circuit with the addition of tone control (treble/bass).
I have ensured that my circuit cavity inside the bass is large enough to accomodate all components if required.
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Bridge:
4 string "A" style Hipshot bass bridge in black-.750 aluminium: Listed at $100.

Although this image shows the 5 string version of this bridge I have the mounting specs to complete installation of their 4 string bridge. I like this bridge because it is available in various string spacings which is cool especially if you are designing to various neck widths. Another option you might also want to consider is the "Leo Quan" Baddass II bridge. They are about the same price as the HipShot and have great reviews by the professionals. I have one on another bass and is outstanding for setting intonation, changing strings and overall playability.
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Miscellaneous Hardware:

For things like knobs, screws or thumbrest I will be using black hardware throughout. As for tuner on the neck headstock I will go with Gotoh in black with a matching HipShot "B" extender for the "E" string. These are great solutions for getting the drop "B" or whatever key floats your boat. If this were a five-string model I would skip the detuner option.

● Materials You Will Need

So far I've purchased some MDF panels I will be using for my templates. Also I will be assembling these panels for test fitting as well as design analysis. I have purchased these panels with the same dimensions required for the panels I will be assembling the final product.

I have made one small change to the process I plan to build to. Originally I was planning on the first to be of ash. As this is not the type of lumber that is readily available to everyone I will make the first from poplar. Firstly because this wood is available at Home Depot or Lowes at the thickness I will be building with. Secondly because these are stock thicknesses which require little planing or dressing prior to assembly, (which is really a good thing for the novice). Thirdly, it is a relatively good "tone-wood" that other major manufacturers have used in the past and has very close tonal qualities to basswood not to mention its workability. Fourthly, it's not an unpleasant wood to look at. it has a green tinge to it which can be stained after the building process to a darker color and look quite good. Fifthly, the cost. Poplar is about half the price as ash and if I'm going to build this bass body I want to know I haven't sunk a small fortune into something that may not have reached my expectations. I want the building experience to work for you as well. I surely would not expect anyone to follow my plan unless I got excellent results in both the build and sound.

You will probably find that the poplar you get may only be available at maximum widths of 5"-6". This is fine because we can "butt" joint them together prior to cutting. The only thing you want to ensure is that the joints of each panel are staggered in the stacking process to be certain there are no weak areas of the final build.

So far my time invested in this project is about 10.5 hours

● Tools You Will Need

We want to build this bass as cheaply as possible. Also, some of the readers may be new to woodworking with limited knowledge of what most tools do or how to use them. I will do what I can to guide you through the process. If you have any concerns you can post a comment or email me and I'll help any way I can.

Here is the bare minimum of tools you will need:

• Electric drill and some assorted drill bits for fasteners and countersinking
• Phillips screwdriver for fasteners
• Jigsaw for rough shaping wood (medium to fine tooth wood cutting blades preferred)
• Coping saw with an 8" throat or more
• Aggressive rasp for shaping wood (flat and semi-round is ideal)
• Coarse to fine file assortment for smoothing out wood and shaping (flat, semi-round)
• Fine needle file for finishing details like f-holes and neck joint (flat, semi-round)
• 12 Clamps ("C" or "F" styles will work for laminating body layers together at glue-up time)
• TiteBond or other quality woodworking glue (water-based only. NOT EPOXY!)
• Small roller and tray for gluing up
• Wood filler for repairing small dings and sanding marks if required
• Sanding blocks for sandpaper
• Assorted grades of sandpaper for coarse to smooth sanding
• Your choice of sealer, stain, clear polyurethane, paint or other finishing preference

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Now, If you have the luxury of a proper shop or at least some shop tools then this is an addition to the previous list if your intention is to get this body done quickly and with premium results:

• Drill press in place of hand drill
• Router and router table for shaping edges
• Band saw for cutting planks to shape
• Scroll saw for fine details like f-holes
• Compressor for blowing off shavings and dust
• Belt-disk sander, drum sander, palm sander, detail sander for shaping and finishing
• Spray gear for application of final finishes (go crazy!)

● Design and Drawing Preparation

The first thing I'll need to do is decide on building procedure. This will overlap with the body design directly. As I've discovered in work related industrial design projects in the past I often get to a point where I must analyze "fit, form, function" components and decide if the pretty design is feasible and will the components fit properly, ergonomic issues, how it will be manufactured, materials used etc. With regard to this bass body I want to chamber the inside for acoustics and need to decide on how it must be constructed easily and yet still look great and function well. I don't want to throw a ton of research and development into this project, I just want it to work well enough so I can make improvements down the road if required. I also want anyone with few tools to be able to build this without too much difficulty.

