Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Roosterman on January 8, 2011 at 10:27pm

Tips? Sure - BUILD ONE!

I assume you mean 'normal' bases rather than diddly bows, ie with 4 strings?

If so, the only thing you may like to consider is adding a truss rod of some flavour, or seriously laminating the neck to cope with those 4 chunky strings pulling over such a long scale.

Or use a bolt on neck off a scrap bass.

Heres one I made earlier

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Permalink Reply by Outhouse Instruments on January 9, 2011 at 1:33am

Easy to do with a scavenged neck. Or you can just make a "chunky" neck to handle the "chunky" strings.

 

AFKAM

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Permalink Reply by Brian Revels on October 22, 2013 at 1:36am

I am seeing a few built out of these paper covered boxes.  How do you brace the box enough and keep the lid shut on top (and keep it from warping or pulling up)?  

I have a Rogue 4-String Bass with a decent sound (tone push-pull pot and volume).  I can't sell it so I thought to make something with it. I have a larger Punch cigar box (like this one: http://thumbs3.ebaystatic.com/d/l225/m/mlHqz_zm6a3ZHieC7qT8oig.jpg).  It's wider than the ones you have here, but is basically the same construction.

Thoughts?  

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Permalink Reply by Dan on January 9, 2011 at 2:43am

I just made a 30" scale 3 string bass with a hickory neck, no truss rod, so far so good. I tried the new trapezoidal shaped neck.

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Permalink Reply by JEFF RAUSCHL on July 9, 2014 at 2:38am

I'm in the works with my and build and first Bass guitar. The size if the neck I think is going to limit me to a 3 string version as the tuning pegs are so much more beefy then the guitar ones. I have a conventional rod piezo (sic) that I hope will work. UI especially like the look of this three stringer you built Dan. Do you think I can get away with making mine fret-less?

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Permalink Reply by Tom Lanford on January 9, 2011 at 9:47am

Here's a video of my 3 string "big bottom" bass - lots of photos on my page of the bass as well. It has a big fat laminated neck that I hand carved. If I was to do it again I might try a scavenged neck next time.

 

Might help give you some ideas. They are a lot of fun.

 

http://www.cigarboxnation.com/video/big-bottom-1-unplugged

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Permalink Reply by Mark Myers on January 9, 2011 at 2:07pm

I would love to go the scrap neck way but there are not many in a price range I could live with paying. You guys all have some great looking basses

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Permalink Reply by Tom Lanford on January 10, 2011 at 2:59am

Take a look at your local pawn shops. That's where I go for almost all my "parts" these days. Easy to find some POS guitars or basses to canabilize. Usually pretty cheap plus you get to actually play it first and check it out. I'm always a little scared buying on the net for that reason.

Mark Myers said:

I would love to go the scrap neck way but there are not many in a price range I could live with paying. You guys all have some great looking basses

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Permalink Reply by Wade on January 9, 2011 at 4:24pm

 

I made one using different sized weedwacker line- probably hard to find this time of year though.

 

 

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Permalink Reply by Andrew Carrell on January 9, 2011 at 4:35pm

Here's a little experimental 3 string wine box bass I built. Sounds good, but there is lots of room for improvement. The next one I build will have a longer scale, angled back neck to improve downward pressure on the bridge, and I definitely need to improve the pickup system. This one has dual piezos in parallel, but the output isn't "great" (I can build a preamp to remedy that), and it has some serious feedback issues at volume. Just things to solve and improve next time I guess !

 

 

 

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Permalink Reply by Ben on January 10, 2011 at 2:22am

Here's one I built for my buddy in action. 2 string, 30" scale, laminated oak with an heel glued on. The heel wasn't strong enough (although it held up for over a year). It is currently being rebuilt with a neck profiled from a single piece of oak with an oak fingerboard on top. The neck is angled back slightly and the action is great! I'm very happy with how it turned out.

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Permalink Reply by Busyhands Slim on March 20, 2013 at 6:14am

"This video is private."

Oops.

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