Solo PBK-1 DIY Electric Bass Guitar Kit

(27 customer reviews)

$ CAD 189.99

Build Challenge Level. Learn more.

In stock

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SKU: PBK-1 Category: Bass Guitar Kits Brand:
Solo Pro Black Conductive Shielding Paint
Container Size

In stock

from $ CAD 16.99
$ CAD 109.99
$ CAD 22.99

Description

This DIY guitar kit has everything you need for building your own PB Style Electric Bass Guitar. You will only need some basic tools and finishing supplies. This kit includes all parts and step-by-step instructions to build a complete, playable custom guitar. All challenging wood cutting, drilling and shaping has already been professionally done, as well as fret leveling and dressing.

Recommended tools: Solo Bass Assembly Kit – Bolt-on

Kit includes:

  • Mahogany body with a poly sealant
  • Unfinished maple neck with Rosewood fingerboard
  • Press-fit peghead bushings
  • String Retainer
  • Tuning Machines (4 pcs, mounting screws included)
  • Full size potentiometers
  • Strings
  • Strap Buttons
  • Pickguard
  • Neck Pickup
  • Bridge
  • Neck Plate
  • Ground Wire
  • Cord
  • Mounting Springs for pickup height adjustment
  • Hex wrench for truss-rod adjustment
  • All mounting screws are included
IMPORTANT (in addition to our standard return policy): due to their nature kits can be returned only in virtually untouched condition and in original package.

Additional information

DIY Kit Information
Finish

Style

Body Information
Pickguard

Body Material

Neck Information
Fretboard

Construction

Frets

Hardware and Electronics
Hardware Color

Controls

Electronics

Pickups

Additional Information
Weight

11 lbs

27 reviews for Solo PBK-1 DIY Electric Bass Guitar Kit

  1. gordmeeks (verified owner)

    This is an easy build.
    Had fun doing it. Sanded body & neck. Spray painted, then assembled the wood parts.
    Added all the hard ware & electronics.
    I have had a few offers to buy, since completing.
    Not for sale.

  2. Samuel (verified owner)

    Easy build. Great bang for buck. Easily competes with mid range basses of triple the price

    I plan on getting more

  3. Alex (verified owner)

    This Bass is great! The look/sound/fit is really nice.
    I pull it off the wall before my ‘big name brand’ bass.
    I can’t wait to get another kit.

  4. Gabriel Charlebois (verified owner)

    Very nice kit! No soldering to do at all. Neck finish is great and straight. Fret nicely dressed. Just paint/stain the body and you are good to go!

    Would definitely buy another kit!

  5. Gunnar Schwede (verified owner)

    My first kit.. everything fit perfectly and was easily put together. I love this bass, sounds great and the fact that I painted it and put it together makes it even more special! Will get more, now I am hooked….

  6. Jonathan Martel (verified owner)

    My first kit.. everything fit perfectly and was easily put together. I love this bass, sounds great and the fact that I painted it and put it together makes it even more special excellent for those who want to make something their own

  7. Jonathan Martel (verified owner)

    Excellent way for people to make a guitar their own

  8. Artie Fields (verified owner)

    Nice kit. Excellent fit and finish. Look forward to completing it to hear how it sounds. I did replace the pickup with a Seymour Duncan quarter pounder.

  9. Mike Pongracz (verified owner)

    My son had wanted a bass guitar and I thought this would be a great father/son project that would give him a little extra knowledge and appreciation for musical instruments than simply going to the store and buying one. The kit arrived quickly, and I was impressed at how well everything was packaged up. I was also pleased with the actual quality of the pieces. The instructions were fairly straightforward and we spent the next 2 days sanding priming and painting. For this one, we went to Michaels and picked up a few cans of Testors One-Coat Lacquer/Spray (Two Blue, Two Clear Coat). When all was said and done, it looked amazing – my son was super impressed. Assembly of the guitar was also fairly easy and for a first build, having the fretboard be a screwed in as opposed to just glued made the process painless.

    The ONLY thing that kept me from giving this a full 5 stars (and I’d have given it 4.5 if I could) was the actual hardware. We had two of the screws tuner screws snap off near the heads – and this was with pilot holes drilled. It made installing the rest of the tuner hardware a little nerve-wracking.

    Aside from that, the Bass sounds and plays excellent. Very little adjustments needed to be made as far as intonation which really shocked me – it just worked and sounded great out of the gate!

    If you take your time, measure twice drill once, and follow the instructions, I would highly recommend this as a great first build if you’re looking to get a nice sounding and ultimately great looking bass guitar you can say you built yourself!

  10. Steven Heiss (verified owner)

    My first kit and really glad I got it! Went together easily and ready to play pretty much as soon as it was assembled. I too had a tuner mounting screw break off at the head so that was the only downside. And excellent customer service for the questions I had. Will definitely look at buying another kit, maybe a Les Paul this time. Thanks!

