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PostPosted: Tue Mar 20, 2007 10:21 am 
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Koa
Koa

Joined: Sat Jun 17, 2006 8:29 am
Posts: 960
Location: Northern Ireland
First name: Martin
Last Name: Edwards
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur
Greetings purveyors of all knowledge.....

I have some walnut, a dread mould and no acoustic bass in the family........

Anyone built one and have a pic of the bracing?

the total tension will be less than a six so the bracing can be as light, right?

and for bridge pins......

have they gotta be bigger too? I've never seen them for sale EVER!!!

Thanks!!

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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Tue Mar 20, 2007 10:42 am 
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Contributing Member
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Joined: Sat Nov 26, 2005 7:32 pm
Posts: 1969
Location: United States
Why not go pinless on the bridge? Perhaps no pins and insert from the inside with the ball end remaining on the bridge plate.

If tension is lighter than a 6, wouldn't you want the bracing to be lighter?

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PostPosted: Tue Mar 20, 2007 12:45 pm 
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Koa
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Joined: Mon Oct 23, 2006 1:46 am
Posts: 588
Location: Is this heaven? "No, it's Iowa."
Martin, I've only built one ABG, I built it very light, and I made the bridge
pins out of the same honduran rosewood that I made the bridge out of.
Mine is bigger than a drednaught. 34" scale with a cut away. I wish I had
pics... but, right after I got it done, a friend (who is a great bass player)
abscoded it, He loves it and wants me to make one for him, so, I need to
get it back soon. I want to reverse engineer it so I can figure out what I
did. I'll try to get some pics to share with you.

long

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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Tue Mar 20, 2007 1:01 pm 
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Koa
Koa

Joined: Thu Nov 10, 2005 12:43 pm
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Location: United States
I believe that Martin sells bass bridge pins.

Al


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Tue Mar 20, 2007 1:30 pm 
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Cocobolo
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Joined: Fri Mar 31, 2006 6:11 pm
Posts: 296
Location: United States
First name: Louis
Last Name: Freilicher
City: Belchertown
State: MA
Zip/Postal Code: 01007
Country: USA
Focus: Repair
Status: Professional
End pin + Slot = Bass pin.



Louis

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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Tue Mar 20, 2007 4:42 pm 
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Koa
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Location: Is this heaven? "No, it's Iowa."
[QUOTE=Louis4052] End pin + Slot = Bass pin.



Louis[/QUOTE]

It kinda makes a difference how you add it up, Bridge pins are only about
3/4" long, and when you add up, The thickness of the bridge + Top +
Bridge plate,    There isn't much pin left to bear against the ball end of
the string.

Long

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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Tue Mar 20, 2007 4:49 pm 
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Koa
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Location: Is this heaven? "No, it's Iowa."
EDIT "End pins are only about
3/4" long"

Long

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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Tue Mar 20, 2007 9:49 pm 
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Koa
Koa

Joined: Sat Jun 17, 2006 8:29 am
Posts: 960
Location: Northern Ireland
First name: Martin
Last Name: Edwards
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur
Thanks folks, all good info so far.

I'll prolly make her a bit deeper than a dread, but I'm fully aware that an acoustic bass is pretty much useless unless amplified, so I'll be putting in a piezo under the saddle.

I pretty much never play completely unplugged anyway, maybe just at the odd house group meeting which is just me and an acoustic guitar anyway.

scale length will be the full Fender slotted F/B from Stewmac and I'm sort of thinking that that'll put the neck/body join up around 16 or 18th fret anyway so I wasn't planning a cutaway.

as to the bridge, the idea of just having the holes and no pins hadn't occured to me. There's less chance of breaking bass strings (though I have done it on my electric bass!!) so it'll be an "all off" string change situation anyway.... Hmmmmm worth considering as (here I go, thinking out loud again) the more mass on the bridge, the LESS bass response right? thats what happened on my Jumbo which I fitted with Brass pins to calm the bottom end down......

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PostPosted: Wed Mar 21, 2007 2:00 am 
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Mahogany
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Joined: Mon Nov 28, 2005 9:40 am
Posts: 55
Location: Tampa, Florida
I recall a short article by William Cumpiano on an acoustic bass guitar. You may want to read his response and recommendations for this type of instrument at:

http://www.cumpiano.com/Home/Articles/Special%20interest/Acb ass/acbass.htm


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Wed Mar 21, 2007 5:06 am 
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Koa
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Joined: Sat Jun 17, 2006 8:29 am
Posts: 960
Location: Northern Ireland
First name: Martin
Last Name: Edwards
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur
Yup, everything he says is true, (but I'm still gonna build one )

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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Thu Mar 22, 2007 11:56 am 
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Cocobolo
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Joined: Fri Jan 07, 2005 10:32 pm
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Location: Isle Of Man
I used a 32" scale for my reso bass - less string tension that way and it's more comfortable to play than a regular scale but not as slack as a short-scale. On a 000 body that's put the body join at the 16th fret. Just chop the first fret off the Stew-Mac board and there you have it.

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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Fri Mar 23, 2007 1:03 am 
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Brazilian Rosewood
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Joined: Sat Jun 17, 2006 3:48 am
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Absolutely go for it, martin!

I have had aspirations to build an acoustic jumbo bass for a while. I did think about building a double bass, but we would probably need a bigger house!!!


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Fri Mar 23, 2007 2:36 am 
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Cocobolo
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Joined: Thu Jun 23, 2005 9:36 am
Posts: 381
Location: United States
First name: Wayne
Last Name: Clark
City: Driftwood
State: TX
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur
Two years ago I saw Leo Kottke and Mike Gordon at a local music festival. Gordon played an acoustic bass throughout the set and I thought it sounded great. Of course both guitars were amplified as it was an outdoor stage.

Ever since then, I have also been considering building one. Go for it!

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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Fri Mar 23, 2007 5:44 am 
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Koa
Koa

Joined: Sat Jun 17, 2006 8:29 am
Posts: 960
Location: Northern Ireland
First name: Martin
Last Name: Edwards
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur
[QUOTE=LouisianaGrey] I used a 32" scale for my reso bass - less string tension that way and it's more comfortable to play than a regular scale but not as slack as a short-scale. On a 000 body that's put the body join at the 16th fret. Just chop the first fret off the Stew-Mac board and there you have it.[/QUOTE]

hmmmm that sounds doable........

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