Sugden Posted June 7, 2007 Share Posted June 7, 2007 That finger board really is something else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
velvetkevorkian Posted June 7, 2007 Share Posted June 7, 2007 [quote name='Sugden' post='13536' date='Jun 7 2007, 12:20 PM']That [b]whole bass[/b] really is something else.[/quote] Fixed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve-soar Posted June 7, 2007 Share Posted June 7, 2007 That fingerboard looks like some kind of factual rendering from the Sky at Night, the whole thing looks like it is being made on Mars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tinman Posted June 8, 2007 Share Posted June 8, 2007 Looking stunning already, looking forward to seeing it completed. Love the fingerboard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Posted June 9, 2007 Share Posted June 9, 2007 Wow - this is looking brilliant. I'm not the biggest fan of headless basses, but this really looks tremendous. Can't wait to see it finished - and hanging off someone being played! Regards Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7string Posted June 9, 2007 Share Posted June 9, 2007 I had the pleasure of visiting Alan yesterday afternoon and I saw that fingerboard...It really is amazing and does look like a landscape picture !! Alan's basses are just getting better and better and the quality of wood that he has to build from is fantastic.... If you're thinking of having a bass built, I highly recommend you contact Alan through the website at [url="http://www.acguitars.co.uk"]www.acguitars.co.uk[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gizmo Posted June 19, 2007 Share Posted June 19, 2007 Dam that red wood top is sexy it almost looks like a pool of water & sets off the fb which as steve-soar says kind of looks like the sky over mountains and a lake im def going to look at getting hold of a red wood top for a future build All the best Gizmo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thedontcarebear Posted June 21, 2007 Share Posted June 21, 2007 I am hopefully going to get a Skelf Single-cut soon, 5 strings though, and with a head! I didn't know about the Skelf SC model before the other day, had only seen the others, must have missed this! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alpha-Dave Posted June 21, 2007 Author Share Posted June 21, 2007 Thank you all for the kind words, I am soooo looking forward to getting this now, only a few weeks away! With so many compliments I almost wish jhferret would pop along to say it doesn't look like a proper bass (I'll send him a PM). My wait may be a little longer though as redwood is quite porous, so needs several thin coats of lacquer because fewer thick ones tend to sink into the grain. Gizmo: that may come in useful. Here is a minor update, the control cavity cover. As you can see the back will be as nice as the front (as it's not wet here, the grain doesn't 'pop', but it will! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gizmo Posted June 21, 2007 Share Posted June 21, 2007 (edited) Hey Alpha-Dave Thx for the tip i've been having a look around at some Redwood tops over at [url="http://oregonwildwood.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=EGLamTopRedwood"]oregonwildwood.com[/url] theres some real nice tops there though a few are a little think for my taste's also his Macassar Ebony tops reall get my pulse racing aswell hehe so looks like having to plan 2 new build's to staisfy my wood cravining's Cheers Gizmo Edited June 21, 2007 by Gizmo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bass_ferret Posted June 21, 2007 Share Posted June 21, 2007 [quote name='Alpha-Dave' post='21414' date='Jun 21 2007, 03:17 PM']With so many compliments I almost wish jhferret would pop along to say it doesn't look like a proper bass (I'll send him a PM). [/quote] I did look when you first posted but it made me sick so I've not been back (cant find a green emoticon). I am actually quite partial to a spot of quilt or flame, its some of the more outlandish woods I dont like. Lop 2 strings and that ugly single cut off, stick a nice head on and it'll be a cracking bass. Is the ramp made out of another cut of the veneer or is it cut out of the top? Looks cool not having visible pups but i'm not sure what the ramp is really for - something to do with slapping? Thats so 80's. Been there, done that. I did try a couple of headless basses when they first came out (wasn't that the 80's as well - the decade taste passed by). They were OK but just didn't seem right - like making love to a woman with no head! They were supposed to eliminate dead spots caused by the head or something like that - but I've never had a bass with dead spots. With Hipshot ultralights the balance issue is not so bad either, providing of course that the correct number of tuners is used As for the single cut - whats the point? More sustain? And you are gonna slap it? Personally I've never understood guys or gals that want their basses to sustain for a week - none of the songs in the Ferrets set list need that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gizmo Posted June 21, 2007 Share Posted June 21, 2007 [quote name='bass_ferret' post='21529' date='Jun 21 2007, 07:10 PM']Is the ramp made out of another cut of the veneer or is it cut out of the top? Looks cool not having visible pups but i'm not sure what the ramp is really for - something to do with slapping? Thats so 80's. Been there, done that.