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Cigar Box BASS - pick up questions

OK, so I'm finishing up my 2nd CBG and it's time to move on to a bass.

I've got a great Box and some strings (electric). I'm doing a 2 string.

But I need to figure out pickups (and tuners).

I'm looking at this:

http://www.cbgitty.com/cigar-box-guitar-parts/pre-wired-4-string-si...

Which is a '6 string modified to look like a 4'. My question there is:

Do the strings HAVE to be over the poles? I imagine the strings would be right between two poles.

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Or could one of the two piezo setups work as good? (actually like the idea of being able to use the box as a drum for looping).

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For tuning pegs I have a few set of strings, up to 3mm in diameter (yeah fat ol B string). I have heard about drilling out guitar pegs but I don't think I can go that thick (wanting shorter neck so I'd have to tune with thicker part of string).

Any good options for that? Bass tuners are a bit pricey unless going with the ones straight from China.

I want to do a double bass style headstock.

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Permalink Reply by Murdoc_420 on February 29, 2016 at 12:15pm

Thanks Wayfinder,

I searched ohms for pickups on Google but didn't find the info. Those you linked have a 7.75 ohm and the 'guitar' ones have 4.5. I don't understand electronics, Are the soapbars 7.75 ohms because there are two of them? I'd really like a single pup. A dual rail set has 9 ohms.

Am I just needing higher ohms for the bass frequencies? Volume?

I thought about maybe making some wood pegs but not sure how to make them hold tension (saw some violin ones, seem to be tapered? I don't have much for a shop so I've gotta stay simple.

I have used the eyebolts with wingnuts for my guitars so far . They work great but I want to make at least one bass that's really 'tight' all the way around, but without being too expensive or high tech :) (main reason piezos inside the box and hidden would be great).

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Permalink Reply by Murdoc_420 on February 29, 2016 at 2:52pm

Wow, great info, thanks.

I saw those flatcats before, very sweet looking. Might be above the price range I'm looking at for this one. Will keep them in mind though :D

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Permalink Reply by David McQueen on March 1, 2016 at 12:35pm

I have used the pickup shown on the link. They have a really nice sound. I used them as singles, not in P-bass configuration.

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Permalink Reply by Murdoc_420 on March 1, 2016 at 1:40pm

I take it you snipped the connecting wire, and used that as ground for each? And main wires for leads?

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Permalink Reply by David McQueen on March 1, 2016 at 2:56pm

Yes, I snipped the wire. The two pickups are wired in series, but one is wound backwards to the other so that they will act as humbuckers on a bass.

So there is power into the first one and ground coming out. The snip is done there, at the ground coming out, making sure there is enough wire on both sides of the snip.

The wire on the other side of the snip becomes power going into the second pickup and the long wire coming out the other side is the ground for that pickup.

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Permalink Reply by Murdoc_420 on March 1, 2016 at 5:51pm

ah thanks. Yeah $5 per pup is a great price.

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Permalink Reply by Paul Craig on March 1, 2016 at 10:44pm

I snipped the wire on mine and put 1 in the neck position and 1 by the bridge and wired them to a 4-way blade switch like the ones you get for a Telecaster. Benefits are choice of 1 bridge pup, 2 bridge and neck pups in parallel, 3 neck pup and 4 bridge and neck pups in series.

These pups are nice, but a little on the weak side when separate. That is okay in some bodies and with some amps, but can be lacking in others. My box was a cheapie and the best 4-way setting is both pups in series unless I get a chance to crank the amp.

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Permalink Reply by Paul Craig on March 1, 2016 at 10:51pm

Together those pups read 8 to 8.5k ohms, so apart they will read 4 to 4.2k ohms. There are a few other websites around the net that sell hotter versions like Guitarfetish.com or look for Tonerider pickups or Artec pickups.

These pups have ceramic magnets, but there are Alinco magnet pickups available out there if you would prefer. And if you don't know what the difference is: ceramic mag pups have less mid-range/mid-range scoop.

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Permalink Reply by Paul Craig on February 29, 2016 at 12:46pm

I used those pups on my green 4 string CBG build and they work well. If you've ever seen a Fender P Bass(what these pups were designed for) the strings pass between the poles. Bass strings are so massive it doesn't really matter.

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Permalink Reply by the anonymous pick on February 29, 2016 at 1:25pm

sounds like a hybrid would solve all your concerns .

you can use number .60 and.52 strings from a special set of drop d “ ghs boomers “ guitar strings . and they still fit regular guitar tuner holes . you can even use a regular pickup closer to the neck . this may not have the same freq response of a bass pup , but also alows you to use a regular amp with less concern of blowin the speaker . you can also keep it standard length .

all as i did here http://www.cigarboxnation.com/video/swamp-witch-2-string-bass-guita...

and these strings http://www.ebay.com/itm/GHS-Boomers-Electric-Guitar-Strings-GBZW-10...

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Permalink Reply by Murdoc_420 on February 29, 2016 at 2:59pm

Cool, thanks.

I think I'll be ordering some tuners. I can wait a few weeks and I found a set of four for around $8 shipped. So I can split that between 2 2strings :D (and I've got spare strings.

I also have bass amps/di box, etc..

I saw in the bass group someone suggested a overdrive pedal with a piezo set up so I might go that route first. I have a pedal with OD so...

If it's not loud enough I can always pulle the piezo set up and use it for another CBG. The box I have now is kind of small but real cool, but since it'll be electric not worried about size.

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That's the best thing about CBG's. They can be pretty cheap to build so I don't mind trying different things :D

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Permalink Reply by JL on March 1, 2016 at 1:22am

Bass strings need bass tuners. Get ones made for straight strings, since you can use straight or tapered strings in them, but not the other way around. Do not drill out a guitar tuner, that weakens the post and it could snap on you while playing, AND it will leave a sharper edge that can cut/break the stings there. also the guitar tuner post radius is much smaller, it would bend the bass strings back on itself too tightly and risk the string breaking. And the gear ratio is different on git and bass tuners due to the higher tension on the bass strings, you get more mechanical leverage with bass tuners.

Pegs are a little bit tricksies to do on a git, you need a peg hole ream and matched peg shaver to get the tapers correct so that they grip and not slip. they work well on low tension small diameter such as nylon ukulele or violin/viola strings, thicker strings with more tension make them fussy. (that's why upright/double/orchestral basses have had mechanical tuners for over 250 years).

Pegs don't turn smoothly like a git tuner, they 'creak/jump' a few degrees at once. with thin strings under light tension you can use pegs with a small shaft and a 5-deg turn only pulls the string a fraction of a millimeter, with thick strings under higher tension you have to use bigger pegs with bigger shafts and a 5-deg turn of the peg pulls the string more than a millimeter and you overshoot your attempt to get it in tune ( its flat - creak - its sharp - creak - its flat - creak - its sharp - creak - its flat, dang it I can't get it right on ) . that's why violins, violas, and especially cellos have pegs in the headstock for gross tuning and fine tuners (screw-lever) in the tailpiece and upright basses gave up and went to machine heads.