Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Doc Oakroot on June 3, 2009 at 4:02am

My 3 string bass has a 34" scale and uses .095=E (same as lowest string on standard bass), .080=A, and .060=D.

I've played some of Wichita Sam's basses. His are shorter and he has a source a very thick (.120 maybe?) string of similar material to weed whacker line that he uses for his low E string.

By comparison, my bass has a twangier tone - i.e., more highs in the EQ - than Sam's basses, which have a rich, thick tone. I usually compensate by turning the highs all the way down and the lows all the way up on the bass amp.

I'm planning a fretless trashcan bass (for my wife who wants to take up bass), for which I'll use the same strings but a longer scale - 40" or so like an upright bass.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Ben on June 3, 2009 at 4:13am

Thanks Doc, I knew I could count on you to pull through. I know that they probably don't have as much tension as standard strings but do you find yourself needing a truss rod or anything? I was searching the web and came across weedwackers (plastic upright bass strings) but would rather not pay $20 a set for them and I'd rather have a bass guitar scale length.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Doc Oakroot on June 3, 2009 at 4:32am

No truss rod. At 34" with those strings tuned to pitch, there's a little bowing but still playable. The neck is a poplar 1x2 with no fingerboard. If I were doing it again, I would probably add an oak fingerboard to stiffen it up.

Ben said:

Thanks Doc, I knew I could count on you to pull through. I know that they probably don't have as much tension as standard strings but do you find yourself needing a truss rod or anything? I was searching the web and came across weedwackers (plastic upright bass strings) but would rather not pay $20 a set for them and I'd rather have a bass guitar scale length.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Jacob Blackwood on June 3, 2009 at 5:25am

Do you use bass tuners or regular guitar tuners?

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Doc Oakroot on June 3, 2009 at 5:42am

I used regular economy guitar tuners. I had the drill one to get the hole big enough for the .095 string, but the other fit OK. The tension is much much lower than with bass guitar strings so the extra leverage of a bass tuner is unnecessary.

I don't think you could drill a guitar tuner enough for Sam's .120 string with out breaking the tuner.


Jacob Blackwood said:

Do you use bass tuners or regular guitar tuners?

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Wichita Sam on June 22, 2009 at 6:35pm

If you want to get this a go, send me your address and I'll send you 4 foot of each of 6 sizes (up to 0.155")... Pay postage and $6 if you can.... I have to buy bulk to get different sizes, like Doc said. Don't worry about truss rods, but I'd recommend building with oak for strength. You can build fretted or fretless (I've done both)... I like three stringers and two stringers, but you can do whatever you like. Also, I tend toward using Bass Tuners, since I tend to use heavier gauge WW line, and even then I have to drill out for the heavier gauges, although I have used ordinary guitar tuners and also cello pegs.... anyway, if you want to talk about it, email me at wichita_sam@yahoo.com the best, Wichita Sam

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Wade on June 23, 2009 at 9:00am

I've been trying to figure this out-just not sure- If I build 2 basses. One is 32" scale and the other is, lets say 40" scale. Same strings and tuning. Which will have more tension?

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Doc Oakroot on June 23, 2009 at 9:03am

The longer one will have more tension.

Wade said:

I've been trying to figure this out-just not sure- If I build 2 basses. One is 32" scale and the other is, lets say 40" scale. Same strings and tuning. Which will have more tension?

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Tres Seaver on August 5, 2009 at 5:12am

Ben, the build we did last week is a full 40" scale, through-neck fretless CGB:

http://www.cigarboxnation.com/xn/detail/2592684:Album:91476

We used 0.95 for both E and A strings, 0.85 for the D, and 0.60 for the G. We thought
about using .105 for the E, but didn't want to blow $20 for the big spool (the others were
available in smaller sizes)>

I don't see *any* bowing at all on the 1x3 red oak neck.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Wichita Sam on August 5, 2009 at 6:10am

Tres,

I'm a little surprised that you could get a true low "E" using that o,o95 line. I was never happy with it. If you want to try the next size up email me your address and then paypal me back the postage.....

Aren't those WWCBBasses fun?

the best,

Sam

Tres Seaver said:

Ben, the build we did last week is a full 40" scale, through-neck fretless CGB:

http://www.cigarboxnation.com/xn/detail/2592684:Album:91476

We used 0.95 for both E and A strings, 0.85 for the D, and 0.60 for the G. We thought
about using .105 for the E, but didn't want to blow $20 for the big spool (the others were
available in smaller sizes)>

I don't see *any* bowing at all on the 1x3 red oak neck.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Tres Seaver on August 5, 2009 at 2:56pm

Wichita Sam said:

Tres,

I'm a little surprised that you could get a true low "E" using that o,o95 line. I was never happy with it. If you want to try the next size up email me your address and then paypal me back the postage.....

The E is a little quiet, compared to the others, but the pitch is fine. Now that we are back in our own town, I'll try looking around for the larger gauge line here: if I can't find any, I'll take you up on your kind offer. Many thanks!.

Aren't those WWCBBasses fun?

Yes indeed: my son has played it a *ton* in the last week.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Brian Hilbers on October 16, 2009 at 6:24pm

I threw some commercial weedwackers on a washtub standup, and I'm thinking it's a little overkill for the engineering, with a whopping .177 E-string. I'm thinking that ideally the E would be .155, but I'm having a hard time finding a .120-ish
size for A. The .095 and .080 are no brainers. Any suggestions?

• ▶ Reply

• ‹ Previous
• 1
• 2
• Next ›
• Page