[/quote] Quite the opposite really as it hinders slap/pop this link should clear up the ramp ? [url="http://garywillis.com/pages/bass/bassmanual/theramp.html"]http://garywillis.com/pages/bass/bassmanual/theramp.html[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bass_ferret Posted June 21, 2007 Share Posted June 21, 2007 [quote name='Gizmo' post='21554' date='Jun 21 2007, 07:49 PM']Quite the opposite really as it hinders slap/pop this link should clear up the ramp ? [url="http://garywillis.com/pages/bass/bassmanual/theramp.html"]http://garywillis.com/pages/bass/bassmanual/theramp.html[/url][/quote] Makes sense. Bit like the old fender thumb rest or some basses that have a rail. I thought it was to stop the thumb going too deep. Makes sense but I do like to be able to dig in sometimes but I usually use a pick then anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alpha-Dave Posted June 22, 2007 Author Share Posted June 22, 2007 Hey bass_ferret, thank you for stopping by. I have to agree with you that it is nothing like a normal bass, but that's the idea! To be honest I'd love to go to a few band interview and take this, just to see the look of horror on guitarist's faces (I know it's unlikely to get me the gig). The single cut isn't for sustain, it's simply aesthetic so that the angular lines of the body are parallel. I think the headless aesthetic works really well with the angular single cut, it really shifts the visual balance from being a 'long thing with a big mass at one end and a small one on the other' to a 'narrow wedge' shape. My other main reason for going headless is so that it'll fit in a guitar case so it will fit in the boot of my car (my Musicguard insurance policy only covers things hidden in the boot, so I have to put my current basses in gigbags because hard cases won't fit in. Actually I've just had a brilliant thought, I'll ask Alan to make me a headstock out of a scrap of wood that I can attach to the end of the headstock with a couple of large neo magnets, that will really confuse people. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bass_ferret Posted June 25, 2007 Share Posted June 25, 2007 [quote name='Alpha-Dave' post='21735' date='Jun 22 2007, 09:41 AM']Actually I've just had a brilliant thought, I'll ask Alan to make me a headstock out of a scrap of wood that I can attach to the end of the headstock with a couple of large neo magnets, that will really confuse people. [/quote] I've actually seen a couple of basses with headless tuners and the strings anchored to a runt of a headstock - cant remember where though as I'm sure I did not like them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skelf Posted June 25, 2007 Share Posted June 25, 2007 [quote name='bass_ferret' post='23223' date='Jun 25 2007, 09:16 PM']I've actually seen a couple of basses with headless tuners and the strings anchored to a runt of a headstock - cant remember where though as I'm sure I did not like them.[/quote] Jp basses used to use that style of headless. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alpha-Dave Posted June 25, 2007 Author Share Posted June 25, 2007 Bass Labs use them too. To be honest, I feel that it's still not a good compramise and that it should be a full headstock or the chop, not a half-way house bud. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alpha-Dave Posted July 10, 2007 Author Share Posted July 10, 2007 Right, some more progress here! Alan has set the neck into the body, and the ramp/p'up cover is now sorted so the remaining wood work is mostly the neck carve and the scoop under the tuners and ramp. Lovely! D. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
niceguyhomer Posted July 10, 2007 Share Posted July 10, 2007 After playing Andyonbass' Recurve Single Cut I really want one - but this is looking interesting too Dave. I've broken the ice with Alan but I'm going to wait a few weeks and see if my GAS subsides. TBH - the build time puts me off a bit but I suppose what's worth having is worth waiting for eh? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alpha-Dave Posted July 10, 2007 Author Share Posted July 10, 2007 To be honest the nicest thing about the waiting time it the fact you can save up for it once the deposit is down! The build up is quite a lot of fun though so far, particularly with a luthier as 'plugged in' as Alan. In my ACG email folder I now have 159 emails from Alan regarding this bass and my previous recurve, although I think Alan really is the exception than the rule. I can't recall if it was Rich or OldGit that said that apparently there is a bit of a low a couple of weeks after you finally get your hands on your custom bass as the glow wears off (I think it's the same with buying a new car to be honest), but he said that you then build affection again. One of the most important yet difficult things with custom basses really is know what you want, preferably either visually or sonically or even both! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thedontcarebear Posted July 10, 2007 Share Posted July 10, 2007 I can't wait to see mine at that stage! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toasted Posted July 10, 2007 Share Posted July 10, 2007 That one looks great Dave. I like it alot. It reminds me of a headless status for no good reason Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alpha-Dave Posted July 12, 2007 Author Share Posted July 12, 2007 Alan has got the neck carve now sorted. It's gone from this: to this: I'm particulary loving the way that the quilting in the bubinga in the neck is now coming out. With a finish on, the ebony will be almost jet black and the bubinga will really pop! In other news, Alan has had a chat with his oil/laquer people and they say that an oiled neck on a set-neck is a none starter as the oil will eventually work its way under the adjacent laquer on the body and lift it off. Therefore we're going for an all over laquer as all oil isn't an option as redwood dents as easily as pine wood unless it's soaked in laquer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thedontcarebear Posted July 12, 2007 Share Posted July 12, 2007 I really really can't wait to see mine when it's a body! Haha, I am getting excited now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve-soar Posted July 13, 2007 Share Posted July 13, 2007 Fantastic! Your neck woods are like mine but in reverse. How many emails? I thought mine were excessive. I think ours are off to the spray booth next. Have you seen who's ordered one of Alans jazzes? Mine not even finished but I know what I want Alan to build next for me, can you guess children? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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