custom bass guitar build — dale reince photography

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As a musician, I’ve played both guitar and bass in various bands around the Milwaukee area over the years. Near the end of 2019, a good friend asked if I’d be interested in playing bass in a new project called Arrow. Without hesitation, I said yes.

At the time, my only bass was a trusty Squier Precision Bass I’d owned since around 2001. It had served me well, but with a new band on the horizon, I felt it was time for a well-deserved upgrade.

After weeks of searching local music stores, I couldn’t find the right instrument — nothing had the feel, tone, or features I was after. Buying a new instrument can be nerve-racking, almost like shopping for a car. Eventually, I decided to take a different route: I’d build my own.

The bass I envisioned was modeled after a classic Fender P-Bass, inspired by the warm, punchy tones of the ‘60s and ‘70s. I dove deep into research, watching countless YouTube videos (shoutout to Dave’s World of Fun), talking with friends who had built their own instruments, and tracking down custom parts to achieve the look and sound I wanted. The process took time — but every step was worth it.

To me, this instrument represents more than just a tool for making music. It’s an extension of who I am. Learning how to assemble and fine-tune a high-end instrument piece by piece was an exciting and rewarding experience. What I ended up with is a one-of-a-kind, handcrafted bass built specifically for me — something no store could ever offer.

I’ll admit, there were some tense moments along the way. Drilling into the custom body and neck was nerve-wracking, and setting the tuner bushings was a nightmare. But in the end, the build turned out beautifully, and I couldn’t be more proud of the result.

Naturally, as a photographer, I wanted to capture the process and parts that went into the build. I didn’t document as much of the process as I’d planned — but maybe I’ll get it right on my next custom guitar build. (It’s definitely addicting!)

Here’s a list of the parts I used.

Warmoth (Puyallup, Washington. USA).

Custom P-Bass Body. Right Handed. Made of Roasted Swamp Ash with satin finish.

Custom Jazz Bass Neck. Right Handed Reversed. Made of Roasted Maple, Indian Rosewood Fingerboard with SS6150 Stainless Frets, Mother Of Pearl Dot Inlays, GraphTech Black TUSQ XL- Standard Nut. No finish on the neck.

Standard Strap Buttons. Chrome. (Not Pictured Below)

Obsidian Wire (Christchurch New Zealand)

Traditional Vintage Plus for Precision Bass Pro Wired Wiring Harness.

Babicz Full Contact Hardware (Wappingers Falls, New York. USA)

Babicz FCH 4 Bass Bridge, Original Series with chrome finish.

Fender USA (Scottsdale, Arizona. USA)

Fender Precision Bass Pickup set, Original 1962 split-coil Humbucker Vintage Design.

StewMac (Athens, Ohio. USA)

Pickup Height Foam w/ Internal Spring. Short/Wide Set.

Hipshot (Interlaken, New York. USA)

HB7 Bass Tuning Machine. Nickel, Clover Key, Treble SIde.

Bass String Retainer. Chrome, 3 String.

WD Music Product, Inc. (North Fort Myers, Florida. USA)

Fender Precision Bass Knobs. Chrome.

Custom Pickguard. American Standard Precision Bass, Black-Cream-Black.

Pickguard Screws. Stainless Steel, Phillips Head.

Proline (Guitar Center, anyware USA)

4 Screw Neck Plate. Chrome.

GHS Strings (Battle Creek, Michigan. USA)

Precision Flats. 45-105 Medium. (Not Pictured Below)

All photographs below were photographed by me, Dale Reince Photography. You may NOT use on any platform (Social media, personal or company website) without my written permission. Contact me for usage rights. Thank you!

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