Proto-typing a 4 string 30” scale lap bass

[Bill Hatcher]

I’m working on building 2 lap steel basses. One is a ten string in conjunction with a fellow forumite and this one is my own design brought on by trying to come up with a design that keeps the length of the guitar at a minimum. I chose 30” for the scale. I feel like that is the minimum for a true bass. 30” is considered a short scale bass...32” is a medium....34” and up is a long scale. This 4 string lap bass will only be about 33” long. That makes it easy to play and easy to carry.

Right now you only see one string on it. This was just a test to see if my design will actually function...and it works better than I imagined it! As you can see. The machine heads will be on the back of the guitar neck mounted on wooden blocks. Also keep in mind that I have not added the wood to make up the guitar body. I wanted to see if this worked before I continue on. The string comes up through the neck and immediately makes contact with an ebony bridge.....curves toward the opposite end...makes contact with an ebony nut, continues on around the end of the neck and down to another ebony nut on the bottom of the neck and then to the machine head. Upright basses have used ebony nuts for hundreds of years so I knew this would work. This string is the A string. It tuned up to pitch without one problem. I will slot all three string contact places.

There is a lot more work to be done....adding the mounting blocks for the other two machine heads,adding the side pieces to make up the body,installing the pickups and electronics,and doing the finish work. I will make another post when I complete it along with a video of it being played.

[Bill Hatcher]

[Bill Hatcher]

also another problem i solved with this design is the hassle of trying to find short scale bass strings. with this design, you can use any long scale bass string of any gauge. music stores and online places always have plenty of long scale bass strings in stock with plenty of different gauges.

im installing flat wounds on this instrument. im going for the nice big thump bass sound along with quiet smooth bar movement. round wound strings would also work if you wanted that sound. there are some things i would do to a round wound. when i put round wounds on my standard basses i play, i burnish them with different grits of sandpaper to knock off the sharp edges. i learned this from the head of labella strings when i contacted him about the flat polished strings they discontinued. he told me that all they were, were standard round wounds that had been had burnished and i could make my own. smoothing down the string that goes behind the nut would make for very easy sliding over the ebony.

[Morgan Scoggins]

Bill, I sure would like to take a look at it when it gets built. I play lap steel, strait guitar and I still play some bass but it is not as much fun when you just play at home like I do. I have seen some of those lap steel basses and have grown interested in possibly getting one some day.
I live in the Atlanta area, so it would be easy for us to get together.

[Bill Hatcher]

Bill, I sure would like to take a look at it when it gets built. I play lap steel, strait guitar and I still play some bass but it is not as much fun when you just play at home like I do. I have seen some of those lap steel basses and have grown interested in possibly getting one some day.
I live in the Atlanta area, so it would be easy for us to get together.

lets plan on doing that! i will send you a PM with my email and phone #.

[Karl Paulsen]

Very cool project. I really like the idea of being able to use standard strings A couple questions.

Why put frets in a slide bass?

Have you considered nylon tapewound strings?

[Bill Hatcher]

Very cool project. I really like the idea of being able to use standard strings A couple questions.

Why put frets in a slide bass?

Have you considered nylon tapewound strings?

Thanks for the questions. 1. A bass player might not want or need the frets, but I am building this with lap steel players in mind who might want the ability to actually play bass using their lap steel technique. With this instrument, a steel player can easily play bass with only a modest technique adjustment. They could add bass to recordings they might be working on, or play in a group. There are steel players who might not be able to play a traditional bass who could now play bass with only a few hours of getting comfortable with this. Learning to play a traditional bass guitar is a LOT of work. This is not. You use your lap steel technique. In the past, there really has not been much for steel players to pick from to play bass in regards to a lap steel bass instrument. I can already hear what this will sound like.

2. Tape wound bass strings really are not used much mostly because of the sound. I have played professionally for almost 60 years. I can’t tell you one musician I know who uses them. Guy who filled in on my Church gig the other day brought in a bass with those strings on it. They did not sound good with all the different styles of music that was required. I would also be leary of playing on plastic wound strings with a metal bar. The flatwounds are more accepted sound wise these days. Most electric bass players these days use roundwounds for all that top end and to funk out on, and the for sure could be used, but I am going for the flats right now. Will make a roundwound one later.

I need to decide on pickups. Leaning towards a jazz bass set. Jaco didn’t do to bad with those...

[John Viterito]

Hi, Bill. Loving your practice board. I have three lap steel basses: A Rukavina, Jackson, and a Fouke (my thumbnail). Fun to noodle around on.

[Bill Hatcher]

Body is done. Walnut and maple. Several coats if amber nitro lacquer. Now to cut for the two j bass pickups and the control cavity.

[Dennis Saydak]

This is a very Project. Luv seeing something different.

[Bill Groner]

Bill, when finished can you please post some pictures of it? Also, what is the length, width and thickness of it?
Thanks! It sounds good, very good.

[Karl Paulsen]

Very cool project. I really like the idea of being able to use standard strings A couple questions.

Why put frets in a slide bass?

Have you considered nylon tapewound strings?

Thanks for the questions. 1. A bass player might not want or need the frets, but I am building this with lap steel players in mind who might want the ability to actually play bass using their lap steel technique. With this instrument, a steel player can easily play bass with only a modest technique adjustment. They could add bass to recordings they might be working on, or play in a group. There are steel players who might not be able to play a traditional bass who could now play bass with only a few hours of getting comfortable with this. Learning to play a traditional bass guitar is a LOT of work. This is not. You use your lap steel technique. In the past, there really has not been much for steel players to pick from to play bass in regards to a lap steel bass instrument. I can already hear what this will sound like.

2. Tape wound bass strings really are not used much mostly because of the sound. I have played professionally for almost 60 years. I can’t tell you one musician I know who uses them. Guy who filled in on my Church gig the other day brought in a bass with those strings on it. They did not sound good with all the different styles of music that was required. I would also be leary of playing on plastic wound strings with a metal bar. The flatwounds are more accepted sound wise these days. Most electric bass players these days use roundwounds for all that top end and to funk out on, and the for sure could be used, but I am going for the flats right now. Will make a roundwound one later.

I need to decide on pickups. Leaning towards a jazz bass set. Jaco didn’t do to bad with those...

Thanks for that I'm really intrigued by this project!

I should have been more clear. Regarding frets I was wondering why raised frets as opposed to inlays or just painted lines? I assume the bass cannot be played without a slide?

I think flats is a good idea for this instrument. Unless you like the growl of a steel dragging over bass roundwound strings which are considerably rougher than guitar roundwounds. An easy thing to experiment with. My thoughts around nylon wound strings were that it might cut down on fret noise quite a bit, but as you say, they are an acquired taste as strings go.

As for pickups, perhaps a hi-fi jazz set like Dimarzio UltraJazz would give you a range of tonal options? Would certainly give you back some of the snap you would lose with flatwounds. Also, I highly recommend a series-parallel switch. I have one (in a push-pull pot) in my personal Jazz bass which has Dimarzio Model J pickups (similar to Ultrajazz but warmer and deeper sounding) and I use it quite a bit.

One last question, how do you compensate for the considerable difference in string size within the bass string set?

Looking forward to seeing where this project goes.