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EUB project

JIO

JIO

Scott Lives
Gold Supporting Member
Commercial User
Jun 30, 2010
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222,155
The Mission SF/CA
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musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
#1
I've been curious about EUB's and thought I'd like to build one someday. So recently I stumbled across what I thought was a NOS ebony double bass fb and got it. When it arrived I realized it was in fact a 4/4 cello fb. As you can see, it is close to a 34" scale J fb/neck other than the obvious differences. Hummm, so that got me thinking. What if I followed the 34" scale length and created something closer to a piccolo bass using light gauge strings. I had a nice piece of maple big enough for the neck and started conceptualizing. It would incorporate a bolt-on Fender-style 1 piece neck/hs with 2+2 Sperzel locking tuners. (just got a set of NOS black ones for a nice price on eBay) I'll use the Delano Oval pu and a piezo bridge. The body will be solid, it will have a retractable post and some sort of active preamp. Other than that I'll let evolve over the course of the project. I'll work on the neck 1st and go from there. This will most likely be a long range build as I have a few other projects to attend to first.

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#3
Should work, but doesn't need to be a piccolo. Not sure what a 34" fretless with a cello radius board would feel like!
 
#5
bholder said:
Should work, but doesn't need to be a piccolo. Not sure what a 34" fretless with a cello radius board would feel like!
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True, just would attempt to get strings that could work on that spacing for me. I don't know either what it would feel like, but am open to discover something different in the process. In many ways it will be more relative to my immediate experience playing on an electric bass. I have played double bass, but many years ago.

Beej said:
Will that Delano be able to pick up the A and D strings? The string radius over the pickups might be something to watch... :)
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Yes, quite so - I get ahead of myself. Will need to look into something more 'in line' with that (radical) curvature. The NS version of individual tablet-style pu's come to mind…

Good points and thanks for both of your inputs! :)
 
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#9
Will_White said:
Light gauge flats should work on the spacing ok, and be bowable according to @SLaPiNFuNK (and not cost a fortune) and a p bass pickup should be able to be adjusted for that radius.
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I was thinking that should work - the upright-related strings are up there($)! And yes, a standard 2-unit adjustable pole P is an option.

MPU said:
Individual coils for each string would be my choice as pickups.
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Will look into availability. :thumbsup:
 
#13
A friend of mine is building an EUB right now (I've encouraged him to start a thread to no avail). He steamed wood and made a arch shaped cover that goes over the strings down by the bridge. He two split pickups and put them in lengthwise under the cover - one half of each pickup is over each string. I don't think he's really plugged it in yet, but it looks pretty cool - you can't see the pickups and the arch looks like part of the design.

Out of curiosity how much was the fretboard?
 
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#14
Jisch said:
A friend of mine is building an EUB right now (I've encouraged him to start a thread to no avail). He steamed wood and made a arch shaped cover that goes over the strings down by the bridge. He two split pickups and put them in lengthwise under the cover - one half of each pickup is over each string. I don't think he's really plugged it in yet, but it looks pretty cool - you can't see the pickups and the arch looks like part of the design.

Out of curiosity how much was the fretboard?
Click to expand...

That sounds pretty cool - harkens back to the Rickenbacker UEB that never made it into full production w/the horseshoe style pu. I like that concept - can you take pics of his project to post or is he adverse to showing it anywhere? Just curious how it looks and if it turns out to sound good. The board was $55 - I checked on eBay and they can go anywhere from $25-$65 and up, the cheapest coming from (wait for it…) China. It was made by SF luthier George Peacock who had a shop in Noe Valley. He passed away in 2011. I usually avoid buying from China and considering its origin helped me decide to keep it once I looked into it. I could have sent it back because it was advertised as an electric bass fb. (yes, another clueless eBay seller-what a shock!) I knew it wasn't that but I mistakenly presumed it was a db board and if so it was a great price. (didn't check the provided measurements) So lemonade from lemons and all that rubbish and here we go on another voyage into uncharted seas (at least for this land-lover!)

^^^^^^^^^^
When are the good folks at tb going to fix the shrinking font while typing thing that keeps occurring? As you can see, this size (#4- found in the font size adjustment above) is too big and size #3 is smaller than the default. (~) I brought it to their attention a while ago and they told me there wasn't a problem they could detect… :rolleyes: :bag: (read - they don't want to be bothered to address) :help:
 
#15
MPU said:
Let me know if you need help.
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:) Thanks so much - I will! I appreciate the Luthiers Corner here for this very reason - it's a very inclusive, community environment with friendly, helpful and many times very talented/creative maker-peeps. In high school (centuries ago), I hid out in the art dept… Luthiers corner reminds me of that! ;)
 
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#16
JIO said:
That sounds pretty cool - harkens back to the Rickenbacker UEB that never made it into full production w/the horseshoe style pu. I like that concept - can you take pics of his project to post or is he adverse to showing it anywhere? Just curious how it looks and if it turns out to sound good. The board was $55 - I checked on eBay and they can go anywhere from $25-$65 and up, the cheapest coming from (wait for it…) China. It was made by SF luthier George Peacock who had a shop in Noe Valley. He passed away in 2011. I usually avoid buying from China and considering its origin helped me decide to keep it once I looked into it. I could have sent it back because it was advertised as an electric bass fb. (yes, another clueless eBay seller-what a shock!) I knew it wasn't that but I mistakenly presumed it was a db board and if so it was a great price. (didn't check the provided measurements) So lemonade from lemons and all that rubbish and here we go on another voyage into uncharted seas (at least for this land-lover!)

^^^^^^^^^^
When are the good folks at tb going to fix the shrinking font while typing thing that keeps occurring? As you can see, this size (#4- found in the font size adjustment above) is too big and size #3 is smaller than the default. (~) I brought it to their attention a while ago and they told me there wasn't a problem they could detect… :rolleyes: :bag: (read - they don't want to be bothered to address) :help:
Click to expand...

I'm sorry, that was my fault, another instance of using a 4x10 with a 1x15 speaker cabs...

What I do to fix the problem is to click over to another post, then click back and "reply". I think it actually happens when we inadvertently hit two keys at the same time (not sure which, perhaps control and something else?) which increases font size.
 
#17
mapleglo said:
I'm sorry, that was my fault, another instance of using a 4x10 with a 1x15 speaker cabs...

What I do to fix the problem is to click over to another post, then click back and "reply". I think it actually happens when we inadvertently hit two keys at the same time (not sure which, perhaps control and something else?) which increases font size.
Click to expand...

Well, it would be hard to discern if it was you or the countless others hooking up their cabs in that manor at the exact same moment in time! :laugh:

Interesting… it does occur when there is a "digital glitch" (hitting two keys with our 'digits') now that you mention it. So, next time it occurs (I'm afraid to deliberately evoke it for fear of interfering with someone hooking up their 4X10/1X15 cabs), I'll use your system and report back.
 
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#18
ICM said:
Nice! Always love your outside-of-the-box ideas for basses!
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As always I welcome your support Ivan! The road to discovery includes an acceptance of possible failure whilst stumbling in the dark. Even with the many ups and downs, so far, my percentage of successful resolutions on such forays has luckily been pretty good! In fact, I wish you and all my tb/LC peeps could test/play the basses I've created - if you are ever in the Bay Area please look me up. I'd love to hang with and get the feedback from those in the know. :thumbsup:
 
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