Spoombung Posted January 18, 2011 Author Share Posted January 18, 2011 [quote name='walplayer' post='1094296' date='Jan 18 2011, 07:47 PM']It loks like a walnut (a-204 model) Maple were a-304/305 Saman a-104/105[/quote] I agree. It's very likely to be walnut. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoJoKe Posted January 18, 2011 Share Posted January 18, 2011 [quote name='Spoombung' post='1093139' date='Jan 17 2011, 09:23 PM']I've had a look inside the control panel and the 4 strings do indeed have trim pots and can be adjusted individually. I have balanced the levels now. The output from the piezos is not as strong as the magnetic pickup which seems to be a feature of these basses (I've read on Talkbass, anyway).[/quote] The ergodyne was the same... not as loud/strong, but an interesting, useable tonal quality also when mixed with the main magnetic pickup.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noelk27 Posted January 18, 2011 Share Posted January 18, 2011 [quote name='warwickhunt' post='1094137' date='Jan 18 2011, 05:41 PM']I'm sure it is a type of walnut but iirc the wood was actually saman (spelling may not be spot on). I've still got an old USA Bass Guitar magazine with the original review somewhere! [/quote] Saman is usually categorised as a type of mahogany, sourced mostly from South American and the Malay Peninsula, musch coming from Philippines. The AFR was initially available in saman, or walnut, or maple. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spoombung Posted January 18, 2011 Author Share Posted January 18, 2011 [quote name='noelk27' post='1094331' date='Jan 18 2011, 08:08 PM']Saman is usually categorised as a type of mahogany, sourced mostly from South American and the Malay Peninsula, musch coming from Philippines. The AFR was initially available in saman, or walnut, or maple.[/quote] It has a very tight grain like mahogany but has some of the broader patterns seen in Walnut... so perhaps it is Saman? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noelk27 Posted January 18, 2011 Share Posted January 18, 2011 [quote name='Spoombung' post='1094347' date='Jan 18 2011, 08:16 PM']It has a very tight grain like mahogany but has some of the broader patterns seen in Walnut... so perhaps it is Saman?[/quote] Ibanez did use saman for various premium models in the 90s . In addition to the AFR the high-end Soundgear models (SR5000 and SR5005 rings a bell) were manufactured using saman sourced from Philippines. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oubabass Posted January 19, 2011 Share Posted January 19, 2011 pics from the fret near the head ? nice bass...big up for designbassofthecentury (lol) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spoombung Posted January 20, 2011 Author Share Posted January 20, 2011 A close up of the logo: The headstock: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ialma Posted January 20, 2011 Share Posted January 20, 2011 Well, it looks like saman to me. I had a 5 strings AFR for sale few months ago. Walnut is way darker than saman and less veined. The only way to know if you have issues with the output of the piezo pickups is to turn them to maximum volume with the trimmer and then listen separately to each string. If there is a difference in volume among strings , then you have a defective piezo pickup. Can this be solved ? Yes, it can and it's not too expensive. The output of the piezo pickups at maximum volume is only a bit lower than magnetic pickup's. Anyway great basses for the price, I'll buy one and probably replace the whole piezo system including the preamp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merkaba.sam Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 hi kids, hope you all don't mind a guitar muppett joining your collective. i'm a 7 and 8 string guitarist and became an honorary bassist playing in some of my guitar students' bands and projects. i fell in love with bass and now i proudly own 3 of these lovely Affirmas... a 5 string with a 2 pc Flamed Maple body, another 5 string with a 2 pc Saman body which looks quite Koa like, and a 4 string with a 1(!) pc Saman body (quite low serial number too, maybe why the 1 pc body?). all 3 are fretted. i'm always on the lookout for another, like a Walnut 5 and esp a Walnut fretless after having a ham-fisted play on Michael Manring's instruments. i'd also be keen to find a WAL 4 or 5 so i can pretend to be Justin Chancellor while i play along to TooL songs just, for the craic of it. anyway, to answer the above quetion, it does look almost equally like Bubinga and Walnut. but when you add in Ibanez's serial production mindset, the obvious answer must be Walnut. they only made AFRs