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How would an elk bone body sound?
- Thread starter jsteez
- Start date
Since you have some experience working with the material (obviously more than anyone else here), you should already be aware of many of its characteristics, mainly the odor. Websites I've seen describe working bone with the same tools, techniques and adhesives as hardwood. Inhaling the dust seems to be a particular biohazard.
My suggestion is to cut it in slats and create a top with it, glued to a regular wood body. This would give you a good indication whether you can use bone for other parts of your build.
Weird as your idea is, I'd say go for it, and enrich us with what you find. I especially like the idea of using whatever material you have at hand. Of course, I say that after too much elk-ahol...
My suggestion is to cut it in slats and create a top with it, glued to a regular wood body. This would give you a good indication whether you can use bone for other parts of your build.
Weird as your idea is, I'd say go for it, and enrich us with what you find. I especially like the idea of using whatever material you have at hand. Of course, I say that after too much elk-ahol...
Well, it'll be dead after he kills it. Does that count?
Not only will he make a bass but he'll also make several meals and a really nice jacket!
I want an elk bass now. That would just be too awesome!
I'm really trying to come up with something funny to post but I can't beat the original thread title.
I do suggest you take some inspiration from Little Tibia and the Fibias.
I do suggest you take some inspiration from Little Tibia and the Fibias.
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Hey! That's my Uncle Charlie! My mom wanted to know where her brother's ossuary went to!
I bet it'll have a meaty sound though - if I believed that the body actually makes any difference that is.
a human pelvis would make a nice bass bodythey used to use bone nuts on guitars, so it must have some good qualities. i have a huge moose antler that would make a nice body.
They still use bone nuts on guitars; virtually all quality acoustic guitars, with the exeption of Taylor, have a bone nut and saddle stock. My guitar has a bone nut and saddle. The material is excellent for sound transfer, being very hard and consistent.
there's actually a lot of data in the biomedical field on the mechanical properties of bone which could be compared to wood. Lots of it in the orthopedics biomaterials field because of all the joint 
implants and cements etc. The mechanical data would also include resonance as that's part of what's derived from dynamic mechanical data.
In the otological world there's a fair amount of data on the resonant characteristics of the ear bones. Each one has it's own resonant frequency (range) and that contributes to how sound is transmitted from your eardrum to the inner ear (cochlea).
So it seems to me the short answer to your question of whether or not elk bone would work is: quite possibly. But as other posters have pointed out there would be preparation and assembly issues.
The biohazard part would be an open question as I know in human bone banks there's lots of precautions taken to prevent the technicians from catching anything, even if it's been decontaminated and dried. Whether or not you'd catch anything zoonotic is hard to say, but I'd definitely err on the side of caution and wear masks, gloves, etc when working w/this stuff. Bleaching could be a wise thing but then that might screw up (or improve) your mechanical properties
My vote is the same as a previous posters: try it and find out, theory gets you only so far in life. But try and dig up some data first.
Interesting idea.......
implants and cements etc. The mechanical data would also include resonance as that's part of what's derived from dynamic mechanical data. In the otological world there's a fair amount of data on the resonant characteristics of the ear bones. Each one has it's own resonant frequency (range) and that contributes to how sound is transmitted from your eardrum to the inner ear (cochlea).
So it seems to me the short answer to your question of whether or not elk bone would work is: quite possibly. But as other posters have pointed out there would be preparation and assembly issues.
The biohazard part would be an open question as I know in human bone banks there's lots of precautions taken to prevent the technicians from catching anything, even if it's been decontaminated and dried. Whether or not you'd catch anything zoonotic is hard to say, but I'd definitely err on the side of caution and wear masks, gloves, etc when working w/this stuff. Bleaching could be a wise thing but then that might screw up (or improve) your mechanical properties
My vote is the same as a previous posters: try it and find out, theory gets you only so far in life. But try and dig up some data first.
Interesting idea.......
Well...you certainly won't have to worry about the Feds yelling at you about illegally imported wood. This will certainly be an interesting instrument when complete.
that's very true, but the mechanical properties of cortical bone (the hard outer "shell") is much more like ceramic than wood, and I've yet to see a solid ceramic bass or guitar, but of course I might have missed it.
As the resonating body for hollow string instruments, woodwinds, and percussion instruments, yes, absolutely, ceramics work great.
In all seriousness, I think I'd feel a little creeped out playing an instrument that was once a part inside an animal. I think I'm ok using a leather strap, but I think bone is a bit too much for me.
Hmm... but they already make bone nut & saddle... thinking aloud (in print) to myself.
Yes, I am aware the Double Bass used catgut for strings. (Not a word of this to my cats, please.)
Hmm... but they already make bone nut & saddle... thinking aloud (in print) to myself.
Yes, I am aware the Double Bass used catgut for strings. (Not a word of this to my cats, please.)
The wood in most of our basses was once alive, somewhat like the aforementioned bone. The plastic, by a slight stretch, was once dinosaurs. BFD.
And I would not suggest offing a whale for a bass, but if I came across a beached whale bone large enough to harvest as a neck or w/e, I'd bring it home & PM the OP. EIEIO
And I would not suggest offing a whale for a bass, but if I came across a beached whale bone large enough to harvest as a neck or w/e, I'd bring it home & PM the OP. EIEIO
