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Double Bass Building an Upright, need Dimensions

#41
Moved to setup and repair.

I don't see anything terribly amiss with the responses to this thread. If you post for very general advice, you'll get a wide variety of responses. Let's not create drama where it doesn't need to be. And everyone should know that the first response to threatening legal action against TB is for the account of the member threatening action to be immediately closed and all communication but written legal communication ceased. I don't see any reason for us to go down that road. Why don't we all just settle down and focus on the topic?
 
#42
UprightCowboy said:
Roger thanks for your post, I looked into making an archtop guitar and saw some incredibly built instruments that was farout looking, but played pretty well, the key thing I learned here was testing the sound board by SLOWLY removing wood and testing the sound tone, this was from the Archtop MASTER himself Benedetto, he would remove most of the wood, then start thumping it with his fingers to hear the tones, and remove more where he knew it would make the changes he was looking for. So the building parts process I do see as too long, but getting the tone, and the setup is the key.
UprightCowboy
Click to expand...

I read Robert Benedetto's archtop guitar book cover to cover, and I was very close to starting to build an archtop guitar, before realizing that I really don't need an archtop guitar.

So I built an upright bass, which I did need. You can find posts relating to that project on this very forum.

By the way, the method I chose was:

1. Build the bass
2. Then ask questions here

It's counter-intuitive, but it saved me from a lot of uncertainty and allowed me to use more b*lls than brains, which is the approach I prefer :)

Good luck.
George
 
#43
TroyK said:
We get a couple a year. I don't recall any of them having any experience owning/playing/living with a double bass prior to deciding to build one. I'm not sure that I've ever seen one of these threads conclude with a bass being built and used and photos and sound shared with us of it's first year in action, but maybe I missed one.

It would be interesting to see come to fruition, win, lose or draw.
Click to expand...

I built mine over a year ago, and have been using it ever since.
However, I chose to build the bass first, and only then join the discussion here.

George

photo here, before some tweaks to bridge + tailpiece, after reading Chuck Traeger's book.
Link Removed
 
#49
UprightCowboy said:
Sweet George700DL, gives me more incentive, Think I found the wood I'm looking for. Waiting for reply
UprightCowboy
Click to expand...

I used whatever wood I had around. I wanted to put all my emphasis on the building process and didn't want to worry about materials. I don't recommend that approach to everyone. Matthew and others are right - your time investment is more expensive than the wood.

George
 
#50
Yes I'm finding lots of reading material and other web sites thats keeping me busy, I'm waiting a reply back about wood and I'll shoot you a Private to give ya my idea, wanting people to say OH!!! when they see it, compared to speculatting if I say it now, but your is a very sweet look bass, always things to learn right, and when we get done we think of other things, or say OK on the next one i'm gonna do this or that, or nOT!!.
UprightCowboy
 
#55
First, read anything that you can find concerning violin family instruments. And specifically, double bass construction. Agood set of plans will give you every measurement that you could think of. After years of building fiddles, I decided to build my own carved bass. I just glued the top on the body today. The neck is almost done. Then just glue on the neck and varnish it. Be prepared to learn a true meaning of the word patience. It is definately labor intensive. You will get lots of sore muscles and calouses. I used mostly gouges and planes to do the carving. The materials are going to be very costly, even if you buy decent woods. Start shopping for materials now. If you have questions, feel free to contact me via PM.
 
#56
Thanks daddy-0486. I know what it takes for guitar/Mandolin tops, so I can only imagine Bass tops/back. I'm looking at everything I can...Two and three times, I want to make sure that what wood I choose is going to give me the sound I'm after. I'm not putting a time line on this project, Again i know from making other tops, that you take a little wood here and there. I really want to study everything before I start putting it together, as I posted in an earlier post, I'm looking for a wreck so that I can study it and gain information.
I'm considering a few different woods, just trying to gain a little more knowledge on them and see if they'll work in conjunction to my other thoughts/plans.
How long have you been on yours, and do you have any pic's yet?
Thanks for the invite to twist your ear, also as I said before, I'm going to a few Bass Luthiers shops and see there setup to. I've yet to figure which style/plan i will use.
UprightCowboy
 
#57
UC:

Some of us do get them finished...I built my (only, so far) bass in 2006, after buying the Chandler book. I also got the Traeger book, partway through the project. Both helped tremendously. I received much encouragement and attaboys from the folk on this forum throughout the build process. I bought decent tonewood, but the lowest I could find at the time, and the whole project cost me about $1,400 USD at the time. I had already built several instruments of smaller varieties, and I think, in my case, at least, that was wise. But Matthew Tucker (see his website) did the opposite-- he used the same books, and build a bass with no prior instrument experience. Since then he has repeated, and is doing great work.