So I've completed a shape I want to use. I've analyzed the components I want to include and I'm going to draw out the chambering in my 3D model and control cavity for pots and pre-amp. I have the dimensions fro the neck heel and where it will fit into the body. Ive designed my f-hole for the sound to project. As I create the chamber I also discover that Instead of making the body from 1 piece of ash (which would be really difficult for anyone to build unless you are well equipped), I can build this from 4 panels of wood cut to shape and layered together. This would make the process longer for those with few woodworking skills but would give excellent results in the end. The lumber should be available at Home Depot or Lowes for the thickness required. In my MDF model I will be cutting and assembling these templates and most likely making modifications along the way.

The body panels consist of 4 layers as mentioned earlier. The bottom panel is 1/4" thick, the mid-bottom panel is 3/4" thick, the mid-top panel is 1/2" thick, the top panel is 1/8" thick. This brings us to a total of 1 5/8" thick (1.625"). These layers will allow me to cut out all shape, chambers, neck joint, control cavity etc. without too much difficulty. In effect they will be glued and clamped together in the end. Following that would be some shaping on the edges to round them out and some shaping on the back for hip comfort. When all is sanded then final finishing takes place followed by attachment of neck, bridge, pickups, electronics. This is the "cliff-notes" version and although there is a lot more to it than what I've described, you get the general idea of my methodology.

Feasibility study, continuing design, research, drawings time is 5 hrs. Total time on project so far is 8.5 hrs

● Bass Design

So for my first bass I've chosen to go 4 string fretless to accommodate a Precision bass neck which I previously mentioned. The reason for this is that these necks are readily available (for me anyway) from places like McDonald Stewart or Warmouth to name a few. I simply allowed the size of the heel of the neck to dictate the opening and shape where it joins to the body.

As I am a true gluten for punishment I will be making several bass bodies of ash, walnut and mahogany with slight pickup and electronic variations while keeping the bas shape in mind.
I will begin by creating patterns for templates which I will construct from MDF, then I will assemble these templates together with temporary fasteners which will allow me to test the mixture of pickups. Yes, I know this wont create an exceptional sound, certainly not what I would like to hear in the final products but this will offer some insight to the acoustic/electronic issues and how I might deal with them.

Chambering the body will prove interesting as well. From what I've seen of other bass and guitar manufacturers there is great care in where chambering is utilized in the areas along the neck line down to the bridge. There will be substantial tension on the body from the string torsion and I sure as hell don't want to prang this bass and enjoy watching it fold up due to an oversight like string tension. Most of the design work I do utilizes 3D modeling software which gives reports on product stability while under stress employing fluid dynamics into the mix. This is where programs like SolidWorks and Rhinoceros come in handy and take out most of the guesswork.

My design time is currently 3.5 hours

● Why would I want to build a bass

First and foremost, I am by trade an Industrial Designer. This is my full-time job and when I'm not designing gadgets for the company I write and play music. I am a bass player if you haven't figured that one out yet. I have been playing for about 30 years in and out of professional bands accross the planet called Canada. Also I like very much to design and build wood related projects in my own well equipped shop. As you can see, combining my tradesman skills with my hobbies of woodworking and music allow me the luxury to build a fine bass.

I'm certain that with a handful of woodworking tools and some essential "smarts" concerning tool safety and a little bit of stamina, endurance and drive you too can build a bass. Of course it would be exceptional if you had the availability of a flat worktable and a shop full of tools, but we are going to try to get this bass done on the cheap. This is going to be a litle unconventional for some people because I am going to use a pre-built neck. In my case I'm going to use a very old Fender Precision fretless (a real fretless,,,no fret pulls to make it fretless), and I will model the body around this neck. Later I will be building my own necks.

Bass necks are available everywhere from music stores to craigslist.com for cheap. Perhaps you have an old bass you can pull the neck from, or from a neighbor's garage sale. This would be a first starting point. Once you have this in hand the rest is simpler than you think.

As this is a blog which highlights day-to-day progress, (and I won't be doing this everyday) we'll get as much done in as short a time as possible. I'll see you later!