First and foremost, thanks for the forum! Coincidentally, the forum and I share a "Birthday", Dec 10. It just happens to be A LOT younger than I. ;-)
Secondly, please move this post to the appropriate forum if I've chosen poorly.
And before the blabbering. Thanks! Thanks for taking the time to read my mutterings, and if you chose to, respond and help a FNG. I don't pretend to know it all, hell, I don't pretend to know much of anything, but I'll sure as hell try to figure out what ever comes my way. ;)
(Also, I have a neighbor with a SLEW of wood working equipment. I don't know how to use most of it but I'm able, willing, and happy to learn. Especially when someone else is willing to let me use their tools! :))
Like many others on this forum, I stumbled upon this site AFTER starting my build. Unfortunately, unlike MOST others, I know nothing about music, guitars, etc. (I'm a software developer.) However, this did not keep my from trying my hand at building a stand up bass from a wine case..... I'm jumping ahead of myself..... {Intro way back machine harp-esque time warp music}.......
My Little Brother (The musically inclined one in the family}: Man, I sure do like the sound of some of those cigar box guitars.
Me: WTF? Cigar box what?
My Little Brother: You've got to be kidding me, you've never heard of a cigar box guitar?
Me: WTF? Cigar box what?
MLB: Dude, you need to check these out..... {off we go to Youtube land}
Days pass....
MLB:I sure do wish I had something simple I could practice my Bass on that was cool and cheap...
Me: {DING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!}
(Flash forward 3 weeks)
Me: I know, I'll make MLB a cigar box bass but instead, I'll also buy some wine and kill 2 birds, plus some serious brain cells, doing it!! (My wife loved the case of wine idea. ;))
So, flash forward to me boring you with this story. Here's my situation. I'm bound and determined to build this thing for MLB by Christmas and surprise him with it. (Honestly, I just hope the thing doesn't fall apart!) Before learinng about CBN I made some pretty good/rough progress. However, the details are starting to come into play and I'm going to need some help. I've never been afraid of asking for help, especially when such a bountiful resource such as CBN exist. You guys rock, both literally and figuratively! :)
So, please critique, suggest, comment, etc at the following
Here are my plans, ASAP, but in no real order.
- Figure out a head design
- Acquire some base tuning keys and install. (Know where I can get these on the cheap?)
- Figure out the nut to use. (Will probably employ a screw/bolt here.)
- Find and attach a broom handle to the bottom for the "stand up" part
- Cut and apply angle wood around the "box" because the outter casing is broken. (Aggressive bottle opening accident.....)
- Glue, bond, screw, nail, the whole thing together.
- Get some strings
- Maybe, a BIG maybe here, stain the thing
- Fill in the F-holes where the rotozip went a little crazy.
Here's where I am so far..... Again, comments, suggestions, criticism, etc, is more than welcome. I'm an old hand at the interweb so let it fly. It's "just the net". :)
Click the pics to go to bigger images. Keystone can in place for a reference. I wanted to use a long neck to ensure I could cut away any excess I didn't need.
Replies
Well, I'm "finished". I couldn't find strings so I made them from some nylon rope had laying around. First picture. (Prices of double bass strings are crazy!) There are MANY things I would do differently if I were to make another but over all I'm quite happy with the results. It plays well, not very loud, but oh well, maybe a pick up in the future...... Obviously, the strings aren't the best but it was a fun build and I learned a LOT!!
Sorry for the crappy pics!
If he said they are, then they must be. I just couldn't tell in the pic I looked at. You should be ok then. Yes, different thickness line is what you need. I saw a washtub bass with all the same thickness line and it did not work so well. Hit the local lowes or home depot or any store with weed wackers and see what you can get for line. I think experiment is the key here.
I just re-looked at the pics on photo bucket and to me they look like guitar tuners, bass tuners have big thumb screws and larger gears on the back(yours are covered) But they should be fine with the weed wacker line. I think the bass strings may be too thick to get many turns on the post also. Bass tuners are usually more expensive too. Gitty has set of four Bass tuners for 22.49, and six guitar for only 7.49.
Well, I bought them at a music shop and the nice old man helping me said they were bass tuners. If they brake I'll drop the coin to get some new and proper bass tuners.
I'm really leaning towards the weed wacker stuff. How does one go about getting different sounds out of them? Just different thicknesses?
Thanks for the kind responses! This has been a great learning project for me. I already have a cigar box guitar in the works for a friend of mine. He doesn't play, but he likes his cigars BIG time. :)
Did you use bass tuners? They look like guitar tuners in the picture. I have not ried but have been told the guitar tuners wont hold up to the strain of real bass strings, the tension is much greater than guitar. Just something to think about, weedwacker strings should be ok though.
Nice work so far, makes me want to find a big box and build one.
Actually, I haven't. Just have 4 different sizes of strings? (Sorry, I'm a music idiot.)
Have you considered weedwacker strings. They work well for me as long as your scale length is at least 30"
Wade
I've gotten quite a bit of work done. I should be finished this weekend. I need to figure out what I'm going to use as the bridge and get that on but have to get the strings first. Do they make 60+" Bass strings?!?! Maybe I'll have to use Cello strings instead..... Anyway, I'm stoked with how it came out.
Click to see bigger pics
Actually ur looking good ... These guys on here know their stuff ,,, was bestest thing u did was to ask ...
I have and u'll sure recieve some good info !!
Some progress. Not much visually changed but the inner structure is glued in and the string retaining holes are in place. I'm going to use some cheapy aluminum "blind nuts" from Lowes to retain the string. (The inner hole of the nuts is quite small.) I had to grind/cut down the "upper" nuts to ensure they fit. They'll do the job asked of them. I'll glue them in place once I've stained the whole thing.
I've included a picture of the supporting board. I'll glue/bolt the finger board to the supporting board once I'm finished with it and the head. I don't have an angle measurement but it is rather steep by my eye. I'm afraid I'm going to have to make one heck of a bridge. (Hopefully the camera angle isn't too far off from level.)
And there's some of the 1" angle corner rounds, with sample stain, that I'm going to frame the front and back with to cover up some of the damage and secure the front face.
As always, suggestions, comments, {insert your written medium preference here} are always welcome.
Thanks for your time! I've greatly enjoyed building this and have 2 more cigar box projects in the wings...... Sitar maybe....... ;)
(PS, sorry for the multi-replies.... I thought I figured out how to post pics here but apparently I am failing at an epic level tonight...)
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I like the Fish Stix idea but I'm a long way from doing anything fancy. Went to a local Mom & Pop music store this morning w/ my daughter and picked up 4 tuners for $2.00/per with screws, caps, the works! Met a great guy who was quite interested in the build. He said he'd tune it for me when I was finished if I just brought it by!! SCORE!!! I also took a good hard look at several of the basses he had and realized the angle, bridge, etc were quite a bit of work! Time to go to the garage and try to find myself something to make the bridge out of and try to get that angle working......
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