Low F# Tuning

[bennerman]

Just FYI it will be cheaper buy something than make it. Especially if you got a job and worked for all the hours of research you would have put into making the bass, and that doesn't even account for making the instrument.

First of all, I doubt a bass like this even exists. when looking through everything, I have found the hardware (cheap stuff) to equal about 100 dollars. The fretboard will be about 60 from the places I have looked. The wood I doubt will be more than 200. So liberally, I am placing it at 500 or 600 dollars.

Or I could just save time and order it from Conklin for 3000 dollars with a year or so wait time (real time saver), and not get the pride of doing something myself or enjoy the quality time with my father (who I don't live with) and my grandfather (who I haven't talked to in damn near 10 years). Yeah, buying it makes sense.

 

[HSI_Official]

You might want to be careful using ebony as stringers in your neck.

I second this opinion. I've worked in the finish department of several guitar shops/manufacturers, and I've seen Ebony fingerboards shrink enough during a season change that the fret tang will poke out the side and push bits of the finish away from the wood, leaving little de-laminated spots that appear as whitish dots, just because the Ebony itself shrank.

(There are various ways to avoid this, obviously, as most manufacturers don't have this problem. I bring it up only as an illustration of the amount that Ebony can potentially move during climate changes)

My recent experience doing fretwork leads me to believe that necks with Ebony and African Blackwood fingerboards also have an increased tendency to warp. It's a marginal increase in frequency, but it's worth noting. As with all anecdotal evidence, it's not to be taken as gospel, and you should definitely do some extra research.

I don't have much personal experience with instruments with Wenge necks, but I have been told repeatedly that it is very stable by colleagues in the industry, and might be a more suitable alternative for the center stringer of the neck. You might also consider it as a fretboard alternative if you're not set on Ebony. (Can't blame you if you are; I don't think there's a more beautiful fretboard material than Ebony)

 

[bennerman]

I second this opinion. I've worked in the finish department of several guitar shops/manufacturers, and I've seen Ebony fingerboards shrink enough during a season change that the fret tang will poke out the side and push bits of the finish away from the wood, leaving little de-laminated spots that appear as whitish dots, just because the Ebony itself shrank.

(There are various ways to avoid this, obviously, as most manufacturers don't have this problem. I bring it up only as an illustration of the amount that Ebony can potentially move during climate changes)

My recent experience doing fretwork leads me to believe that necks with Ebony and African Blackwood fingerboards also have an increased tendency to warp. It's a marginal increase in frequency, but it's worth noting. As with all anecdotal evidence, it's not to be taken as gospel, and you should definitely do some extra research.

I don't have much personal experience with instruments with Wenge necks, but I have been told repeatedly that it is very stable by colleagues in the industry, and might be a more suitable alternative for the center stringer of the neck. You might also consider it as a fretboard alternative if you're not set on Ebony. (Can't blame you if you are; I don't think there's a more beautiful fretboard material than Ebony)

Any idea how to stop the shrinkage?

 

[engage757]

just get a Warwick Vampyre!

 

[bennerman]

I din't think you people understand that I want to do this myself. Even if I had the money to get a good bass, I would still want to do it myself.

 

[idunno]

Do IT!! Dont listen to anyone who tells you not to, or why you need to tune so low, why you need so many strings...FUCK YOU THATS WHY.

 

[bennerman]

Do IT!! Dont listen to anyone who tells you not to, or why you need to tune so low, why you need so many strings...FUCK YOU THATS WHY.

I can't tell if you are trolling or not, and frankly I don't care. You're frickin' smart.


Music is about experimentation. If everyone stuck to the standard, not only would we not even have 7 string guitars (and thus this guitar), we wouldn't even have guitars period.

 

[idunno]

Exactly! Everyone who hears about the seven im working on says "why seven" like its dirty or something. After i explain most people get it, but a lot unfortunately dont. Or they think all im going to do is chug the low string.....well theres lots of that... but there is more too!

Hit me up if you need help ill be glad to share info! Heres a sneak peak..

 

[knuckle_head]

I absolutely encourage you to do it your way.

I will suggest that with carbon reinforcement maple in three sections is more than up to the job. Go exotic if you like the look or timbre, but you shouldn't need it for the structure.

 

[bennerman]

I absolutely encourage you to do it your way.

I will suggest that with carbon reinforcement maple in three sections is more than up to the job. Go exotic if you like the look or timbre, but you shouldn't need it for the structure.

