***** Guitar Project Jigs, Tools & Techniques Online Resources Archives OLF Video Page Library of plans MP3 Library Inlay Class
Offical Luthiers Forum





And our community proudly sponsored by:

RC Tonewoods | Stewart MacDonald | LuthiersForum
TasmanianTonewoods | OLF | OLF MERCH
Luthier Suppliers | Pacific Coast Woods | ELEVATE
OLF X | Tasmanian Acoustic Tonewood | Luthiers Forum Store!
Luthiers Forum | OLF Facebook | AVAIL SPACE
OLF | Alaska Specialty Woods | A.Hix Tonewood
Duke of Pearl | Birkonium CNC | Space




Official Luthiers Forum!

Owned and operated by Lance Kragenbrink
It is currently Sat Apr 20, 2024 1:17 am


Board index » Electric Guitar & Bass Construction

All times are UTC - 5 hours





Post new topic Reply to topic  Page 1 of 1
  [ 6 posts ] 
  Print view Previous topic | Next topic 
Author Message
ChuckG
PostPosted: Wed Apr 01, 2009 9:38 am 
Offline
Cocobolo
Cocobolo

Joined: Tue Nov 27, 2007 2:36 am
Posts: 241
Location: Magnolia, Texas
First name: Chuck
Last Name: Gilbert
Focus: Build
Status: Semi-pro
A customer has asked me to build a 5 string acoustic bass for him. Does anyone know where I could get a set of plans as a starting point? I've built many acoustic guitars, but never a bass.

Thanks,
Chuck
Top
 Profile  
 
Dave Higham
PostPosted: Wed Apr 01, 2009 11:18 am 
Offline
Cocobolo
Cocobolo
User avatar

Joined: Sat Nov 19, 2005 10:54 am
Posts: 378
Location: Between Bordeaux and the Atlantic. S.W.France
The GAL has one, although I've not heard of anyone who's made one, so I don't know how well it works.
http://www.luth.org/plans/pl13.jpg

There's a free one on the MIMF.
http://www.mimf.com/library/mateus_abg.gif

There's also a free one on R.M.Mottola's site which looks as if it ought to be good but is a little more 'outside the box'.http://liutaiomottola.com/instruments/Tinozza.htm

There may be more. As to 5-strings, acoustically a low B will be just about inaudible. Some makers add a high B (I think Doolin does).
Top
 Profile  
 
ChuckG
PostPosted: Wed Apr 01, 2009 12:15 pm 
Offline
Cocobolo
Cocobolo

Joined: Tue Nov 27, 2007 2:36 am
Posts: 241
Location: Magnolia, Texas
First name: Chuck
Last Name: Gilbert
Focus: Build
Status: Semi-pro
Dave,
Thanks so much for the information. This looks like a great place to start.

Chuck
Top
 Profile  
 
cyrguitars
PostPosted: Thu Apr 02, 2009 10:31 am 
Offline
Mahogany
Mahogany
User avatar

Joined: Thu Oct 11, 2007 6:48 am
Posts: 87
Location: United States
First name: Steve
Last Name: Cyr
City: Roseville
State: CA
Country: USA
Focus: Build
Status: Professional
I've built two. I did not have a set of plans to work from, but I did have a set of the "Herringbone Guitar" plans that you can buy from LMI or StewMac. I developed the body shape I wanted (a cutaway jumbo about 16-1/2 wide), and adapted the brace pattern from the Herringbone Guitar plan to fit the jumbo body shape. I documented the builds on two web pages on by website:

http://www.cyrguitars.com/AcousticBassProjectPage.html

http://www.cyrguitars.com/Acoustic5Stri ... tPage.html

Feel free to ask questions!

-- Steve
Attachment:
ABG5_TheStringsAreOn01_small.JPG
Attachment:
BG_YouveGotStrings01-S.JPG


You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.

_________________
---Steve
Top
 Profile  
 
Bruce Dickey
PostPosted: Sun Apr 05, 2009 11:30 am 
Offline
Brazilian Rosewood
Brazilian Rosewood
User avatar

Joined: Wed Feb 01, 2006 3:25 am
Posts: 3788
Location: Russellville, Arkansas
Nice Job Steve, bd [:Y:]

_________________
http://www.dickeyguitars.com
Top
 Profile  
 
cyrguitars
PostPosted: Sun Apr 05, 2009 6:16 pm 
Offline
Mahogany
Mahogany
User avatar

Joined: Thu Oct 11, 2007 6:48 am
Posts: 87
Location: United States
First name: Steve
Last Name: Cyr
City: Roseville
State: CA
Country: USA
Focus: Build
Status: Professional
Bruce Dickey wrote:
Nice Job Steve, bd [:Y:]


Thanks, Bruce. I sold the 4-string last year, but the 5-string is part of my personal arsenal. :-) As with all ABG's I've come across, it works OK unamplified with a couple of acoustic instruments if you play it with a heavy pick. I set it up with a pretty high action so you can play it hard, too.

I got into a Bluegrass jam with a couple of dreadnaughts and a mandolin once, and the bass held its own until the banjo player showed up - then it was all over.

The truth of the matter is that these are really electric basses that look like acoustic guitars.

--Steve

_________________
---Steve
Top
 Profile  
 
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  Page 1 of 1
  [ 6 posts ] 

Board index » Electric Guitar & Bass Construction

All times are UTC - 5 hours


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 16 guests

You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Jump to:  
cron
Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group
phpBB customization services by 2by2host.com