Manton Customs Ascendant 5 String Bass - African Rosewood, Nordstrand Sting Ray Pickup

For sale here is my Ascendant 5 string model, handmade by Manton Customs (myself) - I'm a fulltime luthier based in Shropshire (UK) with over 15 years of experience, I'm also a very keen bass player so really enjoy building basses!

Description

There are just three main species of wood used on the bass, but we have used them in some different shades to give more variation in colour. The wings are of a pale Mahogany, whereas the neck and body centre are both a darker Honduran Mahogany. The wings are capped with some beautiful African Rosewood (very closely related to Bubinga) and we have black accents giving a clean edge where needed. As with previous Ascendant models the body is slim and features extensive carving to improve ergonomics and reduce weight.

The neck is a 5 piece construction of Wenge and Honduran Mahogany with carbon fibre reinforcement, topped with a fretboard of some highly figured flatsawn Wenge.

Sound

One of my favourite types of bass sound is the Stingray and the sonic goal with this bass was to have that same snarly midrange and ray features in the Ascendant shape. Inside the handmade Wenge pickup cover lies the Nordstrand MM5.4 quad coil pickup which is in the Stingray sweet spot. The pickup is also wired to a switch which gives the option of Series/Parallel/single coil. In addition, the bass has an active 2 band preamp (Glockenklang) with a push/pull for passive…So, it has all the Stingray sounds and more, with a lot of versatility from just one pickup.

Features Overview

• 34” scale
• 24 frets
• Set Neck
• Mahogany Wings
• African Rosewood Top
• Honduran Mahogany/Wenge 5 Pc Neck
• Wenge Fretboard
• Carbon Fibre Reinforced Neck
• Matching Headstock Veneers
• Wenge Pickup Cover
• Nordstrand MM5.4 Pickup
• Glockenklang 2 Band Preamp
• Series/Parallel/Single Switch
• Gotoh Hardware
• Brass Nut

Condition

• Condition is excellent and I can't see a mark on it. I do a number of guitar shows each year and need instruments to take to them to exhibit and advertise my business. This is one of those instruments, so it has been to a few shows and will continue to do so until sold. This is the reason I'm listing it as Mint condition rather than brand new.

Postage

You would be more than welcome to collect the bass from my workshop in Shropshire, or I can ship within the UK via a specialist courier for £55. These are a small family business who have experience transporting art works and instruments and also insure to the full value. The downside is they can take a couple of weeks to collect. A padded gig bag is included with the sale. Please contact me if you're interested in purchasing this bass and live outside of the UK as the £300 is just an estimate.

Thank you for looking!