King of Loss Posted August 5, 2007 Share Posted August 5, 2007 Well, I [b]finally[/b] got the ferry over to see Alan, and it was awesome. First thing I have to say is that he's a great guy, seems like he REALLY knows what he's talking about, and the woods and basses that he has look (and sound) great. After much wood-picking, questioning, and the like, I have finally decided on (roughly) the following specs: Model Recurve single cut Fretless Number of strings 6 Scale 35 Body core black limba • Top cocobolo • No back (I like the limba just fine ) • Veneer purpleheart OR black ash • Cavity cover mac ebony • Neck woods. 7 piece Maple/bubinga with a mac ebony centre • Fingerboard spalted maple • Headplate cocobolo • Backplate mac ebony • Heel mac ebony • Veneers purple heart / black ash? • Width at nut 54 mm • String spacing at nut 9 mm • Fretboard radius flat • Side dots Mother Of Pearl • Profile asymmetric • Hardware colour black • Bridge Type A • Bridge string spacing 17 mm • Tuners Ultralites • ACG pickups FB • ACG pre-amp Yes • Coil switching Yes • 18 volt Yes I can't wait to get a render and all made up, then once Alan gets it underway (he's got alot of basses on at the moment) I'll post some pictures and that. P.S. THAT PREAMP IS BLOODY AMAZING!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sugden Posted August 6, 2007 Share Posted August 6, 2007 Spalted maple fretboard sounds like a bit of a treat. Should be good putting a render together of this once all the woods are in. Great seeing alan getting even more orders. The pre amp is brilliant once you have it you can't go back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alpha-Dave Posted August 6, 2007 Share Posted August 6, 2007 Excellent, congratulations! I do love the preamp, did Alan still have the stock fretless for you to try it on? I thought you were wanting a rosewood board, what changed your mind? Did you take a camera to get photos of the woods you chose or do they need to be shipped in? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyonbass Posted August 6, 2007 Share Posted August 6, 2007 (edited) Congratulations on great choices - woods and luthier! I think you'll find it a VERY worthwhile trip [quote name='Sugden' post='41772' date='Aug 6 2007, 02:04 AM']The pre amp is brilliant once you have it you can't go back.[/quote] [size=5]+1[/size] [quote name='King of Loss' post='41736' date='Aug 5 2007, 11:43 PM']THAT PREAMP IS BLOODY AMAZING!!![/quote] [size=5]+1[/size] Edited August 6, 2007 by andyonbass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King of Loss Posted August 6, 2007 Author Share Posted August 6, 2007 [quote name='Alpha-Dave' post='41791' date='Aug 6 2007, 08:25 AM']Excellent, congratulations! did Alan still have the stock fretless for you to try it on? I thought you were wanting a rosewood board, what changed your mind? Did you take a camera to get photos of the woods you chose or do they need to be shipped in?[/quote] Well, He didn't have a stock fretless, but he had a fretted SC recurve to try it out on, and that more than met my expectations, and that was only with like 15 minutes playing around with the thing! I just had a few ideas for woods, but these totally changed once I got there. The reason I was going to get a dark board was because I originally was thinking of a spalted maple top or something like that, but then Alan managed to change my mind by producing a beautiful piece of Cocobolo.....therefore I decided a light fingerboard would give a better contrast. It is also a really nice piece of maple, looks wise. I didn't take photos, I was going to, but in the end didn't bother to even get the camera out of the bag. He has all the woods he is using for my bass in stock already, which is great, because I know exactly what is going into the bass. Now I just need to send a cheque off for a deposit, it will be done today or early tomorrow! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elros Posted August 6, 2007 Share Posted August 6, 2007 [quote name='King of Loss' post='41736' date='Aug 6 2007, 12:43 AM']Model Recurve single cut Fretless • Fingerboard spalted maple[/quote] Spalted Maple fretless fingerboard? Are you sure that's a good idea? As far as I have understood it, spalted maple is rotten maple, and won't hold together - it'll turn to dust if you breathe on it. Will it be treated with some magic chemical stuff? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King of Loss Posted August 6, 2007 Author Share Posted August 6, 2007 [quote name='elros' post='42007' date='Aug 6 2007, 03:45 PM']Spalted Maple fretless fingerboard? Are you sure that's a good idea? As far as I have understood it, spalted maple is rotten maple, and won't hold together - it'll turn to dust if you breathe on it. Will it be treated with some magic chemical stuff?[/quote] Not to Worry, it's semi spalt, semi flame, and it's acrylic impregnated with that monomer stuff that fills the pores and makes it very hard. Thanks for the concern, though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King of Loss Posted August 8, 2007 Author Share Posted August 8, 2007 The body woods Black Limba at the back, then the Purpleheart veneer, then Cocobolo top. