love of Ampeg and other Scroll Basses, Part 2

Saw something interesting on Reverb that I’m not sure how it would even work. Someone has removed the factory diaphragm pickup and installed just split pickups underneath the bridge. What’s your thoughts Bruce? You’ve every seen this before?
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Saw something interesting on Reverb that I’m not sure how it would even work. Someone has removed the factory diaphragm pickup and installed just split pickups underneath the bridge. What’s your thoughts Bruce? You’ve every seen this before?
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Heh......Not only have I seen this before, but he was following my directions! The owner of this AEB-1 called me a few weeks ago. He's a music store owner and a Luthier, and he was able to buy this AEB-1 for a very low price. I think he said he got it from a pawn shop, and it had come from an estate sale. It's in really nice condition overall, all original, original paint, complete with all the hardware. The only thing wrong with it was that it had no sound output. That's why it was being sold so cheap. He bought it right away, assuming that it was something that he could fix......

When he opened it up, he discovered that it was missing the Mystery pickup coil assembly! Gone, removed, stolen! The diaphragm was there, and everything else. And the bass was all assembled and strung up and played just fine acoustically. A weird situation. My guess is that sometime way back, the pickup coil had failed. The owner took the coil out and started the search for a replacement..... And put the poor Ampeg all back together and in its case in a closet. And it sat there for decades......

So the current owner found me, of course, looking for help. I've made up replacement Mystery pickup coils in the past, including a few of my Super versions. But right now, I can not take the time to stop and make him one. Too much other work backed up.......

But I told him how I repaired several AEB-1's years back before I started making my own pickup coils. I found that a Seymour Duncan Quarter Pounder P-Bass coil set would work just fine as a replacement coil in a Mystery pickup. As long as it was mounted and adjusted correctly, the sound and output level was almost exactly like the original. I repaired several "dead" AEB's like that in the early 2000's, with SDQP coils inside.

He happened to be a Seymour Duncan dealer, and had them in stock. I talked him through how to install them and set them up. And that's what he's done. I also talked him through the trick of adding the extra capacitor.

I guess he's putting it up for sale on Reverb now. Assuming that he's got it all working right, it should be a really nice Ampeg for someone.

The picture shows the coils down in the cavity, with the diaphragm removed. The coils detect the motion of the diaphragm, not the strings. That's the Mystery of the Mystery pickup.
 
Heh......Not only have I seen this before, but he was following my directions! The owner of this AEB-1 called me a few weeks ago. He's a music store owner and a Luthier, and he was able to buy this AEB-1 for a very low price. I think he said he got it from a pawn shop, and it had come from an estate sale. It's in really nice condition overall, all original, original paint, complete with all the hardware. The only thing wrong with it was that it had no sound output. That's why it was being sold so cheap. He bought it right away, assuming that it was something that he could fix......

When he opened it up, he discovered that it was missing the Mystery pickup coil assembly! Gone, removed, stolen! The diaphragm was there, and everything else. And the bass was all assembled and strung up and played just fine acoustically. A weird situation. My guess is that sometime way back, the pickup coil had failed. The owner took the coil out and started the search for a replacement..... And put the poor Ampeg all back together and in its case in a closet. And it sat there for decades......

So the current owner found me, of course, looking for help. I've made up replacement Mystery pickup coils in the past, including a few of my Super versions. But right now, I can not take the time to stop and make him one. Too much other work backed up.......

But I told him how I repaired several AEB-1's years back before I started making my own pickup coils. I found that a Seymour Duncan Quarter Pounder P-Bass coil set would work just fine as a replacement coil in a Mystery pickup. As long as it was mounted and adjusted correctly, the sound and output level was almost exactly like the original. I repaired several "dead" AEB's like that in the early 2000's, with SDQP coils inside.

He happened to be a Seymour Duncan dealer, and had them in stock. I talked him through how to install them and set them up. And that's what he's done. I also talked him through the trick of adding the extra capacitor.

