zbd1960 Posted March 26, 2022 Share Posted March 26, 2022 Time for a confession.... a few months after I commissioned the ACG Krell... I commissioned Robin at Manton Customs to build a six string... (yeah, I'm nuts). There are various aspects of it which appeal. I'm an early music aficionado (Renaissance and Medieval) and I play the viola da gamba(tenor and bass). The "Titan" model has attributes of the viol about it. I have gone for mostly English woods this time. The top will be walnut and the accent layer will be yew, and the body English sycamore. The fretboard will be Wenge... I need to dig through e-mails and pull out more details on it... but it should be ready in a few months. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted March 26, 2022 Share Posted March 26, 2022 Interesting timbers! Look forward to how this develops Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zbd1960 Posted March 27, 2022 Author Share Posted March 27, 2022 OK This is the Wenge for the fretboard... I seem to have buried the walnut pics, so bear with whilst I try to find them.... 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zbd1960 Posted March 28, 2022 Author Share Posted March 28, 2022 Took a lot of digging... I think this is one of the pieces for the top... I seem to have thoroughly buried the e-mail with the images, so I've had to dig through the photos app on the Mac.... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eude Posted March 28, 2022 Share Posted March 28, 2022 Very nice, excited to see how this one comes out! Love the idea of using domestic woods too. What's the spec on this, did you go for a 32" scale, like you did with your ACG? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zbd1960 Posted March 28, 2022 Author Share Posted March 28, 2022 1 hour ago, eude said: Very nice, excited to see how this one comes out! Love the idea of using domestic woods too. What's the spec on this, did you go for a 32" scale, like you did with your ACG? Yes, 32" scale, 24 fret, 20" radius 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eude Posted March 28, 2022 Share Posted March 28, 2022 25 minutes ago, zbd1960 said: Yes, 32" scale, 24 fret, 20" radius Awesome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zbd1960 Posted May 4, 2022 Author Share Posted May 4, 2022 OK, we're getting nearer with the 6 string.... latest pics are in. Top is walnut, yew accent layer and sycamore body; fingerboard is wenge. 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted May 11, 2022 Share Posted May 11, 2022 Lovely! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newfoundfreedom Posted May 11, 2022 Share Posted May 11, 2022 If Klingons played bass....... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zbd1960 Posted June 27, 2022 Author Share Posted June 27, 2022 Had an update... it should be ready to pick up soon... 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zbd1960 Posted July 6, 2022 Author Share Posted July 6, 2022 I will be picking it up on Friday... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zbd1960 Posted July 8, 2022 Author Share Posted July 8, 2022 Not long back from picking up the six string from Robin at Manton Customs. The six string is a beast! It is a comfortable size though. It weighs in at 9lb and has a 32" scale. The front is English Walnut and a Yew accent layer delineated with a black veneer both sides. The body is Maple/Sycamore. It has a through neck laminated from Maple and Wenge and the fretboard is Wenge. I play the viol (viola da gamba) and the Titan model is loosely like a viol, especially the older 'festoon' type of Renaissance viol. I will post some of my own photos of it shortly, with some close-ups, but I've got a concert to play in later. Meanwhile, some photos from Robin. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eude Posted July 8, 2022 Share Posted July 8, 2022 That is absolutely stunning mate! You must be delighted! Congratulations, and have a good gig! Eude Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted July 8, 2022 Share Posted July 8, 2022 That is flipping gorgeous! 🙂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daz39 Posted July 8, 2022 Share Posted July 8, 2022 Wow - it's impressive. And the next guitarist to diss bass players will get the chance to see if their neck fits neatly inside that lower cutaway! Love the neck layers, and how perfectly the strings line up with them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zbd1960 Posted July 8, 2022 Author Share Posted July 8, 2022 57 minutes ago, Daz39 said: Wow - it's impressive. And the next guitarist to diss bass players will get the chance to see if their neck fits neatly inside that lower cutaway! Love the neck layers, and how perfectly the strings line up with them. If I sharpen it, it could double as a Lockaber axe.... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benh Posted July 8, 2022 Share Posted July 8, 2022 That is a thing of beauty! Love it 😍 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zbd1960 Posted July 8, 2022 Author Share Posted July 8, 2022 I'll take more pics, but a few close-ups with the phone 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulFenderJazz Posted August 26, 2022 Share Posted August 26, 2022 How does it play? I was toying with contacting him about a build, but just don’t know the brand or reputation, I assume just due to low volumes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGreek Posted August 26, 2022 Share Posted August 26, 2022 The shape isn't my cappuccino but the materials are beautiful. Good call. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zbd1960 Posted August 26, 2022 Author Share Posted August 26, 2022 8 hours ago, TheGreek said: The shape isn't my cappuccino but the materials are beautiful. Good call. The shape is reminiscent of a viola da gamba, which is what attracted me to it. My own tenor viol is rather more prosaic and commissioning a bass is a lot cheaper than a viol. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eude Posted August 26, 2022 Share Posted August 26, 2022 2 minutes ago, zbd1960 said: The shape is reminiscent of a viola da gamba, which is what attracted me to it. My own tenor viol is rather more prosaic and commissioning a bass is a lot cheaper than a viol. Who made your Viol? I used to know a guy who made them a while back, a Richard Jones. He'll be a good age by now, he was a really nice, talented bloke. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zbd1960 Posted August 26, 2022 Author Share Posted August 26, 2022 2 minutes ago, eude said: Who made your Viol? I used to know a guy who made them a while back, a Richard Jones. He'll be a good age by now, he was a really nice, talented bloke. Mine's a Czech instrument - nothing special. I've met Richard and played some of his viols - he mostly makes Renaissance ones rather than Baroque I think? You'd struggle to commission a tenor viol for less than £6k Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eude Posted August 26, 2022 Share Posted August 26, 2022 11 minutes ago, zbd1960 said: Mine's a Czech instrument - nothing special. I've met Richard and played some of his viols - he mostly makes Renaissance ones rather than Baroque I think? You'd struggle to commission a tenor viol for less than £6k Small world then! I think your right, are those a little more fancy? Did you know he was originally a bass player? He had a wonderful fretless P Bass, it had been refinished, but was lovely. He helped me build a 6 string fretless bass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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