Saga PB-10 Bass Kit

This bass is a simple Fender P bass copy. That said, you should already know what to expect before even seeing the kit, however, I`ll run you through everything just in case.

It features the standard P style pickup, 20 jumbo sized frets, a volume and tone control, a bolt-on neck, and a customizable neck(or paddle lol) that you can cut out to mimic any style headstock that you may care for.

The body is basswood, and it features a(surprisingly great) maple neck with rosewood fingerboard, and a simple but effective plastic nut.

With all this said, the body and neck are very well constructed and leave little to be desired for a simple P bass. The body is very light, and the neck is super smooth and thin. The body cavities are cut out quite nicely, and the screw holes are placed with very good precision.

The pots(electronics) and wires are also fairly well constructed and should last quite a long time if taken care of. That said, you should be extremely careful when handling the electronics since the pots and wires come soldered into place and are already attached to the pick guard. It`s easy to get careless with this so I think it is important to point out.

The hardware is decent, but not great. The tuning pegs are good and will hold a tune well. The screws, however, are somewhat easy to strip if you`re not careful since they do require some elbow grease to screw in. The bridge is nice and will allow good sustain.

For a $125 this kit will cover everything you`ll need to build a great bass. I give this a 9 because it meets and beats most expectations one may have for this kit. The only thing stopping it from getting a perfect 10 is the screws for the neck(which as I mention can get stripped if you`re not careful), and the wiring could be a little better.

The sound of the bass is just what you would expect - a P bass! For those of you who don`t know what that sounds like, I highly suggest checking out old Motown songs which typically feature P basses with flats and are finger plucked, and 70`s punk which typically features P basses with round wounds played usually with picks.

What`s surprising is how much variety one can get out of this simple pickup. The tone can vary greatly depending on the strings you use, how you attack the strings(pick/fingers/location), and how you adjust the tone knob(treble turned all the way up, treble turned at any varying degree in the middle, or completely turned off for a bassy tone). It even sounds great for slap, and in my honest opinion, sounds just as good as any MIA Fender P.

For a simple and 'cheap' pickup, it boasts a variety of voices that are sure to please any bassist. As such, I give its rating a perfect 10.

There`s two parts for this section -

1. How well the bass came in the box.
2. How well I was able to set it up.


Out of the box the bass was nearly flawless in most regards. The body was very well cut and incredibly smooth to the touch. The cavities were perfectly cut as well, however, some wood chunks and wood dust was left behind that needed to be taken out by myself. The screw holes were perfectly aligned, and the neck was also well cut to fit into the neck slot perfectly with the body.

The neck is also shipped with a paddle for the headstock, which allows you to cut it however you like. The body is also shipped with the wood primed so you can go straight to paint if you choose to. The electronics come soldered to the pick guard, and the pickups and wiring are decent enough as well.

Overall, I give the straight out of the box rating an 8.5(reasoning somewhat explained in next section).

Once I began the project of actually building the bass I found that the in-box directions were rather useless and not so great for novice builders or people who don`t know basic luthier skills. Some not so intuitive building points are left out, and there is no mention of how to properly paint, sand, or finish the bass. That said, you can easily find tutorials for this kind of thing online through search engines like google, and even youtube. However, these are important things that should of been included and did play a factor in my rating for out of the box.

The actual building process is rather easy and really can`t be scored because no one can blame the action, fit, or finish on anyone but themselves if they do a bad job. As such I give this score a NA(not available) because I would be grading myself(the builder) and not the actual kit.

I will say this - If you take your time and pay close attention to detail and learn how to properly paint, sand, and build your bass, it will come out great. If you, however, decide to rush the process, not sand down smoothly and evenly after each coat, and don`t go through all needed processes, it will turn out bad.

Here`s what I used:

Krylon primer, super gloss pain(2 cans worth), and clear super gloss finish(it is important to stay within brands so that the finish and paint work well together)
*note* you don`t need to prime the body, but I did so for safe measure.
40, 150, 250, 320, 400, 600, 1500, and 2000 grit sand paper.

Given the out of the box score and how well mine came out once I finished it(although not perfect)I`ll give it a 9 as well.

I`ve only had this bass setup for about a month, however, it has remained sturdy and strong. Much like the last section, this really comes down to how well you build the bass. The kit has little to do with this since the parts are all good and it will only be as reliable as you build it. In the end, it just comes down to the build and how well you treat your gear.

The truss rod is perfect, the build is strong, and although I`d never play it live without a backup(I never play without a backup anyways), I definantly wouldn`t mind using it as my main bass for a gig.

I will say that I do have some concern for the electronics. Although they seem good enough to last a long while, they aren`t amazing in quality either.

I`ll give it a 9 since I haven`t had any problems yet, but I still retain some small, yet valid, concern.

Haven`t had to deal with them and at this point I doubt I ever will. Everything that was needed to build the instrument came in the kit, and past that it`s really out of their control.

