Hi, very quick question and google didn't throw up an answer, can you use standard guitar tuning pegs if making a 2 string cigar box bass ?
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Hi, very quick question and google didn't throw up an answer, can you use standard guitar tuning pegs if making a 2 string cigar box bass ?
You need to be a member of Cigar Box Nation to add comments!
Replies
If you want to use guitar ones best shorten the scale to thirty odd inches and get schaller type with a 8-9mm post, not budget ones like bens with the 6mm post
The d and g strings you're after are no fatter than beefy guitar strings anyway
Actually the G and D strings would be ideal for my use. I was wanting to make a two stringer tuned F and C. Then have the fret hi-lighted with dulcimer layout. The reason is that a lot of the songs we do at our Uke club are in the key of F and C and thus in theory for some of the songs we could use this to add a little depth to our songs (I hope).
i asked that a few weeks ago dont do it . you will blow the gears on the pegs or rip the post right off .
ahhh ok, thanks
Would this still be the case using light bass strings?
e.g.
*G .040" 1.02mm *D .060" 1.52mm *A .075" 1.91mm *E .095" 2.41mm
The G & D strings would probably be okay, but the E at .095" is only ten thousandths (.010") of an inch smaller than regular bass E (.105").
Bass tuners can be found online for $10 to $20 for a set of 4, and would allow you to use the E or A strings.
Besides size difference between regular and bass guitar tuners, the other difference is the hole or slot that the string enters the tuning pegs matter. Most standard tuners have a small lateral hole thru the peg, large enough for regular strings, too small for bass strings. On bass pegs, the end of each string enters vertically into the peg, and then laid across the slotted head of the peg before winding.
There are some versions of vintage tuners on regular electric guitar tuners that have the vertical application, but as Rand said, lots more tension w/ bass strings, and the gears in regular tuners may not stand up to the pressure.
If you check out the size of bass tuners (you can check them out by searching on the CBGitty.com website), you will see that bass tuners are much larger than standard guitar tuners, and I suspect this is because it takes a lot more pulling force on the thicker bass strings to bring (and keep) them into tune. If your guitar stock doesn't have the real estate, then you might investigate some alternatives like thicker diameter fishing line and weed-wacker "string". I have yet to build a bass CBG, so I'm no authority on the topic. It could be that others have had success using bass strings with standard guitar tuners. So, I guess we should stayed tuned to this thread to find out from other CBN members... There is also a CBN discussion group called "Cigar Box Basses" which you might try reading through. I'm pretty sure the question has probably come up before.
-Rand.