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Features Overview
6 String
34” scale
Set Neck
24 Frets
Wenge Fingerboard
Wooden (Yew) Block Inlays
Wooden (Yew) Binding
3pc Walnut/Wenge Neck
Headstock Veneers
Angled Headstock with Volute
Ebony Nut
Carved Yew and Walnut Body
ABM Bridge
Gotoh Tuners
Delano Xtender pickup
CTS pots
Oil finish
Dunlop Straplocks
Wooden cavity lid
D’addario Strings
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The instrument pictured here is a 6 string bass with a set neck construction. The three woods used are: Yew, Walnut and Wenge. Black accent veneers have also been used at the headstock and neck joint to add some contrast.
The neck is a 3 piece of Walnut and Wenge with a light oil finish giving a nice natural feel to it. The 24 fret Wenge fingerboard features both wooden block inlays and binding, both of which are Yew to tie in with the main colours of the bass.
The slim Yew body has some great character to it which is quite typical of Yew, with some knots here and there and great figure all over. It also features some nice flowing carves which not only look beautiful but also improve comfort. On the rear of the bass a wooden cavity lid of Walnut and Wenge compliment the neck woods nicely.
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Simple passive volume and tone controls paired with the Delano Xtender pickup provide a voice of clarity with great sustain.
The bridge is made by ABM in Germany and features adjustable string spacing, to help you find your perfect setup.
Features Overview
6 string
34” scale
24 fret
Wenge fretboard
Tree of life inlay
Honduran Mahogany/Wenge 7pc neck
Carbon fibre reinforcement
Swamp ash body wings
Maple/Wenge body centre
Gold Gotoh hardware
Swamp ash wooden pickup cover
Armstrong quad coil MM pickup
Glockenklang 2 band preamp
Open pore lacquer finish
Weight 9lb
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My Ascendent model features some killer features such as a full tree of life inlay in mother of pearl expanding right across the Wenge fretboard and a quad coil pickup.
For the body woods we have some heavily carved Swamp Ash wings and a 7pc laminate of Maple and Wenge for the central block.
The set neck is a 7pc laminate of Honduran Mahogany/Wenge with matching front and rear headstock veneers and black accents throughout. The neck has also been reinforced with plenty of carbon fibre.
On the electrics side there is a hand wound quad coil Music Man style pickup made by Armstrong pickups. This is housed inside a Swamp Ash wooden cover which I made up for it. The pickup is splittable between all four coils, cross coils (p bass) and back row only. There is also an additional switch for series and parallel. On top of that we have a two band Glockenklang preamp with active/passive push pull also. So despite only having one pickup, there is a huge variety of sounds available!
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34” scale
24 frets
Set Neck
Mahogany Wings
African Rosewood Top
Honduran Mahogany/Wenge 5 Pc Neck
Wenge Fretboard
Carbon Fibre Reinforced Neck
Matching Headstock Veneers
Wenge Pickup Cover
Nordstrand MM5.4 Pickup
Glockenklang 2 Band Preamp
Series/Parallel/Single Switch
Gotoh Hardware
Brass Nut
Features Overview
The neck is a 5 piece construction of Wenge and Honduran Mahogany with carbon fibre reinforcement, topped with a fretboard of some highly figured flatsawn Wenge.
One of my favourite types of bass sound is the Stingray and the sonic goal with this bass was to have that same snarly midrange and ray features in the Ascendant shape. Inside the handmade Wenge pickup cover lies the Nordstrand MM5.4 quad coil pickup which is in the Stingray sweet spot. The pickup is also wired to a switch which gives the option of Series/Parallel/single coil. In addition, the bass has an active 2 band preamp (Glockenklang) with a push/pull for passive…So, it has all the Stingray sounds and more, with a lot of versatility from just one pickup.
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There are just three main species of wood used on the bass, but we have used them in some different shades to give more variation in colour. The wings are of a pale Mahogany, whereas the neck and body centre are both a darker Honduran Mahogany. The wings are capped with some beautiful African Rosewood (very closely related to Bubinga) and we have black accents giving a clean edge where needed. As with previous Ascendant models the body is slim and features extensive carving to improve ergonomics and reduce weight.
