After building a dozen CB Ukes, I came across a beautiful 48" long piece of Redheart lumber that I couldn't bear to cut down for a uke. So I found a bigger cigar box on vacation in NOLA (a "Cuban Spliff"; only a crazy CBGer brings home an empty cigar box from Mardi Gras...), and now I'm making a standing bass. I'm puzzling about the scale length, but 35" seems about right --- like a short scale bass guitar --- if I want the neck to go through the box and out what will be the bottom. I've already installed a 6-inch resonator. I plan to use a flying trapeze for a mandolin as the tailpiece. I'm going to make a puck and install a piezo rod pick-up under the saddle. I'm using horn for the saddle; I couldn't find a big enough piece of bone. I'm going to taper the yellowheart fingerboard from about 1-1/2 at the nut to about 2 inches at the bottom, and I'm going to leave it fretless. But I think I'll install markers on the side of the fingerboard at the first octave (first G harmonic), at D above the first octave and at the second octave (higher G harmonic). Apparently installing markers on the fingerboard is crass to bass players. I planned to load it with strings for a standing bass (GDAE from high to low), but --- expletive deleted --- they're expensive. I'd like to use something classier than weed whacker line.

OK. So. Does anyone have any experience building these things who might like to comment and offer suggestions and tips. Is a 35" scale enough? Will a mando tailpiece work? Does that mean I need strings with a little loop or the end, or will ball ends work? What relatively economical strings should I get? Any thoughts? Thanks CBGers!

Larry

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