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$100 4 string challenge

#22
I made a one string bass Diddly Bo for nuthin' from a 2x4 an old E string and a scrap strat pickup. Does that count? Sounds evil through my Big Muff Pi.
In case you don't know what I'm talking about:
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I know Jack White made one of these in Invalid Link Removed, but Steve uses it in a song.
 
#23
Yeah, I'm kinda with Hopkins and blablas on this. It could be done, but it won't be that much of a bass. I don't like to skimp on bridges, and a Babicz or Shaller could cost close to $100 by itself. And cheap tuners are usually pretty heavy. Also, the rules need to be further refined - I would wind my own pickups. I have the wire and bobbin material on hand, and could likely use steel bolts for the poles - would that count? Along with other hardware on hand. That might put a builder who has several builds under their belt at an advantage. They would have many parts on hand.

So would that be excluded from the cost? And if I buy bobbin material, but only use 1/3 of the material, would I just use 1/3 of the cost in the tally? And the op talks about a 4 string build in the title of the thread, but then talks about building a 6 string in a subsequent post.

Might be fun to watch, but I would rather put time and effort (and dollars) into a build I'd want to put my name on.
 
#24
mapleglo said:
Yeah, I'm kinda with Hopkins and blablas on this. It could be done, but it won't be that much of a bass. I don't like to skimp on bridges, and a Babicz or Shaller could cost close to $100 by itself. And cheap tuners are usually pretty heavy. Also, the rules need to be further refined - I would wind my own pickups. I have the wire and bobbin material on hand, and could likely use steel bolts for the poles - would that count? Along with other hardware on hand. That might put a builder who has several builds under their belt at an advantage. They would have many parts on hand.

So would that be excluded from the cost? And if I buy bobbin material, but only use 1/3 of the material, would I just use 1/3 of the cost in the tally? And the op talks about a 4 string build in the title of the thread, but then talks about building a 6 string in a subsequent post.

Might be fun to watch, but I would rather put time and effort (and dollars) into a build I'd want to put my name on.
Click to expand...

I'm planning on building my own jazz pup, should be able to do it for under $10 total, and going with a string through body/saddle system for the bridge... (The dog doesn't know it yet, but one of her chew bones is going to be....re-purposed... :D ) My expenses so far are the truss rod, tuners, pup material, one volume pot, and a mono jack, and I'm only at $65. I can probably find cheaper tuners somewhere and knock that cost down some. I have a line on some scrap maple that I'll laminate together for the neck. If I can swing fret wire in the budget I'll work that in, otherwise it's fret-less.
 
#25
I'd go the diddley bow route too, or fretless at the very least (there, $20 saved already). Cooper-More (an amazing pianist/multi-instrumentalist, if you haven't heard him) has built something from Homedepot scrap parts with which he got pretty much the best amplified stringed instrument bass tone out of a bass amp i have ever heard live. The most expensive challenge would be to find the one double bass E-string required. The video is a pale rendition of how HUGE that thing sounds.
 
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#26
Probably not using an upright bass string unless the thing has a piezo pickup, which it doesn't sound like. He almost breaks into a melody there a couple of times.
I hadn't thought of using two drum sticks. I'll have to try that.
 
#27
Hmmmmmmmm.........
Plywood from CL (for body) = free
Maple (for neck) = ?????
P pickup from ebay = $5 - $10
Electronics from ebay = $3
Bridge from ebay = $5
Tuners from ebay = $10 - $20
Paint/Finish = ?????
Sandpaper from Harbor Freight = $10 -$20
Nut from ebay = $2 - $5
Strings = $7 - $20

So for a fretless bass with no pickguard, it would be between $42 and $83 + the cost of the paint/finish and neck wood.....so doable I guess.
 
#28
If I were still living in my parents' home, i'd definitely be on board for this challenge, unfortunately I'm on the other side of the country...

If I were going to participate, here is what I'd do:

Neckthru, teardrop style bass. 30" scale.
Fretless spruce neck with inlaid steel bar.
Maple wings. Driftwood mahogany fretboard.
Pickguard made from repurposed plastic.
Generic grover style tuners
The bridge would be a piece of bent aluminum
A cheap ebay soapbar pickup
No controls, pickup straight to jack.
I'd finish it in a matte coat of minwax wipe on poly.

for $100, recycling is the best way to go. I think a lot of people are missing the point with this build. You're trying to make something playable for cheap, you're not building an Alembic or Ritter or (Insert name here). It's just for fun and to see the creativity of all the other builders.