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alpha-Dave Posted August 8, 2007 Share Posted August 8, 2007 Ooo, that is nice! I do like cocobolo a lot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King of Loss Posted August 8, 2007 Author Share Posted August 8, 2007 Yeah......I think that cut is good, beacause of the light line that runs through it.........so when it is book matched, in theory, the light part should run through the middle of the body. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alpha-Dave Posted August 8, 2007 Share Posted August 8, 2007 I know the effect you mean, the old warwick bass on the BW logo was bubinga with a sapwood centre in the same style. Did you see edition 18 of BGM? There was the UK luthier special, and they reviewed an overwater with a cocobolo top with similar sapwood, Thre was a biiger pic on their site, but I could only see this thumbnail just now: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve-soar Posted August 8, 2007 Share Posted August 8, 2007 That cocobolo almost made me weep, it's that beautiful. I think the next ACG may have a nice bit of that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted August 8, 2007 Share Posted August 8, 2007 Lovely piece of Cocobolo - looking forward to seeing how that works out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King of Loss Posted August 9, 2007 Author Share Posted August 9, 2007 Pretty small pic, but I thought I'd put it up anyway. Alan spent the past couple of days building necks, and I happened to get very lucky, because he managed to fit mine in......pretty quick progress considering I ordered it on Sunday! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Posted August 10, 2007 Share Posted August 10, 2007 Nice cococobolobo....or whatever it is! Reminds me a bit of some Alembic basses. Specs look great, by the way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King of Loss Posted September 5, 2007 Author Share Posted September 5, 2007 Update! I'm really really happy with progress so far! Just received an email from Alan, with a couple of great photos. The top has been bookmatched and it has that effect that I thought would look sweet - the light line down the middle. Also the limba, and a picture of the fingerboard. You can see them on the Gallery section of www.acguitars.co.uk Or here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alpha-Dave Posted September 5, 2007 Share Posted September 5, 2007 Damn that Cocobolo is beautiful! I now see what Alan has been doing rather than finishing mine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
misrule Posted September 5, 2007 Share Posted September 5, 2007 Nice woods -- I'm a great fan of limba. Cheers Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skelf Posted September 5, 2007 Share Posted September 5, 2007 I am doing both. Working on various basses in between spraying yours. Alan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King of Loss Posted October 16, 2007 Author Share Posted October 16, 2007 New photographs from Alan. I think it looks great......exactly how I wanted....in terms of the top and how it has all fitted together so far. Thought some of you, especially anyone considering talking to Alan/past customers, would like to see how it is progressing. Can't wait till it is complete..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alpha-Dave Posted October 17, 2007 Share Posted October 17, 2007 That cocobolo really does make a stunning top, it looks great up close too. While I was up at Alan's I has a sneaky look at your fingerboard too, and the colouration of the spalt/flame really matches the body really well. Getting your hands finally on it really does make up for the wait. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thedontcarebear Posted October 17, 2007 Share Posted October 17, 2007 The top does look sweet, nice grain and all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King of Loss Posted April 7, 2008 Author Share Posted April 7, 2008 A few months later...... Going to pick it up this weekend. Can't wait. Especially looking forward to it since Alan just emailed me saying "Been playing the bass and I now really have a hankering for a 6 fretless. This is the first time in a long while I have even considered making myself a bass so much did I enjoy playing this one." Encouraging stuff! I'll post pictures in a week or two when I have time to take some Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King of Loss Posted April 7, 2008 Author Share Posted April 7, 2008 Double Post, but here are some pictures that I haven't uploaded here yet.....obviously I received them quite a while ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreeneKing Posted April 7, 2008 Share Posted April 7, 2008 Enjoy your trip to Moffat and I know you'll love the bass too. I'm currently over the moon with the ACG02 pre that I've fitted into my Warmoth self build P bass (I know it's not an ACG but Alan's got my next one, a 4 stringer, in hand). I'm so impressed with the way the pre works on a fenderlike P that I've ordered one to put into my passive Jazz too. Totally awsome! Will update. Peter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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