Hyak Scroll Bass - Rescue/Restoration Project

[HyAlembicK]

I had a feeling this bass would get to you, ED.  Definitely hit me up. You should have these electronics so you're can be original they were removed by Alembic and are in perfect condition. I'm curious how much you paid for it? I hope I'm not being rude.I tried to get it but the guy was asking way too much. I even tried to just get the pickups.

Nick

[hieronymous]

I finally watched the video - sounds great! Looks great too - the headstock is growing on me, especially seeing it in a playing situation.

By the way, did you have some kind of trippy visual effect going on? When I watched it in YouTube and put it on full-screen I started seeing strange movement - or maybe I just got on The Wheel...


Oh yeah, wanted to say, I like the way you pluck with your right hand - I've been going for that for a few years now, inspired by Stanley Clarke and Bootsy Collins...


One more thing - what are the side markers like? Dots on the fret (3,5,7,etc.)?

[edwardofhuncote]

Thanks Harry. 

The trippy visual effects are just one of about a dozen available for free use when uploading a video to my fledgling channel. That one is called "Dream" or something. I dunno... it kinda' fits the psychedelic theme.

I promise, anything you see me do on the fretless has a 95% probability of being carried over from playing upright bass. Particularly so with the right hand. I was telling Dave a little while back, in the gig-less situation most of us are in, I needed a fence to swing for; a reason to practice. Playing in front of the camera has been an eye-opener in several ways. I've heard myself recorded for years, but very seldom gotten to see myself play, or even seen pictures. It's all new to me, seeing that, and it has changed my perception.

The Hyak we believe had LED's... at the usual intervals, 3rd, 5th, 7th, etc. Incidentally, they are situated on the fret, rather than between them, thus more-or-less proving this was a factory fretless. They don't work anymore, but still look cool. I will most likely convert this bass to a fretted one after the neck is straightened and reinforced. If I can figure out how to do it, the LED's will be incorporated into the new fingerboard.

The headstock... the more you look at it, the more you realize it looks like it needs to for this design. I think it looks like an Alembic "Fan" pattern that got slightly melted.

[dela217]

Ed,

I am glad you are getting those electronics from Nick.     That bass really needs them!   As I think I mentioned before, I have a local guy that can actually replicate all of those electronic cards if you need it.   He completely rebuilt mine.   

Nice to see the bass in action!   

Michael

[edwardofhuncote]

I just got off the phone with Nick, had a great conversation, and sure enough, he had a full, new old stock, basically unused set of Hyak electronics for a bass. So that issue is resolved; they'll be going into #780502. Man, talk about finding a horn for a Unicorn... where else but this place?!   

[gtrguy]

Nick is a great person!

[HyAlembicK]

Thanks guys! I'm still around. Just building instruments and tables instead of playing. You do what you can during the zombie apocalypse

[mario_farufyno]

Not my bass and you 're the only one who knows your needs, but what a nice fretless, Greg! Thanks for sharing your video, it ia always great to hear you.

[edwardofhuncote]

Thread Update- the new old stock Hyak Electronics arrived today. Of course they will be a drop-in fit to my bass, as they came from an almost identical twin. Fascinating to look at the precision work in these little boards and harnesses. I will need to source the right connectors for my pickups to connect to these plugs. (I'm assuming red is bridge and blue is neck... I think it's like this on a Series bass) And I guess a new 5-pin jack and mounting plate are in order.

Thanks a million, Nick.

[dfung60]

Sweet bass! 

My guess on the woods - I think the top and back are shedua (popular on exotics back in those days, not commonly seen anymore).  Not sure about the core although the grain is pretty distinct for mahogany.  The light stringers in the neck are probably maple, the center is purpleheart, and the dark woods are two different kinds of bubinga (mentally overlay a Warwick Thumb over the center strip in the body).

