WinterMute Posted March 9, 2021 Share Posted March 9, 2021 Seems everyone round here is on their second or third ACG so I thought I'd give Alan a chance to make me the fretless bass to replace the 20th Anniversary SR5 I can't bloody find! We've agreed to a Krell 5 with his ART black Maple Burl front and back, a swamp ash core and a mahogany central block lifted straight from the 20th Anni design. it'a going to have an acrylic infused Lava Bubinga fretboard with a wenge/paduak/maple neck and padauk accents. Alans building to a 17mm spacing rather than his usual 18mm, which I find a bit of a stretch. Coming from 16.5mm on the Warwick Thumb 5 to 17.5mm on my SR5s and Bongo was enough. I'm having twin RFB pups, ceramic in the bridge position and alnico in the neck, but both will be bridge orientated, like the odd Wal 2 series and the older Thumb designs. a 3 position switch for each pup will give great versatility, I'm going with the DFM 4k filter pre-amp. Not brave enough to have an unlined board these days, but that's fine with me. Now I just have to wait a year to see what he comes up with.... Here are the woods we've chosen: 14 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merton Posted March 9, 2021 Share Posted March 9, 2021 That's going to be a stunner! I have a couple of ACG 5ers, one with 16.5mm and one with 17mm spacing, they're both excellent. Best 5ers I've ever played in fact Looking forward to watching this develop! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeftyJ Posted March 9, 2021 Share Posted March 9, 2021 Black maple? That's the first time I've ever seen a mention of such a thing. Looks incredible! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ezbass Posted March 9, 2021 Share Posted March 9, 2021 Exciting times! But, how you lose a ‘Ray5? Have you sold it/part ex’d for something? I only ask as a friend of mine could find one of his medium format cameras recently and it was a huge beast. Weeks later he remembered that he’d moved it on () and he’s a young man not given to suffering from old boy’s memory. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WinterMute Posted March 9, 2021 Author Share Posted March 9, 2021 (edited) 8 minutes ago, ezbass said: Exciting times! But, how you lose a ‘Ray5? Have you sold it/part ex’d for something? I only ask as a friend of mine could find one of his medium format cameras recently and it was a huge beast. Weeks later he remembered that he’d moved it on () and he’s a young man not given to suffering from old boy’s memory. Not lost, never found, I have a fretted 20th Anni and it's a beast, my favourite 5er ever, but they only made 20 or 30 as fretless, and I've never seen one for sale. Took me 10 years to find the fretted version. Edited March 9, 2021 by WinterMute 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WinterMute Posted March 9, 2021 Author Share Posted March 9, 2021 (edited) 16 minutes ago, LeftyJ said: Black maple? That's the first time I've ever seen a mention of such a thing. Looks incredible! Take a look on ACG's website, there's a couple of Krells with the ART dyed black maple tops, they are fantastic looking beasts. This is the bass that made me look at the Black Maple top: Edited March 9, 2021 by WinterMute 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WinterMute Posted March 9, 2021 Author Share Posted March 9, 2021 17 minutes ago, Merton said: That's going to be a stunner! I have a couple of ACG 5ers, one with 16.5mm and one with 17mm spacing, they're both excellent. Best 5ers I've ever played in fact Looking forward to watching this develop! I wanted to try the MC5 pickups, but they have pole-pieces at 18mm, I don't think I'm going t be disappointed with the RFB pups, I played a Krell with those on a while back, sounded brilliant. All my other basses are single pup SR5's or Bongos, so having 2 will be a bit of a luxury for me. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ezbass Posted March 9, 2021 Share Posted March 9, 2021 6 minutes ago, WinterMute said: Not lost, never found, I have a fretted 20th Anni and it's a beast, my favourite 5er ever, but they only made 20 or 30 as fretless, and I've never seen one for sale. Took me 10 years to find the fretted version. Ah, I see. That's OK then, as that would be terrible. This'll be great and bespoke too. I moved up to Scotland in December and @skelf is only a couple or so hours away. I don't 'need' a new bass, but that proximity is rather tempting. Keep us updated with the progress. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ltsal Posted March 12, 2021 Share Posted March 12, 2021 Your build looks great! Really happy for you. Alan does some really nice work and is a really nice person ( I’ve talked with him at two London Bass shows). Ever other day I’m toying with the idea of ordering some custom build from Alan. Unfortunately because of brexit I just can’t do it. The customs fees/ tax’s are so much here in Germany. Maybe someday😭 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted March 14, 2021 Share Posted March 14, 2021 (edited) ACG's are the bass builders basses... Alan picks magnificent woods and transforms them into something that defies the 'form or function' clash to produce something that optimises both. It will be lovely. Edited March 14, 2021 by Andyjr1515 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
