Description
Everybody is making their version of the ubiquitous JB design.
Many of these excellent instruments are made by talented builders , but what do they offer that is new ? How is one better , worse or different than the rest ?
Duvoisin is a small Swiss shop run by the father and son team of Jacques and GIlles Duvoisin. The secret sauce electronics are by electronics guru Gerald Huegenin – herein lies part of what make this a truly new jazz bass.
Another unique innovation is the Duvoisin bridge , a mono-rail design that takes that concept two steps further :
In the words of the builders :
” An essential element of the bass or the guitar, the duty of which is to hold the extremities of the strings and relay the sound generated by the vibration to the whole instrument. Our patented bridge consists mainly of a diffuser, a base plate and a deck plate. It, of course, enables the adjustment of string height and scale length, but the most important innovation lies in the diffuser. Encased inside the body of the instrument, it drives the sound from its very heart, enhancing considerably its sustain. We have also chosen to avoid linking the bridges together, meaning that each string rests on its own bridge, separate from the others, which improves the decoupling of the system, and which also considerably reduces the residual noise that mono bloc bridges generate. Our patented bridges are available on all our models.
To the pickups and preamp , both proprietary designs made in collaboration with the aforementioned Gerald Huegenin , are intended to enhance the tone of the wood.
- Active pickups
- 3V preamp – you have read this correctly – powered by two AA batteries – the low voltage = transparency , low noise , and expanded frequency response. You must hear this bass appreciate the difference – it is real.
About this bass
- Ash body , 8lbs, 10 oz.
- Maple neck , 34″ scale , 1.77″ at the nut
- Maple finger board
- 18mm string spacing at the bridge
- 3 Band Duvoison Custom Deluxe preamp – volume, blend, 3 band with sweepable mids
- Gloss finished body and natural neck
- Case included
So, what we have here is a familiar and comfortable body shape with 21st century electronics, all for a fraction of the cost of many of the boutique JBs out there.
I urge you to play a Duvoisin – compare , and make up your own mind.