Madlad Instruments Ash "Cody Route" Precision Bass PBass Style Body (custom made with pride in north Texas) - Unfinished

The impact of the Precision Bass (or P-bass for short) can’t be understated. As a workhorse instrument known for its versatility the P Bass has been putting down beefy bone-humming bass lines on everything from jazz to post-hardcore and everything between.

By and large one of the best parts of being a small shop is that artists come to me with crazy ideas and I get to bring them to life. This body is a perfect example!

In collaboration with @secondBestCody of the band Be The Young (@betheyoung) we took Cody's idea of a truly versatile PBass body and routed a big ol' pool in the middle to acommidate just about any pickup(s) configuration you. can think of!

PBass pickups? Perfect. Soap bars? Say less! P90s? 100% can-do. Plus there's added weight savings with the extra route!

If you're ready to make your own workhorse that will be as flexible, adaptable, and keep your jam mates wondering what pickup config you'll show up with this time around, then the Cody Route PBass Body is for you!

Here's the TL;DR (high points):

-Vintage inspired P-style body dimensionally accurate to 2mm (~8/100ths of an inch) with added channel route between the pickup and control cavities

-Bodies usually weigh around 5 lbs with no finish - give or take a few ounces based on what the tree ate the night before it was cut :)

-Body is made from 2 pieces of Ash which is sourced from a local mill here in McKinney, Texas

-Each body is made-to-order and combines CNC for the milling and hand finishing done by yours truly

-Each body is sanded to 320 grit (as a builder myself I want to save your wrists and your time)

-Cody Route pickup routing to allow for just about any pickup style you like

-Outlined neck holes that can be drilled at no extra cost (in case you want to use a different neck screw layout)

-outlined “helper holes” for easier pick guard mounting and drilling. these holes can be hidden under the pick guard too if you end up using a different shape

-Can be grain filled with a choice of different colors for a slight upcharge to give it that extra pop! (I can do clear too)

-Built with care by one builder in his garage and proceeds help small businesses and the local music scene here in north Texas

B2B and volume discounts are available if you're a builder or shop interested in partnership! Feel free to drop me a message for more details.

Here's a bit more about how this body came to be!

The MadLad Cody Route starts as a vintage inspired PBass body designed to mimic the original specifications Fender set out decades ago. Each dimension is accurate to ~2mm (~8/100ths of an inch)

What that means for you is you get the most dimensionally accurate body I could possibly produce and this body will accept the standard Fender tapered neck pocket with a rounded heel.

Please keep in mind that Fender neck pockets are a TIGHT fit - and while my neck pockets are routed to spec and hold a solid tolerance some necks may need a little sanding to get the heel to make it into the pocket itself. You want this joint to be snug-as-a-bug for a number of reasons so don't worry if it doesn't fit initially. That's by design and can happen pretty regularly. Just sand the sides of your neck heel evenly and it'll make it's way in.

The body itself is made from Ash which I source from a local mill not 10 miles from where I live. Ash is a gorgeous wood with beautiful striations and grain and I inspect each piece of lumber to at the mill to find the best grain and patterns I can. I personally love the way Ash grain "rolls" over the contour/relief cuts and gives you this beautiful contoured look that you don't get with veneers.

All production is done locally in my home shop and with the desire to make your guitar building journey as fun as possible.

As a builder myself I know what parts I dread in the body fabrication process so I've done all of those for you ahead of time! Each body is sanded to 320 grit for an ultra smooth feel. Ash however is a very porous wood so I'd recommend grain filling it for that nice glass finish when all is said and done. I can do the grain filling for you as well for just a couple bucks extra.

The part that does kind of bum me out is that our craft and instruments are made from wood. Which means a tree somewhere had to fall for us to make our beautiful tools of the trade. Not wanting to leave the story there a portion of each body purchase goes to support reforestation charities so we can still have fun with our instruments and the next generation still gets the natural beauty of our tall and green friends :)

When you buy MadLad you support me and a host of local businesses that I source parts from such as my local lumber mill. I also make it a priority to use some proceeds to go support local artists who are on the rise here in the DFW area. It's probably not a huge selling point in the grand scheme of things - but you can maybe find a bit of joy knowing that while you're getting a great guitar body the local scene is also thriving as a result of that purchase too, so thank you!

If you've made it this far a big thank you for listening to my rambling - As a small operation presently working out of my garage I know how valuable time can be so thank you for giving some of yours to check out the listing and see what we're all about. Whether you're pulling the trigger right now or we look at getting you something down the road, I hope you'll consider becoming a MadLad yourself!

All the best,

Drew

Head Madlad @MadladInstruments