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Alright, attempting to build a PVC EUB!

#61
Alembicplyr said:
Also, I have discovered that a slight bow is becoming worse, and may worsen over time, to remedy this, we have discovered that if a piece of electrical conduit (steel) is used, this shall reduce the stress better than "all thread".
Click to expand...

I have a better idea, I think... Never tried it, but if you took a long piece of allthread and attached it near the fingerboard at both the top and bottom (similar to how you have attached it now would work), so it would naturally be parallel to the fingerboard, but in the centre of the bass, you would put a plug of some sort (a cap 1 size down from your pipe size would probably fit snugly inside. otherwise you could cut something out of a piece of wood. That plug would have a hole in the centre.

In this state, with the "trussrod" allthread untensioned it would have a pronounced bow, and as you tighten a nut at the end of the allthread it would try and pull itself into a straight line, pulling the plug towards the fretboard in the process.

I would expect it'll take much less tension on the rod as well.

If you don't understand what I mean, let me know and I'll sketch it.

If you use it and it works, we should name it the Arxrod.

-Nick
 
#62
Arx said:
I have a better idea, I think... Never tried it, but if you took a long piece of allthread and attached it near the fingerboard at both the top and bottom (similar to how you have attached it now would work), so it would naturally be parallel to the fingerboard, but in the centre of the bass, you would put a plug of some sort (a cap 1 size down from your pipe size would probably fit snugly inside. otherwise you could cut something out of a piece of wood. That plug would have a hole in the centre.

In this state, with the "trussrod" allthread untensioned it would have a pronounced bow, and as you tighten a nut at the end of the allthread it would try and pull itself into a straight line, pulling the plug towards the fretboard in the process.

I would expect it'll take much less tension on the rod as well.

If you don't understand what I mean, let me know and I'll sketch it.

If you use it and it works, we should name it the Arxrod.

-Nick
Click to expand...

Well, it sounds good in words, Do a drawing of it, I think I would get a better idea of the description. However, I still think with the enormous tension (may be 200+ lbs)put on it by metal strings, conduit would work, for the fact that it's "overkill", and it stabilizes all the way around the pipe, instead of just focusing in one direction (If using Nylon or Plastic strings, the all thread works well for that tension) . Also realize that one of the flaws w/ all thread was the fact that vibration from the strings and shifting the instrument around, made the all thread vibrate some odd tones through the pickups as well, which we attempted to remedy with the outer jacket of 12-2 romex wire, that actually fit pretty well and deadened the vibration alot but not totally.
 
#63
I think the instrument is so long that no matter what you use as a truss rod it won't be able to counter act the tension on the front effectively unless it's some gargantuan piece of metal. I think your best bet is just get the lowest tension strings possible.
 
#64
theshadow2001 said:
I think the instrument is so long that no matter what you use as a truss rod it won't be able to counter act the tension on the front effectively unless it's some gargantuan piece of metal. I think your best bet is just get the lowest tension strings possible.
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Nah, trust me... The tension on the front is mostly compressive. the actual vector creating the bow isn't that strong. I think the system I just explained would very easily overcome that.

I'm going to build one of these for sure, but I've spent all my play dough on the bass I'm about to build. (I'm in the "waiting for all the bits I ordered" phase) It's going to have to wait a couple months at least. :(
 
#65
I think that the idea of gluing spacers in the "neck" periodically (say, every 6" or so) would give the truss rod something to move when you tension it. I also wouldn't recommend using all-thread, just get a plain mild steel rod, and thread the one end, that would oribably make it wodk a little more smoothly if you use spacers, and might help with the vibration a bit.
 
#66
Here's the picture.

Cut away so you can see the insides, of course.
 

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#67
SDB Guitars said:
I think that the idea of gluing spacers in the "neck" periodically (say, every 6" or so) would give the truss rod something to move when you tension it. I also wouldn't recommend using all-thread, just get a plain mild steel rod, and thread the one end, that would oribably make it wodk a little more smoothly if you use spacers, and might help with the vibration a bit.
Click to expand...

This would work with my layout too, if you found it was still curving above and below, like a "3".

I don't think it would be that much of a problem though.
 
#68
theshadow2001 said:
I think the instrument is so long that no matter what you use as a truss rod it won't be able to counter act the tension on the front effectively unless it's some gargantuan piece of metal. I think your best bet is just get the lowest tension strings possible.
Click to expand...

No, I think that metal strings have ruined me:p.Besides you have to realize that If it's nylon or say... weed eater string, sure you can get gauges of .105,.085,.065 and .045, the problem is not with the actual smaller strings, but especially the "E" and "A", can be ridiculously "floppy" also the volume of the strings are reduced. Now, I did receive some Odd sets of strings, which consist of metal and "gut" alike and I think there are some plastic coated ones too.
I believe this project is to go a different direction than the previous gentlemen that have done this with pvc. I'm not gonna "re-invent the wheel", just take it in a direction that's not playing it safe, if it's been possible so far, even with a piece of all thread (metal strings have been on and in tune for 5 days now with no sign of snapping, only bending), I'm banking it can be done with conduit. Beatcatcher used a "square piece of steel in the middle of his, and he quoted that he was nervous about putting steel strings on his ,lest that it snap.
 
#70
The sound clips are on myspace. In the player it says, 'PVC EUB run". If you have a "busted ass" sub woofer, this is a good test for that too.

Link Removed

If the myspace player dosen't work Link Removed

Please keep in mind I did this recording in one take, so may not be exactly the best.

Recorded on a Yamaha MD8, through a L.R. Baggs gig pro pre w/ no eq, nothing special.


Also attached, for Linux users too. manual plugin installs suck.
 

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#72
Yeah it's got a very distinct sound. Really bassy there's low end for days. I haven't really heard an EUB so I couldn't compare to one of those

To my ears I think I can almost hear the effect that the hollow tube is having on the sound. I wonder if you made one out of a series of smaller diameter pipes to make the main body how it would effect the sound.
 
#78
Alembicplyr said:
So far the "steel" work is done, on 3 of them. The first one was stripped. the 2nd and 3rd one are currently sitting, the silicone used on the outside of the steel inside the pvc will cure in another day or so.

Did more work "putting together" newer bridges, which are made of layered pvc. The newer bridges will have "piezo cable" on the 2nd to the last layer, sealed with silicone. The piezo cable, we thought was weaker than the "elements", turns out, They were not soldered correctly, THEY ARE HOTT!, even "embedded inside the bridge, these things are sensitive.

piezobridge.jpg


Still have to recut some more fingerboards, so it's been slow, but that will change here soon. New pics will be posted. (If you haven't started making one yet, consider yourself lucky, we've made some good improvements from our mistakes.

Link to the site for "piezo cable" (PVDF coaxial cable) ($1 for 1", good price).

Link Removed
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cool! thanks for the link for the PVDF cable, I've been looking for a reasonable source for this stuff for over a year to do a couple of acoustic guitar projects...:)..
 

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