[b][u]The AJR Singlecut Camphor Bass[/u][/b]
I’ve had the bass for over two months. I said id write a little bit about it but I’ve held off a while because I wanted to have played it, gigged it, and recorded with it.
It’s great having a new bass, but sometimes the first impressions can be a bit misleading. Everyone loves their newest toy right?!
Here are some photos:
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From the off, communication with Andy was top quality. Bouncing ideas back and forth about every single aspect of the design.
If there was something I particularly liked or wanted, it was taken into consideration, and the idea developed on.
Although our communication was non stop, im sure it could have become a bit . . . tedious for him at some points. But I did’t ever get this impression. So I kept on
We had one issue at the start where, unknowingly, the design was a little too close to another well respected luthiers design. Not a problem, as we had a couple of ideas of how we wanted the bass to look, we reverted back to one of the originals.
I understand that looks wise it wasn't to everyone’s taste, but it was literally, exactly how [b]I[/b] wanted it to look. Even down to minute details such as the thin black separation between the alder body and camphor top. My thinking, on having such a "different" looking bass being there are plenty of Fender, and Fender clones out there, so if I’m going to have something made for me, i want it to be unique. I think we achieved that.
So after about two weeks’ worth of emails we decided on a “spec sheet” and design.
This is what we ended up with:
* Singlecut bass
* Chambered body made from Alder, with a Camphor top. I asked for it to be as light as possible. Ended up 7Lbs 8!!!
* Thin black demarcation between the two woods.
* AAA Grade Ebony fretboard with no fret markers
* Luminlay markers on the top edge.
* Neck to be a through body design made of mahogany with a central Walnut splice. Profiled similar to my existing Warwick Streamer, and 34”
* P + J Pickup design, using Passive DiMarzio Pickups
* Seymour Duncan 2band EQ
* Hipshot Drop D Tuning.
* “Warwick” Just-a-nut
* Headstock to be Andy’s own unique asymmetrical design. I wanted it to be asymmetrical to mimic the body shape.
From start to finish It took about 3 months to build. It didn’t feel anywhere near as long because of the constant communication, and I could see what was happening every step of the way in his build diary.
(Found here [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/271204-single-cut-camphor-and-alder-pj/page__st__30"]http://basschat.co.u...pj/page__st__30[/url] )
Seeing it being built in real time was something special. For me at least. It definitely added to the experience.
The finish is flawless. Andy is something of a perfectionist, as I’m sure any of you who follow his builds are aware.
Even the bacon sarnies on the day of pickup were made and cut to perfection. No gaps between. . . anything. Fretwork is perfect, the covers sit flush and the setup was exactly how I asked for it to be. As low as possible, without having fretbuzz. Its wearing Flatwound chromes. It’s clear to see that everything has been considered. Really impressive for something that was built in someone’s home and shed, with no fancy machines, by a hobbyist (his words).
The camphor top wood has an exotic feel with intricate patterns all across it. It is a deep brown colour with hints of a fiery burnt orange tint coming through under certain light. It has a high gloss finish. I was a bit weary to have the high gloss finish, only because I was concerned any dings would be easily visible. So far though, no such issues. And I LOVE the camphor. The AAA grade ebony fretboard was left without fretmarkers because we felt the “cleanliness” of the all black fretboard complimented the complexity in the camphor. It was for this reason we kept all the hardware black too. The pickup covers were designed by Andy. Originally they were going to be all Camphor, but after seeing them, felt it took away from the look. So Andy suggested the half Camphor, half ebony ones it ended up with. Again, sticking with the theme that I wanted it to be unique, I’m very happy.
There is a forearm cutaway across the bass, coupled with a carved back, that makes it extremely comfortable to play. The cutaway also shows off the black demarcation veneer quite nicely. The bridge has been set as far back as possible to shorten the feel of the neck. 34” scale isn’t particularly long for me, being 6ft 3 anyway, but it certainly adds to how great it feels to play. The singlecut design gives easy access to the upper frets, with a special mention going to the curved end on the fretboard that gives one extra fret to the high register. Of course, this was vital
I’ve had the bass for three months approximately. Probably played 15 odd gigs and many hours of practice. It hasn’t failed on me once, and no issues have cropped up. I’m aware that three months isn’t really indicative of it’s true reliability, but short of waiting 3 years to do this review, what can I do?? Every time I’ve used it, it’s worked as I’ve wanted, when I’ve wanted. Thumbs up from me.
