Gear Discussion Forums > Bill's Shop: Projects, Mods & Repairs

Brooks Quad Bass

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Basvarken:
Last summer I built a custom bass for a customer who immediately became so enthusiastic that he asked me to build another special bass; a remake of the legendary Hamer Quad Bass!
The original Quad Bass is a short scale twelve-string bass that was built by Jol Danzig of Hamer, especially for Tom Petersson. With a “quad bucker” (four single coil elements across) going to a built-in mixing console. And each with its own output. Quadrophonic!



I actually never build exact copies of basses. So I suggested doing it the Brooks way.
I would like to make it 34" scale anyway.
And instead of a built-in mixer I was going to put built-in effects in it: a SansAmp-like overdrive and a compressor. I was actually already brainstorming with BQ Music about the how and what of this.
Plus I would build the Quad Bucker with Nordstrand NM4 single coils because they have pole pieces that have exactly the right spacing for the bass string and the two accompanying octave strings.
The second pickup would be a Lace Alumitone.
The Quad Bucker and the Alumitone would each get their own output
Furthermore, I’d use an ETS bridge and tailpiece.
Plus Gotoh lightweight tuners (as on all 12-string Brooks basses).




Unfortunately, the customer announced today that his band (a Cheap trick tribute) is on hiatus for an indefinite period of time. So for now the custom Brooks QB has been held off.

But the design/idea is too nice not to share with you.
Who knows, maybe one day it will actually be built. I would love to do it.

gearHed289:
That would be a cool build. Personally, I'd go 32'' scale. I've thought about the idea of a Tech 21 VT Bass built-in to a bass, so I like your SansAmp idea.

godofthunder:
 As always Rob your ideas are always impressive! I second the suggestion of a 32" scale.

Basvarken:
Thank you guys.
I'm curious to learn why 32" would be better than a 34" scale?

Psycho Bass Guy:
With a 34" scale, 12ers can get really tight with string tension. I have a 34" 12, and it was Tom's evaluation model from Waterstone before his signature line came out. The change he requested: 32" scale.

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