The Renaissance series delivers a much broader frequency range than traditional basses. Models include a four-string 34″ scale and a five-string and six-string 35″ scale with fretted or fretless fingerboards. Thomastik-Infeld Acousticore or Jazz Flatwound strings deliver melodic, punchy tones right down to a thunderous low B. All in a bass weighing in at less than 5.5 pounds!
Acoustically Sound Design
Constructed like true acoustic instruments, with bent sides and a braced tone wood top and back, the Renaissance series truly represents the best way to achieve acoustic tone plugged in.
The construction feature that sets our instruments apart is the Western Red Cedar center block that prevents feedback and yet provides an acoustically live foundation for the Eclipse preamp and pickup system.
D-Tar Preamp
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The Renaissance RB4, RB5 and RB6 basses feature a graphite-reinforced maple neck, graphite string saddle and integrated dingus strap-button extender for enhanced balance. Low-tension strings designed for piezoelectric pickups produce an upright-like tone. Fretless options and a “Deuce” model are also available.
Electronics – We use a D-TAR Eclipse pickup system that features a coaxial piezo polymer pickup element mounted in a curve bottomed slot in the bridge with a bone or carbon fiber saddle transferring the string pressure variations from vibrations into the pickup which transduces those vibrations into an electrical signal. Because the pickup senses 360 degrees around it’s core, you get both direct string sound as well as the warmth of the wood of the body. Pickup installation is all about location, location, location, as well as the exact geometry of the saddle/pickup/bridge interfaces, and we have taken great care to optimize installation including tilting the saddle back at an angle of 7 degrees to better split the “break angle” of the string as it goes over the saddle and down into the body.
That pickup signal is matched to an 18 volt preamp which provides a bit of a signal boost as well as conditioning the pickup impedance to run down long cables and match the input characteristics of typical amplifiers. Earlier instruments used two 9 Volt batteries; newer ones use two “AA” cells with a 6X voltage multiplier circuit to achieve the same headroom as with the two 9 volt batteries.
Options:
RB4: 4 String, 34″ Scale
RB5: 5 String, 35″ Scale
RB6: 6 String, 35″ Scale
F: Fretless