The Wing Bass

Just got the new and improved prototype in... it is NICE! Feels comfortable, no issues getting to normal tuning with standard strings, and it sounds damn good. I'm just thinking where to go from here. I've got room in the control cavity to stick in an onboard octaver, headphone amp, etc.

At a bass player get together I hosted last Sunday in Rhode Island, Chris Stambaugh delivered the first prototype of the wing bass. The good news is that it felt and sounded exactly the way I thought it would. The bad news is that Chris has to re-engineer the string clamp on the headstock because the tension in combination with the flat screw lockdowns broke strings. Chris will be making another one due in about a month. Overall everyone loved the concept.

​Without a prototype in my hands, I'm already thinking about future tweaks and options for production:

* MIDI pickup - I could either go with Graphtech Ghost system or with a Roland GK-3B option. Being tuned in a range that would provide excellent tracking, this is a no brainer.

* Tweaks to the body design, depending on initial playbility. Could include a contour on the lower body to accommodate lap position, maybe with an adhesive strip for friction.

* On-board headphone amp 

* iOS interface for working with the ton of cool apps using Audiobus, without the need for an external device.

* Different woods, depending on initial tone. I love the warmth of mahogany, which initially seems to be the perfect application, but Alder or Ash may provide desirable flavors.

The prototype is getting kicked off, so in about 5 months I'll have something tangible to report on. The wait begins

​To bring the cost down, we agreed on changing the body wood from ash to mahogany, without a fancy top. We also agreed to go with passive circuitry and a comparible pickup (to the Nordstrand). The fretboard will also be glued directly to the body without additional trickery which will necessitate the headless bridge/tuner to be slightly recessed more into the body.

​The final design has been accepted by Chris Stambaugh