Sanox Logabass Designed by Leduc

[Green Knight]

Hi gang!
Anyone have or have had one of these early 90s headless curiosities?
What did you think about the tone and playability?
And what's the point of the extra five or so frets--the main individuating feature--being on the lower strings and not the higher ones? It's almost like a reverse Kubicki gimmick, only all those extra notes are easily accessible elsewhere on the fingerboard.

 

[India_Sierra]

I've never played one but I've always wanted to try one.

 

[Green Knight]

I've never played one but I've always wanted to try one.

Any theories about the extra frets on the E and A?

 

[India_Sierra]

I think it was just a visual thing, clearly you'd probably never use those frets in that space, and the treble side is cut away to allow access for popping the strings.

 

[Green Knight]

I think it was just a visual thing, clearly you'd probably never use those frets in that space, and the treble side is cut away to allow access for popping the strings.

I guess if you like the sound of finger-style played on the fretboard it's pretty convenient.

 

[India_Sierra]

I'm quite certain it was not designed with any function in mind as the fretboard goes to 26 frets before the cutout. Only the Yamaha TRBJP and the Thumb NT spring to mind as production basses with 26 frets.

 

[India_Sierra]

This may help anyone who wonders what we were talking about...

 

[Matt Liebenau]

Now that I see a picture I’d agree with @India_Sierra. It looks like the whole body tapers off on the treble side so it seems to be a visual and/or access for popping the strings thing.

Cool bass by the way. When were they produced and is that a proprietary bridge?

 

[Bryan R. Tyler]

What an odd design choice. The builder must really like how that looks because it seems like a lot of effort to do that just for the sake of keeping frets people likely won’t use being that they’re on the bass side of the fretboard.

 

[Green Knight]

What an odd design choice. The builder must really like how that looks because it seems like a lot of effort to do that just for the sake of keeping frets people likely won’t use being that they’re on the bass side of the fretboard.

From what I understand, French luthier Christophe Leduc designed this bass for Sanox to build; his name is on the fine print under the logo. Could it really just be aesthetic? There is less on this bass online than just about any bass I've pseudo-researched.

 

[Vinny_G]

These frets have not been added, it's the ones below that have been removed. I'm pretty sure this cutout in the fingerboard is there to make the slap technique easier.

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

Translation:

"How to estimate the price of a Sanox Logabass?

I designed the Logabass around 1980 for the Japanese brand Sanox. One of the requirements was the use of Bartolini components. In France, they were distributed by Bass Center in Paris. I think I remember that the prices were around 12.000 Francs, which is now a little less than 2000 Euros. Of course, I enjoy working on these instruments, but not having manufactured or checked them, they cannot benefit from the Leduc instrument warranty. Currently for an instrument in good condition, a discount of around 30% on the new price seems reasonable to me.

Here is the flyer of the time, staring Bob Ferrari, Beaver Felton and Jon Maye!"

 

[Green Knight]

These frets have not been added, it's the ones below that have been removed. I'm pretty sure this cutout in the fingerboard is there to make the slap technique easier.

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

Translation:

"How to estimate the price of a Sanox Logabass?

I designed the Logabass around 1980 for the Japanese brand Sanox. One of the requirements was the use of Bartolini components. In France, they were distributed by Bass Center in Paris. I think I remember that the prices were around 12.000 Francs, which is now a little less than 2000 Euros. Of course, I enjoy working on these instruments, but not having manufactured or checked them, they cannot benefit from the Leduc instrument warranty. Currently for an instrument in good condition, a discount of around 30% on the new price seems reasonable to me.

Here is the flyer of the time, staring Bob Ferrari, Beaver Felton and Jon Maye!"

Thanks for posting!
The specs say it's a neck-thru, but it sure looks like a set neck to me.
I can't find any info on the scale ... is it just 35" despite all the frets?

 

[Vinny_G]

The flyer says neck-thru and 34" scale length.

 

[Green Knight]

I saw that, but it looks just like a set neck is all. I totally missed the scale!

 

[Vinny_G]

You're right, the neck-thru is not clearly visible. It’s quite strange.

 

[India_Sierra]

I definitely think these are set-neck rather than a true neck thru, though it makes little difference overall. I think the catalogue may be mistranslated.

 

[pie_man_25]

This may help anyone who wonders what we were talking about...

View attachment 4095009

If I had to guess, and it's been said in the thread, it's either for popping the strings or just for visual effect

 

[HolmeBass]

This may help anyone who wonders what we were talking about...

View attachment 4095009

Without any knowledge, it seems like the neck thing is for thumpin’ and pluckin’- those frets way up on the E and A string are there just to be thumped upon.

 

[India_Sierra]

What an odd design choice. The builder must really like how that looks because it seems like a lot of effort to do that just for the sake of keeping frets people likely won’t use being that they’re on the bass side of the fretboard.

I agree that they are of little use on this bass. Not only to go to the effort of cutting the slots before pressing, cutting and crowning the frets, but to find the longer pieces of wood needed to put these extra frets in. The fingerboards on these always looked like high quality pieces too, supposedly ebony but some look like highly figured rosewood or dark morado. I do now that Christophe Leduc was an early adopter of making very long fretless fingerboards. I've seen some of his basses, near enough 30 years old now I'd wager, with 36 position fretless boards. So for him, having a fingerboard that extends all the way to the neck pickup seems to be an appealing idea.

 

[Zooberwerx]

I love the hybrid bridge / tuner design...smacks of Kubicki although it appears to accept the ball-end rather than the tapered (tuner) end. Just a clarification: Kubickis were strung backwards with the the ball-end at the headstock. In any case, the Logabass is just 8 shades of cool and one bass I'd like to see re-introduced.

Riis