I built the COOLEST Jazz Bass Ever from a DIY bass kit, SICK TONE!

If you want more details about this build, check out part 1 of this series which has more details about the design processes here: • How to build a Rickenb...
Sorry guys but this bass is sold!: www.gunsandgui...
Wiring diagram available here: www.gunsandgui...
Or support me on Patreon for all my wiring diagrams! / danthompson
Here are the parts I used for this build:
Use coupon code GUNSNGTRS to save 10% off any kit at The Fret Wire!
Utah slab bass kit: shrsl.com/391kv
Pickups: amzn.to/3DyoZSy
Strings: amzn.to/3kPE9vD
Bridge: amzn.to/3CwiNZZ
Tuners: amzn.to/3Ht7jtY
Mini toggle switches: amzn.to/3nqOPCp
TRS jack: amzn.to/3HwPYQW
Jack plate: amzn.to/3coVyXe
Tru oil finish: amzn.to/3DdSk4K
*Prices mentioned in this video are subject to change without notice, please check the links for current pricing.
Full disclosure: I am an Amazon Associate, and the links in this description are affiliate links, which means that if you make a purchase, it doesn't cost you any more money, but I will earn a commission.
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Background music made by Jordan Rowan of iMakeMusic
Audiojungle: audiojungle.ne...

[@themadkraken1912]

You’re making me jealous. There’s not a more beautiful bass in the world than a Rick. I might have to check out that video about your workshop setup when I write to Santa this year…

[@manolo4217]

there are basses that are more beautiful than a rick

[@mladyavery9138]

@@manolo4217 it's definitely subjective.. and also even objectively a Rick is a nicely built bass that's a design implanted in our culture

[@manolo4217]

@@mladyavery9138 i agree

[@themadkraken1912]

@@manolo4217 Ooh, which do you think are nicer? I do love ES-335 style basses but I think Ricks are still my favorite, at least looks-wise.

[@manolo4217]

@@themadkraken1912 i really like ricks but the gretsch g5440 lsb is absolutely beautiful

[@GunsandGuitars]

Sorry guys but this bass already sold!: www.gunsandguitars.net/product-page/rickenjazzper Wiring diagram available here: www.gunsandguitars.net/product-page/rickenjazzper-diagram Or support me on Patreon for all my wiring diagrams! patreon.com/danthompson

[@stepvanjoe3469]

So Dan, do you sell these guitars you build and if so do you have a website specifically for these

[@jasonschmidt1460]

What's the name or brand for Bridge?

[@GunsandGuitars]

The bridge link is in the description

[@martinhroch344]

I like your twist on the Rick shape, the slight offset in the body makes it look sharp and modern!

[@andrewjeffries8721]

Dan, our woodshop is coming together nicely. The next step: the dust collection system. We have our workbench made (thank you April Wilkerson!!!) and when we are up and running I have a piece of 2 inch thick ash that will be my first bass body. You inspire me and your videos help me figure out just how the heck I'm gonna build my bass. Iron sharpens iron, bro. And you have helped me sharpen. 🙂

[@morenoteslesstalk]

Great video! I put together a precision bass years ago, though it hasn’t aged as well as I’d hoped. I used it in a video recently with a tube head, and the Peerless Alnico speaker really helped bring out the best in it. Now I’m seriously considering trying my hand at building a jazz bass next!

[@2AChef-n-BBQ]

That's just cool Dan, I am finally getting back into my shop this winter for the first time in 3 years. Something like this is going to be a must build,. Love the wiring, I am a Bart fan also, I have probably 20 sets of Bart's in my parts cabinet. I will buy that wiring diagram👍🏼🇺🇸

[@valvenator]

Love how you positioned the output jack. I always run my cable over the strap knob so it only makes sense to have it pointing up instead of down. Genius!

[@foxbat2549]

Dan, - I'm most impressed w/your finger-style funk playing. Granted U build great basses/instruments and cool mods/upgrades but it's your playing that grabs me! Right on!

[@pdbordelon]

Just purchased a Fret Wire Ash 4-String Bass kit as a Christmas gift for my brother. The discount code worked so thanks for the savings and gift idea!

[@ianhayes9318]

Man, every instrument you build is cooler than the last. Great job! This bass is sick!! I have to agree about the Barts. Every one of my "favorite" basses I've owned had Bartolini soap bars.

[@GilderGeek_Creations]

I absolutely love the finish on this build. Great job!

[@zibbezabba2491]

That is one of the coolest looking basses I've ever seen and it sounds great too. I think Rick could learn a thing or 2 from this. They could go the way of Stingray and bring out a budget version with a few pickup variations.

