9 String Build Bass/Tapper

[Buchada Azeda]

It's going to be a fanned fret project, right? But would the fret position of the tapping strings be correct? Maybe they won't be able to intonate correctly that way. But, if I'm wrong, just ignore me. I'm a beginner when it comes to luthiery.

 

[pilotjones]

Never have, do you have a link or some more info. Thanks. BTW I'm John not Scotty.

...Oops, wrong person, wrong thread. Sorry, John. I could blame it on the impersonality of internet, but more likely it's early senility.

Pic at the top of this page, "Victor Wooten's Step Neck Bass," and then follow the two links next to it.
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Jack stopped building basses and switched to only amps a few years ago, and then I think disappeared. Too bad, he was very good and by all reports helped out people who asked him luthiery questions.

 

[bronzehydra]

I'd take this over the harp guitar

 

[jworrellbass]

It's going to be a fanned fret project, right? But would the fret position of the tapping strings be correct? Maybe they won't be able to intonate correctly that way. But, if I'm wrong, just ignore me. I'm a beginner when it comes to luthiery.

It's fine, I checked. But thanks for the concern.

...Oops, wrong person, wrong thread. Sorry, John. I could blame it on the impersonality of internet, but more likely it's early senility.

Pic at the top of this page, "Victor Wooten's Step Neck Bass," and then follow the two links next to it.
Invalid Link Removed

Jack stopped building basses and switched to only amps a few years ago, and then I think disappeared. Too bad, he was very good and by all reports helped out people who asked him luthiery questions.

Hi Pilot, or should I call you Mr. Jones. . I clicked the link but no luck. I even googled it "Victor Wooten's Step Bass" interesting stuff, I'll need to read more about it. I was really looking to see pics. (I hate reading)

I'd take this over the harp guitar

Thanks, when I think of a harp guitar, I think of the one Steve Miller plays. I saw an interview of him and he said he found it in a box at a music store for something like $100. I could be wrong, it might have been a pawn shop or a thrift shop.

 

[pilotjones]

The Archive servers are really slow, so it's easy to timeout. That link was for the mirror of archive.org (which is linked to on archive.org itself), which is fast enough to work for me at home but not on my phone. Try one site or the other, search up "readcustom.com", go for a page from 2004 or earlier. Once you get it, the pics will be there.

If it still doesn't work for you, let me know and I'll PDF it for you.

You can call me Pete.

 

[TapyTap]

It really quite simple, you can play bass like usual, slap, thumb, dig in or what ever you want and reach over with the right hand and tap out chords, melodies, ect will playing bass lines with the left hand.

Interesting.

How will you keep the melody side from resonating when using both hands to play the bass side?

 

[Jools4001]

That's a really interesting idea, actually more like a reverse harp

Even though I would never be able to play it (tapping eludes me) it's great to see somebody trying something new and different, I've certainly never seen anything like it before and the collective wisdom of TB seems to have a rare instance of not coming up with a previous example of something similar. I'm very curious to find out if this concept works as promised.

I think that resonance of the melody side may be a creative benefit but could easily be damped by a palm or forearm if needed.

One thing though. Are you going to have to photoshop the melody side of the build out for the benefit of those on the forum that only want to see bass builds?



Just kidding...

 

[jworrellbass]

Interesting.

How will you keep the melody side from resonating when using both hands to play the bass side?

With tappers there's a damper, usually a piece of foam between the first fret and the nut. The last tapper I made a removable damper out of velcro.

That's a really interesting idea, actually more like a reverse harp

Even though I would never be able to play it (tapping eludes me) it's great to see somebody trying something new and different, I've certainly never seen anything like it before and the collective wisdom of TB seems to have a rare instance of not coming up with a previous example of something similar. I'm very curious to find out if this concept works as promised.

I think that resonance of the melody side may be a creative benefit but could easily be damped by a palm or forearm if needed.

One thing though. Are you going to have to photoshop the melody side of the build out for the benefit of those on the forum that only want to see bass builds?



Just kidding...

It will basically be like a normal long scale tapper aka Chapman Stick/Warr Guitar. But the melody will just be shorter on this build and you don't need to cross your hands to play it. Also with a Stick you have to play it horizontally (straight up and down) with this it will be like a regular bass and the tapper section will be easy to reach. The other thing is the bass will be in standard 4ths not 5ths.