-Ron
 
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#30
image.jpg
I built this one from a shipping crate, some leftover oak and poplar. Spent $40 on a pickup and $40 on a set of used tuners. With strings maybe $110 outlay. I've gigged it, works great and lots of fun on stage.
 
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#31
image.jpg
The one I'm playing here cost me a truss rod, some Home Depot poplar and oak, a pot and.a jack. Has the no name Jazz pup and four guitar tuners in the parts box. It's my backup most nights and my travel bass. Feels great at the end if a long night. Well under $100 no matter how you slice it.

I think this is a great challenge for those of us for whom this would not be such a waste of time. Me? Nobody's waiting to pay two grand for my work. Get the deadline into Spring so I can work in my garage and I'm in!
 
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#33
Basic 4 string for $100 = #easy
@Hopkins & @mapleglo ; You don't need top dollar name brands to make a great instrument. You just need to open you mind and spend your money wisely. ;)

The Aussie dollar is currently US79c and I can still build one easy...
Truss rod $20
Bridge $10
PU $20
Tuners $10
Leftover/scrap/recycled timber = free

It's totally doable. I built a kick-butt 6 string for way under $200. The fretless in the works would be under $100 if I'd not bought a piezo circuit for it. C'mon guys!
 
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#34
blablas said:
I've gone beyond the point of building something playable for cheap a long time ago. Been there, done that, and in the end did not like the result. Going this cheap does not deliver an instrument that is up to my building standards. This has nothing to do with missing the point, it is based on my experience and personal expectations.
Click to expand...

The beautiful thing about these challenges are that they are entirely optional; you aren't required to participate.

As has already been proven in this thread, you can build an instrument for $100 or less, you just have to spend your money in the right places. Whether or not the instrument is up to your standards is entirely subjective, but a playable instrument for under $100 is possible.
 
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#35
For the purpose of this, could we say $100 USD is the buying range, which means that we can accommodate for local economies.

What I'm thinking.

Fretless Jazz bass

Radiata Pine body with a Yellow Stringybark top

Maple on maple fretless neck.

Wilkinson Bass Bridge 20
Tuning machines 15
MM humbucker 10

Pots and knobs and jack and wire from the parts drawer.
Leaves me 55 for the maple neck black and for a finish.

Hey @reverendrally
Where do you source the wood for your neck blanks? You use a lot of vic ash, don't you.
 
#37
Splods said:
Hey @reverendrally
Where do you source the wood for your neck blanks? You use a lot of vic ash, don't you.
Click to expand...

Yeah. My local timber supplier. But if you use your brain, you could pick a decent bit from Bunnings. Just go through their piles and get the straightest bit.

BTW, the rest of your plan would work fine. Get on it! :thumbsup:

I should say, of the 10 basses I've built so far, I reckon 2 would fit into this category already.

C'mon @blablas, after building lots of instruments, you should be able to do this easily. ;)

P.s. I might give this a challenge a miss at the mo. I'll probably come back to it later. Got way too many projects on the go and need to finish what I've started.
 
#40
reverendrally said:
Basic 4 string for $100 = #easy
@Hopkins & @mapleglo ; You don't need top dollar name brands to make a great instrument. You just need to open you mind and spend your money wisely. ;)

The Aussie dollar is currently US79c and I can still build one easy...
Truss rod $20
Bridge $10
PU $20
Tuners $10
Leftover/scrap/recycled timber = free

It's totally doable. I built a kick-butt 6 string for way under $200. The fretless in the works would be under $100 if I'd not bought a piezo circuit for it. C'mon guys!
Click to expand...


I give all my scrap cut offs to a guy I know who carves small wooden sculptures. I have some body wood, but it wouldn't fit with the spirit of the challenge. I have no interest in building a fretless, so fret wire is a cost that you left out of your estimate, and there still is no getting around the price of finishing material.

If parts that we already have are acceptable (big parts like pickups necks and hardware) then this challenge may be doable, if not then I don't see how I can do it.
 

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