Dood Posted July 17, 2008 Share Posted July 17, 2008 [quote name='7string' post='241262' date='Jul 16 2008, 09:32 PM']I hear that lead divers boots are required to be worn before striking a low F#. This prevents the vibrations moving the UK further away from continental europe. I think the low F# (might even take it to low E) will be great for bolstering lines on the E on a regular 4 string.[/quote] It is actually true, infact, health and safety executives have asked that I issue a disclaimer for the audience to sign, accepting the uncontrollable loss of bodily matter, should I venture down to my low F# in any situation. Make sure your amps and cabs are man enough for the job, else you will find that you will suffer from flappy farty cones and no volume as they struggle to produce a note well below what they are designed too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7string Posted July 19, 2008 Author Share Posted July 19, 2008 (edited) Well I just sold my amp and cab as I can't use them at the moment and really haven't done so for the last 3 years or so. Who knows, when I get back to playing live again, I'll have to get a couple of really huge cabs and a stupidly powerful head..... Here's the latest pics from Alan at ACG of the slotted fingerboard. [b][i][color="#FF0000"]Please bear in mind that this pic is taken before the sanding and polishing stages !![/color][/i][/b] There's still a fair way to go yet Edited July 19, 2008 by 7string Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phil_the_bassist Posted July 20, 2008 Share Posted July 20, 2008 (edited) [quote name='7string' post='243169' date='Jul 19 2008, 01:30 AM']Well I just sold my amp and cab as I can't use them at the moment and really haven't done so for the last 3 years or so. Who knows, when I get back to playing live again, I'll have to get a couple of really huge cabs and a stupidly powerful head..... Here's the latest pics from Alan at ACG of the slotted fingerboard. [b][i][color="#FF0000"]Please bear in mind that this pic is taken before the sanding and polishing stages !![/color][/i][/b] There's still a fair way to go yet [/quote] No, that's not a fingerboard....THAT is a beautifully figured landing deck for the new super-aircraft carrier that can launch jumbo-freakin-jets!! IT"S MASSIVE!!!!! ...Just how goddamn BIG are your hands?! Do you communicate with the pachyderm population of africa!? also...[quote name='7string' post='241262' date='Jul 16 2008, 09:32 PM']I hear that lead divers boots are required to be worn before striking a low F#. This prevents the vibrations [i][b]moving the UK further away from continental europe[/b][/i]. I think the low F# (might even take it to low E) will be great for bolstering lines on the E on a regular 4 string.[/quote] Would shifting from continental europe really be that much of a bad thing..? Edited July 20, 2008 by phil_the_bassist Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7string Posted July 20, 2008 Author Share Posted July 20, 2008 [quote name='phil_the_bassist' post='243748' date='Jul 20 2008, 01:02 PM']No, that's not a fingerboard....THAT is a beautifully figured landing deck for the new super-aircraft carrier that can launch jumbo-freakin-jets!! IT"S MASSIVE!!!!! ...Just how goddamn BIG are your hands?! Do you communicate with the pachyderm population of africa!?[/quote] This is the first question that people ask when they hear or see a bigger bass! I've been thinking about this and I'll make a thread which, hopefully answers this question. I'll post it seperately so others can debate it without reading about my ACG first. [quote name='phil_the_bassist' post='243748' date='Jul 20 2008, 01:02 PM']Would shifting from continental europe really be that much of a bad thing..? [/quote] Probably not.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peted Posted July 30, 2008 Share Posted July 30, 2008 [quote name='7string' post='243169' date='Jul 19 2008, 01:30 AM']Here's the latest pics from Alan at ACG of the slotted fingerboard.[/quote] The figuring of the wood looks magnificent. You've certainly got a looker of a fretboard already! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7string Posted August 5, 2008 Author Share Posted August 5, 2008 Here's the latest from the ACG workshop. Here's the fingerboard glued onto the neck and fretted with a large amount of fretwire.... This ERB is looking better and better with every update Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peted Posted August 6, 2008 Share Posted August 6, 2008 I feel the need to repeat myself! That fretboard has to be one of the best looking i've ever seen. Gorgeous. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alpha-Dave Posted August 6, 2008 Share Posted August 6, 2008 Jeebers! That's ace. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7string Posted August 6, 2008 Author Share Posted August 6, 2008 Alan has described the fretboard as "a challenge". It may have been a challenge, but the result speaks for itself. There can't be too many spalted, bookmatched, acrylicised fingerboards about Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7string Posted August 29, 2008 Author Share Posted August 29, 2008 (edited) Things are coming along quite nicely. Here's the headstock.... …and a shot of the entire neck The tuners aren't the actual ones that are going to be used (the proper ones will be black) but it gives the idea Alan asked me if it was OK to angle the tuners back towards the body (which it was). This has two effects. Firstly, it makes the tuners easier to reach and also shortens the overall length of the headstock to improve the overall balance of the bass. I'm really pleased with the overall look of the headstock and the v-shaped grain of the mahogany running down the middle. This headstock is different from ACG 9 No.1 and goes to show the attention to detail which Alan brings to all the instruments he builds. The designs of the basses aren't set in stone and if a change can be made for the better then it'll be changed. This constant development of bass design is a real testament to Alan's passion and commitment towards building his instruments. Edited August 29, 2008 by 7string Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Fudge Posted August 29, 2008 Share Posted August 29, 2008 I didn't know until now that Duncan Fearnely made bass guitars. Good luck with it. Do you have to get special strings? