eude

I guess I'm one of the misinformed here and I'll take that on the chin, however I would argue there's quite a bit more craftsmanship in a handmade instrument than something created in a factory. Of course there will be skilled labour involved, and it was unfair of me to lean so heavily on the production line aspect of EBMM's processes but all of that aside, the prices in my opinion are still way off. You're right though, if you don't like it, you don't need to buy one, which is why @Ian McFly is getting a Valenti. Eude

That's a smart move. I'm all for supporting small builders over these over inflated factory efforts every single time. Nino will make you much better bass than EBMM ever would, with a world more options to your spec, for less money, and you'll be keeping a luthier in work rather than helping Sterling Ball expand his classic car collection. I honestly think anything over £1500 for anything made on a production line is gross, even that is pushing it, especially when there's so many builders out there doing so much more for similar prices. Eude

How does that compare on the price scale?

Wow, some awesome stuff on here! Here goes... Mexican Fender Precision Bass - Red, White Scratchplate, Rosewood Fingerboard. Acquired at the tender age of 12, this bass was nearly as long as I was tall, and I've not grown much since. Sold to fund the Washburn below Squier HM5 5 string - Metallic Blue, Rosewood Fingerboard. My first 5 string bass, and actually a really good instrument. I do regret moving it on. It too went so I could acquire a Washburn 6 string bass however. Seeing as these things are fairly rare, here it is in my parent's living room, in the very early 90's >> Washburn MB6 6 string - Alder body, Rosewood Fingerboard. My first 6 string bass and I’ve never really looked back from having “too many strings”. Not a very exciting bass but well made bass and very much served a purpose. Sold to fund the Vester Jazz. Homemade 6 string Fretless - I made a bit of a beast of a bass when I was 16, at evening classes reserved for Baroque instruments like dulcimers and weird oboes, but the teacher owed my Dad a favour and had been a bass player in a previous life, so he was interested to see what it was all about. Originally, it had a 2 piece Olive Ash body with a bolt on Wenge/Mahogany 3 piece neck and a raw Wenge fingerboard, EMG DC pickup, Schaller Tuners and a Wilkinson Bridge It was a 36” scale instrument, and even though it ended up being my main bass for several years, it was a struggle to play for long gigs or sessions and I eventually retired it, only for it to be resurrected and tastefully improved later on by none other than @Andyjr1515 who turned it into a 31.5” bass, as is my now preferred scale length, he chambered the body, added a sexy Katalox top, made a new 3 piece Mahogany/Walnut neck with an Ebony fingerboard and added a Warwick Bridge. It remains a permanent part of my stable, and always will. Read more about it here >> Vester Jazz Bass - Glossy Black. 70’s style Jazz Bass copy, with a Tortoise Scratchplate, and Rosewood fingerboard. Really really nice jazz copy. Eventually got broken down for parts for project basses that never happened, and then sold off in bits. Bassix Tinky Winky Purple Flying Vee Upright - Bit of a wild one, and not an experiment that stuck with me, but it was fun for a while. I have no idea what it was made of, but it was purple, with a maple fingerboard and black tape wound strings. Didn’t sound like an upright, didn’t sound like an electric bass, still very cool though and nicely made. Sold on this forum. Fender Mexican Jazz Bass - Same spec as my Vester Jazz above. No better no worse, but didn’t really gel with it. Sold on. Cheapie Spector - Super cheap bass, one of their entry level offerings in black. Not a great bass if I’m honest. Tried in for a decent flight case. Warwick Thumb Bass BO 5 string - My first proper high end instrument, and also my heaviest! From the ear where Warwick were clearly also making Wenge Baseball Bats. Ovankol body, Wenge neck and fingerboard, insane weight, but your reward is a fantastic sound, heavier basses do sound better to my ears. Sold on to fund my Shuker 4 string below. Shuker Single Cut 6 string - My first fairway into he world of custom basses. Amboyna drop top, on Ash, 5 piece Maple/Wenge neck, Rosewood fingerboard, 33” scale, EMG DC pickups and Shuker’s own 3 band EQ, which is a very nice circuit. With this being my first custom, I got a few things wrong, but I played it happily for several years