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Add a bass string to your standard build
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Skeesix on
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Well I was interested in what people had to say about this too, but it's not like you're getting a ton of answers. So I'll make a guess. The guitar strings and the bass string have to be the same scale. So you're going to have to make some sort of compromise on scale. A baritone scale might be the best of both worlds.When I played one of John's Lowebows, the scale was quite long.
Another possible solution is to do the slanted fret thing. The nut and bridge are both slanted - the 12th fret is only thing that's perpendicular. In this case, each string is a different scale length. You could possibly make the bass string an actual bass scale length and the guitar strings actually guitar scale length. This is something for sure you would want to draw out in a drafting program first to see if it would actually work.
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Permalink Reply by Jason May on
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One guitar friend suggested I could do a 25.5 scale, but the bass string would need to have higher action. Or, he said I could lengthen the scale a bit and lower the action down and still use the same scale. however, he also said if I wanted it to be a straight slider, I wouldn't have to worry as much. I'm starting to toy with the idea of having two nuts, but then my scales won't match up and it would be tough dropping to that lower note. It would only really work if I wanted it to be a solo string.
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I'm also surprised that there were no responses. It leads me to believe there are a bunch of people sitting and waiting hoping someone gives an answer so they can build one too. I know people do it and it's on a lot of folks mind. But I really want to use good wood etc on this, so I don't want to waist my time unless I have a pretty good idea of what I'm doing.
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Permalink Reply by Randy S. Bretz on
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Darren Brown did a build like your talking about. My corian build [ even though it has dulci fretting ] is a 28" scale length. I used a heavy bass string plus a .026 and a .018. It has a sound all it`s own, great for playing those bass riffs plus the higher strings add some mando sounds to it. I found that I can capo the neck and still get a great "thump" sound.http://www.youtube.com/user/brown4895#p/u/33/k5XHmixOm0c
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Permalink Reply by Ted Crocker on
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I was waiting too. I think a different scale would work if the nut was in the same place for both, with a different bridge for the bass string. That would give you 2 scales, and require you to be aware when fretting the bass string. Lots of thought involved with matching your bass to the git strings - different frets for the appropriate notes.
On the Lowebow I had, it had one bass string and 3 guitar strings. Both the same scale - 30". That seems to be the smart way for the most comfortable playing and keeping in relatively the same key. I've got a stereo project like this coming up so I'm interested to hear everyones ideas as well. Mine will be fretless.
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LOL!! I knew people were waiting.
I was thinking around 30in. Moving the bridge rather than the nut is a really good idea. Hmmmmmm
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That corian build sounds pretty great in that clip. Got pics of the whole thing?
Randy S. Bretz said:
Darren Brown did a build like your talking about. My corian build [ even though it has dulci fretting ] is a 28" scale length. I used a heavy bass string plus a .026 and a .018. It has a sound all it`s own, great for playing those bass riffs plus the higher strings add some mando sounds to it. I found that I can capo the neck and still get a great "thump" sound.http://www.youtube.com/user/brown4895#p/u/33/k5XHmixOm0c
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yep the whole fretbaord is a piece of 1/2" corian, and beleive it or not the frets were easy to put in with no glue. Yeah it`s smooth as butter to play, plus it acts like a truss rod. The bridge is one of my signiture Mojobone Works piezo bone bridges. There`s about a 1/16" of bone left between the piezo and the the saddle, their hard to make but the end result is well worth it.
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