Bass - Peter Bachmaier

It took several years of development, simulations and calculations before the concept for this bass was ready.

The first prototype of the CANIS bass is used for functional testing and is therefore still very roughly built in places. The design is derived from the SIRIUS guitar, but the proportions will be changed slightly.

I am already satisfied with the sound. The CANIS growls properly and the tones are well resolved without mulm.

The prototype shows that many things from the theory work, but a few details still need to be changed.

The first customer basses will be ready in 2026.

Here are a few insights into the topics I examined in the prototype:

In theory, I had made a calculation error. The aluminum center section of the body deformed by more than 2 mm under string tension. The body was therefore much too elastic and dampened the string vibrations too much. As a remedy, I tentatively screwed two aluminum rods onto the back. The aluminum center section is now perfectly straight and the sound is richer in treble and more percussive with significantly more sustain. Conclusion: The sound is now right, but 1 kg of additional weight is completely unacceptable. The monster weighs over 5 kg!

I replaced the aluminum rods from the above experiment with titanium tension rods. The principle is the same as with a truss rod. Tightening the nuts at the end of the body tensions the rods, allowing the aluminum middle section to be leveled. The sound is comparable to the solution above with the aluminum rods. However, the weight is 700g lower. In the next bass, the titanium tension rods will be integrated into the aluminum center section. This will save another 200 g.

I wanted to quickly compare Häussel JB pickups as humbuckers and single coils without having to make any modifications. The switch allows you to switch between the two pickups. Conclusion: There is hardly any difference in the sound of the two pickups. Therefore, JB humbuckers will be used in the future.

I packed the PB pickup into a “soap box” to test it as a thumb rest. It turned out that it makes sense to make the two coils of the pickup adjustable in height and angle. An elegant solution for this will be featured in the next bass.

The ETS tuners work great once you get used to tuning with your right hand. The tuners on the neck will therefore be discontinued in the future.

I have examined various materials under the ETS tuner. I am still unsure about the results. The tests will be repeated with the next sufficiently rigid body.

The standard configuration includes an aluminum block under the ETS tuner. The tuner is tilted so that it lies parallel to the clamped strings. Unfortunately, unlike with the ORION or SIRIUS, the strings cannot be clamped directly to the aluminum center section. The angle above the bridge would then be too large.

I gave the three pickups different angles at the top edge. All players preferred the version on the right in the picture with the maximum angle as a thumb rest.

Instead of the middle pickup, I installed a movable thumb rest. I’m still waiting for feedback from bassists. I don’t like the look of it, and I already have other solutions in mind.