Acoustic Electric Bass

[mapleglo]

just found, and binge watched this build. Once again, I'm simply amazed.

In the future when you start a build, could you send out a mass mailing or something so I can follow along from the start?

I am definitely a fan.

Thanks guys

I'm now tending toward smoothing out the back of the bass, and finishing the front with a few more coats of clear. I'm letting my hands rest though - all that sanding seems to do a number on them. I have one area on the tip of my right thumb where I think I may have sanded it, and now the skin split, aggravated by the cold dry air here of late. So I'll let that heal before I tackle any more work.

On the bright side, my wonderful husband got me a new keyboard for Christmas, which arrived yesterday. I'm not much of a keyboard player, and while this Yamaha is an entry level unit, I'm quite impressed with it. The technology never ceases to amaze me. It does everything from slap bass, to choir, to horns and strings, to drums. And if I can figure it out, it'll even play all that automatically.

 

[mapleglo]

So I picked up this Stratacoustic guitar for $100.00 off of Craig's List yesterday. It has a striking similarity to a Precision. I have to keep telling myself "no more fiberglass work". Then I hear a little voice in the back of my head "But Precisioncoustic"...

I'll have to start looking for a short scale Fender neck. Of course, I still have yet to start finishing the back of the acoustic bass. Just waiting for the weather to warm up a bit.

 

[JIO]

So I picked up this Stratacoustic guitar for $100.00 off of Craig's List yesterday. It has a striking similarity to a Precision. I have to keep telling myself "no more fiberglass work". Then I hear a little voice in the back of my head "But Precisioncoustic"...

I'll have to start looking for a short scale Fender neck. Of course, I still have yet to start finishing the back of the acoustic bass. Just waiting for the weather to warm up a bit.

I hope the guitar version is good as I've seen an example of a very distorted MII or C (body material) bass version that ends up making it unplayable. Less tension on a guitar so it's probably not going to suffer such a result anyway. The bass version (made by Fender or Squier, I don't recall) was a good idea but made cheaply and w/o consideration to physics and material integrity. Your version will be solid I'm sure, but once delving into acoustic technology (as you've learned) many more structural needs/considerations come into play to balance with the purely acoustic goals. Makes building solid-body instruments seem like a walk in the park.

 

[delta7fred]

Our guitarist has a Stratacoustic. Not a bad guitar to play but it sounds nothing like either a Strat or an acoustic. He was hoping to use it for a few songs but has gone back to his electro-acoustic.

 

[mapleglo]

I hope the guitar version is good as I've seen an example of a very distorted MII or C (body material) bass version that ends up making it unplayable. Less tension on a guitar so it's probably not going to suffer such a result anyway. The bass version (made by Fender or Squier, I don't recall) was a good idea but made cheaply and w/o consideration to physics and material integrity. Your version will be solid I'm sure, but once delving into acoustic technology (as you've learned) many more structural needs/considerations come into play to balance with the purely acoustic goals. Makes building solid-body instruments seem like a walk in the park.

I've never seen the bass version. But yes, acoustic building is another world.

Our guitarist has a Stratacoustic. Not a bad guitar to play but it sounds nothing like either a Strat or an acoustic. He was hoping to use it for a few songs but has gone back to his electro-acoustic.

Yes, as a purely acoustic instrument, it's soft and a bit tinny, as would be expected with a very thin bodies acoustic. Played through an amp, it come alive as an acoustic, and sounds very full. But that's right, nothing like a Stratocaster.

 

[JIO]

...well, it only cost $100, and it's black - so you're already ahead of the game.

 

[pedrodelawasp]

Hello Mapleglo and everybody!

I hope you don't mind me chiming in here, but I picked up a bargain EAB I thought you might be interested in:

Invalid Link Removed

It's a B-Stock from Gear4Music. They've recently reduced the new price to £99.99, but I picked this up from their eBay page for £55. It was listed as having a faulty pickup, which I haven't had a chance to test yet, but it looks and plays (imho) far better than the price point suggests. The neck has a fantastic smooth, satin finish, there's nice binding and inlays in convincing MOP looking plastic (at a guess) and it projects really well - the low end in particular.

I have been having a scout about on here and elsewhere for a potential replacement pickup and pre-amp without finding very much. Anyone have experience of swapping out under saddle piezos and replacing them? Any recommendations? I'd have imagined Fishman would do some, but there aren't any listed on their website.

How are you getting along with yours, Maple?

 

[mapleglo]

Hello Mapleglo and everybody!

