Artcore Club

[Old Blastard]

Ooh, look at that white AFB! Pretty! Get that man a number, B-Mac!

Blast, you should pick up one of the current transparent black AFBs and go B&W!

I've got a generic version of the ASB 140. It was made in China by the Korean company (Saein, or Shine) that made it for Ibanez and then, after it was dropped from the Ibby lineup, was sold to Rondo under the Douglas name. The quality is a bit lower, but it plays and sounds great

 

[mrperkolator]

Hey Club! Didn't know you were here. I have a 2013 AFB 200 that I gig whenever the venue/group calls for old school thump. May I join?View attachment 5307895 View attachment 5307896

what strings do you use? Also does your tone knob work? There’s a different issue out there with other model artcores. I was doing research on our AFB (I have a black/gold one) and I found the stock capacitor is .022 uf. Which is probably why I can’t hear it. Or I have a loose wire.

 

[Old Blastard]

Mine works, but it's not the most effective compared to other basses in the family. I bought it from a local reseller who gets his guitars from the factory repair shop. It's stamped used, so maybe there was a repair issue.

the ASB/Douglas is far worse.

 

[mrperkolator]

Mine works, but it's not the most effective compared to other basses in the family. I bought it from a local reseller who gets his guitars from the factory repair shop. It's stamped used, so maybe there was a repair issue.

the ASB/Douglas is far worse.

I’m trying to get a schematic (yes schematic and not a diagram) from Ibby so I can compare to what I have. The newer ones mix linear and audio tapers on vol/tone pots too. I’m not sure on older ones like ours. Unfortunately the pot shaft size is a bit smaller than CTS/Bournes.

one of these days I’ll finish tinkering and play it more…

 

[Michael Vee]

For AFB owners… which flats are you using?

Late reply.. I'm using nicely broken-in Chromes. Love the feel and sound, and the AFB neck likes the string tension.

 

[Old Blastard]

I'm using d'Addario nickel flats. I had them bouncing around for years. I love the fell and the thump and the difference between fingers and picks is amazing. Used a Hal-dollar for a pick at one open mic on "Folsom Prison Blues" and it was pretty cool. They've been on there a couple of years, now.

 

[B-Mac]

I'm using d'Addario nickel flats. I had them bouncing around for years. I love the fell and the thump and the difference between fingers and picks is amazing. Used a Hal-dollar for a pick at one open mic on "Folsom Prison Blues" and it was pretty cool. They've been on there a couple of years, now.

Have you tried these? I love them. No string clack.

Rubber Sampler Pack

 

[Michael Vee]

I may try those, myself. I never got into the hard pick click and clack sound or the feel. These Wedgies may be the way to go. Thanks, B-Mac!

Update: Went ahead and bought them.

 

[Old Blastard]

I vary picks. I usually use a 1.2 big triangle pick my guitar player orders from. They are pretty grippy and don't fall out of my fhand in faster passages. With the hollowbodies I also toss in the old hard felt picks and the soft ukulele picks. The uke picks have a great plump sound rather than pluck.

my bandmates are quite patient with my experimenting

 

[John Stephen]

I tried an AGB200 yesterday in a local shop. Very comfortable, but also rather quiet. I had the volume all the way up, and the amp volume and gain at 12 noon, and it wasn’t as loud as I would have expected. I may go back today or tomorrow and try it again.

 

[B-Mac]

I tried an AGB200 yesterday in a local shop. Very comfortable, but also rather quiet. I had the volume all the way up, and the amp volume and gain at 12 noon, and it wasn’t as loud as I would have expected. I may go back today or tomorrow and try it again.

Pup height may be set too low?

 

[B-Mac]

I vary picks. I usually use a 1.2 big triangle pick my guitar player orders from. They are pretty grippy and don't fall out of my fhand in faster passages. With the hollowbodies I also toss in the old hard felt picks and the soft ukulele picks. The uke picks have a great plump sound rather than pluck.

my bandmates are quite patient with my experimenting

These are varying hardness’ of rubber. Quite different than anything else you may have tried.

 

[John Stephen]

Right, could be pickup height. Next time I check it out (soon), I'll take a look at that. Also, it still had the plastic film over the pickups. Maybe that muffles the sound as well.

 

[Old Blastard]

Here's the Douglas I was talking about. Gonna play it at the next open mic

 

[Old Blastard]

May have to grab a couple. The hollows and semis really respond to different right hand techniques, from fingers to picks

 

[B-Mac]

Here's the Douglas I was talking about. Gonna play it at the next open micView attachment 5308204

Wow! Spitting image of the ASB140!

Here's my ASB200

 

[B-Mac]

May have to grab a couple. The hollows and semis really respond to different right hand techniques, from fingers to picks

@jd56hawk got me into using them for certain basses.

 

[B-Mac]

Here's the Douglas I was talking about. Gonna play it at the next open micView attachment 5308204

Although they are close, they are not the same. Burst is different, horns are different, F holes are different.

23 frets vs 22 frets. 17th fret marker on Douglass is in odd position and actually 18th fret. Had to count these a few times. Thought I was going cross-eyed!

 

[John Stephen]

To loop back on my earlier post, I went back to the shop, tuned the AGB200 up to pitch, loved the feel and sound, and it came home with me. I intend to put flats on it soon. The color is called flat black, and in this photo it looks like flat black, but in person, it's actually more like a dark charcoal gray, a bit lighter than black.

 

[Old Blastard]

Looks like the f-holes are different shapes