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Cigar Box Bass Build

#21
Awesome! I stopped at a couple of tobacco stores today but no luck on a box. I have decided that I will go with the piezo only setup with no volume or tone controls. I have plenty of strings to get immediate gratification when it's done, but I want to experiment with tapewounds. I would like it to have an "earthy/folksy" kind of tone.
 
#24
Found a nice cigar shop today. I told them I was looking to buy a couple of cigar boxes and a guy said "c'mon back, I think we can help." They had hundreds of boxes, seperated into $1, 5, and 10.00 piles. I got a couple of nice paper covered and a couple of wooden boxes for 11 bucks.
 
#28
Thanks, everybody!

I did the wiring, had a LOT of hum, re-did the wiring on the piezos, and it is now playable. However, the piezos don't seem to be working at all. I was working off of another guy's design, and either he did something squirrely, or I did something wrong. When I get a chance, I'll upload the wiring diagram and see if anybody has any suggestions.

Or, if anybody out there knows of a successful jazz/piezo combo wiring that would work, I'm all ears.

One question, though: Is a built-in preamp/buffer going to be a necessity with piezos, or can I get by without it? What about using an external preamp instead?
 
#30
I like!

Here's why.

SL730889-1.jpg



Matt
 
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#31
I just noticed your question about weight.
Too late for you now, but I start out by fitting a 2x4 slab of oak in the box ..... with the extension if needed for the neck.
I fit it so the lid will close and be fully supported by the oak. Then I cut for the neck/pocket whatever is needed.
Lead should not bother the electronics.


Matt
 
#33
Cool stuff!

I've been thinking about doing an Ashbory-style cigar box build lately. The big problem is gonna be the neck, since I know nothing of wood working. I'm thinking I'll just get a ukulele neck blank, find another bit of wood for a fretless fingerboard, and go from there.
 
#37
The one on the left is a 32" scale sumpthinorother.
I bought the bass as a pile of parts, put it together and played it for a while until the pine ( hidden under a very thin mahogany veneer) body failed catastrophically.
So I used the neck.
That's why it fits, otherwise, what the OP done is fine

Matt
 

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