First CB bass build..Questions regarding neck thickness etc..

Posted by Mike Huber on September 7, 2013 at 12:04am

Hi all! :-) I'm planning on building a 2 string  trimmer line strung fretless bass bass and i have a few questions:

  1. What thickness/type of wood should i use for the neck? The neck on this will be un- reinforced ..Trying       to keep it simple  

   

   2. What is the ideal brands/thicknesses of trimmer line for bass building? (i plan on tuning it E,A)

    

   3. Is there a recommended scale length?.. I was thinking of either using the scale length of 41 3/4                         inches  (3/4 size) or 38 inches (1/2 size) 

   

     4. What type of pickup works best? 

     ................And finally how does one knot the trimmer line? :-) 

     Thanks in advance for the help

        Mike 

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Replies

  • billykissell December 9, 2013 at 3:17pm
    I find the peizo to be very "tinny" for a bass. i use a combo of piezo and mic to mix string and body sound.
  • billykissell December 9, 2013 at 3:15pm
    heat the line to tie the knot. you can heat a pan of sand and dip the line in the sand to transfer the heat without burning the string. that's how they bend eyeglass temples. i have an old set of weedwacker strings from my upright. they are tempered to reduce/eliminate stretching. they have no sustain and very little tone. i very much prefer my tapewounds. light action, rich tone, nice sustain without over-ringing and super easy on the fingers..
  • eK September 14, 2013 at 7:02pm

    I'd suggest keeping the scale length to 35" or less. Anything over that is impractical for the average human hand.

    Most basses either use 34" or 30" - which are considered the "standard" bass scale lengths. Some 5-string basses will go with 35" to add a little additional tension to accommodate the low-B string. And Rickenbacker is a bit of a maverick because they use a 33" (which they call "medium") scale length.

    34" is probably your best bet for a first try.

    :-))

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