I guess he's putting it up for sale on Reverb now. Assuming that he's got it all working right, it should be a really nice Ampeg for someone.

The picture shows the coils down in the cavity, with the diaphragm removed. The coils detect the motion of the diaphragm, not the strings. That's the Mystery of the Mystery pickup.
Does it sound like the mystery pickup...does it have the boing?
 
Does it sound like the mystery pickup...does it have the boing?

Yes, it sure does. The characteristic sound of a Mystery pickup comes from the mechanics of the diaphragm, not the electromagnetic properties of the coil. You can put many different types of coils under the diaphragm without changing the sound much. I chose the SDQP mostly because the output level was about right. And the two P-coils fit in there easily with no routing or modification.
 
Hey Ed;

Yeah, out of necessity......Every little detail about building Scroll Basses is 3X as complicated as a normal bass. I've had to figure everything out myself. And no one else has tried to follow me or surpass me. So I became the Expert by default!
Hey Bruce, I sent you a pm but wondering if you’ve read it. I was just wondering if you had a grayish timeline as to when #19 might be finished? Only reason I sent this was because my teacher and other bass players I know in the Cincy area keep asking me when I’ll get it. I swear they are more excited than me at the prospect of playing and owning a totally genius/genuine handcrafted bass guitar .

Any info will be greatly appreciated.

Stay well Bruce and the same goes for everyone who is on this site .
 
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Hey Bruce, I sent you a pm but wondering if you’ve read it. I was just wondering if you had a grayish timeline as to when #19 might be finished? Only reason I sent this was because my teacher and other bass players I know in the Cincy area keep asking me when I’ll get it. I swear they are more excited than me at the prospect of playing and owning a totally genius/genuine handcrafted bass guitar .

Any info will be greatly appreciated.

Stay well Bruce and the same goes for everyone who is on this site .

Hello Rich;

I'm back on my feet again, literally, and my health is good. I'm lifting weights again and able to walk a few miles. And, most importantly, work longer hours in the shop.

#018 is done, and Ed should have it about now. A few other little odd jobs that have hanging since July are mostly done. So your #019 is my top priority job from now until...it's done! I'm hoping that will be in December. It's about 60% done right now. And it's a Walnut model, which is a much easier finish process than the classic gloss sunburst that I wrestled with on #018. So I think December is realistic.

My second priority job will be finishing up the new fixtures for making the new batch of AMB-2 necks on the pin router. And moving along on that batch of 20. I want to have that done by the end of the year. I'm still planning to have Jeremy help me build those basses, and possibly have him completely take over building the AMB-2 line.

I'm shutting down almost everything else. I'm going to stop doing restorations and repairs on vintage Ampegs, sadly. But I have to concentrate on my new models. I do have an AEB-1 and a Baby Bass here right now for some minor work. And a Devil Bass is on the way in for a restoration. But that one is mostly going to be done by Jeremy. With me watching over him. It's a trial to see if he likes working on Ampegs, and will be interested in doing more. If there are any more. Fewer poor-condition Ampegs are appearing every year. I think that almost all of them that are still in existence have been found.
 
Hello Rich;

I'm back on my feet again, literally, and my health is good. I'm lifting weights again and able to walk a few miles. And, most importantly, work longer hours in the shop.

#018 is done, and Ed should have it about now. A few other little odd jobs that have hanging since July are mostly done. So your #019 is my top priority job from now until...it's done! I'm hoping that will be in December. It's about 60% done right now. And it's a Walnut model, which is a much easier finish process than the classic gloss sunburst that I wrestled with on #018. So I think December is realistic.

My second priority job will be finishing up the new fixtures for making the new batch of AMB-2 necks on the pin router. And moving along on that batch of 20. I want to have that done by the end of the year. I'm still planning to have Jeremy help me build those basses, and possibly have him completely take over building the AMB-2 line.

