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Wine case stand up 4 string bass, my first build. Yes, another FNG.

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.

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Permalink Reply by Clock The Wolf on November 10, 2011 at 11:00pm

C.B. Gitty has 4 chrome bass tuners for $22.49, which is the cheapest price I've seen... The best price on the up-market stuff is at the Stew-Mac catalog... Build looks good, so far... Hope the neck is thick enough... Guess you could reinforce it with a steel rod, or some such thingamajig...

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Permalink Reply by Seaman Jay on November 11, 2011 at 12:12am

It will be a beautiful instrument! I like the f-(oot)-holes.

The fingerboard angle is a bit too flat, usually you need a lot of "finger space" on an upright. Your configuration is more along the "vertical, fretless bass guitar" lines... But I'm sure - it will work and it will be a lot of fun to play it. Keep us posted!

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Permalink Reply by Darren M on November 11, 2011 at 4:59am

Thanks guys. Guess I should research "fingerboard angle" as I'm not sure what that is, exactly. Could you explain? Nothing is glued yet so I could move/angle things around a bit. As far as the neck thickness.... I literally chuckled at that. I thought it was too thick myself. I simply glued 2 1x2's together. (It's what I had sitting around.)

Thanks again for the comments!

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Permalink Reply by Seaman Jay on November 11, 2011 at 5:26am

It's just the angle between the fingerboard (the "fretboard") and the body of the instrument.

But well, a word is an equivalent of only 1 millipicture...

Thickness - the neck of my 3/4 (41in. scale) is like 2x2 (of course no corners ;-) )

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Permalink Reply by Darren M on November 11, 2011 at 8:35am

Got it! Oh, and I'm stealing the milipicture saying. ;-) That's one heck of an angle.... 15 degrees or so? Didn't realize it was so severe..... Hmmmm, may have to rethink this. Maybe give it to him for his birthday, in May! lol thanks for the picture!

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Permalink Reply by Seaman Jay on November 11, 2011 at 12:41pm

I would continue with your project, adding maybe .5-1in and slight angle between the fingerboard and the top (of the box)

Electric uprights have usually "flatter" angle, compensated by even bigger offset...

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Permalink Reply by Jim Henry on November 11, 2011 at 5:17pm

http://www.tmart.com/4pcs-Bass-Machine-Heads-Tuning-Pegs-Club-Butto...

4pcs Bass Machine Heads Tuning Pegs Club Button Silver $14.15 with free shipping

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Permalink Reply by Ron "Oily" Sprague on November 12, 2011 at 12:14am

Darren,

Headstock design: do a waterslide transfer of a largemouth bass for the headstock. I'll even name your single-instrument bass line for you: Fish Stix.

Millipicture - hehehe

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Permalink Reply by Darren M on November 12, 2011 at 8:03am

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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Permalink Reply by Darren M on November 22, 2011 at 6:05pm

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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Permalink Reply by Richard G Caudill on November 23, 2011 at 4:18pm

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 !!

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Permalink Reply by Darren M on December 9, 2011 at 9:04am

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