Although most of the discussion around building kit guitars tend to focus on 6 and 7 string guitars, DIY electric bass guitar kits can also be a lot of fun to work on.
But, perhaps one of the most enticing reasons you might want to consider building is the range of body styles available. Some of these include:
EXP style bass
MM style bass
JM style bass
W style bass
Violin bass
We also regularly offer a Rickenbacker style DIY bass guitar kit based on the Rickenbacker 4001 bass guitar along with headless and fretless bass guitar kits. All models are available as unfinished left-handed guitar kits along with right-hand models.
EXP style Bass Kit
The EXP-style bass DIY kit is one of the most interesting bass guitar kits currently on offer. It is a 5 string bass guitar kit, featuring 22 frets and a standard scale length of 34 inches with 2 x Volume and 1 x tone control.
Modeled on the Fender/Gibson Explorer Bird bass played by the late John Entwhistle of the ‘Who’. The original ‘Explorer bird’ bass was a combination of Gibson Explorer body, coupled with Fender Precision bass neck and machine heads with gold hardware.
MM Bass Kit
Based on the iconic Musicman Stingray first introduced in 1976 and played by the likes of Flea (Red Hot Chilli Peppers) and Justin Chancellor (Tool) the MM is a 24 fret bass kit with a scale length of 34 inches featuring 2 x volume, 2 x tone, and 3-way switch.
If looking to recreate the original MM Bass, select an Alder body, maple neck and rosewood fretboard (available in imitation Rosewood).
JM Bass Kit
Based on the Fender Jazz Bass played by the likes of John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin) and Geddy Lee (Rush). The JB bass is one of the more famous bass guitar shapes since first released in 1960 and has since become a feature of rock and progressive rock music.
The JB Bass guitar kit features a 20 fret neck, standard 34-inch scale length and 2 X volume, 1 X tone control.
The original J Bass was available in a range of body timbers including Ash and Alder and features a maple neck with rosewood or maple fretboard.
W Bass Kit
The W Bass kit is loosely based on the Warwick ‘Rock bass’ bass guitar made famous by the signature models of players such as Rob Trujillo (Metallica and Suicidal Tendencies) and Jack Bruce (Cream).
The W Bass features a 24 fret neck with 34-inch scale length and 2 x volume, 2 x tone, and 3-way pickup switch.
Violin Bass Kit
Arguably one of the more iconic bass guitar shapes of all time, the violin bass guitar is most well known for being the bass guitar of Paul McCartney of the Beatles.
Based on the Höfner 500/1 violin bass, it is one of the few DIY semi-hollow bass guitar kits available.
Featuring a 24 fret neck and 34-inch scale length along with 2 x volume, 1 x bass, 1 x rhythm, and 1 x treble control.
The original violin bass utilized materials more commonly associated with acoustic guitar construction featuring a spruce top, rosewood back and sides and maple neck.
R Style Bass Kits
While Rickenbacker is better known for some of its iconic electric guitars, played by the likes of John Lennon and Tom Petty, the Rickenbacker 4001 is a revolutionary bass guitar shape, manufactured between 1961 and 1981 featuring a neck through body, a major deviation at the time when most bass guitars featured a bolt-on neck.
Played by legendary bass players such as Cliff Burton (Metallica) and Geezer Butler (Black Sabbath) the R Style bass is one to keep an eye out for when available.