Have you seen my bamboo bass?

[bassy7]

***Edited to replace first blurry photo (from phone) with a better one.***

Every time I put the thing down I have trouble finding it again...

Its seems there have been just a few folks interested in a bamboo bass over the years (says the search results I've turned up in that past). One of those threads had link to a picture of a bamboo bass. Thats it.

I've tossed aorund the idea ever since I put down bamboo flooring on my entire first floor about 5 years ago. I have plenty of scraps and off cuts. As with all bamboo flooring I've encountered it is pre-finished.

A few months ago I decided to go ahead and make this happen. However, instead of just surfacing the flooring planks down and gluing them up into a body blank then proceeding to treat it as a standard slab of wood...... I decided to use the tongue-and-groove of the flooring to hold the planks together. Additionally I opted to keep the original finish on the planks, as least for the front and back of the body.
So essentially the body will highlight the fact that the bass is made from flooring. Just see the picture above of the rough cut body sitting on my floor.

I have a good number of pictures I've taken along the way, but they have all been taken with my cell phone, so the quality isnt so hot. I will post more pics as time permits.

Specs...

4 string

30" scale

1 pickup?

black, cheap, no name tuners and bridge Link Removed

volume/tone knobs-- or maybe none at all?

 

[bassy7]

 

[adam.beauchene]

Sweet, I've had that idea everytime I walk through the flooring isle at Home Depot, I'm glad you are brave enough to try it and document it! Can't wait to see how it turns out!

 

[billoetjen]

Hey, if it's hard to find, maybe build one out of Big Bambu` !

 

[elgecko]

Dude! Pickguard made out of a rug!

 

[gbazinet]

Dude! Pickguard made out of a rug!

Rug burn on the hand and fingers!

 

[spaz21387]

I like it I want to see the finished product and it has to be on the floor of course ha

 

[Cannabass]

nice dude. are you making the neck out of flooring too?

 

[Stealth]

Awesome. Subbed.

 

[bassemo]

I recently completed a bamboo bass body with a neck from ebay. It's 2 pieces of 3/4" 'plyboo' and some 1/4' oak floor boards. Watch out for splinters!

 

[bassy7]

Sweet, I've had that idea everytime I walk through the flooring isle at Home Depot, I'm glad you are brave enough to try it and document it! Can't wait to see how it turns out!

Funny you said that, I actually feel brave for doing this. Hopefully it doesn't end in disaster. On that note, the neck and fingerboard are also bamboo. I will not be using carbon fiber rods to reinforce the neck. Yet it will be a short scale 4 stringer, so string tension won't be to high.

I have never been able to let myself use cheap hardware, but that is all this bass will be receiving. I am trying not to invest to much money or time in this little thing-- it certainly wont be the best looking bass I've made, or the most highly crafted bass I've made.


BASSEMO
"I recently completed a bamboo bass body with a neck from ebay. It's 2 pieces of 3/4" 'plyboo' and some 1/4' oak floor boards. Watch out for splinters!"

Nice looking bass you made there! Looks like a super short scale from that pic, or is it just the small body and angle throwing me off?
Fretless piezo only, with tape wound strings. I've made a few of those- sweet tone.

Yes, the splinters need to be minded! I was already on the lookout for that. I noticed when I installed the flooring that the tongue would split and splinter really easily when I was nailing through it.

 

[powerbass]

is bamboo THE new tone wood?

 

[hentor]

I have a custom Tele guitar made out of reclaimed bamboo flooring and it's one of my favourites to play.

Link Removed

The neck is SOLID and hasn't shifted all winter, it does have a truss rod and is baseball bat thick like all early tele necks. The body is resonant and light...I could imagine what a bass made out of bamboo sounds like!

 

[gnarlyopossum]

I'm currently in the process of trying to use some flooring for a bass, so I'm interested in how this works for you. Mine is white oak.

A thought for you, as I am thinking about trying this. By using the tongue and groove, would you be able to make use that to make a sliding electronics compartment panel? You might just need to find a way to hold it when it's in place, but it might be kinda cool.

 

[klejst]

Just keep it away from Pandas!

 

[bassy7]

Technically, bamboo is THE new tonegrass......for metal.

 

[koobie]

I recently completed a bamboo bass body with a neck from ebay. It's 2 pieces of 3/4" 'plyboo' and some 1/4' oak floor boards. Watch out for splinters!

Bassmo, your bass is worthy of it's own thread. Please share more.

 

[bassy7]

I've got some better pictures taken with a real camera. I've also made some progress over the past few days.

I rounded the edges a little with a 1/4" roundover bit. I was unprepared for the effect the uneven thickness of the boards, particularly where they meet at the beveled edges. The results is a less than stellar consistant roundover along the entire perimeter. I may be able to sand them alittle more evenly- but I will need to be be super careful since I cant scratch the top and back finish. Remember the original flooring pre-finish is being kept.


A View of the end shows how I went with the tongue and groove aspect, with all its glorious voids and everything.

Neck prepped for Fboard.

Fboard being glued on. Decided to go with ~30.25" scale length. Essentially 34" scale with first "2 frets" loped off.

Super cheapo and hopefully not crappy hardware.

 

[bassteban]

Beautiful.

 

[pilotjones]

How's the weight on the body? Each time I've picked up a bamboo cutting board with evil bass-related thoughts in mind, it always seem too heavy.