 

[HELLonWHEELS]

Aren't you going to run into tension problems with the shorter scale part of the neck?

 

[jworrellbass]

I don't think I will, I'm going to use guitar strings. Besides on tappers the strings don't have as much tension as regular basses or guitars. Most of the time they use a lighter gauge string. One example is the Megitar brand, on the low string they come with a 100 gauge. http://www.megatar.com/english/tunings/String_Gauges/string_gauges.html

 

[HELLonWHEELS]

I don't think I will, I'm going to use guitar strings. Besides on tappers the strings don't have as much tension as regular basses or guitars. Most of the time they use a lighter gauge string. One example is the Megitar brand, on the low string they come with a 100 gauge. http://www.megatar.com/english/tunings/String_Gauges/string_gauges.html

yes, but will the tension be uniform across the neck? You know what i mean?

 

[pilotjones]

I was really looking to see pics.

I hope these links work. I don't know whether archive.org allows cross-linking.

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The Innovative Step Neck Bass!
Shown here is Victor Wooten's Step Neck bass.

The Step Neck bass offers the feel of a four-string in the lower registers but the range of a five-, six-, or more-string bass in the upper range. The unique design of this bass gives players easily reachable low notes and wide string spacing for the plucking hand.

In this unique bass design, the shorter strings are fed through ferrules in the back of the neck and down to tuners at the bridge, leaving the back of the neck smooth and unobstructed. The shorter strings can be tuned as drones in any key or, in a more conventional arrangement, could be tuned in fourths. In any arrangement, the bass offers composition options never available to the bassist before.

Step Neck basses are available in limitless configurations, based on four- or five- (full length) string necks stepped out with one, two, or more short strings.

The bass pictured is outfitted with Lane Poor pickups and a Bartolini 3 band preamp. Vic's tapping and chording talents will no doubt make good use of the low action and ample string access. Michael Hulsey, designer of the Step Neck, has begun developing Step Neck guitars and is licensing the concept to Read Custom Instruments.
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[jworrellbass]

yes, but will the tension be uniform across the neck? You know what i mean?

Since this is somewhat of an experiment I'll be playing with several string gauges. The tension on the short scale will be what it needs to be for the tap action to work best. I'm also going to build 2 separate necks and pickups. I really don't see any problems, but then I could be wrong.

I hope these links work. I don't know whether archive.org allows cross-linking.

Pete, your the man. Thanks a bunch, what a cool bass!

 

[Headless Llama]

That stepped neck bass looks amazing.

 

[pilotjones]

I just noticed - Read managed to make the dark wood stringers symmetrical in the six-string portion and the body, and in the four string end and headstock. Brilliant.

 

[Tylerrr51]

Correct me if im wrong since ive heard this from a friend but wouldnt the frets have to be on an angle where the 9 strings are to keep the correct notes?

 

[JAGGL3S]

This One Should Be Good.

 

[jworrellbass]

Correct me if im wrong since ive heard this from a friend but wouldnt the frets have to be on an angle where the 9 strings are to keep the correct notes?

They will be, The low B is at 35" and the high G is at 33". All I did was continue the fret lines into the tap section , same with the bridge. I checked the lay out it works.

 

[TapyTap]

With tappers there's a damper, usually a piece of foam between the first fret and the nut. The last tapper I made a removable damper out of velcro.

It will basically be like a normal long scale tapper aka Chapman Stick/Warr Guitar.

That should do the trick.

 

[iamlowsound]

Looking at your drawing, I don`t think you will have any problem with tension over the treble part of the neck. Since it is a single cut, the treble portion of the neck is essentially part of the body, giving it more strength. With the addition of a carbon fiber rod, you should be stiff as a board (pun intended). Also what you could do is make the neck like a standard 5 string neck with the treble part being only part of the fretboard, not having it attacked to the body at all (assuming this is a bolt on), then have the string anchors at both ends on the body only.

What this would do is make it much easier to build the neck and it would make the tension on the much easier to deal with. Plus, it would be easier to set relief on the treble side, as it would just coincide with the bass side, with no added tension from the treble strings adversely effecting the your relief. Just a thought from looking at your design.

lowsound