Almost $100 Challenge Upright Bass

[CRMayer]

So apparently I joined this forum too late and missed the $100 bass challenge (my kind of challenge ) but coincidentally I was making a low budget acoustic upright bass around the same time so I thought Id share some of the build photos. I think it sounds very good all things considered and Ill get around to recording a bit for y'all's critique when I get some time.

My bill of materials was as such
60"x60" 1/8 birch plywood - $17 (top and back)
30"x60" 1/8 birch plywood - $11 (sides)
alder for neck block - $5
2"x8"x~8' maple - $40(neck, fingerboard, bridge, tailpiece)
Ebay UB tuners - $40
Ebay Strings - $20
endpin neck bolts and tailgut hardware - ~$20

So I ended up around 150 but if I had gotten cheap electric bass tuners ($9) and scrounged some hardware maybe I could have made it under the $100 mark.

First step was making a half body mold, I made it out of shipping crates I pulled from a dumpster

 

[CRMayer]

Next up was bending the sides from the 1/8 plywood. I used some leftover 1x1 stickers for the corner blocks.

 

[CRMayer]

Then I cut out the neck block, joined the two halfs and made some temporary bracing to hold everything where its supposed to go

 

[CRMayer]

I trimmed the sides so that the top would have a parabolic shape approximately the same curvature as carved double bass. Then I roughed out the outline on top and strapped it down during the glue up. After that I fitted a large redwood X brace in the top so it would be able to hold the downforce from the strings. I forgot to include the redwood in the bill of materials, it was a $1.50 fence slat from home depot.

 

[GMC]

Wow!

 

[CRMayer]

Next was cutting the side taper for the back and roughing out the neck. Its bolt on with 2 1/4-20 bolts going into threaded dowels.

 

[CRMayer]

I shaped the fingerboard, added some bits to fill out the base of the neck and glued the fingerboard on.

 

[CRMayer]

I glued the back on except for the taper and then after that was cured I used some clamps to pull the tapered part in. I also added in a sound post. I made it slip onto the x bracing on the back and top (I also thinned it out after this image was taken to cut some weight).

 

[CRMayer]

Then I realized I was within spitting distance of having it strung up and playing so I rushed and forgot to document a number of things (peghead, scroll, tailpiece, bridge). But heres a picture of it strung and in the white and with the dark brown finish on it

 

[mapleglo]

Wow! I'm changing my vote to this one! Excellent work!

 

[JayVek-72]

Wow!! That is awesome!

 

[T Bassman]

Really well done sir!

 

[Jonny5bass]

Very cool! That's quite a workshop too!

 

[hintz]

You sir have some serious skills!! Pure awesomeness

 

[BrianVengeance]

*slow astonished clap* bra-effing-vo

You, sir, are the Harry "Gandalf" Picard-Skywalker of the DIY bass world. If I wore a fedora and trench coat I would roll a D&D character in your honor.

That is a thing of beauty.

 

[bassfacer22]

Video/Audio of how it sounds??? would love to hear it..

 

[Roxbororob]

Very inspiring. Nice work.

 

[reverendrally]

Great stuff. VERY interested to hear what it sounds like!

 

[Hopkins]

That is impressive

 

[Scoops]

This is so very cool

OP, looks like you've done this before. How many have you made?