I'm shutting down almost everything else. I'm going to stop doing restorations and repairs on vintage Ampegs, sadly. But I have to concentrate on my new models. I do have an AEB-1 and a Baby Bass here right now for some minor work. And a Devil Bass is on the way in for a restoration. But that one is mostly going to be done by Jeremy. With me watching over him. It's a trial to see if he likes working on Ampegs, and will be interested in doing more. If there are any more. Fewer poor-condition Ampegs are appearing every year. I think that almost all of them that are still in existence have been found.
Bruce, thanks 😊 so much for the update. I am giddy with anticipation. As always, you are DA’ MAN! Here’s to your health and well being!

Rich.
 
Hello Rich;

I'm back on my feet again, literally, and my health is good. I'm lifting weights again and able to walk a few miles. And, most importantly, work longer hours in the shop.

#018 is done, and Ed should have it about now. A few other little odd jobs that have hanging since July are mostly done. So your #019 is my top priority job from now until...it's done! I'm hoping that will be in December. It's about 60% done right now. And it's a Walnut model, which is a much easier finish process than the classic gloss sunburst that I wrestled with on #018. So I think December is realistic.

hey Bruce any news on the yellow pedulla?
 
Some very stressful and disturbing news:

#018 has not made it to Ed, and has disappeared within FedEx. It was checked in to FedEx's Cypress, TX distribution facility last Friday, and the tracking stopped there. So far, we're getting no info from FedEx about where it is and what happened to it. We've filed a search claim with info and pictures. It is insured, but......I've made it clear to them that I want the bass located and recovered. I'm not willing to just write it off and take the money.

The most likely situation is that it's stuck there in the distribution facility. The outer cardboard box got damaged as it went through the conveyor system, and then it gets parked in the back room until someone gets around to identifying it and patching it up. Now that they have a Case File looking for it, we're hoping that it will reappear in a few days.

There's always the possibility that it's been stolen by an employee. Not as likely, but possible.

But for all you Scroll Bass fans, particularly any of you in Texas, keep your eyes open to see if it turns up for sale anywhere.
 
Some very stressful and disturbing news:

#018 has not made it to Ed, and has disappeared within FedEx. It was checked in to FedEx's Cypress, TX distribution facility last Friday, and the tracking stopped there. So far, we're getting no info from FedEx about where it is and what happened to it. We've filed a search claim with info and pictures. It is insured, but......I've made it clear to them that I want the bass located and recovered. I'm not willing to just write it off and take the money.

The most likely situation is that it's stuck there in the distribution facility. The outer cardboard box got damaged as it went through the conveyor system, and then it gets parked in the back room until someone gets around to identifying it and patching it up. Now that they have a Case File looking for it, we're hoping that it will reappear in a few days.

There's always the possibility that it's been stolen by an employee. Not as likely, but possible.

But for all you Scroll Bass fans, particularly any of you in Texas, keep your eyes open to see if it turns up for sale anywhere.

I sure hope that it ends up back in Ed's hands in good shape!
 
Bruce, do you remember that bass I sent to Rob Allen that you were tracking at the building? A couple of years ago. USPS lost it both coming and going from NY to California, but eventually it made the round trip in good shape. The shipping label was peeled off of the box by the handling machines.... There are many ways for the shippers to lose track of a package, but most times it will reappear.
 
Some very stressful and disturbing news:

#018 has not made it to Ed, and has disappeared within FedEx. It was checked in to FedEx's Cypress, TX distribution facility last Friday, and the tracking stopped there. So far, we're getting no info from FedEx about where it is and what happened to it. We've filed a search claim with info and pictures. It is insured, but......I've made it clear to them that I want the bass located and recovered. I'm not willing to just write it off and take the money.

The most likely situation is that it's stuck there in the distribution facility. The outer cardboard box got damaged as it went through the conveyor system, and then it gets parked in the back room until someone gets around to identifying it and patching it up. Now that they have a Case File looking for it, we're hoping that it will reappear in a few days.