[@willtato8778]

Really enjoying video. Final product looks amazing. Time lapse shows the process well, and to make things better, essentially everything is in the vid, including sound tests, not split into 3-4 vids. "Background" music was also a breath of fresh air.

[@nrich5127]

Nice job - the end result is uniquely yours and the sound is as good as anything on the market - I love your finish - semi natural with color. I think your skills have matured and youir wiring concepts are spot on.

[@GunsandGuitars]

Thanks!

[@longdongbongchong]

Dope! Phat tone on that thing. And so glad to see you built a second of the cabs!

[@JCtheGeek2187]

Oh my goodness, Dan! That sounds AMAZING! So thick and warm! LOVE IT!

[@MrGwg11]

my jaw has never been so heavy...i can't pick it up..... that bass is...... sooooo good! play it again! AGAIN! Well done Dan!

[@timowns2]

If you look at the background on the left at 8:31 ; You can briefly see a cat walk by!

[@cybrianterveer1090]

Dude I love the riff at the part where you dye the body. Nice and chonky sound to it.

[@presmasterflash7555]

Now THAT is a fine lookin bass! Love the Ric shape. Id love to build one made for metal and aggressive stuff. Definitely a sick build.

[@ejnordberg]

Nice pickup locations. Gives it more of a Rickenbacker tone than a typical Jazz.

[@drogers5511]

Nice elegant electrics. The bypass switch elevates the output to "11". Thanks, Dan.

[@dannygillmusic]

Bro you should find a lutherie shop that will walk you through an acoustic guitar build, That would be a great video

[@torrente1975]

Absolutely amazing mix of features, the attractive look of the riken and the convenience tone of the JM. But your electronics is a must. Great build in did.

[@GunsandGuitars]

Thanks!

[@jwright8838]

That's not near enough to a Ric to cause trouble. You should make all those you can! Sounded tremendous and looked great. If it plays as good as it sounds then I think you've got a winner there.

[@Rachelandchrisholoha]

Dude! That thing is so slick. Love that color.

[@chriscuthbertson]

I love Barts. Just the right amount of warmth.

[@peterchamplin8767]

I love the way the finish turned out

[@zerep11]

Been waiting for this episode ... What a beauty!

[@Facu_Roldan]

That's the coolest ric type bass I've ever seen! Sounds a lot better than a ric IMO

[@BadvisionStudios]

As a life-long Ricky player, I love this version of yours! Looks fantastic... Kudos!

[@thebassbuilder]

You really should keep making that bass. Awesome build and sounds just as awesome!

[@bevinmodrak4997]

Geddy would love this.

[@ken46120]

The finish came out great.

[@Bbh4535]

This came on my feed, I absolutely love the choice of colors and finish you did on this bass. Awesome 😎

[@EXSENTRIX]

I just ordered that bridge! I can't wait to get it! I almost bought it before I saw this vid the other day. Then I saw this vid I was like no way that's the bridge I almost got! You sold me on it man lol.

[@GunsandGuitars]

It’s great, I love it! I hope you do too

[@speelbergo]

hi mass darkenes the tone? maybe with passive pickups or something... My Fender Flea has a hi-mass, but it also has a preamp, active humbucker, and DR strings and that combo means it's almost too bright, and i have to cut the treble a smidge.

[@JohnGeldreich]

Yeah, not sure why he thinks that, especially considering that the bridge he used for the build is a high mass bridge. I bought one myself and weighed it. It's a full 8 ounces, which puts it on par with the Hipshot Kickass.

[@timhallas4275]

It looks very cool. Nice work.

[@GunsandGuitars]

Wow that’s a big compliment coming from you Tim! Thanks!

[@timhallas4275]

@@GunsandGuitars You made some very good choices and you didn't waste money on boutique parts. What impressed me most is your creative wiring.

[@bones2532]

Hi Dan! Cool project and a very cool sounding bass indeed. Thanks for the inspiration. I really hadn't expected it to sound this good out of a cheap kit like that. I think you're right, it's the pickups that really take it onto another level. Personally I'm not such a big fan of that classic bartolinis. For my taste they sound too smooth and warm. Great for smooth jazzy sounds but not very cutting or agressive. My personal favorite choice for this project would have been Nordstrand big singles. "Jazz Bass pickups on steroids", like Carey Nordstrand himself describes them. But I really like that Ric... touch, especially in combination with the smoother body carves and the JB-like offset body shape. Great build! And the finish looks just awesome.

[@davidfinn5029]

not a bass fan, but love any build. offer you an opinion after your next oil finish go over it with a hard wax finish afterwards. super smooth finish. thanks dan great work as always, god bless.

[@yobanyhernandez125]

Been watching your channel for a long time man and honestly, this is a master piece man.

[@bassfingers]

Love the bass. The sound is warm and punchy.

