Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
Wow! 3-D Printed Bass??
- Thread starter selowitch
- Start date
Pretty cool - considering it's been 3D-printed I'm not sure about the price tag though.
Great design. Looking at the weight (4.4 kg) this bass is apparently not as light as the swiss cheese design would imply, however.
Great design. Looking at the weight (4.4 kg) this bass is apparently not as light as the swiss cheese design would imply, however.
I've actually read a fair amount about this particular brand of 3D printed instruments. They still have a wooden core and neck, and the printed plastic surround is just a surround. And they are, in my opinion, severely overpriced... basically because of the novelty of the material.
The issue here is two-fold, I think. First of all, the size of the printer required to do a surround like that is greater than that standardly offered by hobby machines, which increases the price. Secondly, a lot of the material is not supported by anything underneath, which again increases the complexity of the printer, and the number of bad prints you'll get, which increase the price of the object. Then you get the costs for the neck and core and fitting the surround, plus the cost of the electronics.
Finally, there's the "how much will the market bear?" question. Frankly, I think this is the real determining factor in the price of this particular brand. They've got a unique product that people say "wow!" to, so they can price them where they feel like pricing them. If everyone had a printer in their garage... or even in their neighborhood... which could do prints like this, I think you'd see the price drop abruptly.
Finally, there's the "how much will the market bear?" question. Frankly, I think this is the real determining factor in the price of this particular brand. They've got a unique product that people say "wow!" to, so they can price them where they feel like pricing them. If everyone had a printer in their garage... or even in their neighborhood... which could do prints like this, I think you'd see the price drop abruptly.
The printer that is used to make that body costs $850,000.00!
Super cool, but I think I'll stick to all wood, for now.
Super cool, but I think I'll stick to all wood, for now.
CrashClint
I Play Bass therefore I Am
I wouldn't be surprised to see Fender start making Squier basses this way but with no wood and the neck will be plastic with frets added. Once they buy the machine they can cut labor cost and pay for itself within a year. It will give a new meaning to the "P" bass as the P will stand for Plastic.
I have access to this kind of equipment, but never thought of making a bass. I wonder if a through-neck design would solve some of the issues. Time for a little designing.....
I'm quite sure 3D printing will be a valuable tool in the future. Right now, it seems to be good mostly for novelties.
6jase5
Mammogram is down but I'm working manually
