NBD - ACG Harlot SC

[BassBunny]

1 hour ago, GreeneKing said:

2019? 2009 methinks Stu

Ooops. It's an age thing Peter or predictive text. Yep, I prefer predictive text.

[Frank Blank]

On 20/11/2019 at 19:41, TheGreek said:

Quick plug...Set up and low action is courtesy of my local luthier, Terry Chapman, who can be relied upon to do a great job on whatever he touches...if you need anything done, get in touch.

How long ago was it set up Sir?

[Frank Blank]

Thought I’d put the ACG through its paces yesterday at rehearsal. What a variety of sounds! A tonal palette the size of a reasonably busy Belgian village. I will need a few more such rehearsals before I know it is definitely for me or it needs to continue its journey through the Basschat ranks!

[Merton]

Lovely bass, I do love an ACG  Currently have three in the stable but have a hankering for at least two more. He’s a bad influence on my bank balance is @skelf

[Frank Blank]

10 minutes ago, Merton said:

Lovely bass, I do love an ACG  Currently have three in the stable but have a hankering for at least two more. He’s a bad influence on my bank balance is @skelf

It’s by far the highest quality bass I’ve ever owned, I’m just not sure the ergonomics are right for me.

[TheGreek]

14 hours ago, Frank Blank said:

How long ago was it set up Sir?

A couple of years at least I'd say, I had it done shortly after I acquired the bass from @ziggydolphinboy but it has lived most of it's life with me in it's case.

I think the set up is spot on, low enough to make playing effortless and enough off the board not to have any fret buzz..

[LukeFRC]

40 minutes ago, Frank Blank said:

It’s by far the highest quality bass I’ve ever owned, I’m just not sure the ergonomics are right for me.

Higher quality than the mouse! Wow

[Frank Blank]

27 minutes ago, LukeFRC said:

Higher quality than the mouse! Wow

Hmmm, hadn’t thought of it like that, it’s a far more complicated design than the mouse, in fact your comment really has made me think about the Mouse. I don’t think of it firstly as a beautiful thing because that is far outweighed by the fact that when I pick it up I always marvel at how light it is and then how comfortable it is to play, next I think how easy it is to write on and how new basslines seem to fall out of it. Then, when I’ve emerged from Mouseworld, I invariably look at it just before it goes in the rack and even then it’s not particularly the aesthetics or the build, it’s a kind of awe at how easily new music seems to come out of it each time I pick it up. This is what I want to feel about a fretted bass too. Hmmmm food for thought.

[LukeFRC]

3 hours ago, Frank Blank said:

Hmmm, hadn’t thought of it like that, it’s a far more complicated design than the mouse, in fact your comment really has made me think about the Mouse. I don’t think of it firstly as a beautiful thing because that is far outweighed by the fact that when I pick it up I always marvel at how light it is and then how comfortable it is to play, next I think how easy it is to write on and how new basslines seem to fall out of it. Then, when I’ve emerged from Mouseworld, I invariably look at it just before it goes in the rack and even then it’s not particularly the aesthetics or the build, it’s a kind of awe at how easily new music seems to come out of it each time I pick it up. This is what I want to feel about a fretted bass too. Hmmmm food for thought.

I think that there’s an idea of design where as a tool it being an effortless instrument is high quality and brilliant design.
 

The fact that form follows function to simplicity is to my aesthetic taste a good thing - to distil something down so it looks simple and is effortless...

... I like your mouse! 

[Frank Blank]

Just now, LukeFRC said:

I think that there’s an idea of design where as a tool it being an effortless instrument is high quality and brilliant design.
 

The fact that form follows function to simplicity is to my aesthetic taste a good thing - to distil something down so it looks simple and is effortless...

... I like your mouse! 

I think your initial comment made me realise I agree totally with your subsequent comment. 

[Mastodon2]

I remember my brother owning this bass, probably 8 or 9 years ago now if I remember correctly.

I remember it being fantastically made and sounding amazing. I think it's by far the most beautiful bass that ACG has ever made. I don't think Chris owned it for all that long, he was buying and flipping loads of basses at that time. He'd get an awesome bass and two or three months later it would be gone and replaced by something else cool.

