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US Masters club
- Thread starter Longshot
- Start date
That is so lovely! Thanks for posting it.
It is a good thing it is priced as high as it is or I'd be sorely tempted. The serial number sits right before my lacewood four-stringer (B98). That one came with the cream tolex case, too, but mine's definitely used.
I'll wager it's got some mass to it. My purpleheart 5er is the heaviest USM instrument I have.
It is a good thing it is priced as high as it is or I'd be sorely tempted. The serial number sits right before my lacewood four-stringer (B98). That one came with the cream tolex case, too, but mine's definitely used.
I'll wager it's got some mass to it. My purpleheart 5er is the heaviest USM instrument I have.
There is a 5 string on Epay now that has been on there for a while. I was interested in it but it has a break in the wood above the input and the seller would not take close up pics or remove the Batt. cover and take a pic so I could see if the break went all the way thru the wood and this was a music store that supposedly catered to the customers. It's also on Reverb buyer bware.
Your electronics look exactly like mine, I posted up a question regarding it. It has what looks like
a P-Bass pickup in the back cavity. Does yours?? I know it has been a long time since you posted this.
Here is my USM 5 String. Bought it from a friend. I used to be a regular at Regenberg Music on University Ave. a few years ago...
). Bought a lot of equipment from them and learned a lot about maintaining my guitars and basses. I also posted a question regarding the electronics in it. Wiring/Component QuestionKind of perplexed about it. Guess you can add me to the club.
View attachment 3448464 View attachment 3448466 View attachment 3448467 View attachment 3448468 Here is my USM 5 String. Bought it from a friend. I used to be a regular at Regenberg Music on University Ave. a few years ago...
Kind of perplexed about it. Guess you can add me to the club.
Very nice! About the same era as my purpleheart 5er.
I posted a reply in your other thread, but to keep information together and concise, I'mm including it in this thread.
_________________________________________________
It's a sealed circuit, epoxied into a P-bass pickup casing.
Here is how USM described the circuit:
View attachment 3449238
As I understand, it is a notch filter, which narrows the badwidth of wide-range pickups. It works like a parametric EQ, but in a fixed frequency range. I believe the EQ Type switch has a middle position that bypasses the circuit, making the tone knob a regular treble roll-off.
View attachment 3449242
Awesome wood there!
And I love me some switches.
I should scan some of my paper materials so they aren't lost.
And I love me some switches.
I should scan some of my paper materials so they aren't lost.
Someone on my local (Nashua NH) FB Marketplace is selling this beauty - wish I had an extra $600!
Used, in great condition. I am the second owner. This bass was made by U.S. Masters Guitar Works in Wisconsin. The instrument weighs just 7 pounds, and its ergonomic body shape allows for easy access to the entire 24 fret fingerboard. The electronics consist of 3 band active EQ and single coil pickups. The installed strap buttons are compatible with Schaller S-Locks and regular straps, but the original buttons are included. Also included is the hard case with lock, key, and storage compartment.
Details: Orientation: Right Handed Scale: 34" Weight: 7 pounds Electronics: 3 band active EQ Pickups: Single Coil Tuners: Sperzel Tuning Machines Pickups: U.S. Masters Custom Radius: Compound (smaller radius toward the nut, larger radius toward the bridge) Neck and Fingerboard: Figured maple Controls: - Passive/Active switch - Pickup blend - Master Volume - Bass - Mid - Treble
Used, in great condition. I am the second owner. This bass was made by U.S. Masters Guitar Works in Wisconsin. The instrument weighs just 7 pounds, and its ergonomic body shape allows for easy access to the entire 24 fret fingerboard. The electronics consist of 3 band active EQ and single coil pickups. The installed strap buttons are compatible with Schaller S-Locks and regular straps, but the original buttons are included. Also included is the hard case with lock, key, and storage compartment.
