Incoming ABG- Stu Hamm sig Washburn AB40SH

dadagoboi · July 06, 2015, 10:39:07 PM

Serial #1, with any luck it will be here Friday.

Highlander · July 07, 2015, 04:18:54 PM

Nice... still got the protective plastic on the machines...

dadagoboi · July 07, 2015, 05:17:57 PM

Never really been played, has an authentication document...let's hurt it!

Dave W · July 07, 2015, 10:25:19 PM

Nice score. I never knew these existed.

dadagoboi · July 08, 2015, 05:04:17 AM

Quote from: Dave W on July 07, 2015, 10:25:19 PM
Nice score. I never knew these existed.

Me either, Dave. Apparently not for very long, it's a 2014. There's a similar model now but not as snazzy. I was looking for an AB-20 but this seemed too good to pass up.

Basvarken · July 08, 2015, 05:25:50 AM

Interesting bass with individual level controls per string!

dadagoboi · July 08, 2015, 05:34:02 AM

Quote from: Basvarken on July 08, 2015, 05:25:50 AM
Interesting bass with individual level controls per string!

My piezo equipped Godin has them but they're inside the cavity. On the cover is a much better place IMO.

ilan · July 08, 2015, 10:50:14 AM

Mmmm... okay

uwe · July 09, 2015, 01:03:38 PM

Quote from: Basvarken on July 08, 2015, 05:25:50 AM
Interesting bass with individual level controls per string!

Gibson had these as early as the mid-eighties with their Shadow Piezo basses (Explorer and Q-80). They make utter sense - on an acoustic bass guitar, different string loudness levels can drive you (or at least me!) nuts and it happens quickly if string to bone saddle pressure isn't even. That can cost you hours of trial and error padding of the piezo strip from underneath to equalize the different pressure levels, taking off the strings everytime.

Even on recordings I all too often hear acoustic basses where the piezo string levels are uneven. And it's not something you can hide with equalisation either.

I still play my trusted AB-20 frequently at home, I have better acoustic basses (Martin and Höfner) with better (more advanced) Piezo systems, but the AB-20 is probably the bass I do the most composing on.

Basvarken · July 09, 2015, 02:40:17 PM

I remember that Explorer Shadow sounded great and much warmer than you'd expect from a bass with only a piezo pickup.
Most acoustic guitar or basses sound like someone put a cigarette rolling paper between the strings; that annoying ravelled sound.
The Explorer Shadow didn't have that at all. Right?

dadagoboi · July 09, 2015, 04:47:04 PM

Take it to the Bridge(s), finally a sensible piezo solution.

This is what I'm playing until it arrives, my modded $20 Chinese 'ThundaCoustic' with '67 TBird pickup. I used the rail bridges before I even knew the SH existed. 32" scale.

No battery needed.

Sounded Thunderous last night!

uwe · July 10, 2015, 09:33:17 AM

Quote from: Basvarken on July 09, 2015, 02:40:17 PM
I remember that Explorer Shadow sounded great and much warmer than you'd expect from a bass with only a piezo pickup.
Most acoustic guitar or basses sound like someone put a cigarette rolling paper between the strings; that annoying ravelled sound.
The Explorer Shadow didn't have that at all. Right?

True, it sounds surprisingly warm and fuzzy. The piezo just shows its inherent drawbacks with the dynamics, play too hard and the signal distorts nastily.

nofi · July 10, 2015, 10:10:03 AM

carlo, what kind of amp are you playing through?

Highlander · July 10, 2015, 02:39:01 PM

Gorgeous inlays on the neck...

dadagoboi · July 10, 2015, 03:56:11 PM

Quote from: nofi on July 10, 2015, 10:10:03 AM
carlo, what kind of amp are you playing through?

'64 B-15, '13 Genz Streamliner 900 thru a 67 B-15 cab with eminence legend 8 ohm or a Carvin 1-15 cab with a 4 ohm 300 watt Eminence or all that stuff plus a 200 watt Ampeg B-1 head. So far I've only used the B-15 with it but I'm liking the sound. It arrived at 12 and I went to friends' for dinner at 1. Just back and ready to tinker.