There's always the possibility that it's been stolen by an employee. Not as likely, but possible.

But for all you Scroll Bass fans, particularly any of you in Texas, keep your eyes open to see if it turns up for sale anywhere.

i did a trade many years ago and the bass sent to me didn't make it and turned up in Kansas City like 3 weeks later and someone called me
 
Some very stressful and disturbing news:

#018 has not made it to Ed, and has disappeared within FedEx. It was checked in to FedEx's Cypress, TX distribution facility last Friday, and the tracking stopped there. So far, we're getting no info from FedEx about where it is and what happened to it. We've filed a search claim with info and pictures. It is insured, but......I've made it clear to them that I want the bass located and recovered. I'm not willing to just write it off and take the money.

The most likely situation is that it's stuck there in the distribution facility. The outer cardboard box got damaged as it went through the conveyor system, and then it gets parked in the back room until someone gets around to identifying it and patching it up. Now that they have a Case File looking for it, we're hoping that it will reappear in a few days.

There's always the possibility that it's been stolen by an employee. Not as likely, but possible.

But for all you Scroll Bass fans, particularly any of you in Texas, keep your eyes open to see if it turns up for sale anywhere.
Man oh man! What is going on with FedEx ? I feel so sorry for Ed .! (Big Sigh here).
 
I know this is a VERY longshot, and I don't mean to sidetrack things what with #018 having gone MIA, but I just wanted to see if anyone has any leads on where I might be able to find a bridge cover (original or repro) for my AEB-1. I've pretty much accepted that I likely will never get one, but figure it couldn't hurt to put it out there...
 
I know this is a VERY longshot, and I don't mean to sidetrack things what with #018 having gone MIA, but I just wanted to see if anyone has any leads on where I might be able to find a bridge cover (original or repro) for my AEB-1. I've pretty much accepted that I likely will never get one, but figure it couldn't hurt to put it out there...

Well, if you've been reading this thread for a while, you probably know that I'm really the only source. Nobody else that I know of has ever made repros, and there aren't any more leftover originals floating around. It's been too many years.

I'm out of stock of them right now. I've been planning to make up another batch of them, but I haven't gotten to it yet. I have a list of about 8 AEB/AUB owners pleading for them. It's not economically practical to make up just one, mostly because of the cost of the chrome plating. When I finally do it, I'll make up about 20 of them. And that should be all I ever need to make.

I may finally get to it this spring, because I just brought in a Devil Bass for a full restoration. I know I said I wasn't going to do any more Ampeg restorations, but.....how can I resist the sad call of a Devil Bass in near-dumpster condition? I need to bring it back to life. It's in my soul. I'm going to have Jeremy do most of the work on it, but it does need a lot of replacement hardware. Including a bridge cover. So I may use that as justification to make up a batch of bridge covers.
 
Well, if you've been reading this thread for a while, you probably know that I'm really the only source. Nobody else that I know of has ever made repros, and there aren't any more leftover originals floating around. It's been too many years.

I'm out of stock of them right now. I've been planning to make up another batch of them, but I haven't gotten to it yet. I have a list of about 8 AEB/AUB owners pleading for them. It's not economically practical to make up just one, mostly because of the cost of the chrome plating. When I finally do it, I'll make up about 20 of them. And that should be all I ever need to make.

I may finally get to it this spring, because I just brought in a Devil Bass for a full restoration. I know I said I wasn't going to do any more Ampeg restorations, but.....how can I resist the sad call of a Devil Bass in near-dumpster condition? I need to bring it back to life. It's in my soul. I'm going to have Jeremy do most of the work on it, but it does need a lot of replacement hardware. Including a bridge cover. So I may use that as justification to make up a batch of bridge covers.

Oh I know you're the only source, I just didn't want anyone else to feel left out. 😁

Well, if you decide to make a batch, definitely put me down for one! My fingers are crossed!