Telecaster Bass scratch build by Dingobass..

[dingobass]

OK, Most of you have heard me raving on about stuff on the forum for quite a while now, so I thought it was about time I showed you all what goes on in the Man Cave of Lutherie when I am not putting together Pit Bull kits.

Before I start, I just want to say that this build is ALL Adam's fault.
He got me building so many Teles that I have fallen in love with them.

Miss Fiona, my long suffering and o so patient other half reckons that I am talking about them in my sleep! :P

So, as I am a Bass player I thought why not build myself a Tele Bass? I might get to keep this 'cause Adam doesn't own a Bass amp.... yet.

Over the next few weeks I will document and share with you how I, Dingobass builds a Bass

First up, a rundown on timbers I will use for this project.

Body : African Mahogany, one piece blank.
Neck : Canadian Rock Maple
Fingerboard : African Ebony

Now where to start?

First I mark out the centreline and profile of the body onto the blank. This gives me a feel for where everything will go and allows me to choose the nicest grain patterns.

Then I find the centre of the neck blank and mark out the neck and headstock profile and tuner positions.

Next I drill pilot holes for the tuners and then drill them out to the full size.
I drill the holes first so if I screw up i can re align the rest of the neck. (Always do your holes and body routs BEFORE you cut the body or neck shape!)

You will notice that I use four clamps and have a scrap piece of ply under the neck. The ply stops the holes tearing out around the edges when the drill comes through.

[dingobass]

[dingobass]

Next step is to rout the channel for the Truss Rod.

I use a two way type, this means I can adjust back bow or front bow. Makes keeping necks straight a breeze!

After the truss rod rout is complete, i lower the face of the headstock with my trusty router.

Then I dress it up on the bobbin sander and start the curve to the fingerboard end.
I will finish shaping this profile by hand with my trusty razor rasps after I have glued the fingerboard on.

[keloooe]

This will be noice!!! I'm yet to visit the Man Cave, great time for me to get a glimpse!

[dingobass]

Then I re mark the headstock profile, taking care to ensure it is squared up to the tuner holes!

Next step is to rough cut the neck and headstock from the blank.

Later I will dress this up with a profile template and my router so I will have a nice clean and crisp edge.
And finally for today, a visual tease of how she will look!

[pablopepper]

Huh! A telecaster bass that's going to look like a telecaster. I can't recall ever seeing one before.

For anyone who doesn't know, the original telecaster basses put out by Fender look more like a precision bass with an odd pickguard.

I've always thought these were weird looking, missing the defining feature of the tele, the single cutaway.

This sounds very cool DB! Consider my interest well and truly piqued.

[Gavin1393]

Stop please! my poor heart can't take anymore today!

This is going to be a great thread DB! How long do you think it will take to finish. I'm only asking because I need to drop by your man cave and would like to do so before this Tele is taken from your cold dead hands as per a previous thread....

[dingobass]

Yep, Fender have not long re issued the Tele Bass, now it has the same body shape as the Tele Guitar.

The original TB was in fact a Precision but with Humbuckers and the Tele headstock.
I never was a fan myself, but the thought of building a proper Tele shaped Bass got my juices flowing

[dingobass]

Quote from Gavin1393 on April 7, 2013, 18:26
Stop please! my poor heart can't take anymore today!

This is going to be a great thread DB! How long do you think it will take to finish. I'm only asking because I need to drop by your man cave and would like to do so before this Tele is taken from your cold dead hands as per a previous thread....

I reckon you will have about a week before I am onto the Wudtone stage Gavin....

[Bass Guy]

Squier have a pawn-shop bass out in a Tele shape, and it looks fantastic! DB's will be far better, no doubt!!