Acoustic Bass

[alan morrison]

This is a bass I made a couple of winters ago from rosewood and maple

 

[Phil Dart]

Very cool. Was it made to keep? Are you a bass player?

 

[Penpal]

Challenges met,thanks for sharing.

Peter.

 

[alan morrison]

Very cool. Was it made to keep? Are you a bass player?

I made the bass as a winter project for myself and in the past played electric bass in a Church band.
The acoustic bass is for monthly acoustic music nights at our house.
Alan

 

[bigbob]

Nice Bass I have often thought about building an electric guitar ( I have a few here) but would be nice if I could build one that had a good action. The electrics I would have no problem with as I have replaced pickups and modded wiring many times but I do not have your skills with the wood side of things.

 

[alan morrison]

Nice Bass I have often thought about building an electric guitar ( I have a few here) but would be nice if I could build one that had a good action. The electrics I would have no problem with as I have replaced pickups and modded wiring many times but I do not have your skills with the wood side of things.

Hello Bob. It's the electrics that I would have a problem with as they are just foreign territory to me. I have planned to make a 3 string oil can guitar for a while but hesitate as I want the electrics to be right. Do you know a good source of information for wiring in pickups and all the rest of it?
Alan

 

[wm460]

Very nicely done Alan.

 

[bigbob]

Do you know a good source of information for wiring in pickups and all the rest of it?

Hi Alan the pickups are not so hard to understand for the most part they are either single coil or humbucker. The standard pickup comes with 2 wires earth and live some humbuckers come with 4 wires which you can attach to a switch or push pull volume pot and coil tap (turn it into a single coil) there are so many configurations if you want to go deep like series/parallel split ,out of phase etc. The main thing to do first is learn to solder, basically tin the wire and tin the connector Seymour Duncan is a good resource for wiring diagrams and loads of how to solder and wire on you tube. If you get stuck please send me a PM.

Wiring Diagrams - Seymour Duncan | Seymour Duncan

 

[alan morrison]

Hi Alan the pickups are not so hard to understand for the most part they are either single coil or humbucker. The standard pickup comes with 2 wires earth and live some humbuckers come with 4 wires which you can attach to a switch or push pull volume pot and coil tap (turn it into a single coil) there are so many configurations if you want to go deep like series/parallel split ,out of phase etc. The main thing to do first is learn to solder, basically tin the wire and tin the connector Seymour Duncan is a good resource for wiring diagrams and loads of how to solder and wire on you tube. If you get stuck please send me a PM.

Wiring Diagrams - Seymour Duncan | Seymour Duncan

Thanks for the info, and I will keep you in mind if and when I get to making the cbg.
Alan

 

[JollyJim]

Hi Alan,

That looks absolutely knockout and I bet it sounds
very good with maple and rosewood. How long did it take
to make ?

One of the easy ways round pickups, is to look
on fleabay - there's very often someone breaking or modding
a guitar (it's very often a Tele....don't know why....)
and selling the whole wiring loom including
pick ups and pots intact, for not an awful lot of money.
Also. if you are like me and cannot solder well, there is
conductive glue available. I'm not sure how good
it is at working at such low voltages but might be worth a try.

Super stuff - well done indeed !!!!!

best wishes - Jim

 

[flexi]

Really nice job.....I was asked to help a school kid out with his project, fortunately we had something to rob from but it was very interesting showing the various stages to go through
Just a bit of Maple to try it out.....now he wants to cut it in half and resin cast it like a river table!!!/

 

[alan morrison]

Hi Alan,
How long did it take
to make ?
:

Hello Jim. Thanks for your comments. The bass I made 3 winters ago before pen making took over.
I spent 2 months part-time on construction at maybe 10 - 12 hours a week, and also made a mountain dulcimer with the left-over timber.
Alan

 

[JollyJim]

Well done Alan, nice job...

and, Well done Mark - another telecaster coming to life
from a nice piece of maple. That will sound great, has it been finished ?
It'll look good floating in resin. Again, quite often you can get the whole
Tele loom on fleabay.....

best wishes to both - Jim

 

[JollyJim]

Mark....

I meant to mention that if you are staying with the project,
you may really enjoy making the neck. It is woodwork
pretty much working to engineering tolerances. Lots of challenges
to be beaten but very satisfying when completed. It is
something I would like to make but quite honestly, I have'nt
got the skill nor the patience. If your lad wants to make the neck,
my guess is that he has'nt the experience to make it and you probably
have.....enjoy, and make full use of all your swear words when it keeps
going wrong....

best wishes - Jim

 

[fortress]

Fantastic work Alan, well done, it looks great.

 

[Bill Mooney]

It looks very nice Alan.
I’ve made a few soli bodies as well as acoustic guitars.
They are good projects.

 

[alan morrison]

I’ve made a few soli bodies as well as acoustic guitars.
They are good projects.

Do you have any pictures, Bill?

 

[Bill Mooney]

Do you have any pictures, Bill?

Sorry Alan, it’s too long ago.

 

[stevenw1963]

Looks the dogs danglies does that - have plans to make one, one day.

 

[Curly]

Hello Jim. Thanks for your comments. The bass I made 3 winters ago before pen making took over.
I spent 2 months part-time on construction at maybe 10 - 12 hours a week, and also made a mountain dulcimer with the left-over timber.
Alan

Quite an accomplishment.

I can't play an instrument to save my life. My father made a guitar for me to take lessons on when I was 14. It didn't take. :( He used scrap materials from his furniture repair shop and some spruce and mahogany crates from a boat mast maker next door. Used plans from Popular Mechanics and I think it cost less than $12.00 to make at the time including the strings.

He also made a couple Mountain Dulcimers when he retired. I have asked around if someone can play them for me and give me an opinion of them. No luck so far. They were made from plans in a book or two and some magazine articles. Dad couldn't play either. I could take a few pictures if you are interested but there are a few strings missing.

Pete