I purchased this kit as a summer project for a number of reasons. First reason is because I always wanted to learn how to build a guitar and this seemed like a cheap and easy way to get into it. I also figured that this kit would be a great way to spend a couple weeks of my time since I wasn`t working while home from school this summer. I also have been in need for a P bass so this seemed like a decent deal at only $125. My final reason for my purchase was cause my friend likewise wanted to build a guitar(he built a Tele and it turned out great!) and I thought it would be a good way for us to catch up since we both go to different colleges.

Overall I`ll say that this kit solid, fun, and a great deal. It is a great learning experience for people looking to get into building guitars, and it makes a great summer project for a parent and their child. It`s also great for anyone who wants to be able to say that the guitar they play on stage is one that they built by themselves. That said, I wouldn`t recommend this for anyone under 14 years old and without a parent, or someone who isn`t a patient person by nature.

Don`t let the other ratings discourage you as they did me at first. This kit is whatever YOU make it out to be. As such, I give this kit a perfect 10.

year... i don't know, frets.... i think 21? or 20? 4 string..... solid body, volume and tone, h/h maybe?
i dont know
i dont know
body is basswood, and the neck is maple and rosewood.
unfinished
nope, strings go thru the bridge.
non locking
thin, rosewood i guess.... maple too
no

ugh anyhwo, i baught thi9s for a school project and let me tell you... it SUCKS

... havent trie4d it yet

lets see, it was hard to put together, it needed ALOT of sanding and such to where the neck sits in because there was excess blue/ whatever they used to seal the wood. the wiring was THING and fragile. i broike 3 wires off trying to "gently" wire it together!-.- a pain in the Ass.

its ok

GOD customer suppport sucked, i snet many many emails and necer ONCE did i gt a reply, i phones and i had to atauy on hold for 45 minuets!

ive ben plain a few months now, i own an acoustic, an electric and a bass.

We build these and other guitars for school projects. I like that the kits are complete, but have had numerous missing pieces.... We do it as a finishing project, and prep is everything. Guitar bodies have been reshaped, but expect to use a lot of primer/sealer to harden the body up after being sanded... I think the basswood has been sealed with a clear epoxy, and when the body gets cut there is a lot of work to get out scratches, cut marks, etc.

The overall sound on these units aren't bad. The wiring is somewhat shoddy, and we've rewired a few pots... fret buzzes and rattles can be minimized in the setup, but MAKE SURE the neck attaches really well at the body with no gaps caused by excess paint, wood splinters from manufacture, etc. This makes a HUGE difference. Some nuts are loose around the strings, which causes a 'dead' string. We play lots of Rock/Alternative, Blues.

Set up is everything, so take the time to look at the details... the tuning pegs suck, but wadda ya want for the money? ALL of the kits we've had have the neck fitted to the body. They are NOT interchangable without modification. I was really impressed that the time was taken to get such a tight fit...

The hardware is the weak link, but easily improved or replaced. We have a CNC router and build custom pickguards for an option... and out of anything engravable... We use Auto paint, primer, and more often than not, the students airbrush designs (think motorcyle tanks). The finish is as good as the prep...

This is the thing that REALLY SUCKS! Students have spent over a thousand this last semester on kits, components and instruments. ONLINE GUITARS never seems to return an e-mail... nothing worse than a student that's paid for a guitar not being able to finish it because it arrives after school's done for the year... unfortunately, SAGA doesn't seem to return our e-mails either. Anybody out there with spare parts???

A GREAT project for kids, and LONG overdue. If the service was better, we'd be doing a ton of these. Some weaning problems, to be sure. But even with the problems these kits are a lot of fun. The look on a student's face when they play it after properly set up is incredulous.... you know, the "HOLY S**T, IT WORKS!!!" look. When a good player squeeks out a good riff, there's no replacement.

Saga bass kit made in Korea probably from the markings on the body and neck. Basswood body, maple neck, rosewood fingerboard, the usual. The body is close to a P-bass but the headstock is paddle-shaped so you can customize it. Tuners were upgraded in my kit. Standard split-p pickup.

The sound realy isn't that bad for the money I paid. I rewound the pickups myself, though. The lows are nice and rick, but the highs aren't that great if you don't have a good amp. This bass is very nice on the ashdown that I use.

The setup can only be determine by the builder. The parts on these saga kits are usually crap, but all the kits i've gotten from Daiv at online guitar are very nice. He actually pre-drills the tuner screw holes and the bridge holes almost always allign. THe body DOES NOT take water based stains and poly very well at all. Basswood is a soft wood so be careful when handling the unfinished body.

This bass obviously need new pots, new strap buttons, and jack, but that all comes in time with import basses. I buy these kits in bulk and build them for some profit. None of my customers ever complain. The bass player at church and the bass player in my band both play these basses that I made. One has lasted for two years of playing live so I guess it's all up to the builder. Plenty of other guitar companies use basswood.

Daiv has always been very helpful. He offered to send a free kit when i didn't get a les pual kit within a week. I have bought more kits from him than I can remember.