I hope you don't mind me chiming in here, but I picked up a bargain EAB I thought you might be interested in:

Invalid Link Removed

It's a B-Stock from Gear4Music. They've recently reduced the new price to £99.99, but I picked this up from their eBay page for £55. It was listed as having a faulty pickup, which I haven't had a chance to test yet, but it looks and plays (imho) far better than the price point suggests. The neck has a fantastic smooth, satin finish, there's nice binding and inlays in convincing MOP looking plastic (at a guess) and it projects really well - the low end in particular.

I have been having a scout about on here and elsewhere for a potential replacement pickup and pre-amp without finding very much. Anyone have experience of swapping out under saddle piezos and replacing them? Any recommendations? I'd have imagined Fishman would do some, but there aren't any listed on their website.

How are you getting along with yours, Maple?

Wow, that looks really nice! I have no experience with the under saddle piezos. I'm not even sure how one would access them on a bass like that. Perhaps the bridge needs to be removed? Nice find though, even if the pickup doesn't work.

No progress yet on mine, but still planning on the refinish.

 

[Stevorebob]

Hello Mapleglo and everybody!

I hope you don't mind me chiming in here, but I picked up a bargain EAB I thought you might be interested in:

Invalid Link Removed

It's a B-Stock from Gear4Music. They've recently reduced the new price to £99.99, but I picked this up from their eBay page for £55. It was listed as having a faulty pickup, which I haven't had a chance to test yet, but it looks and plays (imho) far better than the price point suggests. The neck has a fantastic smooth, satin finish, there's nice binding and inlays in convincing MOP looking plastic (at a guess) and it projects really well - the low end in particular.

I have been having a scout about on here and elsewhere for a potential replacement pickup and pre-amp without finding very much. Anyone have experience of swapping out under saddle piezos and replacing them? Any recommendations? I'd have imagined Fishman would do some, but there aren't any listed on their website.

How are you getting along with yours, Maple?

In the early years, pieizo pickups were attached to acoustic guitars with double-stick tape. I suggest removing the strings and taking a look with a mirror.

Nice bass.

 

[vmabus]

I have been having a scout about on here and elsewhere for a potential replacement pickup and pre-amp without finding very much. Anyone have experience of swapping out under saddle piezos and replacing them? Any recommendations? I'd have imagined Fishman would do some, but there aren't any listed on their website.

I did in my Carvin AC-50 which used the Baggs ribbon transducer (no longer available). The transducer/preamp set from B-Band swapped right in without further modification. Have a look here:
http://www.b-band.com/
Made for guitar, but sounds great for bass.

 

[michaelwayneharwood]

Anyone have experience of swapping out under saddle piezos and replacing them?

I am willing to bet that replacing the piezo will look something like this:

1. Loosen or remove the strings
2. The saddle should lift right up revealing the piezo
3. There should be a hole drilled into the bridge where the piezo cable goes into the body of the instrument, and then is connected to the preamp on the bass side of the belly
4. The preamp should have screws that you can loosen to remove the unit.

Once things are disassembled you will have a better idea of next steps. Replacing the preamp will require a bit of measuring of the present unit and finding a preamp that will fit in the hole without modification, and once you know how the piezo plugs in and what kind it is (e.g. coax, bar, etc.) you can source an appropriate replacement. I am willing to bet you have a loose connection or a preamp issue that will not require a full piezo swap, but swapping everything out all at once might be a good idea.

A very decent quality and inexpensive piezo replacement would be the Artec PP-437.

 

[pedrodelawasp]

I am willing to bet that replacing the piezo will look something like this:

1. Loosen or remove the strings
2. The saddle should lift right up revealing the piezo
3. There should be a hole drilled into the bridge where the piezo cable goes into the body of the instrument, and then is connected to the preamp on the bass side of the belly
4. The preamp should have screws that you can loosen to remove the unit.

Once things are disassembled you will have a better idea of next steps. Replacing the preamp will require a bit of measuring of the present unit and finding a preamp that will fit in the hole without modification, and once you know how the piezo plugs in and what kind it is (e.g. coax, bar, etc.) you can source an appropriate replacement. I am willing to bet you have a loose connection or a preamp issue that will not require a full piezo swap, but swapping everything out all at once might be a good idea.

A very decent quality and inexpensive piezo replacement would be the Artec PP-437.

Thanks for that.
I have fitted the under-saddle type piezo to a 6-string acoustic guitar, drilling the hole for the cable as well as cutting the holes for the pre-amp and battery box, I used a very inexpensive unit from eBay that is a bit tinny, tbh, so I wanted to ask on here for good pickup options. I reckoned those watching this thread would be amongst the best to ask. I'll have a look for the Artec you suggested.

I have taken the pre-amp out of the bass to look at the connections. The piezo connects with a mini jack-type connection that seemed solid enough. The connections for the battery box also seemed fine.

I'll let you know how I get on