  11. Jamie

    Because this kit was so cheap I decided it couldn’t hurt to try it.
    Was easy enough to assemble.
    Once it was put together and I plugged it in, I was blown away at how nice this bass is. Neck is great and it sounds better than my brand name bass.
    Anyone on the fence about these kits, just get one and build it.

  12. David (verified owner)

    I LUV my Bass! Easy to assemble, and it sounds amazing. I was too excited to paint it before putting it all together and seeing it in all its glory, so I just sanded the body and neck and put it together.

    IMHO a great value. Noy likely my last purchase from SOLO.

  13. gowings_08 (verified owner)

    Very solid kit. Got some Seymor Duncan 1/4 pounders to go with it. Body needed a tad of sanding before painting which took a whopping 40 seconds so no biggie. The neck pocket is good and tight, predrilled holes lined up perfectly, neck is even smoother than an Ibanez I have that came straight from factory. Instructions were very clear for newbs to guitars so no experience needed to build them. Next time I want a guitar it is coming from Solo, the quality is on par with some Fender P Bass’ Ive played. With woodwork like this Fender or Gibson exc is just a name, not a name for quality.

  14. robertomdbm (verified owner)

    This was an easy build and it sounds really good.

  15. Nikkolas Clark (verified owner)

    I built this for my dad. I painted it and put emg active pickups in it and he absolutely loves it. Assembly was stupid easy and wasn’t missing any parts at all

  16. Joseph King (verified owner)

    Great kit! An excellent project for my son while school is closed (this was his at-home luthier/engineering class). Now he can start working on his at-home music class learning how to play.

  17. larryl (verified owner)

    This was a great kit and my first “build”. I had been looking for something inexpensive and easy in the interim while I’m prepping another custom bass and this totally fit the build. Customer service was great in replying to my questions before the purchase, received it in under a week and everything was clearly marked and packaged.

    The fit was perfect – nothing that caused any concerns during the build. I chose to get the Tung Oil to hand finish the bass and it turned out great.

    I was half-expecting to get a bass that was “passable” since it’s only around $200. I was very pleasantly surprised. Sustain is great – I forgot the resonant qualities of the P-bass. The pickups sound quite decent – at some point I may swap them out for an upgrade but they definitely transmit a great tone. It’s a way more comfortable bass than I remember with my first P-bass experience a long time ago.

    It came with roundwound strings and I was at first going to put them aside as I was waiting for a set of flatwounds to arrive. I did string it up as I was anxious to start playing it and even the strings are very decent.

    I definitely recommend this kit for anyone looking to dip their toes into building and it’s a great way to expand your arsenal on a budget.

  18. Peter Mikolon (verified owner)

    Purchased this kit for a number of reasons. My wife wanted to learn how to play bass and I was not willing to spend a lot of money on something that would end up being a passing fad. I was not able to find anything reasonably priced in any of the local pawn shops and I did not like the entry models available locally. Additionally I needed a covid project and it had been 32 years since I built a guitar. I was very surprised with the kit. The neck and body were fine and hardware were fine for what I was looking for. The neck fit perfect and the strings lined up straight and true. My wife chose an mahogany stain and I clear coated it with many coats of lacquer lightly sanded between every other coat. The neck was lightly sanded and finished with two light coats of poly rub. Assembly was very easy. Setup was a breeze and the instrument plays fine and true at any point up the neck. My wife has been enjoying her new toy and I even get a chance to play it when she lets me. This build has given me the confidence in the quality and service of Solo that this will not be my last purchase from them or my last project. In fact I am already making plans to build a 12 string strat with seven wiring and out of phase.

  19. Gregory Thomas (verified owner)

    Pretty good value. Keep in mind that aftermarket parts will very likely not fit. It will take major wood alterations to switch to GOTOH Fender style tuners and similar. I had to fill and re-drill, as well as alter the geometry of aftermarket pickguard at neck pocket. I had to alter routing to enlarge control cavity to accept premium, large size potentiometers …etc So if you want to put together a ‘perfect custom bass” I would recommend you start with the PRO line Solo offers of some of their other premium body or blank offerings. That being said….

    As a basic budget kit, if you really like DIY, it is a great value. A great opportunity for a mentor to spend time with a young person on a project. The glue line of the two piece Alder body was very good. I was so impressed that I chose a natural wood fish using many thin coats of Spar Varnish after carefully removing the poly sealer (very important!) Most people would not be aware it is even two pieces. I will upload pics. The neck is not like a Fender exactly, but it is 1/4 the price of the cheapest Fender neck and very play-able. I have mine set-up very low with almost no buzz. The frets were level and well dressed. It may take a little prep and shims to get neck / neck pocket joint even and just right – as expected. The fit was very good width wise, but large gap at bottom still needs to be addressed for proper fit. Not a deal breaker. My only real complaint is the very sloppy drilling of the neck holes. They are decidedly crooked by apprx 10-15 degrees straight through the body and neck. The joint matches and holds but required wood stock glued into oversize holes in neck. It would be a problem if switching to a used neck with straight holes, and could cause a split in two piece body in neck pocket. Filling and re-drilling would be required but NOT a big deal or difficult. Make sure to check this immediately before you start working on kit if you choose to return for another.

