About the Bass Body V2
A 3D-printed body for a four-string electric bass. The designer, XDr4g0nX, says it's fully tunable and playable, keeps its tuning like any other bass and plays great. Version 2 adds two 10 mm steel rods, 35 cm long, through the core. The designer found printed parts alone weren't strong enough for a bass's string tension.
It isn't a complete printed instrument. You fit a donor neck, a Yamaha RBX170 (you could take one from a cheap used bass), plus a P and a J pickup and the usual bass bridge, controls and wiring. That makes it a good project if you have an old bass to rebuild, or want to learn how an electric bass goes together. The Thingiverse page has the files but only a short description and no step-by-step guide, so you'll need some guitar-building know-how.
What you'll need
Printed parts
- The body parts (see the file list on Thingiverse)
Bought parts
- A Yamaha RBX170 neck (the body is made to fit it)
- 2 steel rods, 10 mm × 35 cm
- A Precision (P) and a Jazz (J) bass pickup
- A bass bridge, controls, jack, wiring and strings: not listed on the page, but every electric bass needs them
Tools
- A 3D printer
- Bed size isn't stated; check the parts in your slicer
- Basic guitar tools: screwdrivers, a soldering iron for the wiring
Photos
More of the designer's photos are on Thingiverse. See them on Thingiverse ↗