and eventually moved it on, on this forum. Shuker Jazz Bass - Gloss Black sexy wee thing. Black Walnut body, 5 piece Mahogany/Wenge neck, Rosewood fingerboard, 33” scale, EMVJV pickups. Modified with an ACG EQ02 preamp, and then sold on here, miss this one sometimes. ACG Finn SC Classic 5 string - My first ACG, the start of an obsession. Swamp Ash body, Wenge neck, AI Bloodwood fingerboard, 33” scale, single RFB pickup and ACG EQ02 preamp. An amazing bass, and my main bass for some time. Eventually sold on to our very own @SiBob. Sorely missed. ACG Finn SC Classic 6 string - Ziracote top, Wenge back on Ash, 5 piece Wenge/Flamed Maple neck, Ebony fingerboard, 33” scale, two SB pickups and a John East U Retro 3K preamp. Fantastic bass, but I had new ideas. Sold on here, can’t recall who too… ACG Finn SC Classic 5 string fretless - Rose Myrtle on Spanish Cedar chambered body, 5 piece Maple/Bubinga set neck, Ebony fingerboard, 33” scale, 2 SB pickups and ACG EQ03 preamp. Absolutely incredible sounding and playing fretless bass, but moved on to The Netherlands to fund other things. ACG Finn - Tulipwood on Alder body, Wenge neck and fingerboard, 33” scale, 2 FB pickups in slim casings, simple John East preamp. Lovely bass, but for some reason I just didn’t quite click with it, probably due to me being obsessed with Single Cut Basses. Sold on. ACG Krell SC E-Type 5 string - Figured Maple on Ash, all coloured in Black, 5 piece Maple/Wnge/Purpleheart neck, Pau Ferro fingerboard, 33” scale, PB and RFB pickups and an ACG DFM preamp. Another amazing ACG but my interest in shorter scales meant I had to move it on. Another one sorely missed though. I did enquire about having Alan turn it into a 31.5” 6 string, but it was too much effort for all involved. ACG Salace SC E-Type Headless 6 string - My first headless bass, and my first 31.5” bass too. Koa top, Mahogany back on a Spruce core, 3 piece Ash neck, Cocobolo fingerboard, 31.5” scale, 2 FB pickups and a John East Unipre preamp. An amazing sounding, and playing bass, so compact yet so rich in every capacity, for me anyway. ACG Recurve - Mexican Kingwood on Black Limba body, 3 piece Ash/Wenge neck, Wenge fingerboard, 31.5” scale, PB and SB pickups and a John East/ACG P Retro preamp. Amazing little bass, and wish I could get back at some point. Very light, yet very gnarly sound. Sold on here. ACG Krell SC E-Type Headless Fretless 6 string - To complement my fretted headless 6er, I had to have a fretless of course. Fractal Birch top on an extra thick chambered White Limba body with a thick Purpleheart veneer, 3 piece Wenge/Purpleheart set neck, Macassar Ebony fingerboard with Purpleheart and Maple lines, 31.5” scale, 2 FB pickups, hard wired in Parallel and an ACG DFM preamp. I absolute adore this bass too. ACG Finn SC Classic 6 string - Pretty much the bass I would’ve bought when I ordered my first bass from ACG, had I known what I know now. Black Limba body, Wenge neck, Pau Ferro fingerboard, 31.5” scale, single RFB pickup and a John East Unipre. Simple 6 string workhorse with a really solid punchy tone. ACG TKO Modern - Awesome, more traditional sounding bass for me. Flamed maple on White Limba, coloured in a little bit black, 3 piece Ash neck, also coloured in black, Rosewood fingerboard 30.5” scale, reverse PB pickup and passive Vol/Tone controls. String up with TI Flats and it’s a real vintage sounding beastie. ACG RetroB 5 string - Super Jazz on steroids. Flamed Maple on Swamp Ash body, 3 piece Maple/Wenge neck with Cocobolo fingerboard and AI Maple blocks, 2 SB pickups and John East Unipre preamp. Simply divine. I’ve always hankered for a super jazz bass in looks and sound but never managed to get something sorted, but here it is now! ACG Mikro ChubstRR 6 string - Crazy little bass with a 26.5” scale, bit of a mad idea, but it just works! Flamed maple top and back on White Limba body, coloured din a bit black, 5 piece Maple/Bubinga neck, AI Maple fingerboard, 26.5” scale, 2 FB pickups in slim cases, John East Unipre preamp. Currently strung up E to F, but I have some custom strings on the way from Newtone so I can try this tuned B to C. Phew, that is a hell of a lot of basses! Trying not to not sell anything now, and just accumulating until I’m found out Cheers, Eude

Those prices, to me at least, are completely insane for a production line bass, especially given that they don't even have to worry about nice looking bits of wood for the body as they'll be coloured in. Are people really spending that much money on these things? Eude

Wait, what?!

