I reckon most of us have a lot more hours logged on TB than building basses!
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idea for a buildoff?
- Thread starter TinyE
- Start date
I reckon most of us have a lot more hours logged on TB than building basses!
I love building basses in my free time, because I'm actually free to put as much time into it as I want. There's nobody looking over my shoulder checking my progress, and I usually (always) end up spending more time on it than I anticipated, but it's always worth it and I end up with custom solutions. In my opinion recreational luthiery is about the little details, things like custom pickup covers, knobs, inlays, colors and finishes etc. All of these details are worthwhile, and contribute to basses that really stand out from anything you can buy. I would never compromise this by setting some arbitrary time limit and stressing myself out about it. It would feel like I'm wasting my time while I could actually build a much better bass.
Note: This could be entirely different for builders who do this as a business and have tobe efficient to meet schedules and deadlines.
Note: This could be entirely different for builders who do this as a business and have tobe efficient to meet schedules and deadlines.
I agree with all the comments about taking your time.
But this is more about ideas for little fun side projects/challenges. Something to break up the monotony and have a little fun. Not a permanent way of life or building.
And that was a good point about these challenges being good for someone to hone their skills for completing a quality instrument, under pressure of a timeline. I hadn't thought of that.
But this is more about ideas for little fun side projects/challenges. Something to break up the monotony and have a little fun. Not a permanent way of life or building.
And that was a good point about these challenges being good for someone to hone their skills for completing a quality instrument, under pressure of a timeline. I hadn't thought of that.
That's definitely true with a modestly-equipped workshop. People who only have hand tools and a folding workbench at their disposal are going to need more time, even if the build plans are conservative.
I totally agree with this.
I really hope we don't take the approach that many of these "reality competition" shows like Forged in Fire have taken. The ability to finish the fastest or with the lowest budget or meeting the most ridiculous criteria does not necessarily indicate building skill or artistry. I'm a recreational instrument builder, not a project manager.
On a related note... I do hope that the Spring/Summer build off will continue to be a free-for-all styled build... meaning no enforced theme so long as the requirements for a "bass instrument" are met... like .080" minimum low string, etc.
Well, I'm not arguing any points, but I may have misinterpreted the direction of this conversation. I saw it as spit ballin half serious ideas for a one off theme. It really never crossed my mind that it would become the norm for build offs. I saw the potential fun and value in it. At least as a one time thing, or even a little side BO. A build like that might be right up some people's alley and promote participation. I dunno, maybe I'm over simplifying it(?)
Is it really a bad idea?
I wasn't around for the last $99 BO. Did it have issues? Or is it the 24 hr thing that's a bad idea?
Is it really a bad idea?
I wasn't around for the last $99 BO. Did it have issues? Or is it the 24 hr thing that's a bad idea?
Yep, yep. I didn't mean to be a wet blanket on a light hearted discussion. Just figured I'd throw out my opinion since summer is rapidly (I hope) approaching.
It's fine. I come from a long line of drunks and Catholics. I'm used to self loathing and being told I'm a bad person with silly bad ideas that will never work and I'll never amount to anything useful and having my dreams and self worth crushed.
Now I get where you're coming from. I was afraid I'd have to seriously disagree with you, which has never happened and hopefully never will.
Maybe one day I'll let you trick me into that.
Still, if I had to pick one or the other, I'd choose the $99 Build Off over the 24 hour Build Off.
In all seriousness, I think the 24 hr thing was in reference to a total of 24 hrs, in increments, over a longer time period.
In reference to a challenge and doing it within a single 24 hr period, that's probably something only a few members here could actually pull off. So I don't think that's really a feasible idea for a build off. Maybe a $99 build over a shorter period,..like 1 mo, or 2 mo, etc.
It's an idea to keep on the back burner. And we can have a powow and weed out the details if/when it happens.
In reference to a challenge and doing it within a single 24 hr period, that's probably something only a few members here could actually pull off. So I don't think that's really a feasible idea for a build off. Maybe a $99 build over a shorter period,..like 1 mo, or 2 mo, etc.
It's an idea to keep on the back burner. And we can have a powow and weed out the details if/when it happens.
I agree with this perspective - I only have so much time in my life for building and I like to take the right amount of time and produce the best piece of art I can within my concepts. I might like to watch a $99, 24 hour buildoff though.
How do you really feel?
I think this has been a good way to do it. Summer is a different feel. Hopefully a "Run Whatcha Brung" type open theme again appeals to some builders or those who want to dip a toe into some form of building for the first time.
Sounds like my childhood. Although you might have been able to leave out the “and” before Catholics. Still, at 54 I’m getting better…
I can feel I e done something right at least once a month.
There is a "TalkBass build-off challenge bass" category on Reverb?!?!?Oh, that already exists. It's called Reverb.
