Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Wichita Sam on October 16, 2010 at 1:14pm

kevin,

just make a cBG with 5-7 inch longer neck....... use heavier tuner's.... voila' you are done my friend....

the best,

Wichita Sam

Permalink Reply by Kevin M. Kraft on October 16, 2010 at 2:06pm

Seems simple enough. I hope I can find heavier tuners as easily! Can't recall ever seeing them for sale...

Wichita Sam said:

kevin,

just make a cBG with 5-7 inch longer neck....... use heavier tuner's.... voila' you are done my friend....

the best,

Wichita Sam

Permalink Reply by Wichita Sam on October 16, 2010 at 2:12pm

hi Kev,

Check out "bass tuners" in search.... You don't need the super heavy ones like you'd see on P-Basses.... But smaller bass tuners work great and seem better proportioned for a CBBass.

let me know if you get stuck finding stuff.... maybe I can help....

Sam



Kevin M. Kraft said:

Seems simple enough. I hope I can find heavier tuners as easily! Can't recall ever seeing them for sale...

Wichita Sam said:

kevin,

just make a cBG with 5-7 inch longer neck....... use heavier tuner's.... voila' you are done my friend....

the best,

Wichita Sam

Permalink Reply by Kevin M. Kraft on October 16, 2010 at 2:22pm

Thanks!

Wichita Sam said:

hi Kev,

Check out "bass tuners" in search.... You don't need the super heavy ones like you'd see on P-Basses.... But smaller bass tuners work great and seem better proportioned for a CBBass.

let me know if you get stuck finding stuff.... maybe I can help....

Sam



Kevin M. Kraft said:

Seems simple enough. I hope I can find heavier tuners as easily! Can't recall ever seeing them for sale...

Wichita Sam said:

kevin,

just make a cBG with 5-7 inch longer neck....... use heavier tuner's.... voila' you are done my friend....

the best,

Wichita Sam

Permalink Reply by Kevin Lawton on October 16, 2010 at 4:07pm

I would add that if you are going to use proper bass strings then be sure to construct strong enough to hold the string tension. A 'thru-nack' kinda construction would probably be best for strength, using a nice strong hardwood for the neck. My own is a 3-string bass, using the E, A and D strings of a normal bass (= middle 3 of a 5-string bass). I used one strip of a set of cheap 3-a-side tuners from an acoustic guitar with the string holes drilled out bigger. Seems to work okay.

Permalink Reply by Hellhound Custom Built Guitars on December 23, 2010 at 1:34am

I build regular 25.5 in scale CBG's and want to build a bass for my son looking for advice on scale length and fret positions for a bass.

Permalink Reply by Ben on December 23, 2010 at 1:49am

For Cigar Box Basses, I like a 30" (760mm) scale length. It is the same as a "short-scale" bass. It keeps the tension down and would also be easier to play for a child. Find a fret calculator (I use the one on stewmac) and plug in your scale and do a ton of frets. Then just measure them out until you run out of room on the neck.

Eric J Kadle/Cotton eyed Joe's said:

I build regular 25.5 in scale CBG's and want to build a bass for my son looking for advice on scale length and fret positions for a bass.

Permalink Reply by Kevin M. Kraft on December 29, 2010 at 1:49am

So the acoustice guitar tuners you used for your bass can handle the tension of the bass strings?

Kevin Lawton said:

I would add that if you are going to use proper bass strings then be sure to construct strong enough to hold the string tension. A 'thru-nack' kinda construction would probably be best for strength, using a nice strong hardwood for the neck. My own is a 3-string bass, using the E, A and D strings of a normal bass (= middle 3 of a 5-string bass). I used one strip of a set of cheap 3-a-side tuners from an acoustic guitar with the string holes drilled out bigger. Seems to work okay.