[Chris2112]

Yes, I did own this bass, buying it from Greenking in Haltwistle around 2010. We met halfway-ish, since I live in Northumberland and he was coming from the Lakes. 

It was a stunning bass in many ways, exceptionally made and with a fantastic tonal palette. I sold or traded it to Romania IIRC but I can't recall what for. I had a 1987 or 1988 Status Series II at the time that was my first choice pick for a fretted. As amazing as the preamp in the ACG was, it really encouraged me to noodle and I spent a lot of time just faffing on with the controls when I got it out. More my fault than that of the instrument. A good one and one that deserves to find a home forever. I would have bought it back but there are still a few things on my list that I haven't owned yet, before I start buying back old toys!

[NickA]

John East ACG EQ-01? Have one on my fretless Jazz Bass.  HUGE tonal palette;  a bit TOO huge.  Best to find a sound you like and superglue the knobs in that position, as you may never find it again.

Looking at John East's website I notice that he doesn't list the ACG EQ-01 any more.  Shame, as it means no-one but Wal make a filter per pickup system now (I suppose you could fit two

NB:  I don't generally like the look single cut basses much (I understand the advantages .. they just look ODD).. but this one is rather special.

[White Cloud]

Congrats! What a beautiful bass.

I am lucky enough to own a Recurve... I think ACG basses are the best built instruments in the UK. You can barely even fit a cigarette paper into the pickup routing on mine. Alan's finishing is sublime.

[skelf]

3 hours ago, NickA said:

John East ACG EQ-01? Have one on my fretless Jazz Bass.  HUGE tonal palette;  a bit TOO huge.  Best to find a sound you like and superglue the knobs in that position, as you may never find it again.

Looking at John East's website I notice that he doesn't list the ACG EQ-01 any more.  Shame, as it means no-one but Wal make a filter per pickup system now (I suppose you could fit two

NB:  I don't generally like the look single cut basses much (I understand the advantages .. they just look ODD).. but this one is rather special.

AC Guitars still make a filter per pickup system. While EQ01 is not currently available for sale I use the DFM (Dual Filter Modular) in my own instruments which is the fourth generation ACG dual filter preamp. 
 

There will also be a limited run of EQ02 preamps in the not to distant future. 

Edited November 29, 2019 by skelf

[Frank Blank]

On 22/11/2019 at 18:08, TheGreek said:

A couple of years at least I'd say, I had it done shortly after I acquired the bass from @ziggydolphinboy but it has lived most of it's life with me in it's case.

I think the set up is spot on, low enough to make playing effortless and enough off the board not to have any fret buzz..

Unfortunately the E string is buzzing on the higher frets but it’s booked in for a full set up with my usual luthier in the new year.

[Frank Blank]

22 hours ago, Mastodon2 said:

I remember my brother owning this bass, probably 8 or 9 years ago now if I remember correctly.

I remember it being fantastically made and sounding amazing. I think it's by far the most beautiful bass that ACG has ever made. I don't think Chris owned it for all that long, he was buying and flipping loads of basses at that time. He'd get an awesome bass and two or three months later it would be gone and replaced by something else cool.

I have to say, having looked at many (photos of) ACGs since getting mine that I think you might be right about it being the most beautiful one ever made, but then I would say that as the new owner. I still can’t stop gawping at the beauty of the woods and the astonishing build quality.

[Frank Blank]

14 hours ago, Chris2112 said:

It was a stunning bass in many ways, exceptionally made and with a fantastic tonal palette.

As amazing as the preamp in the ACG was, it really encouraged me to noodle and I spent a lot of time just faffing on with the controls when I got it out.

Likewise enjoying the tone faffing. The tonal range is astonishing, still getting to grips with it but it’s all about small changes rather than big turns, otherwise one minute you are in Wantage and with one bold turn of a control you are in the Sudan.

Edited November 30, 2019 by Frank Blank

[Frank Blank]

6 hours ago, NickA said:

John East ACG EQ-01? Have one on my fretless Jazz Bass.  HUGE tonal palette;  a bit TOO huge.  Best to find a sound you like and superglue the knobs in that position, as you may never find it again.