[@Johnny.D]

Nice build, just shows that you Don't need a fancy woodshop to do nice work. I actually just ordered the same bridge and tuners for a build I am starting.

[@GunsandGuitars]

Awesome, I love that hardware

[@hailmaryrecordings8255]

That’s awesome. I have a P-bass. I bought-it because it was surf-green with maple-fretboard and black block-inlays. It *looks* awesome. It’s gutless 😂 I need a jazz bass.

[@normladuke8462]

Sweet bass build…I’ve been doing the series/parallel mod, on my basses, for years…and I love the mid & volume boost.

[@silvercrank999]

Aww man, that is definitely the best bass you've built yet. Absolutely gorgeous. I would buy it in a heartbeat if another one came up for sale!

[@fatworksfoods]

I would buy if if it were lefty.

[@douglasmiller6866]

THANKS ! I'VE BEEN LOOKING AT THAT KIT.

[@pdbordelon]

Wow you have some talent and skills my friend!

[@drogers5511]

Another thought for your channel is "this old guitar..." series where you take on your fans guitars and upgrade them within a budget. Fine tune the action and rework the electronics turning old basic guitars into really customized and fully restored(improved) instruments. With the private contract with the owner is your fee, their release, and the restoration /improvement budget based on the planned outcome. This could be fun and inspire us on how the get our instruments to that next level, plus feature (get sponsored) that pickup maker guy in the 2020 build-off video and other vendors like them. Win-win.

[@jeffg1962]

Awesome looking and sounding. I built a kit and I am very pleased with it.

[@Hillcapper1]

That finish is awesome

[@jeffreybuckingham3782]

Wow! That thing sounds KILLER!!!!

[@SpiceofLifevariety]

Sick bass build and I love that intro backing track

[@breezytango3472]

Looks great, sounds great I've been thinking of building my own base and these videos are very helpful! Keep up the great work man!

[@michaelmccaffety3131]

Great build Dan, especially with that blower switch. Love that bridge too. Keep up the good work man.

[@Bjmusic2491]

That is a cool looking bass The tone of the pick ups are Smoove and punchy

[@MrOgynist]

Great job. Between amp, cabs, and bass you're firing up my latent diy yearnings.

[@11rfpro]

I wish more companies did like Warwick inspired bodies

[@cjbrewdog]

Aka, Spector inspired lol

[@skxj]

That bass turned out real nice, the finish really suits it. BARTOLINI make great pickups for bass and I like their humbuckers for guitars too.

[@sergiobollana]

Beautiful bass and killer sound. On a personal note, I'd have located the bridge pickup a bit closer to the bridge to cover more tonal spectrum.

[@GunsandGuitars]

It was a kit and the pickup was already routed or else I would have 🤘

[@fistinair1979]

I put that same bridge on a recent build. Really solid. I had to swap out the height adjustment screws though, mine were way way too long.

[@GunsandGuitars]

That just depends on your neck angle

[@fistinair1979]

@@GunsandGuitars haha, no, they were legit almost a half inch long. Way way too long for any application .

[@capstevepoarch]

When you were staining it I thought "damn, what a shame... He went too dark!"... Then you sanded it back and I changed my tune. It looks awesome.... And sounds better than it looks!

[@joebikeguy6669]

Really nice job Dan. Curious as to why you didn't use ferrules? BTW, Tru oil has a short shelf life. I just poke a small hole in the foil cover which not only helps it last a bit longer, but if you knock it over . . . .

[@GunsandGuitars]

Yeah the little hole would’ve been a great idea hind sight.

[@Liberty4Ever]

Looks great! Sounds great! Awesome build!

[@davidmurray9193]

Love the Rickenbacker look one day I'll get one ( Lemmy) 🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘

[@RatnDat]

Dan, I just finished my first DIY build (a tele kit from Solo guitars) and used the Tru Oil like you did in this video. I ended up doing 5 coats and I love the finish. How long did you wait to assemble your bass? Did you allow it to cure? I've seen answers ranging from no wait at all up to three weeks... what do you think?

[@klaymeister]

This makes me want to have a jazz bass hardwired to series.

[@pau_meow]

Such a talented man. Love your bass build. 👍

[@djay6651]

That finish turned out pretty choice.

[@kenmathews4522]

Excellent build! Love the Bartolinis. Btw, Fender didn't make the Badass Bridge. They were made by Leo Quan.

[@jeffreyeagen4896]

It not only sounds great, it looks killer! Love that finish!

[@owenandrew8108]

that's like the ultimate geddy lee bass. rick and jazz all in one!

[@mikeg.9238]

Dude sick build , i don't play bass but can appreciate your workmanship , first time checking your channel. Since i'm an owner of both things listed on your channel i figured i would check it out. Just subscribed and looking forward to more vids. Great job on that bass , it looks killer!!!

