In all honesty, this is not a build we recommend doing for one simple reason that can be summed up in one word: Unstable.
While it’s genuinely appreciated that someone went through the time and effort to show how to make an electric bass out of a shovel (see video below), it is known to anyone that has built a shovel bass that it has a nasty habit of note warping.
Short scale electric instruments do have a tendency to have notes warp (as in waver slightly sharp or flat) when playing in the standing position and you sway side-to-side. It’s noticeable, but manageable.
The shovel bass however will have very pronounced note warping. You really can’t move around much at all when playing one and the “neck” won’t have any reliable stability whatsoever.
Putting together a shovel bass is a fun project, to be sure. But it will never be as stable as the traditional long scale electric bass.
In other words, build a shovel bass if you like, but don’t expect it to be a stable instrument. 🙂
I would like to hear a clean tone vs. a distorted one for comparison purposes…..
It might be better to use a shovel with a fiberglass handle instead of a wood one?
A pointed shovel might be cool…also a long narrow spade might be nice, as well as
a single string bridge (Like on Ibanez basses).
A skateboard deck for a body with a real neck and bridge attached would be ‘stiff’ enough to hold it in tune! (Love the 3D printed pickup holder and ‘real bottle’ slide!)
This is a cool bass. people worry abut too many technicalities about sound and stability. It is more of a playable art form more than anything in my opinion. I have built many folk instruments in an unconventional manner using these same techniques in building. All of the custom instruments I build can carry a tune as well as any store bought guitars. With all the electronic pedals and computer systems any well built instrument can create awesome sound. I even had one of my single string slide bass guitars made from a cigar box featured as bass of the week on this very website back a few years ago . Rock on any way you can!