binky_bass Posted March 14, 2021 Share Posted March 14, 2021 (edited) Excellent choice on going for an ACG. The smoothness of the finish always amazes me! Such a pleasure to play. You're in for a treat sir! Edited March 14, 2021 by binky_bass 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WinterMute Posted May 6, 2021 Author Share Posted May 6, 2021 Alan's now got round to starting the Krell, cutting paduak for the body and neck accents. Very early days and it seems almost impossible that this stack of wood cuts will become a bass someday... Can't wait. 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WinterMute Posted May 24, 2021 Author Share Posted May 24, 2021 A couple of weeks ago Alan sent me some options for how the book matching for the front and back should look, I chose to go with these front and back: Today he sent me these fresh out of the press: Awesome figuring that's so well fitted to the shape of the guitar. I'm proper excited now... 11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGreek Posted May 24, 2021 Share Posted May 24, 2021 That would look monster with an ebony board. Do have time to change the spec? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
binky_bass Posted May 24, 2021 Share Posted May 24, 2021 It looks awful... as soon as it's finished send it to me and I'll 'dispose' of it free of charge, honestly I won't keep it for myself or anything... 😜 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WinterMute Posted May 24, 2021 Author Share Posted May 24, 2021 1 hour ago, TheGreek said: That would look monster with an ebony board. Do have time to change the spec? I took some time to decide, I've had ebony board fretless in the past and I prefer the look of a lighter board, my other SR5 has an epoxied rosewood board. I'm good with that Bubinga. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WinterMute Posted May 24, 2021 Author Share Posted May 24, 2021 2 hours ago, binky_bass said: It looks awful... as soon as it's finished send it to me and I'll 'dispose' of it free of charge, honestly I won't keep it for myself or anything... 😜 Is this a public service you provide? What a selfless fellow you are. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
binky_bass Posted May 24, 2021 Share Posted May 24, 2021 Everybody gets one for free... just like Spiderman. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WinterMute Posted June 22, 2021 Author Share Posted June 22, 2021 A couple of incidental shots from Alan's workshop blog, control and battery cavities being routed. 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zbd1960 Posted June 22, 2021 Share Posted June 22, 2021 Looks like mine's in there too.... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassTool Posted July 1, 2021 Share Posted July 1, 2021 On 24/05/2021 at 14:56, WinterMute said: Anyone else see the smiling baby in a scarf/ruff with hands on hips in the top pic? No? I'll have another aspirin and a lie down then 😆 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon. Posted July 1, 2021 Share Posted July 1, 2021 Err... no. I do see the x-ray of a pair of shoulder blades, a spinal column and pelvis, though. Hard pressed to chose between those two, but probably the top one, for me, although I do like the colours in the other one betterer. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Velarian Posted July 2, 2021 Share Posted July 2, 2021 11 hours ago, BassTool said: Anyone else see the smiling baby in a scarf/ruff with hands on hips in the top pic? No? I'll have another aspirin and a lie down then 😆 Looks to me like it could be Buddha, squatting with hands on knees? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WinterMute Posted July 2, 2021 Author Share Posted July 2, 2021 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard R Posted July 4, 2021 Share Posted July 4, 2021 (edited) On 02/07/2021 at 09:32, WinterMute said: But when he said that, Rorschach wasn't actually wearing his face. 😉 Edited July 4, 2021 by Richard R Corrected grammar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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