Features Overview
6 string
24 fret
Wenge fretboard
Walnut and Wenge laminate neck
Carbon fibre neck reinforcement
Yew wings
Yew headstock facing and back strap
Delano Xtender pickup
Passive
Hipshot bridge
Gotoh tuners
Features Overview
Set neck
34” scale
Microtonal 17.7 frets per octave
36 Hosco bronze frets
Hornbeam fretboard
5 pc Oak neck
Figured Oak top
English Maple back
Oak cavity lid
Delano Xtender pickup
Hipshot A bridge
Custom newtone strings
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Quite possibly the most unique bass I’ve ever made and in the form of my Ascendant model. It features microtonal fretting with 17.7 frets per octave and is tuned in minor thirds from the lowest string at G to highest at B. Trying to play it after assembling was like learning bass all over again, but there are some great sounds in there!
The woods are all native to the UK and all were grown in England. The tops of the wings are some amazingly figured quarter sawn Oak and the backs of them some flamed native Maple. The Maple is one of my favourite woods to use even ignoring where it comes from, it is the same species prized by violin/cello makers for the backs of their instruments. It’s every bit as beautiful as American maple but is only about half weight and works far more pleasantly. The central body block also features these same two woods (Oak and Maple).
The neck is a 5 piece laminate of more English Oak with front and back headstock veneers all with black accents in between. The fretboard is another of my favourite woods - Hornbeam, also know as iron wood it’s so hard so gets the name from both its hardness and its appearance…which is very ummm horny.
The pickup is a Delano Xtender and as specified by the customer is wired straight to a Dunlop full contact output jack.
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Features Overview
34” scale
Set neck
24 bronze frets
Ebony fretboard
Brass inlays
Brass nut
5 piece Maple/Ebony neck
Carbon fibre reinforcement
London Plane Burr top/headstock face/ramp
Maple/Ebony central core
Swamp Ash wings
Active emg P/J pickups
Mike Pope preamp
Gotoh hardware
Hipshot/Gotoh Drop D tuner
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A luxuriously specified left handed Ascendant model with some awesome woods. The top is some absolutely insane London Plane burr which up close looks like twisted strands of fire! A really special top set….These pics were also taken next to an actual London Plane tree!
The central body core and neck are both a 5 piece construction of Maple and Ebony giving a super stiff central section to the bass which give the bass a super tight, modern and defined sound. The neck is also reinforced with carbon fibre to further increase stiffness and features a jet black Ebony fretboard with brass front and side inlays, bronze frets, brass nut and truss rod cover. The hardware is by Gotoh and we have a drop D tuner for the low E.
The bass features a Mike Pope active preamp for a seemingly endless amount of tone shaping and an active EMG P/J pickup set. In between the pickups is a ramp made of the same woods as the top/middle.
The body like all Ascendant models features extensive carving and a sculpted set neck joint to make high fret access super easy. The body wings are Swamp Ash which helps keep the weight down low. All this comes together to make a very ergonomic and well balanced bass.
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Features Overview
32” scale
Set neck
24 bronze frets
Ancient Bog oak fretboard (3000 BC)
Fossilised Mammoth tooth block inlays
5 pc Roasted Flamed Maple and Flamed Maple neck
Roasted Swamp Ash body
Ancient Redwood top
EMG Les Claypool pickup
Hipshot A bridge
Hipshot USA Ultralite tuners
Wooden magnetic cavity lid
Brass nut
Weight 7lb 8oz
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A new bass for a new year! After playing my first build for nearly 20 years as my main instrument, I decided I needed an upgrade. Over Christmas I managed to get some time to finally make my dream bass a reality and get this bass finished which has been over 2 years in the making.
This Ascendant bass has a strong theme running through it of ancient materials. The top of the wings is Ancient Redwood, the fretboard Bog Oak dating from 3000BC and the block fretboard inlays are made from fossilised mammoths molar tooth! There is a youtube video on my channel of me cutting these inlays.
The central body block is Roasted, Flamed Maple and with lighter stripes of Flamed Maple running through it. This wood combination is continued through to the 5 piece neck. The neck is also reinforced with carbon fibre which combined with the laminate construction makes a super stable neck. The body wings are made of super light Roasted Swamp Ash and the whole bass weighs in at just 7 lb 8 oz.
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The hardware is made by Hipshot, with USA Ultralite tuners and their A style bridge. As I’m a massive Les Claypool fan I went with the EMG LC signature pickup, which has all the clarity you’d expect from an EMG pickup, but with a lot more warmth than their other P models have. The control cavity on the back is also made from Roasted flamed and Flamed Maple and is held in place by magnets to make changing the battery nice and easy.
I’m looking forward to many gigs on it this year!
