Big_Bur

I actually wonder about this. Because the strings are tuned so low, I’m not sure the would actually be under that much tension. I’m wondering the same thing about mine. If I where trying to tune that .270 to an E on a standard bass then yeah, the tension might be insane. But because I’m tuning so low (maybe G#0) I might not even need that heavy duty of a tuner

Ok, if a geared tuner would be better would standard bass tuner be enough or would a double bass tuner be better? I like that double bass tuners have a hole instead of a slot. I don’t know why but that just seems like it would be better for such a heavy string. And what about headless tuners that are inline with the string?

The octobass is part of my inspiration for building this actually. That thing’s awesome lol as far as the tuner goes, check my response to Bizman. The ebony tuners are just to expensive and I don’t even fully understand them. It’s just an ebony peg basically. How does it hold tension?

That might be a little above my pay grade and budget. Ebony is expensive and I don’t have a lathe to turn it. And those tuners cost hundreds of dollars to buy. I was looking at double bass tuning machines. They’re a bit heavier duty than standard bass tuners but they look basically the same. I was also looking at tuners for headless basses. I don’t know if one of those will work for such a heavy string and I don’t need it to act as a bridge (which the headless tuners do) but I like the idea on an in-line tuner. I’m considering ways to build my own but metal isn’t what I do and I’m not convinced I can make something up to my aesthetic standards. I’d hate to just stick a hardware store bolt on the the thing

thanks for the input. i'm confused though. how was i mixing the two ways. if i remove the magnet from the core, coil the wire around the core and then attache a magnet to the bottom of the core, isn't that exactly what you said to do? or am i confused about something?

I'm new to guitar building and for some reason I've set my mind on a wacky little project. It won't be the most useful instrument but I want it to be as interesting and unique as possible. I want to build a single string, mega bass. I want to build it from scratch as much as I can. My plan so far is to use a .270 gauge string tuned as low as it'll go. Because there's only one string I want to make a custom pickup out of a speaker magnate to make a giant, two inch round, single pickup. On the finished build it'll be a polished metal disc under the string. It'll run direct to the jack. For the body I want to do something a bit narrow with two contours on the bottom similar to a Maverick Dorado so it can be used in a standard sitting position and more upright sitting position. I'm not sure what wood to use. I might try to beautify a piece of good plywood and layer it. The neck will also be narrow and I'm debating whether to go fretless or not. I'm also not sure if I'll have problems with the tension of such a heavy string. I'm currently looking for interesting tuning machines. I basically want anything other than a standard bass tuner sticking off the side. Suggestions would be great here. Basically the idea is, simple as possible and nothing standard, without it looking like a hunk of junk of course. I want it to be a show piece if I can manage it. Any input would be greatly appreciated.

Hello! I'm new here and new to guitar building. I love woodworking and have been playing bass for about a year and really wanted a fun project to combine the two. I came up with the idea of building a single string bass using the heaviest string I can find (.270 gauge) and tuning it to a ridiculously low note. it's not the most useful instrument in the would but seems fun. originally I was just going to buy a J-Bass pickup and turn it sideways but that seemed boring. I decided what I want to do is build a single, 2 inch in diameter pickup. on the finished bass it'll look like a two inch metal disc under the string. I'd like to get some opinions on this and some advice on how to go about it. I was thinking about tearing apart a speaker magnet. They're built with a magnet around a metal core which is attached to a large metal disc. I was thinking I could remove the round magnet, coil the wire around the core and attach a neodymium magnet to the bottom of it. it seems like it should work but I don't know what gauge magnet wire I should use or how strong of a magnet. I also don't know if the core of a speaker magnet is an appropriate metal to make a pickup out of. Any help, thoughts or opinions would be great!