I want the look and the sound it'll (fingers crossed) lend.

EDIT: What is the actual length of the 40" scale strings you sell?

 

[idunno]

knucklehead knows whats up.

 

[knuckle_head]

What is the actual length of the 40" scale strings you sell?

They're in the spec PDF on my site;

String Specs

 

[Stealthdjentstic]

First of all, I doubt a bass like this even exists. when looking through everything, I have found the hardware (cheap stuff) to equal about 100 dollars. The fretboard will be about 60 from the places I have looked. The wood I doubt will be more than 200. So liberally, I am placing it at 500 or 600 dollars.

Or I could just save time and order it from Conklin for 3000 dollars with a year or so wait time (real time saver), and not get the pride of doing something myself or enjoy the quality time with my father (who I don't live with) and my grandfather (who I haven't talked to in damn near 10 years). Yeah, buying it makes sense.

That's cool, I was just saying that don't do it for the reason that you think it'll be cheaper than buying one instead outright.

Even if you only made 10 an hour it would be more time/cost efficient.

 

[bennerman]

 

[ZEBOV]

Just a few days ago, I ordered a set of .174 .130 .098 .073 .055 gauges for a cheap 34" scale bass. http://circlekstrings.com/CKSIMAGES/CircleKtensionChart.pdf
I took a good look at that tension chart before ordering. When I get the strings, I'll get my bass set up for them, try it out on my amp, and then make a video. It's likely that it will be somewhat muddy simply because of the cheap stock pickups on my bass, but I'll know if's it's muddier or cleaner than before. My amp is perfect though.

My Circle K strings arrived today. My next day off work is Saturday, so I'll take my bass to the guitar store then to have the nut filed.

 

[bennerman]

Seriously, anyone know anything about stopping the shrinkage of ebony? I read lemon oil somewhere. Does that work? Will it work for the neck, too?

 

[MF_Kitten]

Skip, i have been wondering about low tunings on 34" scale... Those who have done it have usually gotten the thickest "regular" strings they can, from the d'addario .145 to .175 warwick dark lord set, and it usually sounds pretty awesome.

Now, the thing is, the options right now are aither really huge strings or really loose tension. Is there any way to make a string that isn't so huge, but that has a tighter core? I know there are guitar strings out now that are thinner, yet tighter, for those who like the sound of thinner strings.

What are e tonal implications of doing that once you get into large strings territory? Like, what if you could make a .170 with the tension of a .190 or something?

 

[knuckle_head]

bennerman - Ebony will always move on you and will move less the thinner it is. It is a difficult species to glue to as it's not very porous - standard wood glue isn't the right stuff. You'll want to use a urethane glue.

Don't worry about using it - just know that you will see a line in your finish a little bit. You're using it for the right reason in the right spot.

MF_Kitten - There are a couple of ways to make a string stiffer. There is only one way to make a string tighter. The stiffer you make a string the fewer harmonics there will be - and this runs contrary to string design for standard A and up. While you will end up with something that feels right it will end up sounding incongruous.

Much like speaker enclosures, there is no free lunch. For speakers there is loud and low and cheap. For strings its thin and tight and toneful. You can pick only two of the three.

 

[MF_Kitten]

I thought that would be the case. Thanks!

I am okay with a loose feel, as long as it's not floppy (which i know your strings aren't), so i'll be ordering soon... I just need to figure out what i'll be tuning to first, as it has to be able to tune up or down to meet the different tunings i am using on the guitars.

 

[ixlramp]

Is there any way to make a string that isn't so huge, but that has a tighter core?

The tension equation is T = U * (2 * L * F)squared.
For a particular pitch F on a particular scale L, T is proportional to U, the unit weight (the weight of 1 inch of string).
This means double the unit weight -> double the tension.

So essentially tension is proportional to the string mass. One way would be to use a hypothetical ultra-high density wrap wire, but if you are using standard steel wrap wire there's only so much mass you can squeeze into a particular gauge. Depending on the string construction (formula) the mass of a particular gauge does vary slightly, hence the slight variation in tension between different brands. Comparing the unit weight data of nickel roundwounds published by D'Addario and Circle K, the CKs are very roughly 5% more massive for the same gauge, for example the CK 130 has the mass of the D'Addario 135. So CKs are slightly tighter than D'Addario for the same gauge.

I hope this makes sense