Details: Orientation: Right Handed Scale: 34" Weight: 7 pounds Electronics: 3 band active EQ Pickups: Single Coil Tuners: Sperzel Tuning Machines Pickups: U.S. Masters Custom Radius: Compound (smaller radius toward the nut, larger radius toward the bridge) Neck and Fingerboard: Figured maple Controls: - Passive/Active switch - Pickup blend - Master Volume - Bass - Mid - Treble
This is an instrument recently sold by member @Nofrettin. Thanks for permission to use your text and images!
This is one of only two fretless USM basses I have ever seen.
His description:
"Early hand built US Masters 4 string fretless bass.
"34" scale, 2 octave board, lacewood body with maple top, birdseye maple neck and board, Kent Armstrong Pickups. This bass is alive, something about the design and wood choices seem to make it sing.
"This one is the Studio Active, the top of the line passive and active setup. The pickups switch 3 ways internally, you can get a single coil, parallel or series out of each. On top of that is a 3 band eq with a sweepable mid, as well as a bunch of neat passive tone shaping options. Quite versatile, you can go from an Alain Caron solo tone to Jaco to Pino all in one. I mainly use it in passive, it has such a variety and incredible sound that the active section seems superfluous."
This is one of only two fretless USM basses I have ever seen.
His description:
"Early hand built US Masters 4 string fretless bass.
"34" scale, 2 octave board, lacewood body with maple top, birdseye maple neck and board, Kent Armstrong Pickups. This bass is alive, something about the design and wood choices seem to make it sing.
"This one is the Studio Active, the top of the line passive and active setup. The pickups switch 3 ways internally, you can get a single coil, parallel or series out of each. On top of that is a 3 band eq with a sweepable mid, as well as a bunch of neat passive tone shaping options. Quite versatile, you can go from an Alain Caron solo tone to Jaco to Pino all in one. I mainly use it in passive, it has such a variety and incredible sound that the active section seems superfluous."
That is an ep54, and it looks a lot like the one used on their web site (when it was up).
Controls
Studio Active Electronics
For an exceptionally broad palette of sounds and musical styles, this electronics package combines EMG's BQC and VMC in a 3-band active equalizer with sweep frequency midrange with our proprietary MultiVoice passive tone circuit and triple-voicing mode switches (series/parallel/single coil) for each of our US Masters custom-designed soapbar humbucking pickups - it's like having your choice of 3 different pickups for each position.
1. Dual-concentric bass and treble controls with center detent: ring is bass, center knob is treble. Treble frequency is selectable inside the control cavity.
2. Dual-concentric midrange: ring is frequency, center knob is cut/boost with center detent.
3. Pickup mix with center detent - mixes pickups in series for a greater diversity of tone.
4. Master volume
5. Active/Passive Bypass sub-mini switch
6. Frequency Selector for the MultiVoice tone circuit.
7. Filter Curve Selector for the MultiVoice circuit. Down it's a notch filter, pulling out midrange depending on the frequency selector and pickup combination and mode settings. Up it's a high-frequency roll-off filter with an emphasis in the upper midrange, again dependent upon pickup selection, frequency selector and pickup mode settings.
8. Bridge pickup voicing mode selector 3 position switch: down is series humbucking mode (the standard way most pickups are wired), middle position is single coil, up is parallel humbucking mode.
9. Neck pickup voicing mode selector - operates the same as switch 8 above.
"Optional Studio Active Electronics combines our proprietary MultiVoice passive tone circuit with EMG's BQC and VMC 3-band active EQ and tri-mode voicing of our custom-designed soapbar pickups."
That's an absolutely gorgeous instrument, with a wonderful sound and superb playability. Enjoy it!
songwriter21
I have an obsession for wood. The musical kind.
Incredible deal...get it! I can't (paying down debt).
US MASTERS EP-54 STUDIO ACTIVE 5 STRING ELECTRIC BASS GUITAR EP54 - LACEWOOD | eBay
US MASTERS EP-54 STUDIO ACTIVE 5 STRING ELECTRIC BASS GUITAR EP54 - LACEWOOD | eBay
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songwriter21
I have an obsession for wood. The musical kind.
