NBD: ACG Skelf R 6 multiscale

[Grand Moff Tim]

This is new to me, but definitely not new to talkbass. The person I bought it from bought it from the original owner here, so it's made quite the journey from Scotland to the US and now on to South Korea. There are already pics of this bass floating around on the internet in a few places (including a build thread here), but what would some more hurt?

Specs and pics simultaneously:

Body: Sycamore core, figured redwood back and top.
Finish: Clear satin acid catalysed lacquer.
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Neck: 7-piece flamed maple/wenge/bloodwood

Fairly thin/flat profile:

Fingerboard: Acrylic impregnated quilted maple.
Scale: 33"-36"
Radius: Flat/infinite

No inlays. Black side dots only.

Hipshot Ultralites

Spokewheel trussrod adjustment.

Zero fret

Bridge: Custom multiscale Hipshot A-Type. Hand-machined, because Hipshot didn't even have a template for a multiscale A-Type 6.

Pickups: ACG FB pickups, handmade by Aaron Armstrong of Kent Armstrong Pickups. Housings are sycamore & ebony, parallelogram-shaped to allow for resting the thumb on the edge more easily than a slanted rectangle.

Controls: *Deep breath*

Stack 1: Vol / Blend.
Stack 2: Neck pickup low pass filter / overshoot peak level control, with push/pull low mid boost.
Stack 3: Bridge pickup low pass filter / overshoot peak level control, with push/pull high mid boost.
Stack 4: High pass filter / treble level
Knob 5: Master tone, with active/passive push/pull.

5 bolt bolt-on neck joint.

Upper fret access:

 

[Grand Moff Tim]

Review:

When I initially went for it, I was a bit worried I wouldn't be very comfortable on it. I have small lady fingers, so it was a bit of a concern going to not only a 6 string, but a 36" 6 string. Not to mention it's my first multiscale, and first flat radius board.

Gotta admit, I was worried for nothing. It's super comfortable to play, and I'm not having any difficulty at all with the length or the width. I can't properly express how stoked I am to have found a sixer I'm so comfortable on. I thought my tiny hands had cursed me to the land of 4 and 5 strings for all eternity, but this thing is actually even easier to play than my Ibanez BTB 5. I'll admit my thumb cramped up a bit the first day, because it wasn't used to having to reposition itself quite so much as I move up the neck, but it was a very slight adjustment.

As most people who get multiscales will tell you, there really isn't much of an adjustment to it at all. It's a touch awkward maybe on the first fret at times, and then again way up at the other end, but it hasn't been an issue yet.

I do enjoy reaping the tonal benefits of the mutliscale, though. I'm accustomed to 5 strings having an annoying drop off in volume from the E to the B, but this does away with that almost completely. I've never heard a louder, clearer B. I was so busy marveling over the B that I didn't even notice how much better the low E sounds, too, until my band's drummer pointed it out at practice the other night. Of course, the high C is also nice and not brittle like it might be at a longer scale, which is nice.

The flat radius isn't really even noticeable, since most wide basses have fairly flat boards to begin with (Ibanez sixers have a radius of something like 950mm/37"). I haven't noticed it causing any awkwardness.

The fretboard looks incredible, obviously. The acrylic impregnation process stiffens the wood and allows luthiers to use woods that are often too soft or brittle for fretboards, like the quilted maple on this one. It's nice and hard, so it has good snap and attack. The frets aren't huge, which is a plus in my book. The more it feels like a fretless, the better Invalid Link Removed.

The pickups sounds great, especially the neck pup. Running the neck and bridge together still sounds a touch off to me, but that's not because they aren't great, it's because they're both humbuckers and all of my other basses have single coils. I'm just not used to bass HB tone yet.

The preamp is fvcking bonkers. I don't even really know where to start with it, hahaha. I'm still doing ALOT of tweaking and experimenting with it, because it's so different from the types of preamps I'm used to. I haven't really been able to dial in a slap tone on it that I'm 100% happy with, but hopefully I'll have that sorted out by the time I've frown accustomed to slapping on the narrower 18mm bridge spacing Invalid Link Removed.

Overall, I really love this thing. I can't imagine how I could be much happier with it. Plays great, sounds great, feels great, and is legitimately unique (it's the only one of its kind ACG has made).

Anyway, that's all I've got off the top of my head. If I think of more I'll add it, and I'll be glad to try to answer any questions.


For good measure, here's a shot of my current main stable:

Left to right: Fender Tony Franklin fretless Precision, ACG Skelf 6, Bacchus Woodline P/J.


...and an "action" shot at band practice Friday night.

 

[Matthew_84]

Congrats, that's a very nice bass! I was honestly just thinking that a 36" - 33" scale would be ideal for a multiscale 6'er... I must admit, I'm a little envious of you right now.

 

[jim777]

Lovely bass, they are exquisite basses. That's the East ACG-03 preamp then?

 

[blindrabbit]

Alan (ACG) makes incredible basses, and I'm proud to also be an owner of one too (albeit much simpler than this). I keep thinking his basses have got to be the best kept secret out there, because if everyone knew how amazing they were, they would be many more times expensive than they are currently.

I love the Skelf body style. I would have seriously considered it had it been an option for me. And the woods...oy vey!

Enjoy that gorgeous instrument!

 

[Grand Moff Tim]

Lovely bass, they are exquisite basses. That's the East ACG-03 preamp then?

Sure is. It's waaaay more than I'm accustomed to, haha. It's also a bit noisy sometimes, for some reason, but hopefully as I learn more about what works and what doesn't, I'll be able to dial that out.