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7string Posted August 30, 2008 Author Share Posted August 30, 2008 I think this bat might be too wide for the stumps String-wise, S.I.T. makes a set and Warwick have made the 175 string available now as well. So strings are quite easy to get hold of although I can't just walk into a store and buy a set!! For my 7 string, I buy a 6 string set, then buy the top F string from Overwater who are very kind in making the single strings available. ERB (Extended Range Bass) has made such a difference to my playing. Don't get me wrong, I still play my 4 string bass, but with the 7 I'm pretty much free to play solo stuff, chordal stuff or "meat-and-potatoes" bass. It's just a whole new game really. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eude Posted August 30, 2008 Share Posted August 30, 2008 Very nice dude. This is going to be one beautiful monster of a bass! Cheers, Eude Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bassmonster Posted August 30, 2008 Share Posted August 30, 2008 all those tuners.....scary, but it does it look the business Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barry44 Posted August 31, 2008 Share Posted August 31, 2008 mark, that fretboard looks luvverly, will need to see this in the flesh, if i can ever get allowed out again!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7string Posted August 31, 2008 Author Share Posted August 31, 2008 More than welcome to come over here for a cuppa anytime.... and I hear you have an ACG pre as well !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barry44 Posted September 2, 2008 Share Posted September 2, 2008 yeah, i got one for my ibanez K5, but haven't really had the chance to have a right good play with it yet. we had a little boy last week, so i will need to see if i can get over to see you soon, everyone well? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
urb Posted September 2, 2008 Share Posted September 2, 2008 Looks amazing - but it makes my wrists hurt just looking at it... M Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7string Posted September 2, 2008 Author Share Posted September 2, 2008 (edited) [quote name='barry44' post='275276' date='Sep 2 2008, 11:06 AM']yeah, i got one for my ibanez K5, but haven't really had the chance to have a right good play with it yet. we had a little boy last week, so i will need to see if i can get over to see you soon, everyone well?[/quote] Many congrats on the birth of your boy Everyone's good here. [quote name='urb' post='275458' date='Sep 2 2008, 02:33 PM']Looks amazing - but it makes my wrists hurt just looking at it... M[/quote] This is where I say it's only playable by 6'6" giants with the strength of Samsom himself. Edited September 2, 2008 by 7string Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7string Posted September 12, 2008 Author Share Posted September 12, 2008 Yesterday, I went to see Alan to finalise the electronics and control layout on the 9. Alan has built a 4 string fretless bass which uses an ACG magnetic pickup and piezo pickups from a Hipshot bridge. These signals then run into the ACG-01 filter preamp. I have to say that this combination was mightily impressive !! This could be one of the only basses around which has a piezo pickup running through a filter preamp. I've already mentioned on here (and on other threads) just how powerful the ACG filter preamp is and in combination with a piezo pickup it really is amazingly flexible. There is no harsh clack-clack sound from the piezo, the filter-based preamp takes care of that, so you end up with a really rich and round bottom end. Using this in combination with the magnetic pickup and using extremes, you can set a really cutting trebley sound with the magnetic and a dub/reggae sound with the piezo and blend between the two sounds which are the polar opposites of each other. This bass really did have sounds for all occasions. On the 9, we've decided to go with 2 magnetic pickups, the bridge one is in the larger housing and a narrower neck pickup. ACG pickups have different magnets for each position: ceramic in the bridge and an alnico in the neck, giving a combination of punchiness and roundness. I'll quickly say here that these are not custom magnets for the 9, the different magnet materials are offered as standard on all of Alan's basses. Each pickup will have series/parallel switching, but there will be a third switch to flick between the bridge and piezo pickups. This means that I can run the piezos through the ACG-pre instead of just adding a plain, unshaped piezo signal to the magnetic pickups. Not being able to shape the piezo output might even mean that it's OK at best and unusuable at worst. Being able to shape the piezo signal and then blend it in with the neck pickup is going to give the bass more flexibility. In this mode, I could even have the piezo or the neck pickup on it's own, shaped with the ACG-01 pre. It's one of those things which is easier to see than it is to write about. In a nutshell, is effectively a 3 pickup bass (neck, bridge, piezo) with a switch between pickups 2 & 3. The two signals being used go through the ACG-01 pre and can be merged together by the blend pot. Now that the control layout has been finalised, Alan can finish the body and drill some holes. This is easier said than done as the body has to be carefully routed so the neck can be glued on. Set-necks ain't easy!! I took some pics, but unfortunately left the proper camera at home so these are from my mobile phone. Needless to say, I really couldn't be happier with the way the instrument is turning out. On this pic, you might be able to get an idea of the colour of the finished bass. Here's the body sandwich and again, you might be able to get an idea of the final colour. Here's a suggestion of the finished layout. Here's the neck and fingerboard. When I looked at it, I thought it was going to feel rough but it's really smooth and well on it's way to being as smooth as the proverbial infant's behind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elros Posted September 13, 2008 Share Posted September 13, 2008 This all looks very good! I like the fingerboard in particular. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7string Posted September 17, 2008 Author Share Posted September 17, 2008 Pics received just 30 minutes ago. Needless to say I'm really excited Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bassman101 Posted September 24, 2008 Share Posted September 24, 2008 Great stuff, id love to be able to play a 9 string, once i get used to a 6 string that is Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7string Posted September 24, 2008 Author Share Posted September 24, 2008 (edited) If you can play bass you can play a 9. These ERBs are nowhere near as difficult to play as you might think. Edited September 24, 2008 by 7string Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charic Posted September 25, 2008 Share Posted September 25, 2008 the ol' red setter looks gr8! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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