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Dave, I'm not really a bassist, but I've played bass now and then - mostly conventional electric basses with magnetic pickups, as well as a few acoustic bass guitars. I've never played an electric bass like this with an essentially solid body but an acoustic-type bridge and an undersaddle pickup - quite a departure from the way a conventional electric bass generates a signal. How does the sound compare to a conventional electric bass? How does it compare to a plugged-in acoustic bass with an undersaddle pickup? I'm not asking for "better or worse" comparisons, but descriptions of what the differences are in the sound. Can you find words to give us some insight into what this bass is all about, soundwise? I'm very intrigued.

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Todd Rose
Ithaca, NY

https://www.dreamingrosesecobnb.com/todds-art-music

https://www.facebook.com/ToddRoseGuitars/

Todd, I'm not really a bassist either, but that's what I play in our little folk/barn dance band. I just try to find a nice harmony line to go with the tune and for the sort of music we play, which ranges from Parisien Musette to French Trad with the odd Irish Jig or Venezualian Waltz, pyrotechnics aren't necessary or even desirable.

I've only made 3 basses up to now and each one has been quite different and the sound has been a surprise each time.

The first was a neck-through all mahogany 5-string with EMG JB pickups and passive tone control and Fender stainless strings. It had a really mellow sound, so much so that I played it with fingernails on my right hand.

The second was a bolt-on, maple & walnut neck, padauk body with Seymour Duncan active MM pickup and active EQ and stainless DR strings. When I first strung it up it sounded so zingy, trebly, even scratchy that I was quite dismayed. On the other hand my stepson, who plays slap, etc. thought it was great. But after cutting my nails and playing with the EQ (which is very effective) I can have the sound I like, mostly mellow, sometimes with a bit more 'edge'.

I think this, the third, has a sort of 'grain' that I don't hear in conventional electrics. You can have quite a mellow sound by cutting some mids and trebles on the amp, but that grain is still there. I have an ABG which I bought. It's a Furch (Czhek) and has a fishman UST and preamp and when I got it, it had Elixir ABG strings. When amplified, I noticed similarities between the two. They seem to amplify the slightest noise of fingers on strings (zips and zings) and LH fingering has to be more precise or you can get loud string rattle on the frets. The guy in the music shop hates Elixirs and persuaded me to try D'Addario flat-wound Chromes on the ABG (he puts them on all his personal basses) and I like the sound much more (there's no more zing and rattle) although it has perhaps lost a bit of volume and sounds more 'electric'. I tried the flat-wounds on the new one and didn't like them. They seemed to give a lot of 'thump' noise and not much tone so I put the TI's back. In general I think the sound is much more akin to an ABG amplified, even though in my case the soundboard is doing little or nothing.

Sorry I can't be more explicit. It's a pity RT isn't around anymore. My construction is very similar to his and the pickup is the same. I'm sure he could give a much better description of the sound.

Thanks, Dave. Very intriguing, indeed. I'll have to investigate Rick's Renaissance basses, and see if I can get my hands on one.

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Todd Rose
Ithaca, NY

https://www.dreamingrosesecobnb.com/todds-art-music

https://www.facebook.com/ToddRoseGuitars/

Dave:

I just got on this thread and enthusiastically agree with all the comments. As a bass player (in the old days) I am intriqued with the design and so impressed with your work. Thanks for sharing!

It appears that there may be more construction photos? Sharing is caring.....

What an amazing instrument...

A lot of great ideas and your work is so clean... congratulations Dave !

it's just way too cool...

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Build log

That is truly a great instrument, really love it. I always was more impressed with the guy playing bass than the flashy guitar hero at the front, they looked muck more cool.

One thought, it would look more like an acoustic with a rosewood soundhole cover, but that's just a personal taste thing.

Colin

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

Oddly enough as I first looked I was about to post .. yeah, but with a body shaped like that it cant hang on a strap very well .... MY BAD ...


That is simply ingenious .. well thought out and executed. Oh,and the rest of the instrument looks just fine too. Personally, I would have made the soundhole dark to give the appearance that its an acosutic with a rosewood back, but thats really nit-pickin....

Bravo.

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Tony Karol
www.karol-guitars.com
"let my passion .. fulfill yours"

Sorry to bump this back up again but I thought this thread had 'dropped out' and then noticed that a few more comments had been made. And when it's people like Alex, Colin and Tony saying nice things, I feel obliged to say thank you.



I know what you mean Colin. Like Roger Daltrey, Pete Townsend and Keith Moon jumping all over the place and John Entwistle standing at the back, looking really bored and playing great bass. So far, I'm beginning to master the looking bored part (I have been known to almost fall asleep on stage while playing). As for the rest ...

I did make a soundhole cover with a matt ebony veneer but it just seemed to be shouting 'this is a dark coloured soundhole cover trying to look as if there isn't one'!

Absolutely stunning Dave. Thanks for bumping this. I missed it last year somehow.

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Bill Hodge


One does not simply, own enough guitars!

I'm impress!!!!

Clever, clever, clever...and very easy on the eyes. Looking forward to future work from you.
Congratulations

Simply ingenious! Love the wood selection and design.

Beautiful!

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Michael Lloyd

“I was born to ignorance, yes, and lesser poverties ...
I was born to privilege that I did not see ... I didn’t know it, but my way was paved” – John Gorka

Simply ingenious! Love the wood selection and design.

Beautiful!

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Michael Lloyd

“I was born to ignorance, yes, and lesser poverties ...
I was born to privilege that I did not see ... I didn’t know it, but my way was paved” – John Gorka