Winter Build Off 2022 - Get Ready

[Jon Clegg]

Building my own pups is still a ways out for me. I'm going to start with building a bridge. That's a little more in line with my skill set and tools I already have and/or can use.
Hand tools, anyway. I don't have a mill or a lathe, so it will definitely look hand made. Pups require buying/building a winder, then going through the whole learning curve of building them.
I'd say pups are 2nd last. Tuners are probably at the end of the list of things to DIY. Actually, they're not on the list.

I built a bridge using brass stock, a drill press and a tap; it's doable. I did cheat a bit by cannibalizing the saddles from another bridge.

 

[A9X]

Building my own pups is still a ways out for me.

My background is electronics and I have designed and built output transformers for tube amps, so it's not too far off that. It's just been a while and my notebooks are in storage 400km from here. I know it will take actual experimentation, beyond my first cheezy proto (actually sounded OK) just trying to narrow the parameters.

Clearly you've never met a P bass.

I have, and I honestly don't get why people think they're some kind of swiss army knife. I never found them to be. Besides that, I find them uncomfortable and about as attractive as a red headed step child. An Ibby SR with a P PU I could live with I suppose.

 

[RichterScale]

You take that back!!

 

[ctmullins]

Yep, I never got the P love either. It's the Model T of the bass world. Charming in its antiquated simplicity, and historically significant, but - meh.

 

[A9X]

You take that back!!

Nope.

Yep, I never got the P love either. It's the Model T of the bass world. Charming in its antiquated simplicity, and historically significant, but - meh.

Meatloaf moment; "you took the words right out of my mouth..."

 

[RichterScale]

That's funny, Ford is always the first thing I think of.
A lot of similarities, including the,....a.... enthusiastic fan base.

 

[RichterScale]

For the record, I have no problem with Fender basses.
I've never gotten into an argument with one, there are no Fender basses that owe me money, none of that.
I'm totally cool with those basses.
They're just tryin to live their life.

 

[BassHappy]

Hi Gang, it's well into the Summer of 2021 and this is usually the time of year where we get together and plan for the upcoming Winter Build Off.

If you have followed the build offs since the inaugural edition in 2017, you'll notice that I'm not @Scoops I'm going to go into some history and ways we can address that in the next post below, but for now, let's talk Build Off!

Event: Winter Build Off 2022
Dates: 1600h PST (UTC -8) Tuesday, December 22, 2021 to 1600h PST (UTC -8) Sunday, March 20, 2022
Theme: Renewal/Rebirth

For this year's Build Off, I'm suggesting we use the theme of Renewal/Rebirth. The past year and a quarter has had a profound impact on the entirety of humanity. Many of us have been through a great many trials and have experienced challenges we never could have predicted would happen in our lifetimes.

Many have not made it through. Those that have, are arguably forever changed by the events that we all shared. In addition, the Build Off itself experienced some challenges with it's last go 'round. This upcoming Build Off is an opportunity to renew again!

Much like the Special Edition Spring Fling Build Off in 2020, this Build Off is open to all comers and divided into three categories:

1. Scratch Build - body and neck newly built from scratch.
2. Partial Build - body or neck newly built from scratch (contains some scratch built parts and pieces but may also contain pre-built body or neck from manufacturers)
3. Assembly Build - all components are off the shelf or customized pieces

The point of this early post is to give everyone time to prepare for the start of the build on December 22. Everyone may prepare and gather parts/pieces, scratch builders may begin dimensioning their lumber in preparation for the build.

RULES:

• All entrants must declare their entry after the Build Off is officially started on December 22, by posting a build thread in which to showcase their build.
• Each build thread must start with a "pile of wood/parts" pic. The pic must include a written phrase that will be announced in the Build Off start thread on Dec 22.
• Multiple entries in the same or different categories is permitted (and encouraged! )
• Entrants can enter anytime before the build off end date (in other words, late entries are permitted).
• Entrants must indicate in their build thread, which type of build they are doing.
• Minimum diameter for lowest pitch string is 0.084". This is a bass website after all.

• Scratch Builds must be built from scratch from dimensioned lumber.
  • Dimensioned lumber includes: Billets, 1-pce neck blanks, matched tops, stringers, thin laminates, veneers, fingerboards, pre-slotted/radiused fretboards, etc.
  • Scratch builds must not have any components glued up or cut out prior to the start. Built components must have their build process pictorially included in the entry thread.

• Partial Builds must identify all components used and explain what is built and what is bought. All built parts must have their build process pictorially included in the entry thread.

• Assembly Builds must identify all components used. All modified parts used must have their modification process pictorially included in the entry thread.

Any questions may be posted here or PM me.

Please feel free to discuss the build off here, there will be a separate announcement thread on December 22 - that will officially start the build off.

Happy planning!