in 3 body wood types, which you all already know are: Flamed Maple, Walnut and Saman. i have a number Koa instruments, which vary wildly in colour, grain and texture. so it would seem sensible, that other species like Walnut would vary too. like this 1, it does look Bubinga-y. but looks even more like it could have been carved out of the same Walnut board as my Schecter CS-1 guitar. depends where and when the Walnut was harvested too, i suppose. English Walnut, much beloved by Jaguar dashboard makers or Californian Black Walnut? or a Far Eastern locally sourced variation? well, there's about 100's varieties of Ebony, so take your pick. this 1's Walnut i reckon. and i wish i'd bought it...tsk! sam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merkaba.sam Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 addendum to last post...you guys should know that after some years out of the music industry, Rolf Spuler is back and building amazing instruments, including the spectacular Paradis "acoustic" guitar, and his basses with compound headstocks. i chatted with him at the NAMM show in Anaheim a couple of years ago. be sure to check out Jerry Auerswald's work at www.auerswald-instruments.com and Michael Spalt who has moved from LA back to Vienna to team up with Andreas Neubauer and the infamous Thomas Nordegg to form Wien Gitarren Manufaktur... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spoombung Posted February 24, 2011 Author Share Posted February 24, 2011 Lot's of interest, lots of chat, lots of technical info exchanged... but it's [i]still[/i] here! Final reduction to [b]£650[/b] as I do think the E piezo is a little weaker than the rest and it may need some attention. You can get around this by balancing all the piezos equally but it does mean a reduction in piezo output. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adledman Posted February 24, 2011 Share Posted February 24, 2011 hi, i was going to buy this from previous chat a few months back as and when it came available. unfortunately i am no longer able to lay my hands on the funds now but i am pretty sure you would get a better price than 650 on feebay owing to the rarity and sheer beauty of these basses. its a lot of bass for the money and the design is to die for. really love the alan cringean design you got him to make from this bass. really intrigued as to how the piezo nut sounds? i have never heard of it being done before. bump Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lettsguitars Posted February 24, 2011 Share Posted February 24, 2011 (edited) +1 on the saman. looks very similar to african mahogany so that would make sense to me. and a very cool looking bass. strange partial neck through thang going on. Edited February 24, 2011 by lettsguitars Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warwickhunt Posted February 24, 2011 Share Posted February 24, 2011 Do you have the truss rod cover? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spoombung Posted February 25, 2011 Author Share Posted February 25, 2011 [quote name='warwickhunt' post='1140333' date='Feb 24 2011, 07:45 PM']Do you have the truss rod cover?[/quote] I don't think so but I'll have a look in the case Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spoombung Posted April 3, 2011 Author Share Posted April 3, 2011 Still available.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spoombung Posted July 7, 2011 Author Share Posted July 7, 2011 July now and still here.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mashup Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 Im after a lightweight bass. Please could you tell me how much it's weighs? Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spoombung Posted July 10, 2011 Author Share Posted July 10, 2011 [quote name='mashup' post='1296307' date='Jul 7 2011, 07:14 PM']Im after a lightweight bass. Please could you tell me how much it's weighs? Thanks[/quote] Exactly 7 pounds. [i]Very[/i] lightweight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spoombung Posted October 20, 2011 Author Share Posted October 20, 2011 Still available as of October 2011 (it's been here a [i]long[/i] time!). [b]Reduced to £600[/b] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cosmo Valdemar Posted October 21, 2011 Share Posted October 21, 2011 I was lucky enough to have a go on this very bass today, it really is a fantastic instrument, and frankly an incredible bargain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spoombung Posted October 26, 2011 Author Share Posted October 26, 2011 Withdrawn until further notice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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