$100 Bass Challenge - The Rubber Wingman

[gmjhowe]

How on earth do you make a bass for so cheap?

Simple, you make it half the size!
Essentially this will be one of those 20" scale long rubber stringed 'Ashbury' style basses.
More recently going be the name of 'Bass Ukuleles' which isn't correct, because it uses a standard bass tuning, opposed to being a bass level tuning of a ukulele.

Anyway, this isn't the first time I have made one of these.

This build will attempt to remedy everything wrong with this bass.

1. A standard 'bass' shape does not ergonomically scale down this far
2. The E string comes out really quiet on the strings
3. Fretless is nice, but at this scale you have very little wiggle room
4. The tuners kept filling up with string as the strings got longer over time

To fix this, I will do the following

1. Use a sort of 'chest' mounted design, kind of chapman stick style
2. Independant piezo pickups for each string with little trim pots to help balance them
3. Fretted and fanned, at this size fanning the frets makes it easier to cram ones fingers onto the board plus it will help with the above volume issue.
4. Using a tuner that grips the string but also allows fine tuning. I am also using different strings, pictured above I use the Pa Hoe Hoe strings, however I have bought a set of ThunderGut ones instead.

Here is the initial design, as you can see it is a little inspired by 'The Wing' that was posted on talk bass recently.

Here is my design for the tuners, these have a nice little grub screw that can hold the string in place, then you tune up as per usual. Using guitar tuners so as to be able to cluster then together easily.

Adjusting for my local currency, this becomes a £65.63 challenge
Costs so far

• Tuners x 6 £9.99 (£6.66 for 4)
• Shelf bracket parts for tuners £4

 

[mapleglo]

I love the concept! Sub'd.

 

[Splods]

Everyone is doing all these wacky builds and I'm just trying to get enough money and tools to do a simple single cut bolt on.

 

[gmjhowe]

Everyone is doing all these wacky builds and I'm just trying to get enough money and tools to do a simple single cut bolt on.

Except, the reason the builds are wacky is because we have figured out ways to make it cheaper by doing something crazy.
With this build I save money on not needing to buy a truss rod, or a normal bridge, or magnetic pick ups.
Not to mention needing a lot less wood.

 

[potomac]

sub'd

 

[michaelwayneharwood]

I love the design!

 

[michaelwayneharwood]

Everyone is doing all these wacky builds and I'm just trying to get enough money and tools to do a simple single cut bolt on.

There are certainly a lot of very cool builds going on, and as @gmjhowe responded much of the point of this challenge is to see how creative you can be while staying within a fairly limited budget. Some of the builds are fairly simple with very little flash, and some are so cool that I have discovered that GAS for "production" instruments pales in comparison to the desire to own some of these unique designs.

 

[BuenosAiresSoulTrain]

Except, the reason the builds are wacky is because we have figured out ways to make it cheaper by doing something crazy.
With this build I save money on not needing to buy a truss rod, or a normal bridge, or magnetic pick ups.
Not to mention needing a lot less wood.

I really like the design and your clever solution for the tuners

If I had it on my hands, I'd string it with normal bass strings and magnetic pickups but that's just because it's what I'm used to, and also because I recently discovered how easy is to wind your own pickup

 

[Will_White]

Hey hows this project going?

 

[spigmu]

subd!