Hey Beej

Thanks so much for creating and organizing this Winter Build! How great is this? And perhaps a little less restrictive as far as I can tell - compared to the most recent contests. Way cool! I have been completely immersed for many, many pandemic months working diligently on my wife Leah's new album, which features Gary Blu (Steely Dan) and Stan Whitaker (also Happy the Man). I must confess, outside of bass building it's the most fun I have ever had. Yes, some of us still create and play music, thankfully - it's been my life blood and the life saver around my waist the past 18 months, I have been thoroughly obsessed and having a blast!

So with any luck I will be freed up by then and able to enter the event - although the plan was always to do a batch of 5-6. We will see how this pans out for me, but either way I will thoroughly enjoy taking in all the craftsmanship!

But thanks so much for getting this together!

 

[Flamingo21]

Is building a piccolo six string bass aka guitar ok? I'm tempted to build a Parker Dragonfly-style instrument.

Just remember that, as per the rules, the thickest string must be at least an 84.

Just finished talking to my former luthier mate, and he suggested that I try to build an 8[This invalid link has been removed] type instrument as an NS Stick is the only thing on my 'want to buy' list. I really have enough conventional basses and guitars at the moment.
Is that eligible?

Same here: the thickest string must be at least an 84. I suppose that won't be a problem, but I don't know how a Stick is tuned so I thought I'd mention it.

 

[TerribleTim68]

About 30 basses and 6 guitars is enough. Plus I have at least 3 basses and 2 guitars that I would like to build later.

Currently I own 7 basses. My wife won't let me buy any more, thus the reason I started building them. I don't comprehend "enough", and that pretty much goes for everything in life.

In the words of the great poet David Lee Roth "If it's worth doing.....it's worth overdoing!"

Okay, maybe he wasn't that great.....or even a poet.

 

[TerribleTim68]

Just remember that as per the rules, the thickest string must be at least an 84....

That's an actual rule?!?!?

 

[Flamingo21]

It's in the opening post.

 

[Jeff Siddall]

0.084 is going to be a challenge for a piccolo as even the heaviest DDT 7 string sets generally top out at 0.065.

D'Addario NYXL0984SB do go to 0.084, as do bass VI sets.

 

[Beej]

Speaking of the 0.084 string rule.... what are people's thought on that? We had it clearly specified a few build offs ago, but it does potentially eliminate instruments that may still fall in the "bass" category.

I'm going to wax poetic here...

In addition to bass, I also play guitar. I'm also a long-time metalhead, though I don't play it much these days. I've got an 8 string guitar with a 27" scale and an ernie ball hybrid slinky set with a 0.090 F#. Technically it's a guitar, but when I used it in a band context a while back, it was enough to hold the bass end of things without using an actual bass. I also played bass with those guys, but the 8 string got me thinking about what instruments can be used to complete the sound of a band.

When I put up the Get Ready thread, this did pass through my skull and I almost didn't include it. I thought it might sort itself out and that the majority would enter bass or bass hybrid instruments and so it would not be an issue. In the end, out of respect for trying to keep things the same as Scoops, I included the 0.084 spec.

Personally, I'm not hung up on that and think it might be more useful to have a wider scope for the build-off? Like perhaps we agree that a straight up Les Paul guitar build would not be welcomed as much as bass builds, but what if the person is making a 28" scale 7 string Paul and plans to use it with an octave pedal? Or they want to build a full-scale piccolo bass to channel their inner Foley?


Should we maintain the 0.084 as a hard rule?

Should we opt to review individual submissions that may be outside of the traditional bass form?

What are your thoughts? Everyone's opinion is welcome!

 

[rwkeating]

Both a Chapman Stick and NS/Stick would meet the " greater than .084 for the lowest string" rule, no problem. The NS tuned instruments I've built have a .106 for the lowest string (tuned to low B as on a 5 string bass.)

Edit: My lowest is actually a .110 gauge. I was just thinking of going thinner, so .106 stuck in my mind. Oops.

 

[ctmullins]

The "greater than 0.084" is really meant to represent "able to function in the bass role in most musical contexts". Without electronic trickery, that is (such as an octave pedal). So if you can figure out how to authoritatively hold down a bass line with an 0.082, I'm okay with that.

 

[postalflunkie]

How about an exception to the 0.084" rule specifically for a piccolo bass, where it would then have to have at least a 30" inch scale and no more than four strings?

 

[Flamingo21]

How about an exception to the 0.084" rule specifically for a piccolo bass, where it would then have to have at least a 30" inch scale and no more than four strings?

That seems harsh on MPU, who just said he wants to build a SIX STRING piccolo bass.

 

[RichterScale]

There it is.
This is officially out of control.
Skinny strings on basses, fat strings on guitars, cats livin with dogs,....
what is this, some lawless, godless old west town in the 1800s?

 

[A9X]

That's funny, Ford is always the first thing I think of.

I drive a mid 90s Ford and have in the same E series range for nearly 20y. These were used as taxis so a million km is nothing special, and whilst EFI are not over computerised so you can fix them with simple tools and because so many were made, there are still lots of parts out there.