ACG Chambered Piezo only bass

[Skelf]

Hi
Been asked to start a thread on this bass so here are the details to date.

Swamp Ash core with Myrtle top and back. 3 piece Wenge neck with lined fretless Ebony board, 5 string 33" scale tuned E to C.
Hipshot Type A with Graphtech saddles this will feed into an ACG EQ02 4K/S. This bass will be deeper than normal coming in at about 2.5".

Progress will be slow as I have orders which take priority over this bass.

 

[Spider]

How do you design those cavities ? I mean, the ones not used for batteries, electronics etc... Is there a way to predict how the bass is going to sound depending on cavities ?

 

[Skelf]

My understanding of the chambers is that they are to small to have a major impact on the sound. I will have a better idea once the bass is done which is part of the reason for doing it.

 

[Spider]

Understand. Subscribed....also want to try this.

 

[roberthabraken]

Subscribed!

 

[PasdaBeer]

i dig

 

[Murphys Law]

Looks nice! Subscribed

 

[Skelf]

Some work done on the chambered piezo single cut.

 

[Spider]

looks sweet.

 

[Skelf]

Bit more done on the Chambered Skelf.

 

[Simo]

Excellent work, as always. What's the wood you're using for the outer neck laminates, Ash?

I've got a piezo only bass deisgn sketched out on paper which I've been dying to start work on for a while but other things keep getting in the way! anyway, I'm looking forward to seeing this one progress

 

[Skelf]

They are Ash. Been wanting to try Ash in a neck for a while so as this is not an order I get to choose what it is made from.
Alan

 

[Skelf]

Bass is finished now and was down at the UK Bassday and at the Moffat Bass Bash.Two stock basses ready for UK Bassday.



Prototype chambered body with piezo bridge.
Swamp Ash body with Myrtle back and front extra depth body.
3 piece Wenge/Ash neck with Indian Ebony board with fret lines no radius 33" scale strung E to C with TI flats.
Hipshot/Graphtech bridge and ACG EQ02 3K/S pre-amp.
Oil lubricated steel wool satin which is now the standard finish on ACG basses

 

[DanSwain]

That looks great Alan! How does it sound with the piezo-only bridge?

I'm thinking of doing a 6-string fretless with the Hipshot bridge, so I'm quite interested to hear a professional example

 

[Skelf]

I am very pleased with the sound of the bass sounds very fretless if that makes any sense. You need to be careful which pre-amp you use as the piezo can have an over powering and aggressive top end. The filter pre-amp I use works very well with fretless and this is a combination I will be building again.

 

[eleonn]

Alan do you had any problem adjusting the truss rod on that SC?

 

[Son of Magni]

Looks very nice. I'm kinda surprised you didn't port the upper chamber though. Did you consider it?

 

[Skelf]

No trouble adjusting the truss rod.

I thought about it but not sure if it adds much to the bass. I could see that it would if the body was as deep as an acoustic and the chambers were a reasonable size.

 

[joeyl]

Oil lubricated steel wool satin which is now the standard finish on ACG basses

can you tell me more about it please?

 

[Skelf]

Hi
It is a 35% sheen lacquer which is wet sanded with 1200 grit then buffed with 00000 steel wool using teak oil as a lubricant.

Cheers
Alan