Abasi Concepts/Larada Megathread

[prlgmnr]

Abasi Concepts is the No Man's Sky of guitars. First they gave promises, then they gave shit, then they gave good shit. Hell, from the beginning I hated these guitars just because of the design but slowly but surely I'm starting to GAS for one.

Does this make Decibel Guitars Star Citizen?

 

[Kaura]

Does this make Decibel Guitars Star Citizen?

I don't know what is Decibel Guitars but I hope Fender puts out Skyrim 2.

 

[G_3_3_k_]

I don't know what is Decibel Guitars but I hope Fender puts out Skyrim 2.

Lots of build up and no delivery basically.

 

[kisielk]

My J Larada has shipped last week and so far great communication with Abasi Concepts.

Constructive suggestion: Don’t use UPS for international orders. Their customs brokerage process is crap, you need to send them an email or call them to have your stuff clear customs. This may bring additional delays. Moreover, their brokerage services are overpriced. FedEx is waaaay better IMO.

Anyhow, as I said, great communication and customer service from Ivan thus far.

Planned delivery is next week. When my tendinitis goes away I’ll post a NGD video.

It depends on what level of UPS service you use. The higher levels of UPS have no brokerage fees or additional customs clearance process. Usually it's only about 50% more than the standard shipping, and it can be well worth it since the custom clearance charges can be proportional to the item value otherwise.

 

[AmoryDrive]

Buddy just got his 6 string, here it is alongside the 8 custom I had ordered and he bought when it was completed

 

[cip 123]

Man it looks so sick in Ash!

 

[SpaceDock]

I don’t want to be a bummer, but the design is just not good unless it is headless. The giant upper bout does not make sense to me functionally in this version.

 

[SpaceDock]

Double post

 

[xzacx]

I don’t want to be a bummer, but the design is just not good unless it is headless. The giant upper bout does not make sense to me functionally in this version.

Please explain how the upper bout makes sense functionally headless.

 

[bzhang9]

Please explain how the upper bout makes sense functionally headless.

because headless has a much lighter neck and needs weight shifted towards the neck... the abasi looks like neck dive city

 

[SpaceDock]

^ yes. I don’t want to be not allowed to have thumb over but also the design makes sense if there is a very long, thin, and wide neck that needs to stability and an extra small body that needs more balance because of chambering. Having a solid body, typical neck, and headstock just doesn’t jive for me. Looks like it was half there.

 

[Hollowway]

It depends on what level of UPS service you use. The higher levels of UPS have no brokerage fees or additional customs clearance process. Usually it's only about 50% more than the standard shipping, and it can be well worth it since the custom clearance charges can be proportional to the item value otherwise.

Wait, how do higher levels of UPS service get you out of customs fees? Do they pay the government directly on your behalf?

 

[MaxOfMetal]

Wait, how do higher levels of UPS service get you out of customs fees? Do they pay the government directly on your behalf?

I believe they negotiate a set price from the destination country and pass that on in the higher rate. It makes sense for certain goods.

 

[Emperor Guillotine]

I don't know what is Decibel Guitars but I hope Fender puts out Skyrim 2.

Decibel is the one who originally designed the Larada from scratch for Tosin.

Lots of build up and no delivery basically.

Yep, sounds like Abasi Concepts in a nutshell.

 

[narad]

Decibel is the one who originally designed the Larada from scratch for Tosin.

I had heard rumors of involvement, but is this confirmed fact?

 

[MaxOfMetal]

I had heard rumors of involvement, but is this confirmed fact?

Yes.

Hence the pseudo-Intrepid headstock.

Though my understanding it was more of a collaborative effort, not just Darren.

EDIT: https://darrenwilson.com/abasi-guitars/

 

[narad]

This is pretty cool:

 

[cip 123]

I don’t want to be a bummer, but the design is just not good unless it is headless. The giant upper bout does not make sense to me functionally in this version.

I think it's actually a great design aesthetically, some details could be better but they're being fixed.

because headless has a much lighter neck and needs weight shifted towards the neck... the abasi looks like neck dive city

Only a lighter neck if you use light woods. You can easily build a headless with a heavy neck. Even if you have neck dive you can solve it on most instruments by moving the strap button.

^ yes. I don’t want to be not allowed to have thumb over but also the design makes sense if there is a very long, thin, and wide neck that needs to stability and an extra small body that needs more balance because of chambering. Having a solid body, typical neck, and headstock just doesn’t jive for me. Looks like it was half there.

Sorry but what?

It sounds like you just don't want a single cut and if so headless or otherwise it's not going to make a difference. I can give you various insights to building one of these, what would be easy, what changes should and could be made. But headless won't fix the fact its a singlecut. And headless doesn't automatically fix neck dive, the design however does counteract neck dive given that it's so easy to play in classical position.

 

[SpaceDock]

^ a single cut that the upper bout goes all the way to the 12 fret. I think if it went to the 15/17 like on most single cuts the body would be too small the cause tremendous neck dive unless.....it was headless. Again though, just my opinion. I would definitely rock one these, I just think it can be improved.

 

[Chokey Chicken]

Single cuts don't typically prevent thumb-over until the last few frets. On these, it looks like it would prevent it around fret 12.

Admittedly, though, I don't see balance being an issue specifically because of the shape. The strap button should be right around fret twelve, which is a good place to have it. The center weight should be in a pretty ideal location. I mean, I've not played one, but they do look like they'd balance really well. In fact, that's the only thing I really dig about the way they look.

Again, maybe I'm wrong on that since I haven't played one. Also, my mind is a little scrambled cuz I just got home from work and haven't had much sleep so maybe I'm not even making the points I intend to.

For the record, I do think it would look cool as a headless. For my personal "I'm never gonna buy one anyway so who cares about my opinion" tastes, it would be ideal. For no other reason than I just think it'd look cooler.

Edit: ninja'd