Crazy, stupid, archtop style, 6 string bass - how to build it?

[wadkin]

When I made a ABG (acoustic bass guitar) I just took a basic j200 style jumbo body and stuck four strings on it. it sounds great plenty of volume, why do anything else? My mane concern for a 6 string would be that it's a hell off a lot of tension, more like 100 kg rather then around 50 kg of tension of a normal acoustic guitar. so bare that in mind when bracing that itl need to be stronger to withstand the force. The main issue I have with my ABG is that I get a lot of fret noise with metal strings but, that's no problem if you go fret-less.

Many people have tried building flat tops with massive double bass size bodies, but they actualy tended to sound rather muddy and muffled. Think about it like this, a giant bass would sound like playing music through just your sub woofer, very bassy wooly and muffled. You get much more of that high mid range attack and clarity with a jumbo size body. closer to an electric bass sound then a double bass. A bigger bass won't sound louder acoustically smaller guitars are in fact potentially louder. This is because a smaller soundboards acts more like a plate with fixed boundaries than one with hinged boundaries. I learned this in a lecture from Bernard Richardson http://viennatalk.mdw.ac.at/papers/Pap_ ... ardson.pdf

It just so turns out that it doesn't matter if you can't hear the fundamental this won't effect how loud the instrument sounds. This is because your brain can still work out the note, based on the harmonics. This is why music still makes sense on headphones even though they are physically in capable of producing any of the bass notes whatsoever.

I would agree with others that an arch top bass guitar would probably sound rather thin and weak acoustically and lack sustain, much like it's archtop jazz guitar counterpart. I hope some of this is helpful...

[slowlearner]

It is actually. I'm going for a Selmer style setup with a low break angle. The idea is to have less tension on the top. I know what you mean re string tension too.

[nkforster]

I think even Nigel has said when he introduced this build that it was not the loudest.
Add in all the mass of a headless bridge and the inherent problems with an guitar sized acoustic bass and you might be able to play along with a softly strummed ukulele.

Aye, you're right. These aren't designed to be acoustic guitars, though they are better sounding acoustically than most 335's I've tried. The idea was to make a better semi acoustic. I made a full depth one and it wasn't as good amplified.

Best acoustic bass's I've tried are those short scale rubber string ones, they sound great plugged in.

nigel
www.nkforsterguitars.com

[slowlearner]

Thanks Nigel.