It took me well over a year of part-time work...possibly 1000 hours, as I had to do a lot of head-scratching and re-work, as I figured out how to manage problems I had never faced before. I think I could do it in half that time, now, but I have too many other irons in the fire. I have built five instruments in the last eight months, but still hope to build another bass sometime in the near future. Here is a picture of the first one. The young fellow in the photo is who I made it for. The old guy is me. :)
Jacobsbass.jpg
 
#58
1st Bass said:
UC:

Some of us do get them finished...I built my (only, so far) bass in 2006, after buying the Chandler book. I also got the Traeger book, partway through the project. Both helped tremendously. I received much encouragement and attaboys from the folk on this forum throughout the build process. I bought decent tonewood, but the lowest I could find at the time, and the whole project cost me about $1,400 USD at the time. I had already built several instruments of smaller varieties, and I think, in my case, at least, that was wise. But Matthew Tucker (see his website) did hte opposite-- he used the same books, and build a bass with no prior instrument experience. Since then he has repeated, and is doing great work.

It took me well over a year of part-time work...possibly 1000 hours, as I had to do a lot of head-scratching and re-work, as I figured out how to manage problems I had never faced before. I think I could do it in half that time, now, but I have too many other irons in the fire. I have built five instruments in the last eight months, but still hope to build another bass sometime in the near future. Here is a picture of the first one. The young fellow in the photo is who I made it for. The old guy is me. :)
Jacobsbass.jpg
Click to expand...

I wanted to suggest that book. Never tried to build one, but I've read it (they had it at my university's library) because I wanted to know how it was made. Anyways, the book is pretty well made, and would be a great idea to get it before investing into $1000+ of parts.
 
#59
1st Bass thanks for the post and the encouragement. That is one fine looking, Upstanding Upright your have there Pard. I'm looking forward to getting into the Shop(Spring cleaning, lawn tractor and Boat out of the way etc...So right now, I'm narrowing my search down for woods to use and spending my time researching, going to a couple of Bass Luthier s to see their Jig setups etc...
I want to hit the floor running so to speak. As you mentioned theres always obstacle and I'd like to get most of them out of they way.
Did you do a carved top/back? and if so other than time was there any one thing that helped you. I'm not familiar with any gaging tool to cover the width/length of a Bass top.
I'm going to my local book store to see if john has those two books, if not I'll order them, but would be surprized if he did not.
Thanks again, I'll keep you posted.
UprightCowboy
 
#60
chris1125 said:
I am loving the drama on this sight. Very addictive. Anyways, "project" basses come up on ebay from time to time and could be ideal for your situation. Your probobly looking at a few hundred bucks but most of them have an endpin and a tail piece that you can use for parts. You can also use it as a copy and if your not to experienced with scroll carving you can just graph it onto the neck or just use the whole neck. Come to think of it, you can also get a couple hundred dollars in tuners out of them. It sounds like a win win to me! I know there was one that sold last week with seriouse back damage (the back was in pieces off of the bass) but everything else was structurally fine. It soold for a couple hundred bucks but included an endpin, a taipiece, a new bridge, 4 tuners, a good neck, a fingerboard and a sounpost that could all be used for parts. Come to think of it, it also came with a bag and bow which run about $300 to put the completed bass in. Just something to think about. Subscribed, I am really looking forward to this build!
Click to expand...

I agree with u o got a nice German fully carve for $ 350 on craiglist for repair and that's being my first project for the last six months, unfortunately I don't have much time in my hands because i work full time, and it's taking for ever, but that at least for my is the right way to go, I've learned a ton of info by repairing my db. Thank to you guys, smith bass forum, taeger book, everyone its being very helpful, well almost everyone lol
 

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