Exactly what @TheGreek said, once you get a tone stick with it. I’m wavering between doing exactly that and varying the tones between songs with the Stomp or tweaking the on board controls between songs but if I got lost in a live situation it could get messy.

6 hours ago, NickA said:

NB:  I don't generally like the look single cut basses much (I understand the advantages .. they just look ODD).. but this one is rather special.

I love the single cut look and it just so happens I have the King of single cuts.

[Frank Blank]

On 29/11/2019 at 19:20, White Cloud said:

I am lucky enough to own a Recurve... I think ACG basses are the best built instruments in the UK. You can barely even fit a cigarette paper into the pickup routing on mine. Alan's finishing is sublime.

I’ve had it for long enough now to realise quite how beautifully it’s built but I still keep just looking at it! It’s kind of other worldly inasmuch as it is a sublime musical instrument and beautifully built but there’s something else, a kind of... I don’t know what? Some sort of aesthetic harmony about it that is just so very pleasing. Perhaps I should put some kind of tacky sticker on it just to burst its bubble of perfection.

Edited January 11, 2020 by Frank Blank

[Frank Blank]

3 hours ago, skelf said:

AC Guitars still make a filter per pickup system. While EQ01 is not currently available for sale I use the DFM (Dual Filter Modular) in my own instruments which is the fourth generation ACG dual filter preamp. 

On the subject of the preamp, that I’m slowly getting to grips with, what are the functions of the two small switches below the bridge?

[Reggaebass]

Congrats Frank, that’s quite a stunner ☝️

[Frank Blank]

7 minutes ago, Reggaebass said:

Congrats Frank, that’s quite a stunner ☝️

Cheers Sir, it is a monster, somehow I feel unworthy of it, very odd.

[GreeneKing]

On 29/11/2019 at 19:14, NickA said:

John East ACG EQ-01? Have one on my fretless Jazz Bass.  HUGE tonal palette;  a bit TOO huge.  Best to find a sound you like and superglue the knobs in that position, as you may never find it again.

While I wouldn't consider myself an expert I've owned and played a fair few of Alan's filter based EQ instruments.

Unlike cut and boost EQs where you can twiddle with a vague grasp of what's going on and get the tone you want, with the filter based pre-amps you really need to know what you want and how to achieve that. There's more than one way to do it and Alan's filter based pre -amps have evolved wonderfully over the years so my ideas may not fit all. 

Saying that, it's not 'rocket science'. All that is needed is a little time spent understanding roughly how they work and then, vitally a structured approach to getting the tone you want. I still have my stunning filter equipped headless Salace 5.

Basically, if you have a 2 pickup bass with a Low Pass filter on each pup you need to blend to one pickup and then the other and set up the LPFs independently. Take any 'global' HPF or sweepable mids out of the equation first too by using the upper knob set to it's mid pos'n.

Make sure the LPF top knob isn't pulled up (can be a mid boost control, usually low mid on neck pup and high mid on bridge) and that the upper, resonant peak knob is fully anti clockwise (it's boost only even if there is a centre detent).

Now for the basic tone. Turn the selected pup LPF fully anti clockwise. Then while playing gradually rotate the LPF, introducing greater higher frequencies until you get the base tone you want from the neck pup. Blend fully to the other pup and repeat. You can now use the blend control to move between pups to blend the two tones to suit.

Depending on your setup, the resonant peak boost on each LPF can be used to trim that turn down part of the LPF cut off curve up a varying degree. A pull on the top knob may well be a mid boost as described above. You may also have a HPF fitted that is global, works the opposite way and may have a bright pull on top. The top knob is likely not a resonant peak but a simple cut and boost from its centre detente. Later models may have a John East sweepable mids that in my experience is tuned higher than the usual sweepable mids giving greater 'sparkle' options.

My lovely Finn 5 Uber spec, now sadly sold, also had a global passive tone control that was an active/passive pull switch also.

If all this seems overly complicated I apologise. It just needs to be done one step at a time and then once you have the 'meat' sorted for each pickup you can blend and add the 'gravy' via the HPF/sweepable mids, resonant peak controls and mid boosts and even a good old passive tone control. But if you just dive in and twiddle it can be a recipe for disaster imo.

Edited December 1, 2019 by GreeneKing

[GreeneKing]