[font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][color=#282828]So to the sound. . . .I love it. Again, exactly the sound i wanted. Old school, warm vintage vibe off the front pickup, and a nice articulate sound off the rear. Pickup pan in the middle and i get the sweet spot that blends both pickups perfectly for "my sound". I would describe that to be warm, bouncy and well-rounded with no harsh edges. Playing in a Motown covers band, “clank” and “rasp” are not characteristics I desire. [/color]
[color=#282828]Everything is clean and clear. I don't use any effects or overdrive, and as such, wanted to avoid any pickups that had a high amount of gain/break up (I’m not sure of the technical terms, but i didn't want any distortion from them). I asked for a 2EQ set-up, as i like to keep things fairly simple to use. This is also the same set up i have used for the last 5 or 6 years. Not interested in sweeping frequency selectors and the such. It has a push/pull function for active/passive kind of effect, which i really like. Andy informs me it is for a shaped EQ setting that is meant to be more suitable for slap. For the purposes of the video I demo’d in later, I called it “passive mode” . The DiMarzio PJ pickups and the Seymour Duncan 2EQ are a perfect match for my uses. I’m extremely impressed with the EQ. The tonal variation i can get from them is great. I can go from dubby bass sounds by panning to front P/up boosting bass and cutting treble, to cutting rock/punk by panning to the back and boosting treble. With a whole plethora of other sounds in-between. [/color][/font]
Here is a video to demonstrate the different sounds the bass can make.
It’s recorded DI. No effects. No processing. It’s just me playing over a backing track which me and a friend made, altering the on-board EQ as I went. In hindsight, I should have used some compression, but this is as true a recording of the bass as I could make it.
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6Hen48nGQk&feature=youtu.be[/media]
Apologies for the volume changes between settings and notes, but as I said, this was recorded in one continuous take directly into Reaper with no production at all. The video was taken off an ipad and then sync’d to the recording in iMovie. There is an audible volume change on the recording, because in the real world, there IS an audible volume change. You can hear the slight mistakes I make too, but I’m fine with that, because in the real world, we all make a few mistakes don’t we?
To be honest none of the settings are how I actually use the bass when I gig it. They are the extremes, for demo purposes. Whether that be full bass, no treble. Or full Front pickup with full treble and no bass etc.
I actually use it slightly favoured towards the rear pickup, with bass and treble boosted a little bit. If I used roundwound strings, I wouldn’t boost the treble at all.
Ok, so to the issues or things I would change….
There has been one issue which niggled at me. The output volume was considerably less than on my other basses. Andy said as much before i picked the bass up. But i thought, really, this isn't a problem, just turn the volume up right? Well i am in a function band and only use a single 12" speaker @ 8 ohms as a stage monitor, and i couldn't get the volume loud enough without taking a 2nd. I didn't want to do that.
Andy offered to pick the bass up to fit the pickups higher, send a volume pedal and a whole multitude of other fixes. One such fix was raising the pole pieces. I did just that and…… problem solved. Made a world of difference to the volume, and made the bass have the same kind of output as my other basses. No more issues. . . Well, my one other issue was i was worried to gig it! I've played a '87 streamer for the last 5 or 6 years, and it has some wear on it. As such I've never really been too concerned about a little bump. The single cut is pristine, and i was genuinely concerned to gig it!! Got over that pretty quick after i gigged it once.
It's an amazing bass. I couldn't be more pleased. I'm sure I'm only as happy as anyone who has been through the process of having their own "super bass" made for them. But i couldn't be more delighted with the outcome, and would highly recommend Andy to anyone. As with most things though, seeing/playing is believing. Anyone who is considering a build from Andy is welcome to come and put the bass through its paces. It IS that good.
If you've taken the time to read this, you're good people
I can play drums. Have played drums in one band. But wouldn't call myself a drummer if i'm being brutally honest. Let's just say i can get by. Stick to simple to start with with. Simple and slow. Stick with a metronome too. Sounds obvious, but as a bass player, good timing and being "tight" are what we all look for in a drummer. Whether we are aware of it or not. Sure someone will be along soon who is more advanced than I, with better tips..... Douglas?