I've been playing guitar for six years and bass for four years. For the past two years i've been building a guitar business of my own. I own twenty-six guitars. Fourteen I custom made for myself. The others include ibanez hollowbodies, fender toronado, gibson les paul jr. faded, epiphone pauls, washburns, and my favorite which is a gretsch electromatic with DeArmond 2000 pickups. This bass is definitely worh the ninety dollars I paid for. I wouldn't suggest it for beginners unless they got it from online guitar. The usual problems with these kits would stump a kid with no experience.

Made in 2003. Typical P-bass copy I suppose. The body was is made from three different pieces so I wouldn't want to clear-coat it, but hey, it was supposed to be cheap.

Sounds OK, It has a nice enough tone and very little hum considering how shoddy the wiring looked. The Tone pot is horribly scratchy on mine.

The Routing was good on mine, the holes for pick guard and bridge were by no means perfect and it took some careful alignment to put things together, but none of them needed any drilling out.

The neck was generally good, shaping the headstock was fun. But I had to drill my own holes, both for the string tree and the retaining screws for the tuners. Attaching these was a pain as the neck wood is fairly tough stuff and the supplied screws were quite weak. I made the pilot holes as large as I could get away with but the screws were still quite tight and I trashed the head on two (you can't put much force on a Philips head of that size so be careful).

Although I checked the frets with a straight edge before stringing it up it still buzzes a fair bit near the top of the D string. I'm not too confident about dressing the frets yet so I've left that for now. The action is fairly high at the moment to kill that buzz.

On the plus side the neck was pretty straight and just needed a little truss rod adjustment.

The intonation seemed pretty good right off so I haven't even touched it. This is probably luck though; these kits seem to vary...

The electrics look to be of very poor quality. It is made up from fragile, thin gauge wire with great gobs of solder on all the connections. If you really wanted to make something good out of this kit you'd need to remake it all with decent components and wiring. As this was more an introductory project for me I'm happy to leave it for now.

This is mostly down to how you assemble it. The hardware is OK quality and shouldn't fall appart.

I Spoke to them once to find out if they had any european distributors (they don't). They seemed OK but I wouldn't expect too much from them.

I wouldn't buy this again because of shipping costs. It seemed to add up until I got stung on tax getting it into the UK. By then it had doubled in cost making it only slightly cheaper than kits I've seen over here, plus I had to wait 7 weeks for it.

This is the first bass I've owned, I've been playing guitar for about 2 1/2 years and it was a good way to get acquainted with a new instrument and learn a bit about guitar building. If you can get it cheap then it's worth a look.

As a non-threatening intro to guitar building I'm all in favour of this sort of kit. Hence the rating. Just don't expect a world-beater.

typical import p-bass normal features ... split p pickup ... basswood body ... maple neck and rosewood fretboard ...

typical p-bass sound

a few misaligned holes and an offcenter dot marker give it the look of a factory second ... but it all went together and made a good p-bass ...

typical import p-bass ... it is ok ... a lot of the reliability depends on how well you assemble it ...

I never contacted them ...

I used this as an experiemental bass ... I put lots of different pickups in it ... I did a bunch of routing on the body ... different pickguards ... etc ... It looked ok and player ok ... the neck is nice ...

This guitar was made in 2002. Its a Precision Bass with a Fender style body and a headstock you shape yourself.

Has a Precision Bass pickup, 1 Volume & 1 Tone knob.

It is made from basswood. The body is semi finished, can either paint or stain it.

Can not comment on the sound due to problems in assembling the unit, the guitar is not functioning.

This guitar is ment to be assembled within an hour of taking it out of the box because all the parts are included and all the holes are pre-drilled. However with the kit I purchased, many of the holes do nor line up with the parts provided.

The bridge has five holes which are pre-drilled and the two other holes are way off the mark that they will have to be plugged and redrilled in the correct place.

My other major issue at present is with the neck. The routing around the neck where it joins the body does not line up and the is a gap of about 2mm at one point. The solution to this is to reroute the neck, plug the pre-drilled holes on the neck and on the body where the bridge is, correctly position the neck and redrill the holes in the neck and the on the bridge position of the body.

For a cheap DIY this is getting to be a very expensive project after I pay someone else to do the routing as I do not have the tools. If I didn't purchase a set of new Dimarzio pickups I think I would have cut my losses and tossed this thing.

However, the body shape is fine and the neck feels good.

In summary, shape and feel are great, but whoever used the router and drill totally stuffed it!!!!

The pots appear to be cheap. One pot is not smooth at all. If I chose to complete this project I will put new pots on it.

I live in Australia and I purchased this kit from eBay. The shipping is quite expensive and if I were to send this back then it would be good money after bad. I have made no effort to contact the company as I see this will not lead to any cost effective solution.

I have been very disappointed with this kit guitar. I can not tell you how it sounds as I have not completed assembling it. The reason I have not completed assembling it is because the quality of the kit is poor.

If I were to do it all again would I purchase a kit to build?

I wouldn't purchase a Saga PB-10. If I added up all the cost and compared the quality I think I would find better value in purchasing a Squire or something similar.