I need plans for a Hofner or Epi Viola style bass

Illsidgus

Illsidgus

Desiccated Member
I have been looking for plans for a Hofner or Epiphone Viola style bass for quite some time now, but I haven't had any luck in finding any. Do any of you luthier type folks out there have any suggestions. I am the type of person who needs detailed plans to build anything. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
 
How good are you at building guitars in general? I don't have any plans, but I would think an arch-top (and back) hollowbody with bent and shaped sides would be one of the more difficult instruments to build, unless you found a pre-cut kit somewhere.
 
notCardio said:
How good are you at building guitars in general? I don't have any plans, but I would think an arch-top (and back) hollowbody with bent and shaped sides would be one of the more difficult instruments to build, unless you found a pre-cut kit somewhere.
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Most of the luthier work I have done is building dulcimers. I have done woodworking for many years and I think that I could build a bass with a good set of plans. I don't want to use a kit as that seems like cheating to me. I haven't seen any viola bass kits out there anyway. I do have a full set of plans for a hollow body acoustic bass, maybe I should just build that. I really want a viola shaped bass though. I got one back in 1968, a Black Jack bass, and I really enjoyed playing it.
Thanks for the reply.
 
To my knowledge there is not a set of plans available for what you want. I do have a detailed set of measurements and outline sketches for a violin hohner bass that I took some years ago. I measure and trace all unusual or historical instrument that I get through the workshop and then if ever I need to or want to build a similar instrument I work the templates from them. You dont need a set of drawings to build an instrument. You need outline drawings and dimensions..

I could dig them out and see how easy it would be to get the outline and arch detail over to you.. May take a few days as I am pretty busy right now.

The other place to go ask is MIMF..
 
muttley600 said:
To my knowledge there is not a set of plans available for what you want. I do have a detailed set of measurements and outline sketches for a violin hohner bass that I took some years ago. I measure and trace all unusual or historical instrument that I get through the workshop and then if ever I need to or want to build a similar instrument I work the templates from them. You dont need a set of drawings to build an instrument. You need outline drawings and dimensions..

I could dig them out and see how easy it would be to get the outline and arch detail over to you.. May take a few days as I am pretty busy right now.

The other place to go ask is MIMF..
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When ever you have the time to do that, that would be very helpful. Thank you so much. I will also check out Musical Instrument Makers Forum as you suggested.
 
I admire anyone that can build a guitar or bass from scratch. But a good backup plan is to just go buy one. :D
 
Greg_L said:
I admire anyone that can build a guitar or bass from scratch. But a good backup plan is to just go buy one. :D
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I can't disagree with that, but I have a red headed roadblock to buying any new equipment. She just doesn't get it, and she hasn't for the last 37 years. The fact that to build one would be more expensive than buying an epi viola isn't lost on me, but I can buy it a piece at a time.
 
Illsidgus said:
I can't disagree with that, but I have a red headed roadblock to buying any new equipment. She just doesn't get it, and she hasn't for the last 37 years. The fact that to build one would be more expensive than buying an epi viola isn't lost on me, but I can buy it a piece at a time.
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I see. I have one of those, too. Redhead and everything. My only saving grace is that she's afraid of the basement.
 
notCardio said:
I see. I have one of those, too. Redhead and everything. My only saving grace is that she's afraid of the basement.
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Lol. I don't have a basement but I do have a shop above our little 1 car garage which is at ground level as the little garage is built on the side of our sinkhole. We also have an attached 2 car garage.
 
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