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5 String Acoustic Bass Plans
http://mowrystrings.luthiersforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10123&t=21741		 Page 1 of 1
Author:  ChuckG [ Wed Apr 01, 2009 9:38 am ]
Post subject:  5 String Acoustic Bass Plans
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
Author:  Dave Higham [ Wed Apr 01, 2009 11:18 am ]
Post subject:  Re: 5 String Acoustic Bass Plans
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).
Author:  ChuckG [ Wed Apr 01, 2009 12:15 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: 5 String Acoustic Bass Plans
Dave,
Thanks so much for the information. This looks like a great place to start.

Chuck
Author:  cyrguitars [ Thu Apr 02, 2009 10:31 am ]
Post subject:  Re: 5 String Acoustic Bass Plans
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
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Author:  Bruce Dickey [ Sun Apr 05, 2009 11:30 am ]
Post subject:  Re: 5 String Acoustic Bass Plans
Nice Job Steve, bd [:Y:]
Author:  cyrguitars [ Sun Apr 05, 2009 6:16 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: 5 String Acoustic Bass Plans
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
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