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SKU FBASS-AC4-ANTBRWN

F-Bass AC4 Alain Caron Signature 4-String Fretless Bass, Satin Antique Brown Burst

$7,350.00
Free 2-Day Shipping

Player's Perspective

Music Store Live is proud to welcome F-Bass into our family of high-end and boutique basses that we now carry. Handmade in Canada, the build quality is absolutely out of this world. The meticulous attention to detail is immediately evident. It doesn't get much better than this, eh?

It's not an exaggeration to say this may very well be the nicest fretless bass to ever roll through the shop here. The entire package seems like it was built by angels. The tone is absolutely heavenly. This is the perfect example of what a fretless bass is supposed to sound like. You can get anything from Jaco-like tones to an acoustic bass sound out of this and lots of incredible sounds in between. It's got "mwah" for days and days, especially if you move your plucking hand up closer to the neck. It responds so well to dynamic changes in your plucking hand, too. It's so easy to feel "at one" with this bass. You can also toggle the pickup between true single-coil and hum-canceling mode which can give a little more of that Pino fretless type tone and some nice natural compression. So basically you get 2 different magnetic pickup tones as well as the piezo.

The thumb rest is an awesome feature, especially on a fretless where your plucking hand positioning really has such a massively noticeable impact on the tone. For someone like me who prefers to anchor the thumb on my plucking hand to something, this is an awesome feature. Without even touching the preamp, you've got a wealth of tones between the hum-canceling single-coil pickup and the piezo. But the flexibility of the preamp really shines and only further adds to the versatility of this bass and its thunderous and massive tone.

A true work of art and a thing of beauty, this bass left us scooping our jaws off the floor. This Canadian labor of love is a truly special instrument.

Manufacturer's Details

The AC-Signature fretless has been developed in collaboration with Canadian jazz legend Alain Caron since the mid-1980’s. This series was inspired by Alain’s desire to have one fretless bass that could do it all—anything from acoustic to modern electric tones, a big clear voice to hold down a groove and an extended range fingerboard with easy access for soloing. Al often refers to playing fretless as a second language, so it was imperative that this instrument be highly expressive and sensitive to playing dynamics. This is achieved through our original semi-chambered design, procurement of premium lumber used in traditional upright bass builds, our handwound F Bass single-coil pickup, RMC Piezo saddle pickup system, and our natural & transparent F Bass preamp. This is a highly refined instrument and has been dubbed by our players as the “King of Fretless”!

Specifications

Body

  • Model: AC4 Alain Caron Signature Fretless
  • Color: Satin Antique Brown Burst
  • Top: Spruce
  • Body: Chambered Flame Maple

Neck

  • Construction: Bolt-On
  • Fretboard: Gabon Ebony
  • Neck: Quartersawn Maple, Satin
  • Scale: 34"
  • Nut Width: 1.5"
  • "Frets": 28 Maple Fret Lines
  • Fingerboard Radius: 10" - 16" Compound
  • Headstock: Matching

Electronics

  • Pickups: F-Bass Stacked Single-Coil & RMC Piezo Saddles
  • Controls: Magnetic Pickup Volume (p/p for single-coil or hum-canceling), Piezo Volume, Tone (p/p for active/passive), Bass Boost, Mid Boost, Treble Boost
  • Preamp: F-Bass 9v 3-Band EQ

Hardware

  • Bridge: Handmade Ebony Bridge - 19mm String Spacing
  • Tuners: Gotoh 20:1 Ratio
  • Hardware Finish: Black

Miscellaneous

  • Case: F-Bass Heavy Duty Gig Bag
  • Serial #: 010820
  • Instrument Weight: 8 lbs.

Overall Condition

Music Store Live is proud to be an authorized dealer for F-Bass. This AC4 Fretless is 100% brand new and is being sold with a full manufacturer's warranty. Photos are of the exact guitar you'll receive.

Our in-house guitar tech will inspect, test, set up, and clean all of our instruments on site prior to shipping. All of our instruments are guaranteed to be fully functional upon arrival.