[@anderszidane973]

Is it any worry not having ferrules on the back of the body for the strings? Would the string ends eat into the wood?

[@randyhaney5767]

Awesome Dan'O, Congratz. on a project superbly done.

[@bertrandmajorik6589]

Saw something similar.for sale in China....... no copyrights there !! Like where u placed the input.... Nice build!!!!

[@barryhaynes103]

Love the Dan-O sound … the tone is exceptional 😎

[@RubyRoks]

What a stunner, both visually and sonically. Those pickups are incredible.

[@pensnut08]

Nice bass!! I personally love the high mass bridge. I also added a brass nut to my Jazz Basses (a Squire 4 and 5 string and a Geddy Lee Jazz Bass) and I absolutely love it!! Sustains forever and has such a nice growling tone.

[@GunsandGuitars]

I do like a good brass nut! Excellent sustain and bell like tones

[@hextray]

The more you build the more it's amazing. HOW ?

[@blakejones6648]

Best sounding rig I've heard from you dude.

[@TheThrasher1981]

I just ordered the kit. Hope it goes well

[@Furiora]

Something I'd love to see from you; your answer to the Stiletto 5 from Schecter. You yourself said you love it, but I bet you could come up with something a little spiceier, plus we've not seen a 5 stringer from you yet. As for this bass, it's sweet! I don't know much 'bout dat bass (memes lol), but this thing looks killer and has great tone and features! I'd still like to see you give Pitbull a shot at some point, I know you don't like kits much anymore, but they've got pretty nice QC from what I've seen, and the ability to customize all their kits means you could really go to town, maybe order one with no routing at all for something really crazy and unique. They've also offered me to buy just the neck from a kit (even a custom one) so, that's another option you could go down.

[@wewin_inonog]

This is a total Badass! Love the tone!

[@xdoctorblindx]

I wouldn't trust that design to be stable without the neck-through of an actual Rick.

[@brianengquist2110]

I think that's your best sounding bass to date.

[@alaricpaley6865]

That's a Guyker Bridge! They also make pretty nice $20-30 Locking tuner sets for guitars, it's a really good budget brand.

[@sunn_bass]

Cool build. That bridge looks almost exactly like a clone of early ABM bridges. The old ABM ones were fully machined and the bottom plate was bolted to the backstop. Very good bridges but they were made of brass but are very heavy. I have several old obsolete ABM units that I bought from a builder that was retiring. I need to check out this bridge as the lighter weight would be great for some builds. As usual, great video.

[@garcol42]

Is it ok to put tru oil on a rosewood (or equivalent) fretboard? I’m not sure if that’s what I saw in the video or if the sped up footage just made it seem that way. But it’s something I’ve thought about trying for a while and just haven’t yet because of various attributes of rosewood that make me nervous about it lol

[@carpediemarts705]

Need to make like ten of those.

[@catastrophicending9560]

Ever thought of uploading templates of the body, headstock, and pick guards you create? There your creation and would be easy way to make a couple bucks from us that would end up with a square bass otherwise. Or maybe pair them with your wiring diagrams.

[@GunsandGuitars]

Not a bad idea! I’ll consider it

[@FrugalFixerSpike]

jam out my Man, Nice build and oh so quick!!

[@fredoswego]

Did I miss the video where you talk about the purpose of the sticks around the soldering iron?

[@GunsandGuitars]

Haha it’s just so I can choke up on the iron without burning my fingers

[@Darksidetripper]

Any plans for a short scale bass build???

[@edcrouse9453]

Awesome tone!! Killer build!!

[@jesusaguilera3803]

Dan would you ever consider doing a Rick guitar I think it would be a very unique and badass build!

[@ryanstewart1975]

Killer work man. Alibaba has a vast supply of Fakenbackers but there are some pretty decent ones if you can find an actual neck-through version. A guy did a review on one and was actually pretty hard to tell the diff other then the lack of the dual-truss rod setup. I'd buy one screw it.

[@emersonsrandomvideos248]

Hi Dan! I'm curious why you preferred to glue the neck to the body instead of bolting it like most basses do. You're one of the best DIYers i followed in youtube. Your ideas are awesome!!!

[@GunsandGuitars]

This kit was a set neck design, there wasn’t enough meat on the body at the neck route to bolt it on. I much prefer bolt on necks.

[@emersonsrandomvideos248]

@@GunsandGuitars Aahh i see.... Thanks Dan for enlightenment!! Good day to u!!

[@rubenriverarojas7910]

RickenJazz/JazzBacker 🔥

[@yambo59]

OH man, that is THE best sounding bass ive ever heard-!!!! Well done, who needs Fender and R-B --- !!