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ACG 9 STRING!!

#81
This is ACG 9 string number 2.

Number 1 was a thru-neck and had no balance problems at all. The combination of the positioning of the strap button and Hipshot Ultralite tuners solved the potential problem.

It's bad enough when a 4 or 5 string doesn't balance properly! A 9 with a balance problem would really be a pain in the left arm :D
 
#82
Went down to ACG HQ today for 2 reasons. 1. To see how the 9 was getting on and 2. to meet up with another ACG customer to swap my cash for his Dean Rhapsody 12 string.

The 9 is in the process of being lacquered and sanded, but even at this stage it looks the proverbial million bucks. The mahogany top has really come to life with colours ranging from really dark brown to subtle orangey shades. The mahogany headstock is looking equally great with the defined 'v' shape to the grain and again the real variation in colour. The wenge backplate mirrors the wenge in the neck and in the neck joint itself. The whole thing is just show-stoppingly great.

So why no photos? Well, the bass is near completion and after seeing it, I'd rather keep it under wraps until it's properly finished and ready to be unveiled. This is definately one to keep your eye on early in 2009.

In 2 words. IT'S AWESOME :D
 
#84
I'm extremely lucky to have some very fine basses and the ACG 9 will sit proudly alongside them.

It's going to be a very steep learning curve with the 9, but you only get somewhere by putting the work in. All ACG basses have great playability and superb sound and I'm sure this 9 string will be no exception.

I saw the bass just before Christmas and the finish is really bringing out the beauty of the all the woods being used. I'm positive that this bass will be a show-stopper when it's done. It's then up to me to compose and perform music which is equal to the instrument :D
 
#88
I heard a few days ago that the last coats of lacquer were going on.

Problem is that the lacquer needs time to totally cure. Only then can the hardware and strings be added.

To make matters worse, 3 owners have picked up their wonderful ACG basses since the beginning of the year and seeing these has made me want mine! Never mind, there's some new customers who are only just beginning the ACG custom experience. They have a much longer wait than me :D
 
#89
While trying to be good and tidy up my e-mail account, I found myself going through the folder which contains all the e-mails, sent and received, to do with the 9 string. I was astonished to find it contains 237 e-mails and has my initial e-mails to and replies from luthiers, questions and answers to/from parts companies as well as advice from friends who are also musicians.

The vast majority of the e-mails though, are messages to and from Alan at ACG, discussing every aspect of the build from first enquiry through materials, specifications, electronics and so on. We've only spoken on the phone about this build on a couple of occasions, nearly everything has been through e-mail.

I also found a pic which I hadn't posted before. For someone who thought that mahogany was a dark, plain wood it was quite a shock. Straight after seeing this, I sent and e-mail to Alan saying that I wanted this for my bass

ACG9top-1.gif


I've put a lot of effort into the 9, but I don't have other customers to deal with and basses to build in the meantime. Just shows how much work Alan (and all the other luthiers) does in addition to the sawing, sanding and spraying.
 
#90
Received an e-mail this evening, which I read after a night figuring out the Addicted Drums demo.

First 6 words "Hi Mark, the bass is ready"

YUP, IT'S READY !! :bassist::bassist::hyper::hyper:


Needless to say, I'm really, really excited about this. I have a couple of pics which Alan descibed as "not very good". But he's going to get some more in daylight (I would say sunshine, but this is Scotland after all).

There's going to be a lot of practising going on over the next few weeks. I'll write some more when I've collect the bass and played it a little.



Kudos must go to Alan at ACG for making this ERB a reality :bassist::bassist:
 
#92
The first pictures.....

ACG9finished2PS.jpg


ACG9finishedPS.jpg


I'll get some more photos taken very soon.

These aren't the greatest pics, but hopefully they will give an idea of how great this ERB is!!

ACG9front.jpg


ACG9back.jpg


ACG9body.jpg


ACG9closeback.jpg


ACG9Hstock.jpg


ACG9board-1.jpg





I collected this bass from Alan at lunchtime and it is absolutely awesome.

The mahogany top has the great 'v' figuring and the bookmatched, acrylised, spalted maple fingerboard is amazing to look at and super-smooth to play. The 'v' shaped grain is also on the headstock and the black hardware completes the look.

This ERB is no lightweight at just under 12lbs, but it's still light compared to my 14lb Conklin GT7.

On the back is swamp ash, with a wenge plate accenting the body/neck join. The maple and wenge neck leads to a wenge backplate on the headstock, giving a different look from the front. Back on the front of the body are the controls for the ACG EQ-01 preamp, series/parallel switches for each pickup, low battery indicator and a selector between the bridge pickup and piezo elements in the bridge.

This ERB plays exceptionally well. The action is low and the low profile of the neck enhances the playing experience.

I've only really have the chance to dabble with the bass so far, but it's serious fun. 'Regular' bass lines sound really round and full and notes further up the scale have a timbre all of their own. It doesn't sound like an electric guitar because of the scale length.

Keep the debate for/against ERB's for another day, this is a beautifully sculptured ERB. The ingredients of design and materials have been blended to create something incredibly special indeed. Something unmistakably ACG.


Huge thanks go to Alan at ACG for fielding all my (sometimes very strange) ideas for this bass and for creating an amazing instrument.
Extended thanks also go to Larry at Gallery Hardwoods for supplying the woods and fingerboard for this project.

A great way to end a build diary :D
 
#100
Mark

Congratulations! The bass looks absolutely gorgeous and no doubt will provide you with much enjoyment...it is simply fantastic and I'm so pleased for you!

Only thing though is with you & Alan putting the bar so high, I'm concerned my Sei 9 might look a bit shabby in comparison...:hmm::(:help::D
 

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