Well that's a bit sexy! Thank you so much for sharing matey. Looking forward to seeing this one finished up and course the new build Eude

SO what's become of this bass? I genuinely love that shape and the ramp idea too. Just don't turn it into firewood please!? Eude

That is simply stunning!

That's a shame, I was REALLY digging this one, the shape and ramp in particular (not so much the gold hardware though ) Either way, excited to see what you've come up with next! Eude

Any updates on this?...

Absolutely stunning @Andyjr1515, I keep coming back to perv at this thread, even when there's no new posts! Eude

I think it might be that the new ABM NEO 1x12 is bigger to get the best out of the driver? A lot of 1x12 cabs are undersized to meet the lightweight, small form factor objectives first, tone second. When I first saw it I was surprised, but it does make sense really. I believe the newer RM 1x12 cab will be better than any older cabs, purely just because speaker technology is advancing. If you're after a more vintage tone though, the V12 cab might be a better fit. Eude

I remember lusting after the 12" wedge combo version of that MAG. I bet it weighed a tonne though! The old school MAG stuff is indestructible though, the majority of all house backline across the central belt in Glasgow when I gigged a lot back in the late 90s early 00s was all MAG, and oqccaiosnally ABM. Super resilient and power gear. Eude

Would it be worth buying on th cheap and having Ashdown resurrect it? I got an ABM EVO II for free, for spares or repair off a local pro who had 3 other working EVO IIs and was moving abroad. Sent it to Ashdown, and for under £100 it was repaired and serviced. They're able to fix up everything they've made as far as I'm aware... Eude

That's @Spoombung!

Yup, they stopped being a bargain before Brex*hit, and for the money back then, I would have been absolutely looking at a full custom from a UK builder like ACG or Shuker instead. If Brex*hit makes the prices even higher, I think there might be less of these coming into the UK. Eude

Lovely stuff Pedro. I'll be following this one closely. Eude

In the grand scheme, the ABM heads aren't exactly that heavy anyway though, much lighter than any older Trace gear or a Peavey Mk VI head I had back in my youth. If you've not been near lightweight amps, I think you'd probably find the ABMs lighter than the equivalent Laney or Hartke offerings, their latest version is the lightest yet! I've got a Class D Ashdown MIBass 2.0 for home use which I've used for small gigs, but I also have a full fat ABM EVO II for if/when I get back to gigging properly again. Ashdown ABMs are the only amp I've been unable to break, they take anything you can throw at them and keep kicking. Ashdown also have insanely good customer service and 5 year warranty on new gear. A good friend of mine has an EM EVO II, the 800 watt model and it's very impressive, super loud and although I've not heard it at a gig you'd be heard pressed to guess it was class D. Whatever you go with, I don't think you'd be disappointed. Eude

I don't think I ever put my fretless ACG on here. It's a Krell SC E Type, headless, fretless, chambered, 6 string and it's a 31.5" scale. I absolutely adore it! Eude

Wow, that is stunning! This one will be headless too right? That is going to be one tiny wee bass! Put me down as extremely jealous Eude

Proper Old School. Loving it.

That is stunning, congratulations! I spotted the post on @Manton Customs handy work too, impeccable stuff. Enjoy it! Eude

That's a lovely spec buddy! Can't wait to watch it come to life! Eude

Nothing too in depth, just intrigued by the lighter gauges and the fact they've worked out well for you. I want to pop a low B on the bass I question, E to F isn't really suiting me, I just don't really use the High F, and based on the above, I will be ordering some strings from Neil early next year! If the kids leave me alone for 5 mins I might just order them after Xmas. Eude