Ooooh boy!
Dang it!
Wait a second.... I think @dwizum may have lied to me....
Nope... Impossible.
I just didn't get there fast enough.... They sold out instantly... That's why it says...
"Sorry, there's nothing here at the moment."
I get it...
*Refresh*
Dang it!
*Refresh*
I will not be defeated!
*Refresh* *Refresh* *Refresh*
Hmmm...
*Follow this search*
*Refresh*
Dang it.
*Refresh*
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It seems like my idea was pretty unpopular. I was really thinking along these lines:
I agree with everyone who is commenting that a time-limited contest isn't the best setting for producing a highly custom bass with lots of special details and a high level of artistry. I guess I was thinking more from the "wouldn't it be fun to do this for the sake of doing it" - purely because it would push us outside of our normal styles/approaches!
Maybe that's the core difference in perspective here. Why do we do build offs? Do we do build-offs to give ourselves a showcase for the instruments that are more or less what we would all be making anyways? Or do we do build-offs because they're enjoyable in and of themselves, as a challenge and a way to push ourselves outside of our normal style or process of building? I guess I saw this thread as exploring the latter while lots of people seem to be saying they prefer the former.
At the end of the day I guess I'm an equal opportunity build-off'er. I'm more than happy to enter in a build off that lets me build things similar to what I would normally build anyways and be able to focus on building the "best" instrument I can. I also think it would be fun to do a build-off with strong limits that would lead me to build something very different than my norm. I also think it would be fun to do both!
I agree with everyone who is commenting that a time-limited contest isn't the best setting for producing a highly custom bass with lots of special details and a high level of artistry. I guess I was thinking more from the "wouldn't it be fun to do this for the sake of doing it" - purely because it would push us outside of our normal styles/approaches!
Maybe that's the core difference in perspective here. Why do we do build offs? Do we do build-offs to give ourselves a showcase for the instruments that are more or less what we would all be making anyways? Or do we do build-offs because they're enjoyable in and of themselves, as a challenge and a way to push ourselves outside of our normal style or process of building? I guess I saw this thread as exploring the latter while lots of people seem to be saying they prefer the former.
At the end of the day I guess I'm an equal opportunity build-off'er. I'm more than happy to enter in a build off that lets me build things similar to what I would normally build anyways and be able to focus on building the "best" instrument I can. I also think it would be fun to do a build-off with strong limits that would lead me to build something very different than my norm. I also think it would be fun to do both!
I think the difference between themed builds like "Renewal All Over Again" and mission builds like the $99 one or the time-limit suggestion is that the themes are interpreted subjectively — pretty nearly anything you make, with any supplies you have, could be appropriate to the contest as long as you can justify it. Whereas missions allocate hard requirements — Putting a $99 cap on supplies for a build can be deviously treacherous, even, since despite your best-laid plans if something fails (pickups don't work, neck wood warps or splits badly) can you get replacements that keep you under the cap?
So the themed builds are going to be inherently easy-going, in a way. It emphasizes the expansiveness of ones creativity (or poetic license, depending). Mission builds emphasize problem-solving skills.
Neither approach is actually wrong, to my mind. But I think each will be more interesting to different sets of people. Albeit with a fair amount of intersection of the sets, so running multiple contests simultaneously is likely to lead to fragmentation.
So the themed builds are going to be inherently easy-going, in a way. It emphasizes the expansiveness of ones creativity (or poetic license, depending). Mission builds emphasize problem-solving skills.
Neither approach is actually wrong, to my mind. But I think each will be more interesting to different sets of people. Albeit with a fair amount of intersection of the sets, so running multiple contests simultaneously is likely to lead to fragmentation.
PLONK!
Anyone? Anyone? Really? No one remembers talk.bizarre? Man I miss alt.binaries
Anybody remember how plonk came to be? Even urban dictionary doesn't know and just cites those old newsgroups.
I don't remember exactly when I first owned and started using a computer. I wanna say something like 2004ish.
A few years later I bought a motorcycle and found a bike forum. So, by then, forums, Facebook and all that stuff was already around. That other stuff was either before then, or I didn't know about it. Not that it would've mattered. I started late with the whole computer/internet thing and never really geeked out on it. It wasn't until maybe 2010 that a friend talked me into FB. I hated it. I used it for about 3 minutes.
Anyway, what the heck was this thread about again?...
A few years later I bought a motorcycle and found a bike forum. So, by then, forums, Facebook and all that stuff was already around. That other stuff was either before then, or I didn't know about it. Not that it would've mattered. I started late with the whole computer/internet thing and never really geeked out on it. It wasn't until maybe 2010 that a friend talked me into FB. I hated it. I used it for about 3 minutes.
Anyway, what the heck was this thread about again?...
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