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Comment by ROBERT GREGORY on December 24, 2012 at 7:28am

If you are interested in hearing some 2 sting bass with a slide, check out any of Morphine's albums. Mark Sandman (singer/bassist, R.I.P.) had the philosophy that you could really get down to the roots of music by getting simpler. This was at the peak of the 5 and 6 string bass movement. Sounds like a CBG guy at heart...

Comment by Chris on December 12, 2012 at 8:15am

I'm wary of using steel strings because of neck strength, plus since I don't have a hard fingerboard on there I'd be worried about them chewing up the neck over time.  Weed wacker or poly strings for sure.  Depending on what size strings would work I'll decide whether 2 or 3 is the best option.  I want room to pluck without using a plectrum.

 

There was a guy on talkbass who did a CBB build like I had in mind but I can't find the post anymore :c otherwise I'd pick his brain for some recommendations too.

At any rate, I'm fitting the body and neck right now

Comment by rusty case on December 12, 2012 at 6:26am

I'm back....

I just measured a cheapo electric bass I've got here, in regards to that length of wood you have available..  it will work!

top of the head to end of fretboard is 28 1/2".

Nut to bridge is abt thirty 1/4".

Overall, from the top of three stringposts to tailpiece is a tad over thirty-six and a half inches, so post spacing could be tightened up, or a mod tailpiece could be used to stretch your stick.

String spacing is 7/16ths- at the nut, 5/8ths + at the bridge..  So three strings will fit nicely on your stick!  Yest IMO, you will need to double it's thickness, or at least increase it with a lamination to make it stiff enough to handle three strings, probably even two, if they are of steel.

Good luck

rc

Comment by Jillian Holladay on December 12, 2012 at 6:14am

Where do you get polyurethane cord?

Comment by Jillian Holladay on December 12, 2012 at 6:11am

Chris, if you are doing a 30" scale I think you can use regular bass strings.

Comment by rusty case on December 12, 2012 at 6:05am

Well I'm wrung out! lol  That's abt all I got!

Hope some of the qualified builders come along for proper advice...

Seems to me somewhere between 7/16 and 5/8ths spacing, dependent on nut to bridge length, string diameter and material, and fretted or unfretted, plucked or bowed...  did I mention fingerboard scoop?

Then playing style will also come into play.  lol

This is FUN stuff!

:-)

rc

Comment by Chris on December 12, 2012 at 5:27am

I feel ya there, I'm a bit worried the string spacing will be too narrow with 3, but I'm certainly game to try

Comment by rusty case on December 12, 2012 at 4:49am

..just a comment, Chris...

Two strings is double the fun of one, brings more opportunity for a progression.

Three strings brings you the opportunity for a chord.

Best

rc

Comment by Chris on December 12, 2012 at 3:43am

Alright, I'm working on a regular CBG build at the moment, but once I finish that I'm gonna use the parts I have to make a bass.  I think I'll only be going 2 string, likely an E and A.  I have a 3 foot long poplar 1x2 for the neck.  Haven't measured out the scale length, but it'll be shorter than I prefer.  I've been looking around but couldn't find specifics; what size wacker strings would you recommend for an E and A string at ~30" scale length?

 

Now I'll have to figure out tuners, as the bass tuners I have probably weigh more than the entire rest of the parts

Comment by Wichita Sam on December 11, 2012 at 1:46pm

for Jullian and Yellowbelly,

 

I have built with both week wacker and polyurethane cord.  They have very different properties that effect design issues.  Weedwacker is relative stiff which makes tunability more difficult the shorter the scale.  If you're looking for ultra short scale, go with PU.  I have build true low E as short as 17" scale.  Both are excellent fretless, but if you are going fretted on PU, it is so soft that you need thicker frets to keep the tone pure.  I prefer jumbo/bass fret profile, but maybe you could get by with mediums. 

 

the best,

 

Wichita Sam

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