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Doghouse Double Bass - in the Vertical Position

Posted by doghousereilly on March 12, 2019 at 6:50pm in Building Secrets, Tips, Advice, Discussion

Good evening guys

Fresh face on the board … I am looking for advice re building a one-string bass on a vertical plinth, to be played as a stand-up bass … has it been done, is it possible ? I am hoping the answer is on this board somewhere

list of components :

1. bass tuner peg

2. bone nut

3. bottle bridge

4. rusty nail tailpiece

all above secured to the plinth and a bass string connected over them, pickup and jack to follow

sound like a plan ? what kind of distances are involved, and how would I play it, with a slide, with a bow, by turning the peg ???

thanks everyone

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Replies

  • BrianQ. March 15, 2019 at 12:08am

    Search the band “Morphine” their bass player was known for slide bass. Plenty have built them, so we know it works? 

  • doghousereilly March 14, 2019 at 6:57pm

    thanks, dont want to overcomplicate with the whamola ... what type of response would i get with a slide on a double bass string ?

  • JL March 14, 2019 at 9:20am

    vertical ¿plinth?, bottle bridge, sounds like a bass scale plank-type diddley bow.

    Electric bass guitars have a scale length of 34" bridge to nut, double bass scale length is 41" to 43.5" nut to bridge, so that depends on the string you buy and how much extra length it has.

    Using a glass bottle for a bridge with no elevated fingerboard definitely means playing with a slide or else adding a big lever to make it a whamola to change the pitch. (search youtube for whamola)

    plucking with your fingers, using a cello or bass bow, or whacking the string with a drumstick are all good options.

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