If it were an Alembic of this age, an LED side marker would just be the LED.  Nowadays, it's more of a construction like this with the LED in a sterling silver piece which makes it possible to see the markers when the LEDs are off.  The way Alembic does the LED is that they route a channel along the edge of the fingerboard, and place the LEDs in a thin strip that fits into that channel.  The wiring runs behind the strip that's glued into place.  And then nobody will do a fret job for you because it might upset the LED strip.  Are all your markers like this?  If so, this was done differently than Alembics of the time, as the channel and strip don't seem visible. 

The woods in the neck expand and contract with humidity and temperature changes.  The graphite doesn't move so you need to epoxy them together so the don't split apart in a temp change.  That's necessary on the faces of the graphite laminates, but I don't think it really matters on those small edges as much.   Hopefully this was assembled with regular Titebond or the like.  I don't think you need to epoxy the fingerboard to the neck.  If it is epoxied on, then nothing will separate it.  The maple layer between the neck and fingerboard is sort of a sacrificial layer so you could conceivably reuse the fingerboard after taking the neck apart.

[dfung60]

Since you shared this Hyak with graphite laminates, I'll share a few photos of one of it's cousins.  This is a Moonstone Eclipse Deluxe which has thicker graphite stiffeners in the neck and between the neck centerpiece and the body wings.  Definitely a similar kind of vibe, although with much more pedestrian Bartolini electronics and a Badass bridge.  This is a fretted that was converted to fretless.  Moonstones are famous for the crazy figured woods.  I met Steve Helgeson, the man behind Moonstone at a NAMM show years ago, and the graphite laminates were from Modulus.  There were a few Moonstone guitars with Modulus graphite necks and Modulus had a few instruments with bodies by Moonstone.

[edwardofhuncote]

Thanks for posting David, glad to see you on the thread, yours being a well-known voice of experience here. We haven't corresponded, (me being fairly new) but I have read a good many of your posts here. That Moonstone is nice!

Schedua is a very good guess on the top/back. I hadn't considered that, but you're absolutely right... 1978 was about the primetime for that wood choice. On the LED's, yes... all are the same; red, and encircled by silver ringlets. I'm not certain they were LED's, but we think so. Look at the end of the fingerboard under the E-string, and you'll see an odd route, that must have been there for the wires. They are not connected to anything anymore, so no way to know if they still work. Wouldn't it be cool if they did!? They will most likely be destroyed by the fingerboard removal, but we can replace them. I may need some help figuring out how to wire them to the circuit. All in good time.

I'll admit to being kinda' torn Mario. On the one hand, you're right, it is a wonderful fretless. On the other hand, I have a few wonderful fretlesses, two of them are Alembics. This bass is already a wrestling match with gravity with the small body and long scale. I am about as fond of doing fretwork as I am having dental work done, so I may change my mind and leave it slick. We'll see! 

[gtrguy]

If you find any of those original Molex pickup connecters please let me know. I have contacted Mica several times looking for them, but then I don't hear back. I know they took a special tool to crimp, too.

[edwardofhuncote]

Not much of a thread update, but I finally found a hardshell case to fit the Hyak. Should be here today. (might actually be on my porch now, but I can't see it from waaaay down here) I haven't had any time at all to work on it, or even play it, but that day will come. Anyway, yeah... 48" x 14" inside dim. cases that are deep enough for an angled headstock are not easy to find. I got a pretty good buy on an Epiphone T-Bird case (by Gator cases) that should do nicely! 

[edwardofhuncote]

Not the toughest hardshell case ever made, no, but definitely an upgrade from what I got it it in, or had already available. Decent handle carry and hardware. Four latches. Big compartment holds the extra-thick GruvGear SoloStrap and more junk. Most importantly... It Fit the Hyak Scroll-body!   

It's tight, but workable. There's a good 3/4" to spare beyond the headstock and the body is well-cushioned. I think the foam will eventually mold itself to the shape. Lid closes fine, no mods necessary. The Hyak has a safe resting place now.