    Proper set up is vital. PAY FOR IT if you are lazy, if not you can find many resources like this one : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GchBWxVSrUI&ab_channel=MichaelGrady-ExtremeBASSGuitar. Don’t complain about a ‘lemon’ until you get a proper set up!!!

    Overall I give it 4/5 stars for delivering as offered and a fun time putting it together during the pandemic. I even bought another one from the ‘b-stock’ blemished inventory because I like a challenge and always wanted a short scale bass.. This time I am keeping it stock so I can compare to previous with upgraded electronics.

  20. Kevin Rock (verified owner)

    Great Bass. I was very impressed with the neck. It’s was straight and the frets were level. I put a nice polish on them and they were good to go.

    I dropped a star for two reasons:

    1. The screw holes for the bridge did not align. Not even close. I had to fill two of the holes and drill new ones.

    2. The grommets for the tuning machines did not fit in the holes. I hit those things way harder than anyone should and they would not seat. I pounded them down as far as they would go. When I strung up the guitar, one of the tuner gromets pulled out of the hole and I had to press it back in. If it doesn’t hold, I will either try to very carefully open the hole a little and glue them in or just buy new tuners. That’ll cost more, but might be worth it.

    Otherwise, I’m very impressed. Sounds and plays great. I would buy again.

  21. mbryan3 (verified owner)

    Body is very rough, so be ready to sand and build up a finish! Parts for the price are OK. My build was to plain off top, replace with Canary Wood for new look. Replace pickups and electric with EMG ( Geezer Butler) , passive p bass set.
    Classic old school sounds. Yes this is a one trick pony.

  22. seangattis (verified owner)

    This was my first build, and it was everything I hoped it would be. The amount of fun had building this bass was immense. Lets start with the quality. First, the hardware and electronics where nothing to call home about, but that is to be expected. Second, the body and neck where in great shape. The neck I received was fantastic. The grain pattern was beautiful and there was a little quilting on the headstock. All in all, the bass turned out better then I could have hoped. Used a gold hipshot kickass bridge, gold Gotoh 20:1 tuning machines, and some EMG Geezer Butler pickups and pots. I will be picking up the Stingray when its back in stock. Just an awesome product.

  23. Kurtis Miller (verified owner)

    My second build. Overall, everything was fine with the kit. I did have to fill in and redrill the holes for the bridge, as the screws that came with the kit were the same outer diameter as the predrilled holes. The predrill was 10mm deep, and the screws 20mm in length, so only 10mm of the screw would be actually holding anything. Maybe it would have been fine, but I didn’t want to risk it.

    Also, I broke the preinstalled nut while trying to remove it during the fretwork. Got a Tusq P-Bass nut that was basically a drop-in replacement after shimming.

    This bass is one of my daily-driver instruments. Sounds great, looks great, plays great.

  24. nicholas_magnus (verified owner)

    Great value kit. Good for beginners, this was my second kit build. Body needed a lot of sanding but nothing unexpected. I stained it with some leftover stain and finished with Tru Oil, body wood looks good for the price. Neck and fretwork were better than expected for the price. Sanded and finished with Tru Oil as well. Frets needed a polish with steel wool, but seem level and didn’t need any other filing.

    Only thing keeping me from giving 5 stars is the bridge screw issue mentioned in a couple other reviews. The bridge screws are too small in diameter for the pre drilled holes. I left it as is for now, but I’d guess only three or four of the screws are holding the bridge down, it was a little nerve wracking tightening the strings for the first time. I will definitely need to fill and re-drill them just to be safe. Might check local hardware store for some different screws first.

    After getting it all setup it sounds decent and plays way above the price I paid for it. Eventually I’ll gut and upgrade the electrical components and pickups, but for jamming with friends and fiddling around it’s a great bass for the price.

  25. moonman (verified owner)

    This is my third Solo kit, wife said she wanted to learn to play bass, so I chose this kit. This was a super easy build, sanded the body and did an ebony stain and it came out really nice.

    The holes were in the right place and right diameter, all the hardware came with it. Since I don’t know how to play bass, guess I will be learning as well.

    The kit is worth the money, and I have no complaints.

  26. Brian Dinning (verified owner)

    I ordered the PBK-1 January 15, I received it by the next Friday. I assembled it that night and soldered the connection the next night.
    It is now March and I have no issues with the bass keeping in tune, I last played it on Friday, I picked it up Monday and it was still in tune, I did not upgrade any of the parts. I will be taking it part this summer, and applying an oil finish to it. I am planning on buying a STK-1M in the fall for a winter project.
    Thanks everyone at Solo music for a quality product.

  27. davetguitar (verified owner)

    This is my second Solo build. The fretwork was outstanding!!! The neck fit in the pocket perfectly and snug – I could lift the body with the neck in place and not bolted in!!! The woodgrain was outstanding; I was able to use a clear stain for the finish. This bass was without a doubt the best value and quality. Thank you SOLO!!!

Add a review

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